Skoda Octavia Interior Illumination Conversion by EddyH

[ColinD]

Guide researched and written by EddyH.

This how-to covers all the work involved in changing the interior illumination in an Octavia to ‘VW Blue/red.
First off I’ll make the usual disclaimer of not taking any responsibility to any damage or harm caused by attempting this conversion.

I found this conversion quite easy, however you need to be reasonably competent at taking your car to bits and putting it back together. If you’re a complete novice I’d advise you don’t bother or get some help.

This ‘how-to’ is specifically for the Octavia with climatronic and immobiliser version III VDO clocks which I suspect is the most common configuration for those wishing to carry out the conversion. Older Octavia’s with immobiliser version II are actually easier but I’d rather not go into that as it’s not as common, however feel free to contact me for guidance.
Parts Required

1 No. Golf Mk4 Immobiliser III VDO instrument cluster (set to 0 miles complete with SKC) I recommend buying from this German ebay seller: www_gti-tdi_de Make sure you get standard VDO clocks, Sport type clocks are not suitable as the indicators and main beam display form part of the plastic facia which is replaced with standard.

1 No. Golf Mk4 Climatronic Panel

1 No. Golf Mk4 Headlight Switch

1 No. Golf Mk4 Headlight Aim/Dash Dimmer Switch

1 No. Golf Mk4 Wing Mirror Adjuster Switch

1 No. Golf Mk4 Drivers Finger Plate Switch Arrangement

3 No. Golf Mk4 Passenger Window Switches

1 No. Stereo with matching illumination (VW Gamma, VW Version D Sat Nav or After Market Stereo of your choice)

VW Red LED’s (1 for each centre console switch; in my case 4) – These are best sourced from a ‘spare’ VW switch, I used a 3dr Golf drivers finger plate panel as this contains 4 LED’s.



Optional Parts



Passat W8 interior light unit with loom

Clocks with FIS display for use with VW OEM Stero/Sat Nav

Connection wires for FIS display – 2No. 000 979 131


Tools Required

Laptop installed with the full version of Ross-Tech’s vagcom software along with the accompanying cable.

Selection of Torx drivers

Selection of Screw drivers

10mm socket and driver

Soldering Iron and solder

Wire cutters

6/12V DC power source



The Instrument Cluster

Before doing anything you need to check what existing instrument cluster you have.

To do this connect vagcom.

Immo-3 knows your car's VIN. Access 17-Instruments (or separate 25-Immobilizer on vehicles that are set up that way) and look at the first "Extra" field.

If you see something like: "Immo-ID VWZ7Z0W0648696" You've got Immobiliser-II.

If you see something like "WVZKB58001H231169 VWZ7Z0W0648696" You've got Immo-III. The first 17-digit string is the VIN. The second 14-digit string in the Immo-ID.

If you have immobiliser III then you can use these instructions. Also verify your existing clocks are VDO.

For this procedure you will need the 4/5 digit SKC ( in the format 0XXXX) for your car. This may be on a plastic fob with your original keys or you may have to request it from your Skoda dealer.



1. With the OLD Instrument Cluster in the vehicle, Change to km before making a note of the mileage
[Select]
[17 - Instruments]
[Recode - 07]
Change the 3rd digit to a "3" (Canada)
[Do It!]


2. [Select]
[Display] (Less Common Modules)
[19 - CAN Gateway]
Write down the 5 digit number from the "Soft. Coding" field, make note that is the CAN number.

Disconnect the negative terminal from the battery. Position the steering wheel towards the driver and as far down as possible. To remove the instrument cluster surround remove the two screw caps at the to with a small screw driver and unscrew the torx screws. Pull out the covering, you’ll need to be pretty firm, I found this one of the most difficult parts of the install as mine was VERY tight.





Unscrew the two torx screws at the top corners of the instrument cluster.





Now tilt the cluster forward and disconnect the two plugs from the rear. Tilt the cluster back into place and pull out the complete unit.



You now need to swap the plastic front casing from the original cluster onto the new one. To do this remove the two small torx screws on each cluster, undo the clips around the perimeter of the rear of the casing and then slide the front off. Now swap them over, clip into place and replace the screws. At this point you may want to file a slight curve in the case where the main beam display is as it’s partially blocked by the facia.





Fit the new cluster in the car by following the removal instructions in reverse order.



Reconnect the battery.



Hook the car up to vagcom.



1. Measure the car's battery voltage, it must be 12.5 V or higher.


2. [Select]
[Display] (Less Common Modules)
[19 - CAN Gateway]
[Recode - 07]
Enter the 5 digit number that you wrote down as the CAN number.
[Do It!]
[Close Controller, Go Back - 06]


3. [Select]
[17 - Instruments]
[Recode - 07]
Enter the 5 digit number that you wrote down as the Instrument Cluster Coding.
[Do It!]

