i was wondering if anyone has the audi ipod integration kit installed on their a3. how much was the integration kit and how much did the dealer charge for installation. does it work well with the factory deck or is the denison option the same or better. thanks
I have the ipod integration kit that was installed when I bought my car. I believe it's a ~$70 part but it was $400 for the installation!! I have the Bose symphony package (without the nav) and they said they have to take the dash off in order to get to the back of the unit to install it. Now that I look back on it, it was a crazy option I never should have gotten. Its the same ipod cable and connector that fits in the botttom of the ipod and charges your ipod while it's plugged in. It comes out into your glove compartment. It's a nice and neat look and you can protect your ipod behind a locked glove box.
As far as integration with your system, it's incredibly lousy. You are not able to control the track or volume from the steering wheel and the song names are not shown. All you see is Track 234, etc. Controlling it is via your 6 radio preset buttons. You are able to cycle through playlists on buttons 1 and 2, skip forwards and back on buttons 3 and 4, and fast forward and reverse on tracks 5 and 6. You aren't even able to control the song played from the ipod itself. As far as the sound fidelity, it sounds great, but I think there are other solutions that would sounds as good without the cost. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't. You'd think that a premium car company would have come up with something better. Otherwise, I love my car.
I've got an A4 and put a dice ipod kit in it. The part was like 160 and installation at a local installer was 80 bucks. I am pretty satisfied. Just some minor points with it though. The company is currently producing a harness for the satellite radio that connects to the ipod adaptor so you can also connect your sat radio. So I've lost the sat until it comes out. There is a soln on audi world but I am just going to wait for the company. The interface between the dice adaptor and the ipod is a little slow. So there is a slight lag when you change songs. Not bad though. You have access to all of your playlist and you can control your music through the steering wheel, stereo or the ipod itself. From my research, I think its one of the best solutions out so far.
I bought the adapter that cost me 175 and i installed it myself. I have Audi Concert stereo and the kit comes with 2 wires. the one i used for my stereo i'm sure cost pennies and the other wire was for the nav system which i didn't have. I love my ipod though. the video ipod doesn't work well with it. it freezes but my nano works great! i can control the tracks and volume on the steering wheel but the only thing is that my stereo isn't equiped to display the title of the song. the ipod plays very clearly through the speakers though. i borrow the two flat tools to pop the stereo out. installation wasn't hard though. just connet the tires pretty much my matching the colors up.
I had the Dension harness installed in my A3 along with a couple of Proclips to hold the adapter and I'm pretty happy with the interface and sound. It works well with the Concert headunit but I chose to use the Ipod controls to control the song selections. I had a local stereo house install the cable even though I could of bought it at Best Buy because I wasn't sure how it was done. But I saw the guy install it and it looked pretty simple. The whole bill was $475 out the door. It may sound expensive, but I do a lot of commuting and the ease of choosing the music I want to hear and when well makes up for the cost. Good luck with your research. I didn't have much to go on when I got mine installed.
I have the factory kit that was installed by the dealer. It can be controlled by the controls on the steering wheel (volume and track). It is suppose to be able to play 5 different play lists but the most I have ever had has been three.
If you have satellite radio, it is not compatible with the iPod, even though Audi release a press release back in October stating that it is.
Got the Dension Mount installed at Best Buy, directly in the MultiCD changer connection. Works fine, including controls on the wheel to change tune, playlist etc... Dension manufacture specifics for each Audi. Cost in Canada, including labour,and taxes, 345.00$ Cad
The Alpine CDA 9857 is the way to go in my opinion. I tried Dension; tried the wireless FM transmitter (CRAP!); this is the easiest, and still cost effective.
Pictures should be embedded.
Maintains iPod functionality, while the iPod is locked away in the glove box. It has amazing sound quality. I personally think it looks clean, while not fitting in with the 'all red' dash of Audi's...
The only con is losing the steering wheel functionality, but that problem should be solved soon.
I had a line level adjuster put in b/t the alpine and the Bose amps. Seems to be a great $60 solution. I also needed a powered antenna convertor. ALSO... put Sirius in. I thought there was an antenna for that already installed! Apparently not... BUT... I love my car... and now I love the functionality of my audio system... just wishing for Audi to let us control our Alpines from the steering wheel. The head unit is capable, but Audi designed a "cam-buss" control center for all of that stuff. We will see when they honor us with the info.
I installed the factory IPOD adapter in my 2006 A3 last night. Basic Audi Concert head unit, nothing special or fancy. Everything went well, but I did not realize it at the time that my Sirius Satellite radio would be INOP after the integration.
