[Technocrat]

Originally Posted by vinayrathore

Guys actually the reason why generally people adjust only the fan speed is because in non climate controlled AC setups, what we think of as thermostat control is actually nothing but a rotary nob that moves the flap that regulate the air flow between the cool air from the cooling coil (cooled by the Compressor) and the hot air from the hot coil (coolant from the engine cooling system circulates through it) to the air vents on our dash. It basically switches between hot and cold air from two above sources. Therefore, using this nob to control the temp inside the car will not be as efficient as compared to slowing the airflow using the fan speed control. This is because slowing the fan will trip the compress when the duct air temp reaches a particular point but it will not trip if the temp does not drop because of the hot air getting mixed. This is why I do not touch the temp nob in summers.

In climate controlled AC setup its a different story and it indeed is a thermostat control.

Just my 2 cents.

Vinay, We have a separate thread on this discussion, anyways the point is that adjusting the (so called) temp knob has immediate effect on the temperature in the car. Increasing or decreasing the fan speed results in change in volume of air & while this is helpful at the start, it cant do much when the temperature is uniform all around.

[vb-saan]

Looks like Sam is enjoying his Sunday, while the thread has changed dimension to an Aircon setup discussion :-)

[az.shahulhameed]

Dear Sam,

Going by your words and with the little experience of having driven a first edition Laura, Skoda products seem to be way too good. I personally wanted to buy a Superb back here in Dubai, but then Skoda doesn't enjoy a good reputation here. I had to settle in for the Chevrolet Lumina LTZ and lo, it doesn't have any of the creature comforts of the Laura (the Octavia as it is called here).

Happy driving Sam! It's the heart that should speak the decision when it comes to cars and I respect yours for having done just that. As for the A.S.S dilemma, I read somewhere that Mr.Khattar (Ex-MD, MUL) had started a company which renders to servicing for cars in general. If so, that could be an option Sam.

Car-lovingly yours,
Shahul

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Sam: Sorry for the very basic question but does the music system come with a remote control (either hand held or built into the rear arm rest or something). I remember considering the Laura briefly when I bought my civic and I found it immensely annoying that such high end cars like Laura could come with no rear remote whatsoever.

You are correct. There is no remote or button in the rear seat.

If you read my review I'd given +10 points to Honda for doing this in the rear armrest.

I intend to incorporate a bluetooth module into the HU (Requires some parts from Skoda Europe) and intend to use a bluetooth dongle on my iPod so I can wirelessly "DJ" my music from the rear seat.
I can also stream my music from my laptop into the bluetooth module, not to mention handsfree telephony.

But I need some equipment for this which I don't have. Yet.

Originally Posted by tsk13

Congrats Sir Yeti. Any plans to JBLfy it?

Have already, to some extent. WIP.



Do not be shocked, I don't intend to void my electrical warranty. What you see here is an interrupt kit - a set of male female ISO-DIN connectors that are designed to interrupt the connections into the head unit. Sent to me by my colleagues from Europe.

You see the head unit also incorporates the Aircon temperature display as well as the Parktronic display. I have to interrupt the audio connections only and send the rest of the signals back to the headunit, thereby "fooling" it slightly.

More techie type details in the ICE section later.

Originally Posted by navin

Also if you are installing the MS-8 it mkes a lot of sense to upgrade the OEM speakers too. THe MS-8 is overkill if you are just going to use it for TA.

If I were you Sam I'd use all my tricks. I would be thinking a custom loudspeaker set based on Revel home audio drivers. The drivers used in the Ultima Gem for example can be perfectly adapted for the Superb's front speakes (Viddy claims the Superb has 3 way in the front). There will be a few modifications ofcourse but nothing that the team of experts you have around you cannot handle.

Mush as I'd like to, Andy would like me to prove a point here by not changing the OE speakers, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of the MS-8.
In short, I'm going to use the original OE SKoda speakers. But I'm going to make it sound completely different and going to boost the bottom end mildly with the basslink.

Originally Posted by az.shahulhameed

I read somewhere that Mr.Khattar (Ex-MD, MUL) had started a company which renders to servicing for cars in general. If so, that could be an option Sam.

Indeed. I am aware of this. If they can service Skoda Superbs, it might be a good option. However I must make sure I fulfill all necessary Skoda India requirements in order to keep my warranty hitch-free.

[artofzen]

Originally Posted by navin

My car has visited Autobahn 3 times and they claim there is no solution. The mist that form on the front center of the windscreen is most disturbing.

