What to do about my iPod???

9297 Views 60 Replies 21 Participants Last post by uncle dude, Nov 11, 2007

dgm

Discussion Starter · Sep 20, 2006

I traded in a 2004.5 Cummins Turbo Diesel truck for my '07 GTI. In that truck I had an alpine head unit that interfaced directly with my iPod. Worked pretty darn well.

In the GTI, I've come to learn that the iPod cable alone is $170. ...ridiculous. ...and worse, that the functionality at the head unit is horrible. So, I'm not sure what I should do. I'm looking for advice from those who've done it and have more experience than I with modern car audio systems.

1. buy a iPod interface from VW and suck it up
2. install my Alpine head unit (or something similar) in the GTI and hope for an installation kit to be produced by Crutchfield sometime in the near future.
3. go with something like the ...looks pretty cool for $99Harmon-Kardon Drive-n-Play
4. ...or is there another option that I'm missing?

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dgm

Discussion Starter · #21 · Oct 1, 2006

WhiteRabbit.

... Here is a Dice that works and allows you to keep the steering wheel controls: http://enfigcarstereo.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/DICE_I_VW_R.html

I'm thinking that I'll still put my alpine in though and just buy the SAT adapter box.

Would you mind telling me the item #'s from Crutchfield for the:
mounting kit, ant. Adapter and wiring harness? Since Crutchfield doesn't actually list the '07 GTI, I just want to make sure I"m ordering the right parts.

thanks man,

mlehrian

· #22 · Oct 1, 2006

I just bought my GTI a couple weeks ago. I had a Neo iOn (which was a rebranded Peripheral Electronics iPod interface) in my old car (Audi A4 Avant) which I moved to the GTI. The audio input worked, but the controls didn't, so I contacted Neo (http://www.mp3yourcar.com) and they sent me a new unit, which turns out to be a rebranded DICE interface, which works great. The radio & steering wheel controls work as advertised. I ran the cable into the glovebox. It's not long enough to make it back to the center console with enough slack to be useful, so in the glovebox it stays.

The installation was pretty straightforward thanks to all the info about disassembling the center stack I found on the net. I moved the satellite radio wires to the new plug so that still works as well. Disassembling the dash is annoying. I popped 4 of the clips off the lower dash faceplate. I used epoxy to reattach them - they'll probably stay on better now. But what a pain.

The radio displays accurate elapsed time & track number information, but does not display track name/artist information. I assume this is a limitation with the stock stereo (I have the Panasonic Premium 7 stock head unit). I read somewhere on the net that DICE was planning an interface cable that uses the satellite input on the radio so that the radio will display track name/artist information. And since the interface has an auxiliary input, supposedly you'll still be able to use satellite radio but switching to the aux input. I'm not sure if this is a big enough win for me to tear the dash apart again. I'd like to get track name/artist information, but for me, the biggest problem is controlling the iPod from the car stereo controls. It's just too hard to navigate 40 GB of music with a couple buttons, even if you can see what's playing. And even though the DICE unit is better, you still can't navigate by artist, which is usually what I do.

The Harman Kardon Drive+Play looks promising. I just wish there was less "stuff" to install. Really what I want is for VW to give me a multifunction "jog wheel" that rocks forward/back/left/right (a jog-wheel-click-wheel hybrid, if you will) right in front of the gear shift on the center console that I can use for anything (including navigating my iPod) and for the iPod display to me mirrored on the head unit display and in the trip computer area if I'm in audio mode.

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dgm

Discussion Starter · #23 · Oct 1, 2006

mlehrian, I just bought mine a couple weeks ago too. Check this out:
http://myfastgti.com/vwgti/index.php/topic,812.msg7296.html#msg7296

mlehrian

· #24 · Oct 2, 2006

Unfortunately the auxiliary input is a new feature on the 2007 GTIs and mine is a 2006 (though I did get a kickin' deal and scored the headlamp washers which are gone from the 2007 model).

To my wishlist in my last post, also please add a WiFi-enabled iPod dock such that I can leave my iPod in the car all the time and sync it with iTunes overnight while it's sitting in my driveway. ;D

Seawolfe

· #25 · Oct 2, 2006

mlehrian said:
Unfortunately the auxiliary input is a new feature on the 2007 GTIs and mine is a 2006 (though I did get a kickin' deal and scored the headlamp washers which are gone from the 2007 model).

To my wishlist in my last post, also please add a WiFi-enabled iPod dock such that I can leave my iPod in the car all the time and sync it with iTunes overnight while it's sitting in my driveway. ;D

You'd have to be careful not to drain your battery with that setup.

dgm

Discussion Starter · #26 · Oct 2, 2006

mlehrian said:
Unfortunately the auxiliary input is a new feature on the 2007 GTIs and mine is a 2006 (though I did get a kickin' deal and scored the headlamp washers which are gone from the 2007 model).

To my wishlist in my last post, also please add a WiFi-enabled iPod dock such that I can leave my iPod in the car all the time and sync it with iTunes overnight while it's sitting in my driveway. ;D

I've got the headlamp washers on my 2007.

mlehrian

· #27 · Oct 3, 2006

dgm said:
I've got the headlamp washers on my 2007.

Well whaddya know. I thought they were gone. Live and learn!

