(T) iPOD Connection Kit

Hi all,
I have a 56 Plate 1.2 Dynamic 3dr GP. It came with just the standard CD only radio no MP3 what so ever which is a bit of a joke I think but anyway.

I love my iPOD so I bought a genuine Fiat GP iPOD connection Kit off ebay
See Link Below:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...ype=osi_widget

Anyways my Question is, does anybody know if these things are easy to fit? will I need special tools and the such, or will I be better off getting it done by a garage. I am a techie person by default a programmer by profession and can like most people strip and Build PC's but to MS & CISCO levels so I am not afraid to get my hands dirty.

However I have no experience with cars, so i don't want to break my new pride & Joy.

Any help would be great.

Jason

Hi Jason,
It is a five minute job. remove the radio : either with tool made from an old steel coat hanger made into a u shape or buy some from Halfo**s (some radios have screws covering the holes on the radio - remove these first).
The kit has 2 cables one connects to radio then to interface box supplied - this stays behind radio, the other connects from the interface box to your ipod. Fiat recomend you thread the second cable down to the cup holders in centre console.

Tip: if you connect the cable and disconnect then reconnect the cable to the ipod you can the use the ipod screen to navigate ipod.
Job Done

Thanks Shauncorwyn,
Can I ask another question mate?

How does the ipod work with car, can you use the steering wheel controls to change songs & stuff or is it just purley a link to the radio system?

Many thanks for all your help so far.

Jason

Why is it a joke?

Well I think its a joke because almost everything you buy can play MP3's. Evan a basic £30 DVD player does. I mean even my £20 pound alarm clock plays MP3's. I am not trying to insult Fiat or anybody but I think its a bit low having a radio that at basic does not play MP3 CD's but only CD's.

Do you not agree. Maybe Its just the Fiat dealer I bought my car from but they wanted £250 + Labour for the fitting the mp3 version of the head unit or nearly £300 for the iPOD kit Talkabout rip off!! Sorry but like I said if a £20 Alarm clock can play MP3 via an SD card then I would expect a £7600 (Great Deal with delivery miles) Car to come with some sort of MP3 support as well.
I love the car, even the sound system is good for a factory fit, but I still think MP3 should be standard not optional. The iPOD kit I agree with but not a non MP3 compatible Head unit. Whats the point? I would think most people want MP3. And MP3 is almost a standard now, with the like of HMV / Virgin and iTunes rolling over and allowing you to buy unprotected MP4's which can be turned into MP3.

Most new cars of my friends (Toyota Yaris / Fiesta £20 extra for iPOD kit / VW etc) all come with MP3 Compatible head units as standard, and no they are not top of the range jobs either.

Anyway just my opinion.

Jason

That's a fair point; but if you're comparing it with others, why not compare things like NCAP or style, which the GP is a lot better (IMO anyway).

Its a relatively cheap car, so don't expect too much. Besides you would have known some things don't come as standard before you bought it, right?

I totally agree with you mate.. All I am saying is that its a little bit cheapish to do that. I know cuts have to be made & stuff, I prefer what I got NCAP & stuff, great engine ok its 1.2 but its lively etc etc.
But I really don't think adding an MP3 chip set to a car radio can add more than about £20 to the price vs £250 + as an option. AA few people at the dealership were a little gobsmacked at the MP3 options prices, and so most said they would opt to remove the Factory head unit and for-go the steering wheel controls. I could not stand having redundant buttons so ill stick official.

I am not having a dig at all, I just think in a digital world where CD's are old hat even DVD is in the face of Blue Ray HDDVD, I think Mp3 should now be a standard.

Looking at Taiwan price lists for MP3 Chip sets (The cheapest most common used in low grade consumer goods) cost £1.60 each for low volume orders & even less for high volume. So an extra £20 or even £40 would be some serious profit in any case either for the head unit makers or Fiat. nearly £300 + is just a little bit unpalpable when you consider the above in the context I am talking about. It seems its just done so the dealers can make a killing of it. I don't know, maybe I should just shut up

In any case I love my new car, and am more than proud of it.
but i cant help feel that MP3 compatible head units should be standard.
iPOD i dont mind paying for.

I agree with you however on the rest 100%

Jason

You can use the wheel controls if you have playlists set up on your ipod - volume works as normal - i prefer to use the ipod screen to scroll through ipod menu, but each to their own.

I wasn't having a go at you mate, don't take it the wrong way. Perhaps my response was a little biased as I'm still in the cassette tapes era

Anyway glad you're enjoying your new car

I know mate... I just wanted to back-up my thoughts with an attempt at a some what leveled argument.. Because I can see what I written in my original post can be seen as kind of rude.


Jason