In my research on this issue I did see mention of a potential workaround, but I cannot find any details. Since my Sirius is still receiving information and updating (before I found information about this conflict, I assumed it was my error, so I contacted Sirius and they sent a signal to my vehicle and I watched the update take place), I'm assuming it's just a matter of re-engaging the audio output somehow. My gut feeling is that I probably need to splice some wires together, but I'm not comfortable "experimenting" at this stage without some sound advice (no pun intended). I would appreciate any information anyone may have on this.
I picked up my A3 2 weeks ago today. Due to my decision that I HAD to get the IPOD adapter installed, I have been to a dealer 5 times (3 different Dealers), received several different answers to the same questions, and in the end I am totally appalled at the process. I have a call in to Audi of America complaining about the marketing and the three dealers in the DC area.
First, I have a 2007 A3 with the Premium Package, Open Sky, Technology Package and Cold Weather Package (and the DSG). The IPOD adapter that was installed is the latest available from Audi as of this week.
I purchased the A3 at Audi of Alexandria, which was a relatively pleasant experience, aside from the fact that the dealer either LIED to me or was totally unaware that the service department no longer installs IPOD adapters (they say because there have been too many complaints, and that there are Service bulletins out on them). So, after my dealer refused to install an Audi Factory Accessory, I called the other two dealers in the DC area. HBL and Audi of Rockville. HBL quoted me $785 to install the Ipod Adapter (250 for parts and 535!!!! for labor!!!!). Rockville gave me a much more reasonable price of $400 (180 parts, 220 labor).
So I drove to rockville. Got the installation done while I waited. Adapter works just as expected (I don't like the "CD Changer" style functionality very much, but I knew what I was getting into). However, I tried to use the bluetooth connection to make calls on the drive home, and I can't hear anything. The phone syncs to the car and all, but there is NO audio. The other party can hear me, but I can't hear them.
So the next day I drive all the way back to Rockville. This is 45 minutes each way for me. They spend 2 hours "checking codes" and tell me that they could remove the Ipod adapter, but that it would take 3 more hours!!! (I don't work, right? That's how I can spend 30K on car!) So I decide to take it to my local Audi Dealer and let them deal with it, as it has to be a warranty type issue, right? Standard Audi Accessory and all, right? And I had to go back to Audi of Alexandria to get a new key made anyway (the dealer actually LOST one of the switchblade keys prior to purchase. Slick, right? makes me feel really secure knowing that an extra key to my car is floating around somewhere).
So at Audi of Alexandria they tell me they'll check it out and of course give me a new key. They call me half way through the day (this time I dropped the car off.. being only a few minutes from home and work) and tell me that the problem is that the Ipod Adapter is being pulled off the shelves and that there are service bulletins telling Audi dealers not to sell them or install them because of issues like mine. They'll gladly remove the Ipod adapter for me, but for 3 hours of labor ($385 or so)!!!!!! They suggested I take it back to Rockville and have it uninstalled (as Rockville might decide, out of the goodness of their hearts, to uninstall it for free). So, I pick the car up (with a new key sitting in the console) drive home FURIOUS and realize that I never checked the "new" key. So I tried it out. Needless to say, I don't know who's key I got, but it doesn't work on my A3!!!!! Quality control? They never even tried the KEY, to see if it would open the door or start the car!!!!
So at this point I put in a call to Audi of America, because I want to KNOW if there are service issues and bulletins telling dealers not to install the Ipod adapter on A3's. I want all of $450 back, but more than anything I want the bluetooth adapter working again, and I don't want to drive 45 minutes each way 2 more times to get it done.
In summary. Caveat Emptor.
Not only is the Ipod Integration a bad buy, its showed me very quickly exactly how either incompetent or unethical the dealers for this upmarket luxury brand actually are. I love this car. I love the way it drives, looks, and smells.
After reading this forum post, I had great trepidation about my upcoming A3 purchase, especially as I was considering just getting the concert radio w/o the 6-disk changer. I really wanted ipod integration.
Yesterday, as I finalized my audi a3 2.0t premium deal, I ask for the ipod integration kit and any guarentees about its installation. I was walked to the guy who normally does them. First, there is no service bulletins complaining about them that he was aware of (at least for the current model), and for the concert radio he indicated that the in-dash cd would work, but satellite would no longer work. Also, bluetooth would continue to work. I got a guarantee from the manager that regardless, they would make it work.
