Mk V Golf Ipod adapter and iphone compatibility.

[diesel_DSG]

HI All,

its my first post, so be kind!

Just bought (ok, a month ago, today) a new TDI Pacific Golf - regretting not getting the ipod adapter at delivery.

The radio/CD player has crapped itself - it wont read ANY disk at all, I just get an error message. Ill be taking it in this week for this to be rectified under warranty, so I think i'll get the ipod adapter fitted while im at it.

My question is - does this adapter work with iphone? I called my dealer and spoke to the service manager briefly, and he said that it may not charge the iphone, but it should connect just fine.

Does anyone have any experience with it - is it worth shelling out the $350?

Thanks

Sam
08 TDI Pacific Golf in United Grey

[Russ59]

Hi Sam,

Welcome to the forums. I don't have an iphone so I can't comment on whether or not it will work properly, however, I can tell you that a normal ipod works fine as that's what I use in mine. If the service manager has told you that the iphone will work OK with the exception of charging then I would say that is how it will be. As for whether it is worth the $350 installation, I couldn't say either as mine was already in the car (new) but it is certainly more convenient than having to compile and burn new cd's to play in the head unit even with MP3 compatibility. Don't stress too much over the head unit playing up either as I have read on here of quite a few instances of similar issues with them. I'm sure VW service will sort it out for you. I hope this helps.

Cheers
Russ

[SoVeReIgN]

Most ipod adaptors will work fine but won't charge the iphone.

The iphone requires a perfect 12V connection and in the past the ipods would just deal with the 14.4V out of the car - The iphone won't unless it's regulated the iphone won't charge.

Surely someone here has tried it, but if not just walk into the dealer and find a car with the adaptor and try it yourself.

[blutopless2]

we have the avc9000 unit fitted to our car and an iphone will connect to the unit via the ipod adaptor cable. the phone itself will go into "airplane" mode so it will not work as a phone when connected and will not charge either.
so i assume it will be the same for any ipod adaptor you connect the iphone to.

[faisan]

we have the avc9000 unit fitted to our car and an iphone will connect to the unit via the ipod adaptor cable. the phone itself will go into "airplane" mode so it will not work as a phone when connected and will not charge either.
so i assume it will be the same for any ipod adaptor you connect the iphone to.

I have an iPhone and AVC as well and it doesnt force the iPhone into airplane mode when connected. It pops up a prompt saying this accessory isnt designed for the iPhone or something like that and asks if you want to go into airplace mode. You dont have to though.

[Maverick]

Most ipod adaptors will work fine but won't charge the iphone.

The iphone requires a perfect 12V connection and in the past the ipods would just deal with the 14.4V out of the car - The iphone won't unless it's regulated the iphone won't charge.

Not quite, the iphone requires 5volts to charge and most other ipods etc use 10v.

The iphone requires a reference voltage to be on pins 2 and 3 of the usb connector, this can be above 1.225 volts. The use of a few resisters will allow the iphone to be charged with a usb car charged and the iphone charging cable. The real apple usb charger supplies 2.8v and 2.0v on pins 2 and 3.

There is no requirement for regulation, this is an urban myth because people didn't realise that you need some voltage on pins 2 and 3 to charge from a non apple charger.

[blutopless2]

I have an iPhone and AVC as well and it doesnt force the iPhone into airplane mode when connected. It pops up a prompt saying this accessory isnt designed for the iPhone or something like that and asks if you want to go into airplace mode. You dont have to though.


sorry didn't mean it "forced" it into that mode... but my wife could not get it to work with the avc if it wasn't in this mode. if she selected no it didn't come up on the screen with the ipod controls.
but this may just be her not operating and setting up the iphone correctly... as i am not allowed to touch it. lol

[nav]

My iPhone 3G does not work with the factory iPod adaptor installed in my 2008 Golf GT Sport. Fortunately I have an 80GB iPod classic which works just fine.

I'm installing a new head unit I purchased in the States in the next few weeks (Pioneer FH-P8000BT). I got sick of not being able search or view track names using the factory head unit and iPod adaptor. I wouldn't say the $350 I paid for the ipod adaptor was a waste but it certainly doesn't have longevity.

