MR2 Roadster Owners Club

Hi folks,

my connects2 arrived in the post this morning. (the neighbours think i am an ebay addict - which is quite true)

i got the diagram with it and connected all the wires as they should be.

the ipod plays on it fine, but i am experiencing the following problems.

1 - no text
2 - the instructions on how to select album and artist etc are not very clear
     as a result i only seem to be able to select a playlist, not an album
     or individual track (see 1 for obvious reason)
3 - my head unit display does not light up at the bottom ie the intro
     shuffle repeat settings. this is an old problem, but does not help.


so basically what i am asking is the following,

can someone please try and explain the problems for me. are other users having the say problem, has anyone got it working exactly like it says on the tin?

if no-one has managed this, what methods do you use to get round these?

the reason i bought this system was so that i could hide my ipod away and do it all remotely. i had a perfectly good itrip type device but that needed removing everytime i left the car.

please please please send top info to me, cos driving without music just isnt the same......(as i dont have a TVR.....yet)

cheers


Frustrated E

[edit] poll edited so people can view results, Stu [/edit]

so where are all the speedy replies then?


calllin all techno boffins, help the needy, pass on your fountains of knowledge

bump

Would be a huge help if we knew what sort of head unit you're trying to connect to...  s:?: :?: s:?:

erm.... sorry.

its the standard  toaster sized factory fit Sony unit.  double din i think

lol

I've got the same set-up, using the connects2 system, and have exactly the same problems with it.  s:? :? s:?  

I've asked the same questions on here previously about getting the h/u to display text but nobody came up with any solutions. You're lucky, I still have'nt managed to get mine to select between different playlists yet !

Still, it's still a vast improvement over using the itrip.  s:) :) s:)

to all those waiting to see how this ends up, i can announce the following.

pros

the sound quality is awesome.
it charges the ipod as it plays
all wires tucked away out of sight
ipod is not on display so its quite secure
easy to fit -2 minute job (no tools)

cons
userbility is pants
instructions useless
no text display

best way to use it, is to create one big playlist of several albums. press play on ipod, then plug into connects system. drive off, then use track up and down as normal to change music.


if u can cope without the text display and dont mind a bit of preparation before u set off its good.  out of the 3 systems i have tried in my cars so far, this is the bst one yet. as i said, best score comes as a result of security and sound clarity/quality.

e

I just got one of these for the 2000 sony double Din.

Works a treat but same for me - no text info. However there's a couple of tricks which haven't been made clear which make it work really nice.

1) You can still select the tracks/playlists/album/artists etc from the ipod the normal way using it's spinwheel and own display etc. You don't need to setup special playlists or anything like that - just use it like you would any other day..

Cable upto the glovebox and you can quickly and easily grab it and set it on a playlist or album close up the glovebox and then simply use the track skip on the head unit.

Great location as the passenger can nicely play with it without getting their hands down by the gearstick as they normally would. Volume is set by the HU and not the ipod. It's really not worth bothering with a cradle or anything like that.

2) Pressing the Repeat button on the head unit switches the operation of the track skip buttons on the H/U between a) track skip b) playlist skip or c) album skip. Not great I know but something I guess. I just find it easier to grab the ipod from the Glovebox and spin select.

Sound quality is CD quality - I'd choose this any day over the Itrip FM I used to have.

For £50 it's a no brainer if you have an ipod.

Make sure you buy ASIPODOO1 though and not the 02...

oh and make sure you plug the CD changer lead DEEP into the Connects2 control box otherwise the HU won't recognise it and recognise that there is an  external changer.

So is the ...02 model the one which allows you to use the ipod's own spinwheel control?
Because mine won't do it, the title display of connects2 remains on the screen all the time it is plugged in.
I have to unplug, change to the album I want, set it playing, and then plug back in!!

No, I've the 01.

Yes, sounds like it works the same for me as it does for you.....

If I plug it in and it displays connect2 on the ipod it just scrolls through the entire ipod main list - which is totally useless.

so as you say you unplug the ipod select your playlist - press play and plug it back in and it pipes through to the HU.

From then on the ipod screen and scrollwheel remain unlocked and the connects 2 screen lock does not come back - and you can select different playlists without having to unplug again.
The 'next track/last track' on the HU controls then work again.

That's different to mine, as the lock screen comes back on whenever it plugs back in, and renders any ipod controls useless!! which is even more useless!!

your not plugging/unplugging/plugging quick enough....select your playlist track press play then very quick plug it in then immediately sort of 'just' unplug it and push it straight back in again and it will stay playing, pipe it through to the HU and stay controllable on the ipod screen. It's a bit tricky to get the knack of it but once you have it it's ok

If you do it to slowly or without pressing play just before you plug in it will go to connects2 lock screen.

I may email connects2 about it becuase I reckon there will be a pin on the box end which if snipped out will stop it from ever locking the ipod screen and this might rule out the uplug/plug bit...

just make sure ur ipod is backed up if u are doing quick plug in plug outs.

mine crashed when i disconnected it from a pc a little too quickly.  all the data was still on it, but it was as if it forgot how to read the music.

took me 2.5 days to reload it.

E

Just had a look on the connect2 site...got a definitive answer here about someone asking to have the screen remain unlocked...

I quote from connects 2 tech support...

"No, when connected the iPod screen is locked. If you wanted the iPod screen unlocked then use the ASOIPOD002, the only other difference being that you do not get track information on the Sony display."


we don't get eh track list info anyway so makes no odds to us!!..

bummer!!seems like I should have bought the 02!!why can't the frigging web sites that sell these things put this info up!!...

just bought the 02 model and very happy with it.

Track and playlist control from the HU / stalk but still got control at the ipod. Beats my fm monster thing hands down.