Morning all,
I guess I owe you all a few pictures of what’s been happening to this A2 these last few days.
Some of you will already have have seen that Tom
@timmus leaked a shot of the stunning view of the ColorMFA I now have whilst sat in the drivers seat. Truly remarkable and very very happy with the results.
This latest works started some years ago when I removed a full factory PDC system from an A2 in a breakers yard near my work. This kit has sat in my garage for some time until last year when I installed the Control Module and harness to a point where Tom could do his magic and integrate in into the A2s electrics. I had this work brilliantly done some time around autumn last year and it just needed the sensors adding. This was done Tuesday afternoon on my driveway. Very impressed with the colour match and the fact that I now have a fully functional PDC system.
This is what it looks like after it’s first coat of Dodo Juice this year:
Apart from its first coat of wax in 2021 it also has some 300 miles of road grime after a work related trip to Lancaster yesterday. I’m yet to get the OPS page correctly displayed on the RNS-E but Stuart will be working on that once we’re all allowed out to mingle again. There is also a possibility that the OPS display will appear in a future firmware update for ColorMFA but not going to hold my breath for the 8Z0 PDC co from module though as it communicates over K-Li e and not CAN so may not ever happen. I’ll see what I can do by changing the PDC control module as I won’t be beaten.
Next up I located an online retrofit guide to assist with the retrofitting of the thumb roller type MFSW, which is actually quite a straight forward installation that is simply brilliant. This guide enabled me to complete this retrofit myself which was an enjoyable experience whilst saving installation fees. A real sense of satisfaction completing this on a budget, it really comes alive with (but not essential) the RNS-E and Factory Telephone (Bluetooth) Module. Scrolling through your phone book on full DIS (both factory or Colour) is great. Controlling the volume on the wheel is a very welcomed addition. Skipping through radio stations or MP3s on the SD Card is also fantastic. There is also the added bonus of skipping through my playlist tracks on the Amazon App (via the AMI Module). This was a massive transformation even before adding the elegant ColorMFA.
This is the wheel before installation:
You’ll notice the top of the wheel is a little worn and doesn’t look as good as it could. Therefore a bottle of Furniture Clinic leather paint (£9) was ordered:
The paint was applied with an old washing up sponge which was cut up into smaller pieces. This is the result of 20-30 minutes of dabbing the paint on (drying with a hair dryer in between each of the 4 coats), I’m sure you agree that it is almost brand new looking:
So the ColorMFA , those of you who have seen pictures of this or indeed seen it in person in someone else’s car will know it’s absolutely beautiful. I am so happy with what Tom has done here and the additional displays/available information is terrific.
There are so many things I could show you about the ColorMFA but I know they have been covered before so will keep it minimal.
One of the great additions is that all 4 doors and the boot are shown on the DIS as open (if obviously open) but we never had the service flap displayed, well now we do:
I do really like the start up/splash screen once the key Is inserted into the ignition but it’s missing some A2 branding, I’ll have a go at fixing that in time:
Having the ability to clear fault codes is just an amazing feature that comes with this installation, it saves getting the laptop out and is really useful. I really could go on as there is just so much that can be discussed about this upgrade. It really needs its own thread with plenty of pictures. I know there is a substantial amount of information about it but not found a plethora of pictures yet. I could have missed them though.
What can I say about these latest additions apart from they look and feel stunning.
Tom thank you for all that you have done on OEM recently. It was already a joy to be sat in during my commute but you have managed to take it to a totally new level of niceness.
Just to show you how good the MFSW I retrofitted looks with ColorMFA in the background I thought I’d borrow Tom’s picture that he took of the ComorMFA he installed:
Again, simply stunning! should I further upgrade to a FBMFSW?
Kind regards,
Tom