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Author Topic: iPOD armrest docking?  (Read 1884 times)

Offline gulfstream11

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iPOD armrest docking?
« on: June 16, 2011, 07:50:18 pm »
Ok so I have this armrest with the docking station inside..Does it matter which iPOD I use?.Never owned one,(iPOD) and was thinking of getting an old beaten up earlier generation type just to chuck in there and forget about.Just wondered if the docking station is universal to all generations?

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Offline barratt

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Re: iPOD armrest docking?
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2011, 08:08:02 pm »
It doesn't fit all generations. It's mainly due to the height & width of the different iPods. When I used the centre arm rest I was able to use my iPhone 4 without a case but it was a little too tall and the lid didn't shut fully (roughly .5 cm out). Friends iPod touch which i think was 3rd gen was tough. You have to force it in the hole as that's a little too wide. Unfortunately not able to comment on other variants but I'm sure some one has the full list!

Also, the charging only works with the older gens also. Both my friends touch and my iphone can't utilise the power to charge.
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Offline Norbreck21a

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Re: iPOD armrest docking?
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2011, 08:33:25 pm »
I used to use it with a 5th generation iPod classic (80gb) with the good old jog wheel and small colour screen, and it worked very well and charged, went to sleep etc as it should. The only limitation was the VW iPod dock hardware itself which only really emulated a CD changer.

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Offline SRC

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Re: iPOD armrest docking?
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2011, 09:18:41 pm »
It depends on (i) the age of the car and (ii) the age of the ipod.  Mine is a 56 plate, but my ipod touch is newer.
Early cars and ipods had firewire connections, but later cars and ipods use USB.  If you use a new ipod with an older car, it'll still work (see below), but the ipod won't charge.
There are two cheap workarounds.
Search "Griffin ipod converter" on Amazon, and you'll find a small adapter (about £20 iirc) which plugs in between the dock and the ipod, and allows charging.
If this makes it too tall for the dock, then buy a 1m extension from the same place (about a fiver), and feed it down to the cupholder area next to the handbrake.  This also makes the ipod much easier to plug in.
VW limit what you can control from the head unit, ipod or mfsw while the ipod is plugged in.  You're restricted to ffd, rwd and track forward and back.  If you want to choose particular tracks, you'll need to set up a playlist and select it before you plug it in.
Hope this helps.


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Offline skilab

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Re: iPOD armrest docking?
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2011, 09:44:23 pm »
I cannot seem to get the songs to play on random when using my ipod - it seems to reset this function when i plug in my ipod.

Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?


Offline gulfstream11

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Re: iPOD armrest docking?
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2011, 06:12:36 am »
Wow thanks people.Some v good info there.Its a 57 plate car.There are quite a few in my office with ipods.I,ll nick one to try out..

Offline gulfstream11

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Re: iPOD armrest docking?
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2011, 12:53:28 pm »
Awesome.. 3rd gen classic is rocking the ED30... Now to buy a cheapo..Cheers all

Offline SRC

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Re: iPOD armrest docking?
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2011, 07:46:04 pm »
I cannot seem to get the songs to play on random when using my ipod - it seems to reset this function when i plug in my ipod.

Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?



Try setting the ipod to random and pressing play before plugging it into the dock.  That's the only way playlists work for me - maybe it's the same for random play.


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Offline alexperkins

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Re: iPOD armrest docking?
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2011, 11:59:36 pm »
Plug it in, then press MIX on the HU


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