iPod2Car to support CD Text in next version!

I don't have one, and thanks to you, I will also wait for this version. But from what I have read and understand about the unit:
1. You need to remove the vents next to the screen, and get behind the radio.
2. I use the tape deck approach, no text.
3. The sound quality, from what I hear, is great.
4. You do get complete controls as far as; volume, changing songs.
5. I am not sure about the volume issues, but it is probably straight out like the iPod stereo systems I have.
6. I have an iPod Photo, and L-O-V-E it!

 

Good news. I'm waiting for an iPod-to-Prius solution that'll actually show text on the Multi-Display before taking the plunge... probably not the only one.

 

From my experience:

1. I removed just the glove box, one vent (the left one, it's just a pop-up), one screw (ECU), and used a mirror to see the back of the radio unit and plug the special toyota CD changer harness. This harness is connected to the Ipod2car sticked on the top of the AC filter with a velcro tape. I left my ipod in the glove box. I have a switch to turn off the adapter to avoid a battery drain (constant 12V with the harness) but I should have used +12V from the accessory plug (thanks Danman32 for the tip!!)

2. Does your solution display text.

Nope, too bad!

3. Is the sound quality good?
Pretty good indeed, but for some tunes the sound is not as "high" as the CD player. I guess mp3 quality is an important issue there.

4. Do you have complete iPod control from the car controls?

Yes, and is it needed because there is nothing on the prius screen!!

5. Is the volume a straight "line out" from the iPod, or does the iPod volume effect the volume in the car?

It's just a line out; volume as no effect

6. Which iPod are you using?

4G, 40Gb.

Alexandre.

 

To remove the glove compartment take a look at your user manual (DIY section change the AC filter): press on the both side (beware it can fall down) then pull it.

 

I have a 3G 10GB iPod.
Volume is straight out and very high quality depending on the quality of the MP3 file being played. IF you're familiar with MP3s, you know this is an awfully wide range of quality variations.
I use the car volume controls, but the track buttons don't work due to a conflict with the XM module. I can live with this.
I chose to mount my iPod on a Belkin drink cup adapter placed in the fold-out second cup holder on the center armrest. This allows for proper positioning of the iPod for viewing while driving and easy access to the iPod controls. I routed the ipod2car cable from the back of the stereo down under that center plastic cover below the dash, then fed it under the carpet and up through the inside of the center armrest. I drilled a small hole by the cupholder to feed it up to the Belkin cradle.

I'm curious if the upcoming CD text support is a software change that can be added to the existing kits or if we're just screwed....

Mark

 

I have had one a couple months. I was waiting for several months for bugs to be fixed to work with Prius and actually helped them find someone to test with. As soon as it was ready I ordered one.

I got it, installed it and it really didn't work. A few phone calls and found they had sent an old one. They sent a new one and I returned the old one.

So the new one worked but has some problems. Mostly it conflicts with the internal CD changer. The new one always powers up with the CD changer working fine. But.. if you change mode to FM or something and change back it always operates the iPod. Once activated you can never get back to CD mode unless you power cycle the car.

And what is worse, it does this even if there is no iPod connected. I can go along with a conflict in the pod fighting with the changer but if the ipod is not connected it should certainly not activate. I am looking at adding a switch to the ipod2car cable to disable it.

Thats the gripes. The good news is it does work, the sound is great and the controls work. I would have been happier with just a line-in input as I mostly listen to audiobooks without a lot of switching (a pause feature would be nice).


Here are some valuable tips if you are thinking about it:


1. You must have detailed instructions to install it in a prius. I haven't seen the factory in Japan but I believe the way they build the prius is to put the radio on the conveyor belt and build the car around it. Fortunately (sorry, I don't have the link handy) someone posted a very accurate and detailed and indispensible guide to get at the radio on this forum. Seriously, I could have never done this without it. There are a lot of non intuitive tricks to cracking open a prius dashboard and none of it is in the service manual.

2. Put a towel on your dashboard when you pull aside the MFD. I scratched my dash:

http://newts.org/gallery/Prius

3. I would suggest taping the screws and clips to the parts they attach to keep them straight. I thought I was careful and I ended up with a couple extra parts when I was done.

4. Also linked here somewhere is a guide to get into the diagnostic screens. When I first powered up I was getting a error indication. I went into the the diag screens, saw that it was indicating a CD changer error and cleared the codes. It has been fine since.

5 The actual ipod2car module I tucked into a small spot at the bottom of the vent panel just to the right of the MFD. It makes it easy to get at without tools later.

6. I use a neoprene case for my pod that has the round beltclip attachment. I have a spare clip that I double-stickytaped to the panel under the MFD (see picture in the link above).

