does the bose speaker system (sub etc.) still work with the alpine headunit?

 

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.

May the ROCK be with you all!

 

I started a thread about this very subject a while back. Check it out...

https://www.audiforums.com/m_363976/.../tm.htm#364327

 

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), receivedseveral different answers tothe 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 wasa 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 dayI 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 homeFURIOUS 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.

I just wish the dealers could be trusted.

Thanks
- John

 

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.

 

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?

Thanks!

 

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)