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iPod iPod adapter in a Volkswagen

mspman

mspman

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 7, 2007
236
76
Minneapolis, MN
So - - I don't suppose anyone here has a VW with an iPod adapter in it?

I just bought a Passat with this wonderful feature. It really is amazing that VW and Apple have managed to create a system that befuddles even one with an advanced degree in Mathematics. There is simply no rhyme or reason with which the stereo plays the playlists.

If you're thinking about it - be careful as you cannot browse albums and artists.. only play playlists that have already been set up. I'm just trying to get my head around how it plays the stuff.

Anyone? Even internet searches on the subject turn up bubkus. :(

But FWIW, I *love* my Passat. :)
 
Hi,

I don't thin there's much you can do apart from limiting yourself to few playlists and making them long.

I have a question. The ipod adapter in my 2008 Rabbit stopped working about a month ago. I can only explain this by a software update on Apple's side. Since when do you have your Passat? Have you recently updated your ipod software?

Neither my iPhone nor my wife's iPod work anymore.
 
I had an '05 Jetta and installed the iPod adapter. Once I realized that you could not have both the iPod adapter AND satellite radio (they use the same port on the radio), I had it de-installed.

If I remember correctly, the iPod adapter looks at the playlists in alphabetical order, and you may be limited on the number of playlists it will see. I created 5 playlists, and named them starting with the numbers 1 through 5, like 1-Jazz, 2-Pop, 3-Pat Metheny, etc.

Hope that helps...
 
I have the iPod adapter in my 2008 GTI, and I agree, it's beyond useless. Doesn't bother me though, between Sirius and a 6 disc MP3 changer, I've got plenty of choices for music. Plus, my iPod needs to be removed from its iSkin case to fit in the adapter, and that case is a PITA to put back on. If I get ambitious enough, I may try to replace it with a regular AUX input.

The couple times I used it, I knew ahead of time which albums I felt like listening to so I just put them in their own playlist and it worked out. But it is annoying if I decide at the last minute what I want to listen to. Although supposedly, if you take the iPod out of the adapter, navigate to what you want and start playing it, and put the iPod back in, it will resume playing that. Never tried it though.

1911jzz, must be the older VWs, as I have both Sirius and the iPod adapter on mine.
 
Ok so I just bought a new VW Passat and paid extra $$ for the OEM iPod adatper. What a freakin nightmare this thing is!

Ok so Playlist 1-5 are playlists 1-5 on your iPod.
Playlist 6 "reads all playlists on your iPod"?! How does it do that? How do you access the other 100+ playlists on your iPod?

I'm ready to pull my hair out trying to figure this thing out! :confused:
 
Chodite said:
Ok so I just bought a new VW Passat and paid extra $$ for the OEM iPod adatper. What a freakin nightmare this thing is!

Ok so Playlist 1-5 are playlists 1-5 on your iPod.
Playlist 6 "reads all playlists on your iPod"?! How does it do that? How do you access the other 100+ playlists on your iPod?

I'm ready to pull my hair out trying to figure this thing out! :confused:
Click to expand...

Playlist 6 is just your entire library in 1 playlist. If you insert your iPod while something's playing, playlist 6 will be whatever you were playing. The VW iPod adapter is a piece of junk.
 
yg17 said:
Playlist 6 is just your entire library in 1 playlist. If you insert your iPod while something's playing, playlist 6 will be whatever you were playing. The VW iPod adapter is a piece of junk.
Click to expand...

Wow, seriously? That's just awful.
So playlist 6 is the rest of my music on my iPod. All 4,124 songs. But with the head unit only reading up to 99 songs per "playlist", how do I access the rest of my 4,025 songs?
 
Chodite said:
Wow, seriously? That's just awful.
So playlist 6 is the rest of my music on my iPod. All 4,124 songs. But with the head unit only reading up to 99 songs per "playlist", how do I access the rest of my 4,025 songs?
Click to expand...

Absolutely no idea. I don't think you can. The iPod adapter is a piece of junk. I just stick to CDs and Sirius
 
I installed an aftermarket adapter in my 05 Jetta from Enfig Car Stereo. It's amazing. You have to control the music on the iPod, but I have my Touch mounted on the dash so I don't care. They have a more expensive model that lets you control the music through your radio controls if you want though. So far no problems and crystal clear sound!
 
I've got the built in adapter in my center arm rest on my '07 Jetta. I love it. 1-5 are all playlists I create and 6 is the entire music library.

I generally don't have a lot of playlists, I rarely have more than two or three on my iPod. Still, five playlists gives you a lot of music to listen to. The screen only goes up to 99, but you can keep going I think. I've never had any problem with mine working.

I can use sirius and and my iPod.

The only thing I don't like is that song names aren't displayed on the radio.
 
