Has anyone bought the ipod connection kit for non blue&me equipped 500s?

What does it consist of? The picture on the Fiat website is of an ipod which isn't very helpful. Does it include a holder? I see there is a holder sold separately for another 21 quid! How does it attach? Is it controlled through the radio/cd?

Checked with my dealer this morning and they wanted £76 fitting - is it that complicated? Or am I just out of touch with modern labour rates?

I Should have asked all my questions at the time but they also said they've never fitted one which didn't inspire confidence

Cheers

i just use my normal lead which plugs into my computers usb

but remember to format all them songs to mp3 or it dont work 4000 songs later :bang::bang::bang:

milfy said:

i just use my normal lead which plugs into my computers usb

Click to expand...

He doesnt have B&M, so wont have a USB port to plug one into!

Im guessing its a similar setup to the Dension ICE Link. Direct connection to the head unit in some shape or other. Try calling another Fiat dealer for the specifics if yours isn't sure.

Does £76 include the device itself? My local Ford garage charges £90 per hour for labour

I don't have Blue&Me so no USB. The connection kit is for non B&M equipped cars.

£90 an hour?!! Makes £76 sound cheap.... That was just for the installation. Another £70+VAT for the kit. Whatever it consists of.

whoops didnt read that bit

I'd imagine it would be some sort of interface kit which allows it to run via the H/U. Something similar to what is used on the GP

I have bought one and I fitted it myself. It took me around 90mins to fit - less if i did another. It does work well but a few comments:-
It completely takes over the ipod, changing tracks via the < > buttons on the car audio unit. The ipod is now tucked away in the hidden compartment behind the dash on the passenger side. You can use playlists but selecting tracks by name is hard
The ipod unit uses the CD changer connections in the back of the audio unit.
The fitting instructions are in English but refer to an LHD car so you must mirror them.
I think £76 is a fair price - say an hours work for a garage, but you can do it yourself.
If you want more info on little snags you meet, mainly due to the LHD/RHD bit I can list them.

005 said:

I have bought one and I fitted it myself. It took me around 90mins to fit - less if i did another. It does work well but a few comments:-
It completely takes over the ipod, changing tracks via the < > buttons on the car audio unit. The ipod is now tucked away in the hidden compartment behind the dash on the passenger side. You can use playlists but selecting tracks by name is hard
The ipod unit uses the CD changer connections in the back of the audio unit.
The fitting instructions are in English but refer to an LHD car so you must mirror them.
I think £76 is a fair price - say an hours work for a garage, but you can do it yourself.
If you want more info on little snags you meet, mainly due to the LHD/RHD bit I can list them.

Click to expand...

You mention CD changer connections on the back of the audio unit. What form are they? Would it be possible to wire up a simple audio input lead that I could plug into the headphone socket of my iPod and bypass all this stupid Blue & Me stuff?

I'm not interested in the steering wheel control or reformatting by entire music collection to the inferior MP3 format!

Many thanks.

canoejohn said:

You mention CD changer connections on the back of the audio unit. What form are they? Would it be possible to wire up a simple audio input lead that I could plug into the headphone socket of my iPod and bypass all this stupid Blue & Me stuff?

I'm not interested in the steering wheel control or reformatting by entire music collection to the inferior MP3 format!

Many thanks.

Click to expand...

So you'd rather be using your iPod to control your songs? I hope you never choose to use the same bit of road I'm on.

306maxi said:

So you'd rather be using your iPod to control your songs? I hope you never choose to use the same bit of road I'm on.

Click to expand...

:yeahthat:
I would say an Ipod is even more of a distraction to use than a mobile. There is a reason playing with a mobile is illegal. Hence a reason why systems like Blue and ME are so damn good.

Venters said:

:yeahthat:
I would say an Ipod is even more of a distraction to use than a mobile. There is a reason playing with a mobile is illegal. Hence a reason why systems like Blue and ME are so damn good.

Click to expand...

Agreed. I am actually a bit naughty and I do use an iPod while Im driving but all I do is change tracks, I don't change playlists or look at the screen at all. If you're looking at the screen on your iPod though, that's insane and stupidly dangerous. B&M is the way to go. I'm putting the Pioneer stereo and iPod in the wifes car when I get my 500 though

Simpatico boys, I was going to put something similar this morning but didn't have time!