HTH

[Autosport]

Check out this thread
http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showthread.php?t=24282

I've just ordered the Connects2 from the guys bellow. should arrive today and I'll install it next couple of days, should work with any MP3 player, then you can just plug the cig lighter charger into your Iphone to chrage it.

The Car Kit Company
Ground Floor
14-16 Whiting Street
Artarmon
NSW
+612 94361121
http://www.thecarkitcompany.com.au/

[diesel_DSG]

Thanks guys for your prompt responses.

I think i'll give it a miss to be honest. I dont fancy the idea of pumping $350 for the adapter, for it not to really work with my iphone.

A thought occured to me, that I could pick up an ipod nano just for use in the car, but thats another $200 I probably dont need to spend!

Car goes back to Barlow World this Thursday for the radio/CD player fix

Sam

[Autosport]

Thanks guys for your prompt responses.

I think i'll give it a miss to be honest. I dont fancy the idea of pumping $350 for the adapter, for it not to really work with my iphone.

Thats the fully installed price, much cheaper if supply only and install your self.(what I'm doing) and you might even be able to get it cheaper overseas if you're willing to wait.

cheers.

[benough]

Thanks guys for your prompt responses.

I think i'll give it a miss to be honest. I dont fancy the idea of pumping $350 for the adapter, for it not to really work with my iphone.

Sam

the iPhone works very well with the Dension Gateway 100.

The dension porduct puts the ipod screen and control into the MFD but you need a full height one, which i doubt your Comfortline will.

Carkitcompany will install it for $375

[diesel_DSG]

HI Guys - an update...

Car went back to Barlow World in Glen Waverley today - as the CD player wasn't recognizing any disks - burnt or originals.. of course when I got to the service department this morning the CD player was working perfectly! The service manager made some calls, and decided to replace the head unit under warranty, rather than have the problem pop up again.

Even better news - I tried my 3G iphone with their test unit - and it worked fine. I took the plunge and had the VW ipod adapter fitted. They looked after me with price too - $180 fitted!

Impressions - pretty darn good. I've done a LOT of googling since I started this thread, and heard both doom and gloom about it. The iphone goes into 'airplane mode' which means no inbound or outbound calls. Downside I guess ;)

The head unit recognizes the ipod as a CD stacker - so I created 6 new play lists, numbered 1-6, 1 being my entire music catalog on the iphone, 2-6 being more focussed play lists. (I only really listed to music on my iphone on 'random' anyway).. so you select disc 1 and it plays tracks in order in your play list 1, select disc 2 and it plays 2, etc.. Disk 6 plays ALL songs on your ipod, and i've found the trick is to hit 'shuffle' on the ipod before plugging it in, and it i guess randomises the track order. Of course if you want to play the tracks alphabetically you can skip this bit.

All in all, im pretty happy that a/ i went ahead with the purchase, and b/ Barlow World looked after me with the price.

New head unit is perfect too, as you'd expect.

Thanks again everyone for your input on this thread.

Sam

[CruiseJunkie]

Glad it worked for you. I had the iPod adapter thrown in when I got my Pacific 2 weeks ago. Also a TDI - gotta love it.

I'm not impressed with VW radio/cd unit in that I find it hard to see the display in the daytime when wearing sunglasses. I sold my previous Camry to a family member and that had an Alpine head unit with the iPod adapter which allowed full control through the head unit. It was great. I'm going to get it removed from the Camry and refit the original Toyota unit and use the iPod adapter and just get a new double din Alpine head unit fitted to the Golf.

[factory]

Hi all, I have the VW factory adaptor in my 08 GTI. As many know it is tewrrible. I was lead to believe you had full control of you iPod but this is not the case. As such I am deciding what to do with it. Can it be removed at home so I can simply use the 3.5mm jack in the console? How hard is this?

As an alternative I considered the two options in the title.

Both seem to offer full control of the iPod. Ideally I want to be able to see the iPod info on the MFD (I understand the Denison will do this) and use the steering wheel controls to scroll etc. Would also be nice to control from the iPod too. Am I dreaming?

Would love to hear from anyone who has either of these units.

Cheers, grant

[Autosport]

Hi all, I have the VW factory adaptor in my 08 GTI. As many know it is tewrrible. I was lead to believe you had full control of you iPod but this is not the case. As such I am deciding what to do with it. Can it be removed at home so I can simply use the 3.5mm jack in the console? How hard is this?

As an alternative I considered the two options in the title.

