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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Modern problem (NMC)

Son's Polo GTi has an issue with the infotainment screen.
He's unwittingly moved the vertical menu bar/side bar/status bar from the RHS of the screen to the LHS, (see image) doesn't recall how he did it and no one it seems (including the local VW dealer (during its service)) knows how to change it back.
He's pretty technically savvy but can't get it to revert, has been online, including this https://www.carplaylife.com/feature/how-to-change-status-bar-location-between-leftright-side/ and trawled through the settings menus but to no avail.
He's even downloaded the VW app in an attempt to solve it but that 'free' app hasn't helped and isn't free!
The picture shows what the screen looks like now - any ideas anyone?



Jeremy MkIII

Can he not drag it back with his fingers?
Philip Sellen

Thanks Philip, I'll ask him if he's tried that. Seems such an obvious answer!šŸ˜
Jeremy MkIII

I will have a look at mine when I get a minute, see if I can get it to change.

Having said that, the damn thing decided to play up this morning, the screen would not respond to touch. Even the touch buttons on either side would not respond. The visual screen itself was working, as the navigation (Waze) continued to update, although I didnā€™t get any ā€˜hazardā€™ notifications.

It righted itself after cycling the ignition, although I wasnā€™t able to do that on the M1.
Dave O'Neill 2

Iā€™ve had a quick look, but I canā€™t find anything in settings.

I also had a look at the link that you posted. It makes sense that there would be something in CarPlay settings, but VW donā€™t seem to offer many settings options.

I tried dragging it, but no joy.
Dave O'Neill 2

If it has a permanent live, not ignition switch controlled. (for radio?) you could try disconnecting and reconnect that?
GuyW

Why is it permitted to scroll a touch screen dash display, but not do the same on a phone?

"Car makers told to ditch distracting touchscreens: Safety body will penalise models that don't have simple button controls "

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-13153771/Car-makers-ditch-distracting-touchscreens.html
anamnesis

I agree that touch screens are a bad idea.

Some manufacturers insist on putting everything in menus that you have to scroll through in order to change settings. Even the temperature of the heater.

My last Skoda at least had a rotary knob for the temperature, whereas my current VW has touch sensors.

Some JLR models have two screens.
Dave O'Neill 2

Cheers Dave - he's found that out too!
I'd suggested if the car mirrored the phone then it may be worth trying to change it from the phone but from what he's learnt on line, it seems its a VW software issue rather than an Apple one.
Thanks Guy, may try finding and isolating the fuse (if there is one) for the radio and see if that makes a difference. Crazy really, just shows how little knowledge even franchised dealers have when it comes to this kind of software issue.
Jeremy MkIII

My VW has lots of technology. Unfortunately, most of it doesnā€™t work very well.
Dave O'Neill 2

Had an issue with my golf screen once, had all the written settings up on the screen and 'somehow' changed the language then had no idea which button to press to fix it. Luckily we had a guy at work who knew several languages and he just looked at it, laughed and fixed it in about a tenth of a second.

For your Polo, you have to go into settings ,application , apple car play, and change the "steering wheel" setting from left to right
William Revit

Cheers Willy,
my son has mentioned it is now set up for those who drive on the wrong side of the road but don't know if he's considered changing the steering wheel setting so have texted him and we'll see. Thanks for that.

Agreed Dave, weren't the early IDs were panned for their software interfaces?
even my Transit is stuffed full of technology, including the Stop/Start function. Ironically that can be turned off with a physical buttonšŸ¤”
Jeremy MkIII

That's a worry, a Transit full of technology.
Transits have been ahead of the times for a while though I must say. remember coding an extra new key into one probably 20 years or more ago and couldn't get the remote buttons to work-(remote locking was a fairly new thing back then, specially on a Transit), so thought i was stuffing up the coding process-It got to knockoff time so asked the guy to come back next day---When he arrived he reported that everything was working---Hmmm--got onto Ford hotline no help, so got stuck into the W/shop book and discovered that the battery is a permanent part of the circuit board in the key and in a new key isn't supplied charged and gets charged passively from the ignition switch/barrel assy.
So that brand new idea of wireless passive charging your i phone was alive in Transits 20 years ago for their keypads.
Had plenty of practice working on Transits, Once you get to understand them, they're quite simple and good to work on. We had a fleet of Transit ambulances here, so plenty of ongoing work there.
William Revit