4. [Login - 11]
Enter the 5-digit PIN for the NEW Instrument Cluster.
[OK]

5. [Adaptation - 10]
Enter 50 in Channel Number
[Read]
Enter the 5-digit SKC from the OLD Instrument Cluster.
[TEST]
[SAVE]


6. Switch ignition off and then back on within one minute but do not start vehicle.


7. [Select]
[17 - Instruments]
Verify that the VIN now displayed in the "Extra" field is the same as the VIN of the vehicle.
[Close Controller, Go Back - 06]


8. You can check to make sure a key has the correct electronics in it so that it can be matched to the Immobilizer by:
[Select]
[17 - Instruments]
[Meas. Blocks - 08]
Group 022
[Go!]
The value in field 3 must be 1. If value is not 1, the key is not capable of being adapted to Immobilizer. You can check each key in this manner.


9. [Select]
[17 - Instruments]
[Meas. Blocks - 08]
Group 024
[Go!]
Any numbers displayed in fields 1-4 represent the time in minutes that must be counted down before the Immobilizer is unlocked. If the fields are all zero, skip to step 16. If the Immobilizer is locked:
[Done, Go Back]
[Close Controller, Go Back - 06]
Do not switch off the ignition! Allow the car to sit for AT LEAST the number of minutes that were indicated by the display in Group 024


10. [Select]
[17 - Instruments]
[Meas. Blocks - 08]
Group 024
[Go!]
Make sure all fields are zero.
[Done, Go Back]


11. [Login - 11]
Enter the 5-digit PIN from the OLD Instrument Cluster.
[OK]


12. [Adaptation - 10]
Enter 21 in "Channel Number"
[Read]
The "Stored Value" is the number of keys currently matched.
Enter "new value" of 0
[Save]
This clears out the old key-matchings.
Enter a "new value" corresponding to the total number of keys to be matched, including any existing keys
[Save]


13. [Done, Go Back]
[Close Controller, Go Back - 06]
Switch ignition off and remove key


14. Insert next key to ignition and switch ignition on again
The warning light for the Immobilizer will light up for ~2 seconds, then go out
Switch ignition off and remove key


15. Repeat step 14 with each key until all keys have been matched.

--- Entering the Mileage in the New Cluster ---

16. Change to km before entering the mileage
[Select]
[17 - Instruments]
[Recode - 07]
Change the 3rd digit to a "3" (Canada)
[Do It!]

Confirm that the odometer in the car now shows kilometers, not miles.

17. [Select]
[17 - Instruments]
[Adaptation - 10]
Enter "channel number" 09 to select channel
Put in the number of km divided by 10. Example: If old cluster had 50,357 km, put in 5036.
Note: Some clusters may require a Login of 13861 before you can set the mileage.
[Test]
Observe the Instrument Cluster and make sure the mileage displayed is correct. Once you save this value, you will be unable to change the mileage EVER!
[Save]

18. You should now change back to miles.:
[Select]
[17 - Instruments]
[Recode - 07]
Change the 3rd digit from a "3" (Canada) to it’s original value
[Do It!]

Confirm that the odometer in the car now shows miles, not kilometers. Make sure that the mileage reading is correct



The Climatronic Panel

Unclip the centre console trim; I find this easiest to do by opening the ashtray and pulling from the bottom and then work my way up. Once removed place to one side for refitting later.

Now remove the 4 torx screws from the climatronic panel (one each corner). Pull the existing panel out and unplug the connectors on the rear.

Plug the connectors into the new climatronic panel and push the panel into place. Refit the 4 torx screws.

Refit the centre console trim.



Headlight Switch and Headlight Height Adjust/Dash Dimmer Switch

Remove the Fusebox cover located on the drivers end of the dash board (I normally use the car key as a lever).

Remove the two torx screws securing the fuse holder and push the fuse holder into the dash. This should give you enough room to work on the switches.

Unplug the connector on the headlight switch.

Push the head light height adjust/dash dimmer out from behind and then unplug.

Plug the new height adjust/dash dimmer in and push into place.

Remove the headlight swith by pushing the dial in at the same time as turning on. It’ll just pop out.

Fit the new headlight switch and plug back in.



At this point you may wish to install the additional wire for the W8 light if required.



Pull the fuse holder back into place, refit the 2 screws and replace the fuse box cover.



Drivers Door Switches


Remove the plate holding the mirror adjuster by inserting a flat blade screw driver behind and levering out.

Unplug the existing switch and remove from the plate by simply ‘popping’ it out.

Fit the new switch, reconnect the plug and push the panel back in.

Remove the plastic finger plate trim using a flat blade screw driver from below.

Unclip the finger plate from the car by getting your finger or other lever under the edges and moving upwards.

Unplug the connector.