Both seem to offer full control of the iPod. Ideally I want to be able to see the iPod info on the MFD (I understand the Denison will do this) and use the steering wheel controls to scroll etc. Would also be nice to control from the iPod too. Am I dreaming?

Would love to hear from anyone who has either of these units.

Cheers, grant
The factory IPOD connector is very easy to remove (would take less then 30 minutes)... there are a few links if you google search that have step by step guide with photos to remove the radio.

I installed the connects2 unit in my car last night and took me about 30 minutes, only 7 screws in total needed to remove the radio to gain access to the back, and it will be just a plug at the back you will need to remove.

[droplet]

Factory, I had the Denison Gateway 100 installed in my MY2008 Jetta a few days ago and I'm very impressed with it so far. Works with both my old 20GB 4G iPod and my new 16GB iPhone without any troubles. You get full access to all the iPod menus, as well as an alphabetical search function up on the MFD, controllable from the steering wheel controls. You can also control the iPod from its own clickwheel interface as well. I didn't install it myself, a tech from The Car Kit Company did. Only took him 10-15 minutes from start to finish. Sound quality is very good too. Quite happy with it. $404 installed.


Hi all, I have the VW factory adaptor in my 08 GTI. As many know it is tewrrible. I was lead to believe you had full control of you iPod but this is not the case. As such I am deciding what to do with it. Can it be removed at home so I can simply use the 3.5mm jack in the console? How hard is this?

As an alternative I considered the two options in the title.

Both seem to offer full control of the iPod. Ideally I want to be able to see the iPod info on the MFD (I understand the Denison will do this) and use the steering wheel controls to scroll etc. Would also be nice to control from the iPod too. Am I dreaming?

Would love to hear from anyone who has either of these units.

Cheers, grant

[factory]

Droplet,

Sounds great. One question...

What is the repsonse time like when changing tracks? The factory unit hasa massive delay which is annoying, that is, you click the steering wheel control to change tracks and it doesn't respond for 5 or more seconds. Quite annoying. Is the dension better?

[benough]

Glad it worked for you. I had the iPod adapter thrown in when I got my Pacific 2 weeks ago. Also a TDI - gotta love it.

I'm not impressed with VW radio/cd unit in that I find it hard to see the display in the daytime when wearing sunglasses. I sold my previous Camry to a family member and that had an Alpine head unit with the iPod adapter which allowed full control through the head unit. It was great. I'm going to get it removed from the Camry and refit the original Toyota unit and use the iPod adapter and just get a new double din Alpine head unit fitted to the Golf.

Are your sunglasses polarised? That how I found you couldn't see it very well. Probably just a LHD thing with the plastic on the screens.

Can I ask what alpine headunit you had?


Droplet,

Sounds great. One question...

What is the repsonse time like when changing tracks? The factory unit hasa massive delay which is annoying, that is, you click the steering wheel control to change tracks and it doesn't respond for 5 or more seconds. Quite annoying. Is the dension better?

I have the Dension 100 in my GT and the delay is very minimal. It's is the same speed as things in the trip computer.

Other than the forthcoming MMI interface for the MK6 and having an RNS-510 I believe this is the best on the market.

I am assuming you have the full height MFD?

[droplet]

I have the Dension 100 in my GT and the delay is very minimal. It's is the same speed as things in the trip computer.

Other than the forthcoming MMI interface for the MK6 and having an RNS-510 I believe this is the best on the market.

I am assuming you have the full height MFD?

Yes I would agree. Changing from track to track is quick...not instantaneous, but quick. It does take a few seconds to communicate with the iPod when you first plug it in or turn the radio on, but even then it's probably less time than it would take to insert a CD, have the player scan it and start playing it.

[SF.]

I've got the AUX IN jack in my GTI and use it with my iPhone 3G.
Possibly better than the ipod adaptor option IMO...

Still have to use the iPhone to control what you're listening to and the volume out is a bit weak, but...

The iPhone can stay plugged in when you take calls and the audio comes through the car, while you use the iPhone mic to talk.

And a 3.5mm stereo cable is substantially cheaper than VW's iPod & Bluetooth Adaptors:

($3.25 @ Jaycar (http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=WA7007&CATID=&keywords=3.5mm+stereo&SPECIAL=&form=KEYWORD&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=))