Has anyone found one of these that works on a MK2.5 with the standard factory double DIN head unit?
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On the NC this connects to the socket where the cd multichanger would connect.
Does the MK2.5 have facility for a mulitchanger ?
The plug is on the back and the buttons are labelled for CD changer control but none of the ones that Iāve seen say they are compatible with the earlier double DIN units.
I got one from MX5parts years ago (audiolink?) that said it was compatible but it never worked properly.
So it turns out that an iPod adapter from an NC will work with an NB double DIN head unit. Got an Apple 30 pin to lightning adapter on order to see if itāll work with an iPhone.
Iāve run the cable from the audio unit under the carpet to under the passenger seat, the control box is on the carpet under the seat then the cable from the control box to the iPod runs under the passenger seat to the centre console.
Itās only Adele because the buttons on the Nano are knackered and A is obviously the first track on the iPod. Nothing wrong with Skyfall thoughā¦
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So, the lightening to 30 pin adapter didnāt work, maybe because is was Ā£4.99 from eBay and not a genuine Apple one.
Although the iPod plays, the music selection via the audio unit is shocking, there is no logic to it and I struggle to find which tracks Iām looking for. If anyone has used their iPod connector on their NC theyāll probably know what I meanā¦ Basically the iPod control is disabled and you have to use the disc/track up/down buttons on the audio unit but you have no indication of which album track youāre playingā¦
ā¦so, I bought an iPod Touch, (4th Gen) from eBay (Ā£16 delivered in original box, bargain I reckon) and this works in that I can select my music using the iPod and it plays though the audio unit. Butā¦ It wonāt chargeā¦
ā¦so after a bit of research, I believe that the Mazda supplied iPod adapter will only charge via FireWire where as a 4th gen iPod charges via USB, 1st gen iPod touch on order (Ā£14 delivered) which apparently charges via FireWireā¦
I guess youāve looked at USB<->FW adaptor leads? Some have a bit of intelligence, but you need to have exactly the right one because of all the different options for FW.
The 1st Gen iPod option seems to be the best choice, but does it have enough memory?
I was looking into this a couple of years ago for my NC (with the usual modules and adaptor cable built in) and gave up trying to find an early iPod that still worked, would connect, and had enough storage.
It was easier to plug in my earplayer (not apple) with a simple aux lead to that socket on the back of the standard Mazda head unit instead of the gubbins complex . I considered adding a regulator to power the earplayer on its 5V USB, but the AAA battery inside it lasts 35+ hours before recharge so the effort was not really worth it.
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Itās a 16 GB iPod so big enough. If anything itās just become a principal thing now. I want music and charging on one cable. Didnāt know there were FW-USB adaptors available.
Thanks for your input.
Hmm, iPod touch gen 1 and 4 USB charging and data cable but not FW
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Genuine-Data-Cable-Apple-Touch-White/dp/B006P0TWQ2
https://everymac.com/systems/apple/ipod/ipod-faq/ipods-charge-and-sync-firewire-usb2.html
Iām going off these search results, but of course half of the stuff you read on the internet is wrong and the other half is made up!
Iāve researched the pins on the 30 pin cable and I believe different pins do FW charging to those that do USB charging.
Does it not depend on which pins are actually wired?
You were talking about iPod TOUCH, which does USB only, according to that chart.
The earliest ones when it was just plain iPod; yes FW and no USB for issue 1, and both for issue 4.
So is your iPod a Touch (latest) or an earliest one? Therein lies the difference.
I have a 4th gen touch, got a 1st gen touch on the wayā¦
Then according to the chart 1st Gen Touch does both for charging, but audio (sync) only on USB.
Hence your solution to the problem is still not quite there as āone leadā because no audio going out with that FW connection.
I was taking āsyncā as comms with iTunesā¦
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I have a Belkin Tunebase that is a flexible stalk that plugs into the power socket.
The ipod touch then plugs into the other end which acts a dock.
You can use it to send an FM signal to your radio but the better way is to plug the supplied cable into the dock unit and aux in.
Works a treat.
Belkin have all sorts of solutions for apple
Iāve not had much success with RF transmitters in the past and my audio unit doesnāt have an aux in, if it did I wouldnāt be where I am now. Call me fussy but Iām not a fan of having stuff sticking out of the dash/stuck to windscreens either. If I can find an iPod that works itāll tuck away nicely in the pocket behind the passenger seat.
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Another update for anyone whoās still reading/interestedā¦
I now have in my possession a 2009 160GB iPod Classic, borrowed from a neighbour. It charges and plays music, although control from the car audio unit is still pants. I have found that if I start an album playing using the click wheel on the iPod, then plug it in to the car it will continue to play that album but as soon as I try and change tracks using the car audio unit it messes it all up. The click wheel becomes disabled when plugged into the car.
But, according to that chart I linked to earlier, FireWire support is charge only and USB support is Sync & Charge which is the same (apparently) for a 1st gen iPod Touch. So, itās looking promising for the 1st gen iPod touch to work, but if not, the iPod classic is the best of the bunch so far.
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Final instalmentā¦
1st generation iPod touch charges but doesnāt allow music control, it seems to only play Artists alphabetically, allowing only to skip up or down but giving no indication of track listing. Even if an album is started playing before plugging it in, it reverts to artist alphabetically. Basically no better than the iPod Nano.
So, iPod Classic is the best of the bunch if charging is the priority but the 4th gen iPod Touch is the best for ease of music selection.
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