Yeah, the OEM iPod adapter lets you do everything from the head unit (and from the steering wheel controls). Fast forward, rewind, skip tracks, volume, etc. It just sucks about the playlists being so limited. So many other $30,000 cars have much more advanced integrated iPod controls. The VW one is basically what the BMW one was 4 years ago.
 
hey yg17 how do you like your gti? I am looking to get one this weekend. whats options did you get? post some pics if you can
 
illtype said:
hey yg17 how do you like your gti? I am looking to get one this weekend. whats options did you get? post some pics if you can
Click to expand...

I can't speak for yg17, but I can tell you that I've owned 3 VW GTIs in my life ('89 MKII, '03 MKIV and '06 MKV) and LOVED them. Great choice.
 
Ok some good news I found out today!

Most of us thought the OEM iPod adapter only read 99 tracks per playlist. Not entirely true. If you start with track 01 of a playlist, go to track 99 and next to track 01, the "new" track 01 is actually track 100. So "new" track 02 is track 101 of the playlist, etc.
 
I have a 2007 Jetta, and to be honest, I still haven't completely figured out how to work my iPod adapter. :(
 
I just bought a 2001 Passat for my wife and I was wondering if I could buy the adapter and put it in the '01, but now that I've read all these awful reviews I don't think I will.

I do wish I had an aux jack though. Maybe I'll just replace the head unit completely.

It has a six disc changer, but seriously, who can be bothered with CDs anymore??

Oh yeah, great car! :D
 
evilgEEk said:
I just bought a 2001 Passat for my wife and I was wondering if I could buy the adapter and put it in the '01, but now that I've read all these awful reviews I don't think I will.

I do wish I had an aux jack though. Maybe I'll just replace the head unit completely.

It has a six disc changer, but seriously, who can be bothered with CDs anymore??

Oh yeah, great car! :D
Click to expand...

I doubt the adapter will work and I actually think there are a couple different choices for the newer VW's. I'm not sure which one each person on here has. Mine is built into the car and is a docking station type thing in the center console.

I'm really happy with how mine works. Like I said before, my only complaint is it doesn't display song titles on the radio.


I'd go ahead and get a new head unit that has the feature built in.
 
Chodite said:
Wow, seriously? That's just awful.
So playlist 6 is the rest of my music on my iPod. All 4,124 songs. But with the head unit only reading up to 99 songs per "playlist", how do I access the rest of my 4,025 songs?
Click to expand...

Once you get to track 99, use the car stereo controls to skip forward 1 track. The stereo display will show Track 1 again, but it will still advance to Track 100 on your IPod. It's just that the car display won't count higher than 99.

As for the playlist issues, I've developed a system where I name playlists with numbers 1-5 on my IPod to correspond with the stereo numbers. (Ie. "1 - Pop/Rock"; "2 - Local Bands", etc.) This way, I can select which playlists I want in the first 5 positions, and whenever I reconnect my IPod to my pc, I move unused playlists to 1-5 based on what I want to hear. (By putting the numbers before the title of the playlists, it puts the numbered lists at the beginning of the playlists where the stereo reads it.)
 
I have a blitzsafe adapter in my 2001 Golf. It attaches an iPod through the CD Changer port. All controls still work on the iPod itself.

This is without a doubt the best thing I've ever done to my car. It works perfectly, and the cost was minimal (~$70). I would definitely recommend it if you have a radio that can take advantage of it.

You can purchase them here:

http://www.enfigcarstereo.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/index.html
 
I have a 2010 Golf TDI with Bluetooth. Try connecting VIA the adapter and playing your music through the Bluetooth sound.

I don't have any problems with the adapter either.
 
Clete2 said:
I have a 2010 Golf TDI with Bluetooth. Try connecting VIA the adapter and playing your music through the Bluetooth sound.

I don't have any problems with the adapter either.
Click to expand...

Mmmm, a 2010 TDI, huh? My 2001 Golf is also a TDI. It's right at 198K miles. That car is the best kept secret in the USA. Nearly 50mpg all the time really makes for an economical ride.

Enjoy the car!
 
charging?

According to the "manual" that came with my iPod connector for my 2006 passat, it should be charging my ipod as well. But when I connect it, it says "charging not supported". Any suggestions? I have a 16 GB touch
 
mrs pengy said:
According to the "manual" that came with my iPod connector for my 2006 passat, it should be charging my ipod as well. But when I connect it, it says "charging not supported". Any suggestions? I have a 16 GB touch
Click to expand...

The adapter in your Passat probably uses firewire charging. I'm assuming you have a 2nd generation Touch, which doesn't support FW charging. You have to have an adapter that does USB charging. You may be out of luck in this case. They do make an adapter that allows USB charged iPods to charge on FW chargers, but I'm not sure if it'll work in your car or not.
 
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