That's quite an acheivement Tom. It's normally at this poiint that I sell them :) But i hope you will keep this one and continue to enjoy it.

I'm not into tech, but i'm looking forward to seeing the wheels and votex kit on.
 
Tom, you’ve been busy! That post needs pictures!
Hi David,

I’ll get some pictures soon enough. It’s currently sat outside in a sorry filthy state. This weekend it will be washed and given a layer of Dodo Juice.

The wheels have been with the painters for a little while now but they are waiting on a new powder coating gun. Rather annoying but happy to waiting the finish is going to be perfect.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
That's quite an acheivement Tom. It's normally at this poiint that I sell them :) But i hope you will keep this one and continue to enjoy it.

I'm not into tech, but i'm looking forward to seeing the wheels and votex kit on.
Hello Steve,

Not dropped the Votex kit off for painting yet. I’ll do this when the wheels are ready for collection. It will be a dramatic change that I cannot wait to see.

On the tech side, whilst it’s not essential, it’s nice to have these little things for the daily commute. The other driver here who uses 250 is more than happy with the basic set up, which I suppose I’m quite fond of also.

It’ll be a few weeks but the Votex kit will make it’s way onto OEM. Thanks again for a little over 12 months ago for pointing me in Bobs direction in my moment of need.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Evening all,

Well it was quite a few pages back where I showed you the results of the PDC Sensors rattle can makeover. They have sat in the boot on my A2 for some 9 months now and today was the day to get the hole punch/cutter put to work. I actually purchased the cutter a few years ago to do this retrofit on my old commuter:

1DF8D358-54CA-47CC-B908-55648E35B76A.jpeg


CA5AB5C8-0610-46F6-8319-A61564DED56B.jpeg

So after an hour the wheels, mudguards and bumper was removed:

C03A4DF3-0729-4820-B9AA-174E7688A1FD.jpeg


AEDB9F42-4B9E-4200-9982-D09AE2155BF2.jpeg


After lining up the sensors I placed the OEM (rusty but still good) metal cable clips in the correct place then adhered the sensor holders in place.

Whilst I was there I gave the boot vents a clean. The rubbers were in very good condition actually but gave them a bead of silicone just to be safe.

Here is the colour match of the rattle can to the factory painted rear bumper:

0512A0E8-FA55-424B-ABBB-2D55372C68A5.jpeg


F76335EF-AB72-4AFC-9828-D347CDAAA5AE.jpeg

The above picture was just to see the colour match. It’s not permanently fitted at this stage. I can assure you that all 4 sensors are perfectly aligned now.

All sensors work regardless of the amount of lacquer I used to achieve the factory gloss finish.

OEM is now all back together and only just finished putting the tools away.

I’ll try to get some pictures in the morning as the ambient light is too low now.

This is the best shot I could get in the dwindling light:

BF622E49-84F4-461F-B2E2-6ECEBA371109.jpeg


Very happy with the results of 2-3 hours of playing with the tools in between meetings.

As I’ve now finished with the 23mm hole cutter (after some years of not using it since purchase) I am more than happy to send it to whoever might need it. I’d like it returned as you never know when you’re going to need such a tool but happy to loan it to anyone.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Good job. I’ve done this four times now with original sensors and the Cobra aftermarket type. Good results each time using the cutter as shown. A hole saw would just rip the paint off and not be as accurate as the punch type cutter.
Its a boring job, but very rewarding as the results come quick.
Ian
 
Hello again,

Today’s task was in preparation for heading North tomorrow for work. It’s not too far from another Tom who has a Colour DIS waiting for me.
Good job. I’ve done this four times now with original sensors and the Cobra aftermarket type. Good results each time using the cutter as shown. A hole saw would just rip the paint off and not be as accurate as the punch type cutter.
Its a boring job, but very rewarding as the results come quick.
Ian
Thanks Ian,

I agree it is a boring job, but rewarding once done. One I hate doing as every time I remove the mud flaps I get anxious about breaking a clip. I can report all went well though. There is also the risk of breaking one of the bumper clips/brackets. I know these are easy to replace but a pain if your using the car the following day and cannot wait for spares to arrive.

