iPod Connection - My experience in the A3

[Qdex44]

I use an iPhone and in my previous car connected it to an FM transmitter so I could play the music through the car music system. When ordering the Audi I looked at the various equipment options and went for the "iPod Connection"... which i think was a mistake (for me anyway).

I knew that the connector would be in the glove compartment, but instead of plugging my iPhone into there I purchased a special dock extender lead, the idea being that I could keep my iPhone in a cradle so I could interact with it anytime, but it would be directly connected to the car audio.

Here's the cable connection into the glove compartment:



And here's the other end of the cable attached to my iPhone in its cradle:



I think you can see one huge problem straight away - there is no control any more of the iPhone via its own display - the Audi has completely taken it over!

Worse still, the audio system seems to treat iPhone/iPod music as numbered CDs and numbered tracks (no names at all!):



I could have cried.

So instead I went back to my FM transmitter (iTrip AutoPilot), but what is great is that it fits really well into the A3 - I can control my iPhone using its own display and I can also quickly change song via the 12V adaptor:



Hope this info is useful to folks... Maybe you had a better experience than me - perhaps I should have gone for the iPhone in the armrest option? :-)

[a8 tech]

just create 6 files in the itune site and 1 to 5 place your albums and leave postion 6 for random.simples
Id tags are not supported with the oem audi kit but dension 300 allows id tags

[keniken]

iPhone for armrest is Bluetooth only, so no iPod 'playerability' there, I have heard though that new A3's will soon be equipt with AMI which will show iPod track names etc. I do agree though the iPod interface could have been designed better to show tracks names etc. I think in your case your dealer should have explained what you were paying for...

[engineermk]

i too have an ipod dock and reported all the same frutrations as you! the current audi interface is very poor and not worth the money they charge. our work hyundai had a fully fuction interface for the ipod that was standard! go figure.

[swhitey]

The factory-fitted Ipod dock in my A3 has stopped working and the head displays No CDC whatever I press. Ipod works fine out of car, and have tried other Ipods which all will not work in the dock. There is power at the dock, and CDs still play ok.
Help please.

[roundwoodgarage]

I had seen this problem before, so I ordered the sat nav with the AMI, this gives you full control over yout ipod music, I have not looked into if you can still use your phone whilst connected to the AMI