Thalo

· #28 · Oct 3, 2006

Why would they remove them? They've been a fixture on Audis for the past 8 years and now on all high end VWs.

mlehrian

· #29 · Oct 3, 2006

Honestly, the sales guy told me that when I bought my '06. Maybe he was just pushing the '06. But since I walked in and told him I wanted an '06 GTI, he really didn't need to "sell" it to me.

mlehrian

· #30 · Oct 7, 2006

Thalo said:
Why would they remove them? They've been a fixture on Audis for the past 8 years and now on all high end VWs.

According to this thread (http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2678406&postid=30103015#30103015) at VWVortex, 2007 deletes the headlamp washers if you have the xenon headlamps.

DrJones

· #31 · Oct 7, 2006

Odd that on almost every other vehicle that offers Xenon headlamps, washers are part of the package. I don't know of any physical reason why that's the case, but it seems to be the norm.

dgm

Discussion Starter · #32 · Oct 7, 2006

I have a 2007. I have Xenons. I have headlamp washers.

GTI MKV

· #33 · Oct 7, 2006

i think they are a little behind on the 07's and what they wanna do with them. from what i hear they still dont have luanch control which was promised on the 07's

MyMKVStella

· #34 · Oct 18, 2006

Okay so after reading all of these posts on what to do with the ipod i am still very confused on what to do, I want to keep my stock oem stereo but i want interface my ipod nano to it. I tried to read the thing on the DICE but i didnt understand how it works, can someone elaborate in lamens terms for me. Thanks in advance.

niko597

· #35 · Oct 31, 2006

06TRMKV said:
Okay so after reading all of these posts on what to do with the ipod i am still very confused on what to do, I want to keep my stock oem stereo but i want interface my ipod nano to it. I tried to read the thing on the DICE but i didnt understand how it works, can someone elaborate in lamens terms for me. Thanks in advance.

Here is how you'd do it. A lot of work just to have Ipod interface, IMO. Burn what you got onto CD-R's and just load 6 of them in the CD changer. That's a sh!t load of music.

Ipod Installation

But if you have time and want to tinker with the car, go 4 it.

andrew

· #36 · Nov 29, 2006

what are you talking about ipods are a perfect example on how innovative they are at apple
you must be a microsoft fan [

quote author=Seawolfe link=topic=765.msg6880#msg6880 date=1158962975]
I think you should sell your iPod; I personally hate them myself.
[/quote]

deviltailedfast

· #37 · Nov 29, 2006

Actually, I'm gonna agree with NIKO. Once I put a crapload of music on 6 MP3 CDs, and loaded them in, I gave my iPod to my g/f and never looked back. At first I was sad that I couldn't use my iPod, but in the end, it didn't really matter...

Get yourself 6 CD-RWs, and you're set for life!

dgm

Discussion Starter · #38 · Nov 29, 2006

deviltailedfast said:
Actually, I'm gonna agree with NIKO. Once I put a crapload of music on 6 MP3 CDs, and loaded them in, I gave my iPod to my g/f and never looked back. At first I was sad that I couldn't use my iPod, but in the end, it didn't really matter...

Get yourself 6 CD-RWs, and you're set for life!

Except that:

1. unless you're buying archival quality CDs, they have a relatively short lifespan and fail unexpectedly (not that an ipod can't).
2. how do CD's automatically update your podcasts for the next days drive?
3. Who wants to sit around creating playlists and burning CDs everytime you want a new set of tunes? Plug your iPod in and be done with it.

Podcasts and audio books are primarily what I use my iPod for. If I want music, I have it there as well, but I also have Sirius.

MicMoor77

· #39 · Nov 30, 2006

dgm said:
3. Who wants to sit around creating playlists and burning CDs everytime you want a new set of tunes? Plug your iPod in and be done with it.

I don't think it's as daunting as you make it sound. 6 CDs hold a lot of mp3 files. I categorize mine by using a different genre for each disc. It's really no more trouble than syncing your iPod with your computer. Sure, the discs don't hold 40 GB of music but who listens to all that music at once anyway? That's over 600 hours of music. The discs will hold close to 50 hours depending on bit rate. Anyway, I totally agree with you on the quality issue though, but unless you're an audiophile you won't be able to hear the difference, especially on our shitty stereos.

dgm

Discussion Starter · #40 · Nov 30, 2006

MicMoor77 said:
dgm said:

3. Who wants to sit around creating playlists and burning CDs everytime you want a new set of tunes? Plug your iPod in and be done with it.

Click to expand...

I don't think it's as daunting as you make it sound. 6 CDs hold a lot of mp3 files. I categorize mine by using a different genre for each disc.

What??? How can sitting in front of your computer, organizing 6 CDs of songs into genres and then loading each CD, waiting 5 minutes for each CD to burn and finalize, and then loading all 6 CD's back into your car's dash even come close in comparison to plugging in my iPod and walking away. Then coming back whenever I feel like it, unplugging the iPod and Plugging it back into my car. Seriously? I spend about 5 minutes total updating every song, PodCast, News, Audiobooks, etc. on my 30GB of iPod.

...I'm not trying to promote apple or anything. Personally, I'm a PC guy, but apple truly has a nice product with the iPod in my opinion.

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