What does my VW iPod adaptor use to detect iPod presence

[sladflob]

Hi all,

I've got the dealer iPod adaptor on my VW Golf and would like to use it as a line-in socket as well. I bought an adaptor from Ridax which terminates the line-in wires in a 3.5mm socket but it doesn't quite work as the head unit won't stay on the iPod input since it can't detect that an iPod is connected. I'm wondering if anyone knows what this (or any other) unit uses to detect the presence of an iPod? I've read that iPods put 3.3v on pin 18 and that some docking units use this to detect presence but I don't know if car adaptors work in the same way. If anyone could shed any light on this it would be most appreciated.

[docsdaname14]

I just bought a Jetta and would like to do the same thing...I came across this http://www.cablejive.com/. What do you think?

[sladflob]

I just bought a Jetta and would like to do the same thing...I came across this http://www.cablejive.com/. What do you think?

I'd be curious to see if the Bose adaptor would work on the head unit. Ridax have one of these as well but given that I've already bought one useless (to me) connector from them I'm reluctant to shell out more money. My gut feeling is that it won't work because the head unit downloads playlist info etc. from the ipod so probably needs more than a simple presence indication but I'd be happy to be proved wrong. If you decide to try it then please post your results here.

One other thought I had was to use a pass-thru cable, cut the line-in wires and terminate them in a 3.5mm socket. That way you could use the ipod to provide presence indication but plug whatever else you like into the audio input. Doesn't help if you don't have an ipod though!

The final possibility is to have the ipod adaptor taken out completely and replaced with a line-in. Apparently the Golf GTIs in other parts of the world come with a line-in by default but the ones they bring into Australia don't have one, so an iPod adaptor was the only way for me to get a factory connection. I believe there are third party adaptors you can purchase which will give you a line-in but if you've paid for the VW one you probably don't want to have it taken out!

[docsdaname14]

I agree that the cablejive probably won't work for the reasons you gave. Right now I would like to use my Sirius radio through an AUX input (right now I'm just using the internal FM modulator on my Starmate Replay), without ripping out my iPod adapter in the armrest. I haven't played around with the radio yet as my car is only about 2 weeks old and the iPod adapter came with all black Jettas on the lot.

My question to you is can I have the iPod adapter and an AUX input at the same time possibly using one of the adapters from this site: http://enfigcarstereo.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/VW_AUX.html

Thanks!

[sladflob]

My question to you is can I have the iPod adapter and an AUX input at the same time possibly using one of the adapters from this site: http://enfigcarstereo.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/VW_AUX.html

Thanks!

Have you checked out any of the forums over at forums.vwvortex.com? There's a fair few pinned postings about the VW/Audi iPod adaptor. Many folks there have highly praised the Enfig adaptors. I'm sure you'll be able to find out if the Enfig adaptors disable the iPod adaptor or not.

Cheers.

[partyd]

HI
i did the installation of a DICE ipod interface and xm radio on a VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG
i use when the wife takes the ipod he can still use the xm radio that is plug in to the ipod interface using 3.5mm maybe the oem ipod interface is diferent
this works on cd changer mode pressing the 6 preset

this is the interface

http://www.oemautosound.com/pc-458-176-dice-i-vw-r-volkswagen-1998-to-2006-ipod-interface.aspx

[quicksilversvt]

I've been trying to find this fix for about 6 months now. From what I've been reading, Pin# 21 tells the ipod what type of accessory it's connected to. Maybe all we have to do is pull pin# 21 and all will be good. My wife has the OEM Mazda interface in her car and she doesn't use it because of this. I will try it on hers in the next couple of days. If it works I'll try it on my Alpine adapter and I'll pass on my findings. Ifd anyone else would like to take the plunge and give it a go let me know.

[sladflob]

From what I've been reading, Pin# 21 tells the ipod what type of accessory it's connected to. Maybe all we have to do is pull pin# 21 and all will be good. My wife has the OEM Mazda interface in her car and she doesn't use it because of this. I will try it on hers in the next couple of days. If it works I'll try it on my Alpine adapter and I'll pass on my findings. Ifd anyone else would like to take the plunge and give it a go let me know.

The other thing that I've read in the spec for the connector is that the iPod puts out 3.3v on pin 18 when it is connected. Apparently the Bose sounddock uses this to detect that the ipod is connected so maybe some car adaptors use this too. So there seem to be at least two possibilities here.

I want to do some experiments but only have the female connector on the plug I got from Ridax and it appears to be filled with some kind of glue which stops me getting at the connectors. I'll see if I can remove the glue and try some things out.

