Blue&Me iphone adapter redundant?

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Blue&Me iphone adapter redundant?

Esscon

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Just got my 1.2 Lounge a few weeks ago and I bought an adaptor for my iPhone 3G before the car was delivered. When I tried to connect my iPhone using the adaptor, Blue&me would not see the phone. Tried switching the ignition off and on a few times but no connection to my iPhone. In the end I just tried plugging the iPhone in without the special adaptor and blow me but it worked. Immediately started playing the last track from my iPhone. Last week I got a shiny new iPhone 4 and apart from resetting the connection by plugging the iPhone in whilst it was switched off, I have no problems playing tracks (MP3s).
So if you are waiting for delivery of you 500 and own an iPhone, do not buy the expensive adaptor. Try to connect using a standard USB cable and see if it works first.

Don't know what version Blue&me installed at the factory but the car will not accept the latest from the Fiat website 5.4.11 showing a "config error" every time I plug in the USB thumb drive.

Regards.
Esscon:)
 
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Interesting. This may have something to do with the fact that its an iPhone 4, rather than the 2G, 3G or 3GS, which all seem to require the Blue&Me adaptor to work properly, or even at all.

I have tried my iPhone 3GS, now running the latest iOS4 software, and it still requires the adaptor.

One interesting and very surprising surprise (!) is that now, running the latest software for the iPhone when you receive a call via Blue&Me it uses the ringtone on your phone, rather than the standard Blue&Me version.

This means that you can now identify who's calling you by their ringtone, I guess for even less distraction :confused:

Still, sounds very cool when you get a call now (y)

Steve
 
Perhaps you were holding it wrong and it broke it which meant that it worked like most normal devices will without a silly adaptor :p
 
When I got the car I had an iPhone 3G and that worked without the adaptor too, both before and after I upgraded the iPhone to ios 4.

306maxi - maybe I should send an email to Steve Jobs telling him of the upside to holding the iPhone wrong :D

Maybe I have Blue&Me version 5.5 installed and they haven't released it on the website yet. Shame there is no way of finding out what version is installed. In the settings menu there is, under advanced settings, a device ID of 1F9CD9 and an image ID of C098P. Don't know what these mean but can someone check their values and maybe we can figure something out.

Is there anybody else who has just got a new 500 and can try this in their car?
 
Perhaps that's the reason then, the Blue&Me version.

Can I ask, when using Blue&Me for calls and music does the radio display "Blue&Me Phone (or voice?)" and Blue&Me Media", respectively?

If so then I'm assuming this is an updated version as I've seen images of peoples radios on 10 plate cars showing this, whereas my 59 plate car simply shows "Voice" and "Media", without the Blue&Me prefix.

Steve
 
Yes, the radio displays Blue&Me prefix in Voice and Media Player mode so I guess this is a new version. We may have to wait until Fiat issue the new version on the website before we find out all the changes they have made. I feel a bit annoyed that I bought an expensive adapter that I did not need in the end.

Esscon
 
Thanks for posting about this. I'm planning to order my 500 this week, so will save ordering the adapter and see if it works without first!
 
The way it was explained to me by fiat is this....

If your iPod/iPhone has standard mp3 files as the media (i.e. all ripped from your own cds as mp3 files or downloaded this way) then the iPod adapter is not needed and the iPod/iPhone will work with Blue&Me 5.4 without the adapter.

However, if you load (even a single) Purchase Protected AAC file (i.e. any file purchased from the iTunes store) on your iPod/iPhone then you will need the ipod adapter to play all media from that moment on. The adapter allows purchased and protected content (iTunes store music files) to be played on an external device. Once you have even a single purchased file on the device then the adapter will then be needed to play all files.

The workaround is to remove all media from your iPhone/iPod, restore it and then convert all your tracks in iTunes to mp3 format (easily done but takes an age to complete), load them back on your device and the adapter will no longer be needed. However fiat told me that this would not be guaranteed.

So in theory, those of you that have iPhones that work without the adapter must have only mp3 files on the device (or nothing copy protected) and Blue&Me version 5.4??

Thats how it was explained to me through numerous queries to fiat CS and through two separate garages as iPhone compatibility was an important factor for me and i wanted it confirmed before I committed to buying a 500.