The cutter was quite good to be honest. If you zoom is you’ll see that the cut isn’t perfect and it has cracked the paint a little but a lot better than a hole saw ripping through.

I was going to go the Cobra route when I first decided to do this (a few years ago now) but found an A2 with factory PDC in a breakers. I obviously removed the lot, even the harness all the way to the dashboard past the passengers airbag (made easy as I also removed the DD dashboard the previous day).

This retrofit kit has been stored in the garage for a few years now until I installed module and harness last year ready for Tom @timmus (on his SE tour based at Ian’s @Proghound) to do the soldering. Since Tom done his magic I’ve had the constant tone denoting a fault (no sensors fitted) and have been putting this task off over and over.

I’m glad it’s finally done though. Just need to continue to work with Stuart (rnse pcbbc) to get the sensor proximity bars working now. I get the OPS Page displayed on the RNS-E but no bars. It all works on his test rig but doesn’t seem to work outside in an actual car. He will solve it but lockdown is not helping as he needs hands on an A2 with this set up.

Another job for another day.

Your bumper should be removed in the next month as I’m taking the headlamp washer bumper to the painters soon.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
If you zoom is you’ll see that the cut isn’t perfect and it has cracked the paint a little but a lot better than a hole saw ripping through.

I wonder if pre-warming the paint would help, as per PDR methods? It really does look good and that colour match looks excellent.
 
I wonder if pre-warming the paint would help, as per PDR methods? It really does look good and that colour match looks excellent.
Evening,

Now you mention it I suppose this would have been a great idea. Might just of made the cut perfect. I have done some practice cuts before on a sacrificial bumper a couple of years ago. This bumper was laid on the patio on a sunny afternoon and remember the cut being a lot better than I done today. Guess heat will improve the result.

Thanks for the heads up as I’ll try this next time I do such a task. Maybe Project 250 will be the same retrofit one day.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
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:
21F94D79-66A7-4CED-9C81-5591E37AD164.jpeg

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:
B943A1C1-53A3-4CA7-992B-5CA313190E0E.jpeg


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:
BD12F811-C2F3-4785-8BB9-E32A2140D9DE.jpeg


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:
85BF08A1-EE78-4499-BF43-37E12206B3AB.jpeg


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:
0568C5BE-DAD3-438F-9019-2CEDA32E9279.jpeg


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:
E8C89D21-7409-49AA-AFC3-59A819A93152.jpeg


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:
2321E4F7-FEDA-422B-8F95-AC20D73A8810.jpeg

Again, simply stunning! should I further upgrade to a FBMFSW?

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Afternoon all,

No pictures of this but whilst my A2 was in Tom presence he also added the required harness to attach the cars electrics to the headlamp washer bottle I fitted last year.

Things are really coming along with this OEM+ A2. The bumper still requires a little paint and Votex lip before fitting:
47412551-717B-43B4-83C9-203A620B61BB.jpeg


299E9AB3-5578-4AE2-AF71-8AFA70E410F7.jpeg


Here are the next things to be added after a trip to the ‘paint shop’:
EB2C7C26-5CDC-442B-991F-CD7B2E86911B.jpeg

First up will be fitting the headlamp washer bumper to adhere the Votex part to it. This will be easier (and probably cheaper) if both were painted adhered together.

Once fitted and the Tiger Seal has cured it will be removed. It’ll then be (being accompanied with everything else in the picture) dropped off with the painters.

This fantastic A2 is almost at the point of where I’d like it to be.

I know Steve @A2Steve recently said it’s about this stage when he gets thoughts of selling and starts thinking about his next project, but I can assure that this will be staying in my possession for some time.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Tom I’d advise against fitting the balance before painting. The paint won’t adhere to any adhesive you’ve put on it and you’ll get flaking
 
Afternoon again,

Another pioneering breakthrough here at 2Work Towers:
00201AFF-5462-4CD9-B738-BEF8CB9F3847.jpeg


E7DE74F2-63D7-46B3-8041-6BD55D3E75FF.jpeg

I now have the OPS Page displaying on the Seat Media System RNS-E PU along with the proximity bars which are working in unison with the beeps produced by the PDC Sounder/Speaker unit. This should have worked before with my Audi RNS-E PU 193G unit (never tested as I didn’t have the PDC Sensors fitted) but the Seat unit speaks a slightly different language when it comes to the OPS page. All sorted with another updated firmware by Stuart (rnse pcbbc). All credit must go to him for his time and efforts in the background to make this happen.