Remove the switch section from the finger plate by undoing the screws.

Replace with the new switch section, replace the screws, plug back in and push the plate into place, confirmed by firm ‘clicks’. Refit the trim on the rear of the handle.



Front Passenger Door Window Switch

Remove the plate holding the window switch by inserting a flat blade screw driver behind and levering out.

Unplug the existing switch and remove from the plate by simply ‘popping’ it out.

Fit the new switch, reconnect the plug and push the panel back in.



Rear Door Window Switches

Remove the tweeter cover holding the window switch by inserting a flat blade screw driver behind and levering out.

Unplug the existing switch and remove from the plate by simply ‘popping’ it out.

Fit the new switch, reconnect the plug and push the panel back in.



Centre Console Switches

Remove the centre console switches by pushing out from behind and unplugging. This can be done from the radio cage area or by removing the glovebox (Only five torx screws). I used the glovebox method.



The same method is used for all the switches (for the rear screen demister ignore the on indicator lamp.



Have a number of VW Red LED’s ready by desoldering from a spare switch.


Open each switch by use of small flat blade screw drivers on the rear. Slide the internals out.

Test the polarity of the LED to be replaced using the 6/12V power source (I used a 6V torch battery). Make a note of this and do the same with the red LED.

Desolder the existing LED from the switch internals.

Extended the ‘legs’ on the red LED as necessary and solder in place on the switch. Check with the power source before reassembly.

Plug the switch back in and push into place.


Repeat the process until all switches are complete.



Optional Stages



Additional wiring for FIS display

Remove the green connector from the CD changer loom and insert 3 of the connectors into pins 8, 9 and 10 as shown below:

Extend these cables so they are long enough to reach from the Stereo to the green connector on the instrument cluster (right hand side).

With the instrument cluster removed (using previous instructions) open the green connector at the instrument cluster by sliding off the purple end plate and sliding out the internal section. The 3 wires should then be inserted into the connector using the pin allocations in the following table:





To insert the new connections, place the wire alongside the relevant pin. Next, use a medium sized flat screwdriver blade to push the new wire into the barbs of the connector pin.

Once the wire is pushed down, bend around the two retaining tabs at the top of the pin to hold the wire in place using a small flat bladed screwdriver.

Once completed reassemble the connector and reinstall the instrument cluster.



W8 Light

Just follow the instructions in this link: W8 Light install



Finished Installation


That completes the installation, turn on the lights and appreciate your hard work!



Guide researched and written by EddyH.

[Goochie]

W8 light link is dead.

[EddyH]

Originally Posted by Goochie

W8 light link is dead.

All the photos are missing too.

I'll try to find the link for you.

Edit: This one's pretty good: http://www.borabase.com/w8.htm

[Foxy]

Thanks mainly to Eddy's help, i'm nearly complete on my Golf Mk4 illumination conversion.

I have everything complete now except for the Clocks and the centre console switch LEDs.

The clocks are nearly there too - I have a set of half-FIS clocks which just need coding plus some EPROM code changes to enable RTE (Range To Empty) and the illuminated dial needles, and we're done !

I got Motometer Clocks (seems that many of the UK Immo3 TDi / half-FIS are of this make) - but the PCB will fit inside the Skoda VDO casing.

The only minor niggle is that using the Golf foils (which are a little plain) - the shape of the Skoda centre minor gauge aperture reveals a cutout in the Motometer foils.
I will see if there's some matt black plastic I can fix over this for now to hide it.

W8 - if you would like a fitting guide - have a look at my website. It's been there for years !
W8 Inner Light

[EddyH]

Glad to help Jon. Thanks for the new link to your W8 interior light how to.

How are you geting the emprom coded for RTE? That's a feature I'd quite like.

[51octytdi]

Eddy, I'm interested in how you hooked the FIS up to the Stereo/MFD. Have you still got the pics?

J

[EddyH]

Originally Posted by 51octytdi

Eddy, I'm interested in how you hooked the FIS up to the Stereo/MFD. Have you still got the pics?

J

PM me your email address and I'll send some through.

[Quinten]

Eddy, if you start a new thread and copy the above in, you could add the pictures to it? We can then close this one.

[EddyH]

I went to alot of effort in the first place including pictures and they were removed. I'm over my attachment limit and I don't have alternative hosting setup.

[51octytdi]

I'm well under my attachment limit, if you send them my way

J

[EddyH]

Originally Posted by 51octytdi

I'm well under my attachment limit, if you send them my way

J

You should have an email.

[51octytdi]

Pictures here. You can edit the links in the original post now if you like. A bit clumsy, but at least they're on the server!

J

[51octytdi]

More pics.

J

[51octytdi]

And some more.

J

[51octytdi]

All done Plus a PDF of the whole lot together, so you can print it and take it to the car!

J