7. I want text! I will have to call them to discuss my idea about disabling it with no pod. And see if I can get mine upgraded....

jv

 

bweston,
Hopefully this is the model that the tech guy was talking about.
http://www.autosoundgear.com/tek9.asp?pg=p...ecific=jqiokpo0

I went ahead and ordered it last night, so when I get it, I will let everyone know if it displays the text. Hopefully it does!
When I do the installation, I will take plenty of pictures to post up on of everything that was done. 8)

 

Getting greedy now but assuming the text shows up as advertised, does anyone know or think album art or photos from an ipod photo would also show up? My instinct tells me that the device is really just reading the encoding and feeding it into the format that already exists for the LCD and nothing new.
If anyone has a thought or know anything about this please share.
thanks.
as to the poll, i'll will use my ipod and ipod photo (if i get one) every day in a prius once it shows up.

 

-hnational
I am hoping and praying that the album art shows up!!! I have album art on every song on my ipod photo.
One thing that I am kinda worried about is that the pic is on each song, and the Prius LCD might not know how to read that, so there might be some kind of conflict. Hopefully it will at least display the text first, then maybe the picture.
My iPod2Car kit that displays the text should be in, either tomorrow or monday, and I will let everyone know as soon as I get it installed. And that will start two minutes after the UPS guy drives away.

 

I have the unit installed and the TEXT is not showing up.
I have the full story Here on PriusOnline.

 

Ok, it's time for a quality and ergonomics snob to reply, right?

1. How did you install it?
I've been looking at the various hard-wired solutions, hoping that someone would come out with something that was compatible with the "in-dash" CD changer that comes with the 2005 Pkg. 6 (2004 Pkg. 9) systems, but so far, nobody's come out with something that works seamlessly. Because of this, I'm using a Sony cassette adapter, supposedly the best quality tape adapter available.

I have a source from an iPod accessories company (which will go nameless) that Sony has patent protection for a certain ferrite metal formula that makes their cassette adapters sound better than the others on the market (including my source's own company).

I've heard FM transmitters in other vehicles, and didn't even give it a thought, as the sound quality is far too dreadful for me to tolerate.


2. Does your solution display text.
No. My ideal solution would grab the ID3 tags and emulate CD-TEXT for Album, Artist, and Song Title.


3. Is the sound quality good?
I don't consider it acceptable. The problem with cassette adapters is that you're always fighting to provide the maximum input signal (to overcome noise) without clipping (over-driving). The cassette player that came with my 2005 Pkg. 6 seems to have less "headroom" than the player on my previous car (1997 Saturn with a Delco head unit), so I find that I often have to adjust the volume on my iPod to get "best" results.


4. Do you have complete iPod control from the car controls?
No. And I'm rather disappointed with what the current offerings in this area are (Prius-compatible or otherwise). It looks like most companies are designing their devices to interpret a certain number of playlists as "discs" in an emulated multi-disc changer. I'm not aware of any interface that allows you to change albums or artists once the iPod is connected to the car system.

In thinking about how one might approach a fully-functioned in-car iPod interace, I wrote the following to Monster Cable, in response to their lackluster iCruze announcement:

Playlists only? There has GOT to be a better way. I know a lot of the other solutions out there are gravitating toward the Disc = Playlist mentality, but it seems that there\'s got to be a different approach to this. I like to listen to full albums in my iPod; I\'m not yet a playlist maven, though I know many people are. But the iPod has a fantastic and extremely flexible music database-- surely a better way of integrating it with existing vehicle audio controls can be developed!

Just off the top of my head, I can think of one novel approach-- Use the "Disc Number" as a mode selector for the Next and Previous track buttons:

In Disc One, the Next/Previous work as expected-- they move to the next or previous track in whatever playlist, album, etc you\'re currently listening to

Change to Disc Two to use Next/Previous to scroll through Artists

Change to Disc Three to use Next/Previous to scroll through Albums of whatever artist is currently selected

Change to Disc Four to use Next/Previous to scroll through ALL available Playlists


5. Is the volume a straight "line out" from the iPod, or does the iPod volume effect the volume in the car?
As previously mentioned, cassette adapters connect to the headphone output of the iPod, which means that the volume affects the performance of the link. Too little volume and you lose your dynamic range to the noise floor; too much volume and you're overdriving the audio heads and pre-amp circuitry.


6. Which iPod are you using?
40GB "gen 3" iPod (which is at 98% capacity, I might add)

 

I use a tape adapter. Be sure to turn on "dolby mode" to get rid of the hiss.

I agree with rydot on most counts, except I have a 4GB mini (2G mini), and I think the audio quality is OK.