I just need a little tweak now to remove the front sensors from the display. This is exactly what I first set out to achieve with Stuart some months ago when this thread went a little bit RNS-E Geeky. It has finally come to fruition and I’m over the moon.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Last edited:
Tom I’d advise against fitting the balance before painting. The paint won’t adhere to any adhesive you’ve put on it and you’ll get flaking
Noted Steve,

I’ll do as advised sir as you have fitted more Votex kits than I could ever own. Great advice thank you.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Evening all,

Such an exciting day for me in the world of the A2 with the OPS Page displaying on the Seat Media System RNS-E when reverse is selected and the proximity bars working in harmony with the beeps:
3BBA8CA6-B0C5-4549-8FF4-CEB91AC867AD.jpeg


The only thing I haven’t achieved is to store values on RNS-E Parking System settings page:
88062996-2CAF-447D-A7A5-AFFE321E620C.jpeg


I’m able to access each of the above submenus but nothing is stored from my changes.

This is no issue at all but thought I’d let you all know how this is progressing.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Last edited:
Afternoon all,

Another exciting day here as I’ve just been out to OEM for some more test of the OPS Page.

You’ll remember yesterday I managed to have the OPS Page displayed on the RNS-E but it had both front and rear sensors displayed:
022C2A9C-4C18-498C-98DD-CE17E048A400.jpeg

After informing Stuart of this issue he said he will get to sorting the problem soon enough.

What he actually did was send me an email at 01:00 this morning containing an updated sketch for the Arduino. I tested the update after the school run but it would work at all. No Sensors, no OPS and anything when reverse was selected.

We then had an email or 2 this morning leading into this afternoon and he informed me that he might have got something wrong in the revised sketch. A simple copy a line from the old sketch to the new iteration and this is what is now displayed:
C31328B1-9671-4CE9-B23A-460A4862ECEF.jpeg

After burning the wick both ends he has achieved what I asked if him all those months ago (early Nov 20) when this thread went a little geeky.

I know Stuart would have completed this a lot sooner, the limiting factor here was me not fitting the PDC Sensors to complete testing.

The dedication shown by him (a massive TT fan) in getting this display/functionality into our Aluminium Friends is just brilliant. I cannot thank him enough.

Looks like this little quest is over and I am very very happy with the results. All the work done in the background is now ready for use for everyone else to have this display in their A2.

You’ll of course need a RNS-E running the custom firmware, Rear PDC (factory 8Z0 control module) and an Arduino).

While I’m in the A2 with the phone out why not add another picture of the view from the drivers seat:
DA971B43-5BD7-431B-83E7-E88211C122DF.jpeg

Such a pleasure to be in here now with all the work done so far. It’s come along way in the last 12 months 10 days!

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Tom, it might be an idea to both take some good pictures of the car inside and out and also list out the OE options on this little car, both to make us drool and also so we can see what’s left to add!
 
Ahh you have the fitting of a centre arm rest from a B5 to fabricate yet!
Afternoon,

I also need to sort out the second order of the footrests as I know there are people waiting for these. Work has been quite demanding recently and I really don’t know how I’ve managed to do what I’ve done, it’s been a big juggling act.

Yes the armrest venture is not going be shelved for much longer. I have everything here ready to send to our resident metal smith/3D Printing entrepreneur/general fabricator of most things.

I’m tied up with work next week but everything will be bundled up the following week and sent to Paul @depronman to see what the art of the possible is without paying for an A1 armrest.

Paul if you’re reading this, there will also be some P250 items in the parcel that will need some fairy dust sprinkled onto them.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Back
Top