So a humble Ford ahead of the techie giants with charging technology, makes a change there Willy.
Makes a change from Fix or repair daily šŸ˜Š

It's a Courier so is a Transit only by name really but has surprised with the amount of kit fitted to such an ordinary vehicle.
Aside the stop/start there's adaptive cruise control, all the bluetooth stuff for your phone, Apple CarPlay (although that's by a cable), auto wipers, reversing beepers, touchscreen, guide you home lights, separate remote locking for cab and load spaces, - a locking glovebox(šŸ˜), fog/spot lights and alloys, 6 speed gearbox and that stonking little 3 pot turbo 998 which is a cracker and it's a van for Gawd's sake.
Jeremy MkIII

Jeremy

Is that the ecoboost engine?
Dave O'Neill 2

Yes it is Dave and I think it's a wet belt one so need to ensure it had/has regular oil changes.
It's only 100bhp in this format but it loves revs and sounds really gruff with that odd cylinder count.
Jeremy MkIII

Thanks Willy he's tried your method - which was what ChatGPT also recommended - are you moonlighting as AI?šŸ˜Š
However when he gets to Apple CarPlay it won't display the settings menu.
He's done a soft reset (didn't work) an has reset it to factory spec but that didn't cure it either so it's either VW Technical support or live with it until another possible solution heaves into view.
Jeremy MkIII

Is he going into 'settings' first to get to applecarplay or just straight into carplay, he has to go the long way through settings-
We have Alpine headunits here ,is that what he has.-
William Revit

Yes he is Willy but still no joy. I think he's said the settings for car play have disappeared which seems very odd.
He's been onto VW technical people as the car's still (just) in warranty and they're bamboozled too. It's now been escalated to the next level so we'll see what or if anything happens.
Jeremy MkIII

Good move with the warranty--once you've reported it inside the warranty period it should be covered--if he's only been on the phone or whatever to them i'd make sure he gets the car booked into the dealer before it runs out otherwise they can say no.
Maybe they can do a pretend upgrade to the unit, which would reboot it and all original menus etc should return as original-
I'll be interested to hear how he gets on--
Cheers
willy
William Revit

Thanks Willy, he's had an email from VW to confirm his case has been escalated so he'll give them a few days before chasing it.
So we'll see what it brings and thanks for your input; will keep you posted.
Jeremy MkIII

I had a VW problem once that a main agent dealership identified as faulty parts (differential bearing) They escalated it to VW who accepted it under their 'goodwill scheme' ( i.e. not accepting any liability) but required the dealership to pay all of the labour and they would meet half of the parts cost. That is half of one bearing, gasket and oil. Dealership refused, not thinking the VW offer fair. Dealer said that as only one of the two diff output bearings had disintegrated at 50k miles it was clearly a faulty part from new and that VW should meet the full cost. Considering they hadn't even supplied the 2nd hand car I could see their point!
In the end it cost me Ā£1200 as with a stripped down gearbox and diff I couldn't move it anywhere else so I just paid up.
Just because an issue is escalated to VW don't assume they will sort it out, let alone pay for it!
GuyW

Drifting a bit but the airbag light came on my previous Passat. My local mechanic couldn't do the job so it had to go to the main dealer where it would cost upwards of Ā£300.

It was left with them for a day or two while I was working away. When I went to pick it up they hadn't done the job because VW had sent the wrong airbag.

It went back a couple of weeks later and when I collected it I was staggered when they told me there was no charge because it was VW's own fault that they'd sent the wrong part.
C Mee

Pay for half of a bearing Guy? They're taking the Michael. That's very poor. VW aren't going to win any new or repeat business with that type of attitude.
Had a similar experience to yours Colin. Mrs J's Polo (a good few years ago) had a collapsed pedal boxšŸ˜².
It was nigh on impossible to get a gear. The local dealership inspected it and got VW to agree to foot the bill as although the car was well out of warranty, it was a known fault.
Jeremy MkIII

This thread was discussed between 04/09/2024 and 08/09/2024

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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