It would definitely be good to figure this out once and for all!

[quicksilversvt]

Bad news. I cut every wire in my Mazda connector 1 by 1 and nothing. Only 1 wire actaull made the controls come back but then there was no sound coming coming through either. 1 of the wires I pulled actually just made the ipod connect and disconnect over and over.

I'm extremely ####ed off about this. Especially since I read this article about a hack for the Pioneer:
"For those of you who bought the Pioneer Ipod adapter and want control back of your Ipod when connected to the in car system, here is how you do it with out having to disconnect the Ipod from the dock connector to pick your music.

It will of course invalidate your warranty on the adapter but you will have control. Open up the Ipod adapter box, just two Phillips screws, you should see a connector that has all the wires going to it from the white cables coming into the box from the Ipod. Carefully pull the connector upwards to disconnect it. In the middle there should be a blue wire, lift the little peg that holds the very small socket that the blue wire is connected to and it should now just pull out. Put a bit of electrical tape around it to stop it touching any thing and put the top back on the box. Of course you do this with the power off and pull the power connecter out of the Ipod adapter.

After reconnecting it all, you should now have full control of your Ipod to pick your music. The down side is you loose the auto stop and start when you turn the car ignition on and off.

I’ve done it and used it this way for a few months now with no problems. Give it a go if you want."

Why wouldn't it work for me? What are the other modules on the market doing differently that lets you keep control of the ipod?

[sladflob]

Bad news. I cut every wire in my Mazda connector 1 by 1 and nothing.

OMG, you *cut* the wires?

I'm not sure what you were trying to do. Were you trying to see whether cutting one of the wires would keep the iPod connected to the adaptor but allow you control the iPod with its own controls? If so, have you seen this post: http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?t=194488? I can get this to work with the VW adaptor but it's very tricky to get it to work and you have to do it every time you start the car which is a pain.

Oh, I should add that I have ordered a new female connector from Ridax and hope to do some more experiments when it arrives - probably in a week or so. I will post my results here.

[quicksilversvt]

Exactly. I'd cut a wire, check and if it didn't work I patched it up and tried the next wire etc etc.

I know the trick and it works for me but I'm a little tired of it.

[kurtisb]

I think pin 21 is the key. Check this link.
http://pinouts.ru/Devices/ipod_pinout.shtml

[sladflob]

Exactly. I'd cut a wire, check and if it didn't work I patched it up and tried the next wire etc etc.

I know the trick and it works for me but I'm a little tired of it.

It seems that the adaptor uses the Apple Accessory Protocol to control the iPod so perhaps if it doesn't get suitable responses to its commands then it gives up and assumes no iPod is connected. This is the worst case for us as it means it won't be so easy to fool the adaptor into thinking there's an iPod connected - unless we build a box which uses the protocol which would be very complicated.

One thought I did have along these lines is to buy a 2nd hand Nano off eBay (I've seen ones with broken screens go very cheaply) and use it as a slave to indicate presence while redirecting the audio lines to an aux-in socket. Still, I'll wait until I can do more experiments before I do that!

[sladflob]

I think pin 21 is the key. Check this link.
http://pinouts.ru/Devices/ipod_pinout.shtml

It's possible though my reading of the spec is that this pin is used for the iPod to detect what it's connected to and change mode, not the other way around. I'm putting my money on putting a voltage on pin 18, if it works at all.

[quicksilversvt]

Hey sladflob, have you made any progress?

[sladflob]

Hey sladflob, have you made any progress?
Not yet. I dismantled my female connector with the help of a guy at work - took ages to get all the glue out of it, only to find that only a couple of the pins were connected and not the ones that I wanted. We pretty much destroyed it in the process. So I've ordered a new connector from Ridax but he's in Sweden and I won't have it until next week if I'm lucky. At least then I'll be able to try a few things.

First up I'm going to try putting 3v on pin 18 and see if the head unit stays on the iPod input. Failing that I'll try grounding pin 21 (through various resistors) and see if that helps. Any other suggestions are most welcome. Any news your end?

[quicksilversvt]

I'm not that advanced when it comes to resistors and stuff so hacking up my wire is as far as I'll go for now. Keep me posted as I'm dying to get this figured out.

[sladflob]

I got my connect from Ridax today and just did a few experiments. The results are not too heartening. I tried connecting pin 18 to 3v but this did nothing (head unit would not stay in iPod mode). Also tried connecting pin 21 to ground but this also did nothing. Not sure where to go from here. Will do a bit more research and see what I can discover.

[quicksilversvt]

I'm still optimistic that we'll find a cure for this annoying disease!!