Slagging off B&M, how very dare you.

Howdo, I have just had the ipod kit fitted at Rockingham motors. They charged £120 including the cable. Sounds great but a bit fiddly yo use, you have to creat playlists in itunes. The head unit then treats the ipod as a 10 disk multi-cd, so you can create 9 play lists and the 10th is everything.... (hope that makes sense).

Hey,

Do a search for Belkin TuneFM for Ipod. You just plug it in and it connects through your car radio. I got one of these for my old car but it also works in my 500. It actually works pretty well and is a much cheaper option!

I'm bumping this up in the hope that I could have some info on:

a) how well the ipod kit works
2) cost for fittings
iii) is it worth it?


In a way I wish I went for Blue and Me now, and baffled as to why it just wasn't fitted with an AUX in connection anyway... then again they need to sell the Blue and me!

The only thing against the FM transmitter is that I want something nice and neat, I don't want wires everywhere.

Gempop said:

I'm bumping this up in the hope that I could have some info on:

a) how well the ipod kit works
2) cost for fittings
iii) is it worth it?


In a way I wish I went for Blue and Me now, and baffled as to why it just wasn't fitted with an AUX in connection anyway... then again they need to sell the Blue and me!

The only thing against the FM transmitter is that I want something nice and neat, I don't want wires everywhere.

Click to expand...

The belkin FM transmitter I have does not have any wires, you just plug it into the bottom of the ipod and tune it to a desired FM signal and then pick that signal on your in car radio and are away. Mine works really well in my pug 306 and I'm gonna use that when my 500 arrives as I didn't get blue & me. The only time the FM transmitter has wires is if you decided to plug in a charger.

Thanks

I had the kit fitted to both cars for £120 quid each all in. It's pretty poor and i would definately discourage you from buying it.

Upgrade to B&M and buy a memory stick, Asda do 32 gig ones for £40, you just use the steering wheel controls to hunt throuhg the tracks, names are all displayed on the dash.

I guess if you dont have B&Me it may be worth it to you, but do you really want to make playlists, they get a bit boring and then the hassle of taking your ipod everywhere and out of the car so not to get oit nicked?

Anyway hope this helps!

Diesel Power said:

I had the kit fitted to both cars for £120 quid each all in. It's pretty poor and i would definately discourage you from buying it.

Upgrade to B&M and buy a memory stick, Asda do 32 gig ones for £40, you just use the steering wheel controls to hunt throuhg the tracks, names are all displayed on the dash.

I guess if you dont have B&Me it may be worth it to you, but do you really want to make playlists, they get a bit boring and then the hassle of taking your ipod everywhere and out of the car so not to get oit nicked?

Anyway hope this helps!

Click to expand...

As i've already ordered my car now and it's already in the building stage, is there anyway I can get the blue & me added after i've got the car. If so, does anyone know how much I may be charged? I thought i'd ask out of curiosity.

Gempop said:

The only thing against the FM transmitter is that I want something nice and neat, I don't want wires everywhere.

Click to expand...

IF its neat and Cheap you're after try one of these.

They're cheap £10-£15
Powered from the Ciggi lighter socket (Plugs straight in) so no wires or worry about or batteries to run out.
Plays through the radio - just select a clear frequency and programm in
2GB onboard memory and will take SD cards (I currently have 200+ albums on mine)
Colour screen.
Your computer sees it as a removable disk (2 if memory card is in) So you can just drag and drop your files onto it like a memory stick. (no faffing about with i-tunes, syncing up and play lists)
Will read MP3, WMA and other formats, (will switch automatically between the 2)
I have all my albums in separate files - its as easy as select menu , select local memory or card, select album, play. If you want a specific track you can select that too. (also when you have more the one album for one artist you can set up a file for the artist and then sub folders for albums)

If left to its own devices will carry on and play every file in turn.

Has a remote control which i dont bother with.

Has a realy good graphic equaliser on - sounds absolutly brilliant.:slayer:

also has the usual pause , repeat, random etc.

Continues playing from the track you were on when you get back in the car and turn on the ignition.

Personally i much prefer it to my i pod.

Cheers C.