2 hours later, I got my new car (@ rector audi -- I've been with them since '01 with my initial TT), and I quickly connected my ipod. As mentioned, CD1 is the all-songs playlist, and CD2 through CD6 are the first 5 defined playlists. If you click menu and go to cd-changer, you can change the mode to random which will be more to your liking for most playlists vs the default of always going in the order stored on the ipod. Sound is great, interface is great, as its clean and sufficient. My previous TT had the initial speced ipod integration with a cd-changer/ipod switch which required to do everything from the ipod interface; an otherwise ugly situation with a clipped in ipod on the dash. The new integration kit was clean, hidden from view, and very usable for the basic features I care about: playlist, shuffle, and sound navigation. It correctly listed changes in song number, but its otherwise random.
Now for the true test: my motorola bluetooth phone just worked fine via bluetooth, and my steering wheel controls work fine for both the ipod and the phone, with the phone cutting in with new calls, and the ipod resuming where I left off when a call ends. Not sure if the new iPhone would work w/ bluetooth, and if then I'd even care about the ipod integration :)
Perhaps with symphony or other radios, with satellite, or with high expectations for interface, things don't meet people's needs. But considering the base concert radio interface, this was great. Another thing, my A4 w/ the high end bose radio never even showed the track times (how far into a song). The concert radio does this for the CD and the ipod. Better than expected all around, and worth the it for my needs.
< Message edited by jlittle -- 6/20/2007 4:52:58 PM >
I have a 2007 A3 and have been looking through the topics on this forum about iPod integration, and I think I'd like to get the DICE solution (i-Audi-R). However, I have the basic Audi Concert stereo head without a CD changer, and everything I see about the DICE assumes CD changer capability, including the manual I saw at a dealer this morning. My stereo doesn't have buttons like DISC1 and DISC2, it has blank buttons that change depending on the stereo mode (e.g., Forward in CD mode, station presets in Radio mode). The stereo dealer had never installed to an A3 before and wasn't sure it would work. He also said I'd be wanting to control the iPod through the click wheel instead of the stereo head because it's hard to do with the DICE, which to me seems to defeat a lot of the purpose of iPod integration over the radio-based iTrip method I'm using now. Can anyone here tell me what kind of experience to expect from the DICE in this situation? Thanks.
On a similar note, can anyone answer the following questions for me (I have been reading all the current threads about this, and following the links provided, but just need to see if there is something I'm missing.).
1. Which is the best DICE option for a 2007 A3 with the Symphony II w/ 6 disc in-dash changer? 2. Will it work with other MP3 players via the 1/8" stereo jack that I think the DICE includes? 3. What is the best online store to purchase this from since none of the websites I've been reading really look all that professional/reliable to order w/ a CC?
I heard back from a DICE representative and he said that the Audi units don't even support text yet, just track number listings. It's starting to look more and more like getting a new stereo head with real iPod integration, like the Alpine shown in Audiggity's post, is the direction I want to go in since I'm trying to get away from click-wheel navigation while driving.
My A3 3.2 S-Line came with the audi symphony II w/Bose and sat. radio, it also has the 6-Disc in-dash cd changer. I bougth the Audi OEM iPod adapter at www.audipartssuperstore.com for U.S $ 167.50 + S&H, the dealer was asking $190.00 + tax + anotther $ 552.00 for installation .... NO WAY !!. I was supposed to follow the instructions that came with the iPod adapter, but for the symphony it would require to pull out the cables from the CD-changer cable that connects to the radio and insert on its place the cables from the harness included in the iPod adapter kit. I was to able to get the electrical diagrams and noticed that the cables from the cd-changer share connections with the satellite module and following the instructions I could by-pass the satellite radio, the instructions do not take into account the satellite module is installed, so I decided to connect the cables from the iPod harness directly to the cd-changer cables that connect to glove box compartment and it worked just fine, got a soldering tool, a cable cutter, heat tube shrinking and worked just fine. Just need to connect the cables in the proper order, like this:
CD CHANGER iPod adapter I harness Color Pin-N from CD-changer harness orange 1 - CD data output to Radio ---> purple black 2 - CD Clock output to Radio ---> white brown 3 - CD Ground from Radio ---> brown light blue 4 - CD data input from Radio ---> blue blue 6 - Battery positive (B+) ---> red/blue yellow 7 - Line output - right to Radio ---> gray light green 8 - Switched positive from Radio ---> purple/red green 9 - Line output Ground from Radio ---> green gray 10 - Line output - left to Radio ---> yellow
If you get confused with the colors like I did, pay attention to the cable position, there are not cables in 5 and 12. (Quadlock connection does not connect to the symphony model)
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audi ipod integration, anyone installed on a3 - 
RE: audi ipod integration, anyone installed on a3 - 
BUT... I love my car... and now I love the functionality of my audio system... just wishing for Audi to let us control our Alpines from the steering wheel. The head unit is capable, but Audi designed a "cam-buss" control center for all of that stuff. We will see when they honor us with the info. 
