GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Dubbit on 14 March 2017, 11:30
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Maybe bit early but wondered if would be possible to retrofit the new speedometer screen or new infotainment.
Anyone know anything about this or plans in the pipeline? :drool:
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Completely different shape, a new dash and it would be possible I would imagine. :wink:
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Completely different shape, a new dash and it would be possible I would imagine. :wink:
The dash is exactly the same... only the surrounding trims would need changing. But that would the least of your problems (and costs!)
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I don't think it will work because the display itself is driven off of the MIB3 unit.
Add in good old component protect and the inevitable £xxxx part purchase cost and it would be cheaper to sell your current Mk7 and buy a new 7.5!
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ah well was a nice thought
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ah well was a nice thought
Not a fan of LCD units as its simply a screen and O/S and in not too distant even the most budget makes and model will have them as standard - great for manufacturers though as have to produce one unit only and just have some configuration in software for the model.
The Golf dials are not a great case as an example, but if was losing the S3 dials for a screen not be overly happy.
So that's me very much in the dial camp, but do work in tech industry, surrounded by this kind of thing and have a house full of tech, so its not like I am anti in general, and maybe could be more swayed if the LCD screens that were seeing were not so flat and uninspiring - Have seen displays that really pop, just much more dimensional and attractive, these genuinely look like they are from a PS4 game and can definitely see budget makes not having anything less.
But its a new roll out, sure the developers will update the software.
Also given my MIB unit has had black screen moments, its not a moment you would want from your display
Personally think once there is a saturation of car market with soulless solid state tech everyone will be clamoring for dials again or be happy they still have them
Its subjective, can see how some will want, but definitely not missing out to point of a retrofit, go spend money on a holiday somewhere :)
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ah well was a nice thought
Not a fan of LCD units as its simply a screen and O/S and in not too distant even the most budget makes and model will have them as standard - great for manufacturers though as have to produce one unit only and just have some configuration in software for the model.
The Golf dials are not a great case as an example, but if was losing the S3 dials for a screen not be overly happy.
So that's me very much in the dial camp, but do work in tech industry, surrounded by this kind of thing and have a house full of tech, so its not like I am anti in general, and maybe could be more swayed if the LCD screens that were seeing were not so flat and uninspiring - Have seen displays that really pop, just much more dimensional and attractive, these genuinely look like they are from a PS4 game and can definitely see budget makes not having anything less.
But its a new roll out, sure the developers will update the software.
Also given my MIB unit has had black screen moments, its not a moment you would want from your display
Personally think once there is a saturation of car market with soulless solid state tech everyone will be clamoring for dials again or be happy they still have them
Its subjective, can see how some will want, but definitely not missing out to point of a retrofit, go spend money on a holiday somewhere :)
Agree with almost everything that you write. Funnily enough I am also the most tech savvy person between my friends and family and the last thing I could be called is anti-tech. Still, the latest trend of screens over dials in cars has not attracted me to the slightest. A combo between the two like physical needles over rich, bigger screens changing the info on a part of the screen could be the way to go but there has to be at least an analog, mechanical element (and feeling) in the dash imo.
Oh and I think they're going to be several "funny" moments of dead/bricked/stuck screens when they get more common, that will be interesting...
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I've said it before and I'll say it again... its already "computer controlled". At the moment the computer actuates the mechanical needle based on digital information received from other sensors.
This is just the final transformation.
Your Mk7 already has just about everything computer controlled, even the things you think are mechanical.
Probably you should stick to cars from pre-2000 if you want that feeling of "mechanical engagement"
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Shiny shiny shiny.
Analogue dials to become the upgrade option? I mean who wants a highly accurate cheap quartz watch when you can spend incredible sums on a way less accurate mechanical watch possibly vaguely made in Switzerland?
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Maybe on a £2 million pound car you can spec clocks hand made by Swiss gnomes at the Rolex factory.
On a £27k car maybe not...
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I've said it before and I'll say it again... its already "computer controlled". At the moment the computer actuates the mechanical needle based on digital information received from other sensors.
This is just the final transformation.
Your Mk7 already has just about everything computer controlled, even the things you think are mechanical.
Probably you should stick to cars from pre-2000 if you want that feeling of "mechanical engagement"
Its not as if do not understand its computer controlled, as certainly do, am in the tech industry, and have a house full of tech! so a slightly dismissive response, its more about the aesthetics and just another screen with average graphics is not that attractive opposed to having dials as the centerpiece.
Golf dials not a great example, the R slightly better than the GTD owned but for example the S3 dials are a lovely centerpiece
Think some of the issue is that the graphics are not that great, they are clean, good and flat, but not that great
if look around at other LCD car displays, including top end, you can see the potential, as some really pop out at you and are impressive.
The MIB UI & graphics were initially quite poor but have improved and that's the hope, that down the development cycle the LCD displays have better graphics that separate, as the most basic brands will be having these as standard in not too distant
So, not stuck in the dark ages, appreciate tech as much as anyone, but these screens add nothing to the premium feel of cars in the £30-40k range, which may be cheap to some but for many that's a heavy investment in a car.
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Well, its only software, in theory they could "facelift" the dials any time they wanted, but much like when Google updates Android and all of your phone changes appearances, there will be user flak about it.
Being German, I doubt they will change it until they come out with a Mk8.
I keep saying car makers need to get with the 21st century - customers are used to and expect software updates on the hardware they have already bought, not a fork-lift upgrade...