My Laura had the same issue, but it was sorted out by inserting padding into the coin box on the dash.

[Sam Kapasi]

Allow me to present to you the first few pictures of the beautiful Skoda Superb, my pride and joy.

[Abbas]

Nice pictures ... the number seems weird .

[SmartCat]

Woaah man, check out the legroom. And nice and fat front leather seats. But how is the visibility at the back? Can you see the road from where you are sitting?

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by Abbas

Nice pictures ... the number seems weird .

Yes that's the new number series in Mumbai. lol.

Originally Posted by smartcat

Woaah man, check out the legroom. And nice and fat front leather seats. But how is the visibility at the back? Can you see the road from where you are sitting?

Legroom galore. I can swing my legs around and do a sitting belly dance and I won't touch a thing.
Visibility - Seeing the front is OK. I will take the headrest off in any case.

But while driving, the rear windscreen is too far away and too small. But thanks to the fabulous, FABULOUS 8 zone parktronic that intelligently switches on in reverse and stays on even if you move forward, staying on with audible support until you go back to 15kmph. Display on the audio head unit shows which zone is approaching another wall, car or person.

Works with dogs too!

You can also switch the parktronic on manually at any time.

This is my first car with parktronic and from what I've been told by other users, it is classy to have parktronic sensors all around (8 zones) usually there's just a rear and front sensor in mid-end cars.
This crap is reserved for proper high-end cars.

Full marks!

[Jaguar]

I read somewhere that Mr.Khattar (Ex-MD, MUL) had started a company which renders to servicing for cars in general. If so, that could be an option Sam

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Indeed. I am aware of this. If they can service Skoda Superbs, it might be a good option. However I must make sure I fulfill all necessary Skoda India requirements in order to keep my warranty hitch-free.

The company is called carnation and from my experience, they are not very competent. The boot of my Ford Ikon was jammed and they told, its better I visit Ford A.S.S. to get it fixed. For a A/C diverter valve replacement, they wanted to remove the entire dash, while its just a matter of removing 4 screws inside the bonnet.

[wildon]

Nice Car SAM.. I loved the Umbrella Part , great pics too

Originally Posted by Abbas

Nice pictures ... the number seems weird .

You could have done this A lot better Sam

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

You are correct. There is no remote or button in the rear seat.

Thanks for the response Sam. I checked out the BMW X1 and the 320D earlier today at the Worli showroom. These cars too don't have a rear remote for the music system.

I just can't get to grips with the fact that there are a number of cars one can buy all the way up to 35 lakhs that don't let you do something as basic as operate the music system from the comfort of your back seat.

Your solution sounds interesting. I suspect I'll be watching this space closely to track this bluetooth solution in more detail. Please do put up complete details of this solution when the time comes.

Happy driving in the meantime !!

[SmartCat]

The cheapest solution is to get a USB FM transmitter with remote - costs less than Rs. 1000. Basically, plug the transmitter into 12V socket, tune the transmitter to a frequency, tune the radio to receive signals from the FM transmitter and voila.

I'm not an audiophile - so I don't feel a drop in audio quality with the FM transmitter.

[Akki_5]

Originally Posted by wildon

Attachment 349546
You could have done this A lot better Sam

LOL! OMG! That is a very nice trick. But you did a mistake, Sam. In one photograph, the rear license plate reads 'MH04MH04E' whereas in all the other photographs, the same plate reads 'MH04EMH04E'. Seriously, a very nice trick, that aids in keeping the beauty of the plate while hiding the license number.

PS: Another thing that caught my eye was the misplaced screw for the right half of each of the plates!

Also, since you've got a few friends in Europe, can i ask you for a favor? Can you please ask for prices of the Columbus head unit RNS 510? And how much does the bluetooth module (that you've spoken about earlier in the thread) cost? Is the fitting of the module a DIY or does it require professional help? I know it's a lot of questions but i have been looking for someone who has done something like this, since the time i bought my car. So, you're the perfect guy!

[karmania]

FM transmitters although convenient are notoriously susceptible to interference and changing surroundings. In a crowded FM market it will be tricky to get a steady clear lock on the FM frequency. The best option would be to look for an aftermarket solution which directly integrates to the car's music system.

The manufacturers of the luxury cars should realize that for cars >20L, they should provide atleast AC and Music/FM controls in the rear seat since most of the owners like to be driven around and not drive around in these cars.

Does any other vendor other than Honda provide music controls to the rear passenger?