Incidentally I got the adapter thrown in for free and have never tried it
without.
 
Ok, I've not got many protected (DRM'd) tracks left in my collection as all tracks now available from iTunes are not protected, but I copied the ones I do have onto my iPhone and Blue&Me plays them fine although I couldn't see the track name appear on the multiple-function display. Will give it a better test later and report back.

Regards,
Esscon
 
Ok, I can confirm that my iPhone 4 with some protected purchased tracks on will work fine with Blue&Me. Plays the protected tracks without a hitch and displays the track name on the dash display.
Also tried an iPod classic and that works fine without the adaptor but a really old iPod 2 or 3G model will not play at all, with or without the Blue&Me adaptor.
One thing I've noticed when using the Blue&Me adaptor is that none of my iPods or my iPhones have indicated that they are charging when I plug them into the car and none of them work whilst plugged in via the adaptor. Maybe it is duff. But that is ok as they work fine plugged straight in :)
This must be a new revision of Blue&Me not seen before as the website clearly says that you need the adaptor to use an iPod or iPhone with the system.

Regards,
Esscon
 
Hi I hope some one can help me, i have an iphone4 and wanted to play the music in the car, i have upgraded the software for the car, went and bought a blue and me adapter, changed all my music to mp3, and reset phone, it does play but the racks seem to splutter and makes listening to it awful, any ideas anyone please

tigs
 
Hi I hope some one can help me, i have an iphone4 and wanted to play the music in the car, i have upgraded the software for the car, went and bought a blue and me adapter, changed all my music to mp3, and reset phone, it does play but the racks seem to splutter and makes listening to it awful, any ideas anyone please

tigs

Tigs, this could be a USB problem. Try switching the iPhone off completely, ie hold the top button then slide the red bar across. Then, with the car switched off, plug the iPhone into the USB socket. Switch the car to the MAR position and the iPhone should boot up as it now detects the power. This should reset the USB commas and may fix the stuttering problem.
Regards,
Esscon
 
Ok thankyou i have tried that and it does play better but has now taken to switching back to the radio after about 30 seconds, i'm determined to get this to work............and i promise not to take a hammer to it lol. Any more ideas very welcome...... please

Tigs
 
Tigs, I think I've seen other people on these forums with that problem, try doing a search.
Only other thing I can think off right at the moment is to try a different cable to see if the one you're using now is faulty.


Regards,
Esscon
 
The Italian version of FIAT site explains this.

New vehicles have a new hardware version that integrates the Apple DRM chip. This new hardware is currently installed only on new Fiat 500, starting with Vehicle Identification Number 504557.
 
That would explain it, thanks for the info Turin.
Wish i'd known this before I bought the adapter though :-( I'll have to try to sell it on eBay.
Unfortunately because it's a hardware update it looks like owners of older B&M systems will have to continue using the adaptor. Unless you can get the B&M system board replaced under warantee :)

Regards,
Esscon
 
That would explain it, thanks for the info Turin.
Wish i'd known this before I bought the adapter though :-( I'll have to try to sell it on eBay.
Unfortunately because it's a hardware update it looks like owners of older B&M systems will have to continue using the adaptor. Unless you can get the B&M system board replaced under warantee :)

Regards,
Esscon

Unfortunately the part number of the two devices is different, so if replaced under warranty you would get the old one again (yes, I have the old hardware and I thought the same thing...). Try to sell it on eBay, there is a lot of people with old hardware and iPhone!
 
The Italian version of FIAT site explains this.

New vehicles have a new hardware version that integrates the Apple DRM chip. This new hardware is currently installed only on new Fiat 500, starting with Vehicle Identification Number 504557.

Yep I can confirm that: If you purchased a Fiat 500 with chassis number 504557 or higher, Blue&MeTM implements new hardware for which no iPod or iPhone adapter is needed.

Read it here: fiat.com/cgi-bin/pbrand.dll/FIAT_COM/blueme/blueme.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0511626282.1278609130@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadekliiegigcefecejgdfkhdfjj.0&categoryOID=-1073821547&contentOID=1074620773
 
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