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Well, its only software, in theory they could "facelift" the dials any time they wanted, but much like when Google updates Android and all of your phone changes appearances, there will be user flak about it.
Being German, I doubt they will change it until they come out with a Mk8.
I keep saying car makers need to get with the 21st century - customers are used to and expect software updates on the hardware they have already bought, not a fork-lift upgrade...
This is my area, developments and you are so correct, the expectation is linear, seamless upgrades and VW and car manufacturers in general need to come up with a better mechanism to provide more regular updates, especially those issues rated as high.
You also likely right on the upgrading of the LCD as it will be done at a specific point of a facelift or new model and no time in between, aside from some 'fixes' at services that you get at present.
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I've said it before and I'll say it again... its already "computer controlled". At the moment the computer actuates the mechanical needle based on digital information received from other sensors.
This is just the final transformation.
Your Mk7 already has just about everything computer controlled, even the things you think are mechanical.
Probably you should stick to cars from pre-2000 if you want that feeling of "mechanical engagement"
As Hertsman said earlier it is obvious to everyone that it is computer controlled (in fact even stating it sounds like a bad attempt in sarcasm) but we are not debating on going back to carburetors or drive-by-cable or anything like that. I certainly embrace the digital switch-over in several areas of a modern car especially when there is clear benefit to be had: quicker command completion, less effort etc. I'm not at all the "oh modern digital cars are crap, gimme something I can maintain with my good ol' ratchet" guy. But sticking to the dials, it's mainly the aesthetics and feeling in something (still) as mechanical as a ICE-driven car that doesn't feel right, at least to some of us, with no obvious benefit in return.
And let me explain why the point on possible hiccups/bugs/crashes on the main dash is still valid. Currently the speed and rev needles are permanently fed from a specific (be it digital) input, that's it. Introducing a screen with selectable and customizable interface and information is quite different. More importantly, apart from the extra hardware, there is a new dedicated program that manages it and there is no indication that it will be more tested and bullet-proof than say the MIBII unit that indeed can suffer from occasional brain-farts. Now if that affects having access to vital data like your current speed it becomes more serious (imagine someone caught speeding because his dash display wouldn't switch from say maps to full speedo or anything similar, and that's just an example). Last weekend, - for the first time ever in 6 months but even so - my MIBII decided it would only show Media and Nav data, switching to actual driving data showed a hopeless black screen that refused to go away until I had the opportunity to stop and restart the car...
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On another note, are the headlights and taillights compatible between the MK7 and the facelift? The taillights have the dynamic indicators like Audis and the new Mustang.
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New bumpers front and rear as far as I know, might well make fitting the lights difficult?
Even if not, once again these aren't bulb holders connecting to a 12V cable. The lights are an active subcomponent that talks over the internal network.
I doubt if it will work on a Mk7 because the main system won't talk to the new light systems...
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On another note, are the headlights and taillights compatible between the MK7 and the facelift? The taillights have the dynamic indicators like Audis and the new Mustang.
Apparently, the front wings are different; see extract from Company News section of VW website - 'Updated Golf' item dated 1st Feb below (link to full news item also below). Whether this means the headlamp apertures in the wings are a slightly different profile, it's not clear. However, if they are different, then the LED headlamps wouldn't physically fit.
'Design modifications include new bumpers front and rear, new halogen headlights with LED daytime running lights or full LED headlights – standard in higher specification cars and optional in other models – instead of xenon headlights; new front wings; and, as mentioned, new full LED rear lights as standard for all Golf versions'.
http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/about-us/news/774
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New bumpers front and rear as far as I know, might well make fitting the lights difficult?
Even if not, once again these aren't bulb holders connecting to a 12V cable. The lights are an active subcomponent that talks over the internal network.
I doubt if it will work on a Mk7 because the main system won't talk to the new light systems...
The rear clusters have same size/shape and they fit. Aparently it works with a bit of wiring and VCDS coding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkA0jDNKVJU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkA0jDNKVJU)
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New bumpers front and rear as far as I know, might well make fitting the lights difficult?
Even if not, once again these aren't bulb holders connecting to a 12V cable. The lights are an active subcomponent that talks over the internal network.
I doubt if it will work on a Mk7 because the main system won't talk to the new light systems...
The rear clusters have same size/shape and they fit. Aparently it works with a bit of wiring and VCDS coding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkA0jDNKVJU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkA0jDNKVJU)
That is great news, so when I get a Mk7 facelift I can retro fit the Mk7 rear lights :whistle: don't like the new rear lights at all.
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I know someone said you couldn't fit the mph rev counter screen, but anyone had any luck or heard about switching the audio system screen?
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I know someone said you couldn't fit the mph rev counter screen, but anyone had any luck or heard about switching the audio system screen?
I think that could be a whole big can of worms to try.
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I'm kind of hoping that these LCD instrument displays will allow people to completely change the look of the instruments with a bit of programming.
That way one day I could have a Mk 1 Escort 6 dial dash complete with wood veneer trim and then another I could have the Smiths Instruments used in an E-type and then maybe an Astra 16 valve GTE digital dash - would definitely improve any daily commute!
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I'm kind of hoping that these LCD instrument displays will allow people to completely change the look of the instruments with a bit of programming.
I wouldn't hold your breath. The system has proven quite a tough nut to crack so far... and thats before you start trying to change anything without bricking it.