Adding MP3

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Chirag

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Got the Bose upgrade.

Options:
1. Rip out Chorus cassette unit and fit MP3 headunit
2. Keep Chorus and fit MP3 changer in the boot (are 2003 cars prewired for changers or not?)

Also want to add Nokia car kit and didn't get the cellphone prewire option because, at £360, it's just laughably extortionate for a wiring loom. Will likely do it all in the next few days...anyone got any advice/opinions?

Regards,

Chirag.
 
Hi Chirag,

I also have Bose (on account of the car being second hand), and have also toyed with the best way of getting MP3 into the vehicle. There are others who have plugged iPods in so you might have to do a search of old topics.

For my part, I've stuck with the tape deck and will wait til I see a wicked solution before I splurge. At the end of the day, I don't want to spoil the original look of the facsia with a non OEM solution. Call me anal, or just stuffy, but it sounds like fitting another head unit on one's own is a bit of a hassle. Please post if I'm just being stick-in-the-mud or just uninformed. I would love to be corrected on this.
:)
As it is, then I am restricted to the six cds of music, tapes and the radio. MP3 is sweet but if the interfaces are still shonky why not wait for the difficulties to be ironed out by the experts/novelty wave surfers.

So, then, not much help, but maybe it'll stir up someone a little more expert than I!


Cheers,

James
 
How about one of those hard disk/cartridge solution from Blaupunkt?

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
I just got a 2003 car (03) and when I looked under the boot floor it clearly had the cage in the floor for a boot mounted CD changer. I asked the salesperson if it was pre-wired and he said he thought so but I guess they'll say anything to sell you a car!! Interested to hear your final solution.

2003 A2 1.4 Tdi SE, Silver, CD, Climate

"Your past is not your potential" Unknown
 
thanks - so the next question.....how hard is it to retrofit a decent satnav using what is already there - is it just a cage or is there any wiring etc? I just lost my car with it and miss it badly.


2003 A2 1.4 Tdi SE, Silver, CD, Climate

"Your past is not your potential" Unknown
 
Hi Jaffa,

I agree it's not good to spoil the original look of the facia either. The Audi plastic is pretty unique and not replicated well by any Japanese audio manufacturer. The red illumination (and moreover, the dimming) is even harder to match. However, I did do some research and found that the Audi head units are made by Blaupunkt. The Audi (and Blaupunkt, and Becker, and Rockford Fosgate) CD changers are made by Panasonic (part of Matsu****a Corporation) and all use the same 13 pin connector BUT, to promote price discrimination they are wired differently.

I found a wiring diagram on the net showing the Audi and Panasonic connectors (http://www.k9spud.com/vwcdpic/devel/audi-pinout.html, uid=devel, pwd=jasmine) showing the differences (a simple wiring adapter will patch these). Can anyone get hold of a Blaupunkt pinout chart for comparison? Or even better anyone get their mitts on a Blaupunkt changer to try out? If we can get this working it's far better value than the ripoff £400 Audi supplied (and Panasonic manufactured) changer!
 
bigpikle
I think the rear cage near the battery is din size, so you could try and find a suitable din size changer-blaupunkt do one, but don't think it will work with Audi audio-would mean a change of head unit.

Go for the new boot side panel for a changer at about £100 then add a changer.

As for sat nav........not sure it would be cost effective to use the rear cage. Of course if you want to throw money and time at it-good luck, but I think with many sat nav units coming down to din size, and with motorised flat screens you may as well stick it in the dash.

The only thing I found the rear cage useful for was storing carrier bags (tesco of course!).

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
Chirag - you are trying to do work that has already been done! www.cel-direct.co.uk will sell you a CD changer with the wiring adaptor. They have a choice of Panasonic or Sony units @ £139 - or a Sony MP3 muldi-disc for £244. I would have thought that the sat-nav bay could be modified in some way to accept a changer unit - they're not thatmuch bigger really. If one of the sides of the plastic bay were to be removed and the changer located there with foam to dampen movement, I'm fairly sure it would work OK.

What do you think?
 
gkerr4
I don't know-it's tight in there, and the slot is din(?) size-I thought changers (6 disc) were a fair bit bigger?.



Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
I have an iPod. Before I used the cassette adaptor which worked fine. I then tried the iTrip transmitter (illegal in the UK) was crap. Then I found out I could connect the iPod through the cd-changer input (no cd changer connected ofcourse). There is even a little kit you can get to use the car stereo buttons (including the ones on your steering wheel, if you have them) to control your iPod, but since the iPod is so small, it is like having a remote control anyway.
I got the iPod to get rid of all the cd's/cassettes in my car, my travel bag, ecc. I even store driving information on it, addresses etc.

A2 driver, Mac user
Image-9459FAC06F7211D7.jpg
 
Here are two links regarding the topic: The remote adapter for the iPod can be found at: http://www.icelink.densionusa.com/, a MP3 solution that can be controlled from every Audi head unit (and can be ordered via Audi dealers) is at http://www.phatnoise.com/audi/.
I have an iPod, too (connected via the TV-Tuner to a NavigationPlus) and am very happy with it.

Bye, Frido.

----
[img=left]http://homepage.mac.com/frido/a2pic.gif[/img=left]
A2 1.4 TDI 2003 S-Line, cobalt blue, CC, DIS, SatNav+, Apple iPod
now parents' car: A2 1.2 TDI 2002 silver, CC, DIS
My A2OC pics Homepage
 
Does anyone know if the Phatbox option is available in the UK - site shows US only information? I guess there are other non-audi (and possibly cheaper options) so any light anyone can shed on it would be good.
Thanks

Damon - '03 A2 1.4 Tdi SE, Silver

"Your past is not your potential" Unknown
 
I only know that german dealers can also order the parts for the Phatbox, too. I don´t see why it would not be possible in the UK. According to a german Audi forum, it costs around 900 Euro´s... ouch!

Bye, Frido.

----
[img=left]http://homepage.mac.com/frido/a2pic.gif[/img=left]
A2 1.4 TDI 2003 S-Line, cobalt blue, CC, DIS, SatNav+, Apple iPod
now parents' car: A2 1.2 TDI 2002 silver, CC, DIS
My A2OC pics Homepage
 
It appears the PhatNoise system uses kenwood hardware and I found the unit on www.cel-direct.com (thanks Gkerr4) at £399 but it only mentions connectivity to kenwood head units so maybe there is an adaptor available. Looks a very clever piece of kit that holds up to 10Gb of songs (approx 2500). No doubt there are more of these types of unit about and maybe if i can find one with a more standard storage format (eg SD/CF cards) this could be a good idea?

Damon - '03 A2 1.4 Tdi SE, Silver

"Your past is not your potential" Unknown
 
Blaupunkt do a "microdrive" unit that use 1gb IBM cards I think. And I'm sure some A2 owners have fitted Blaupunkt units.

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
Steve - I saw that and it was £199, but obviously only 1GB so not much bigger storage than 1 CD can hold. I was going to call a supplier as it said it will work with any head unit that has CD text display. My Concert CD just has the track number so i wanted to find out if it'll work. If additional cards aren't too expensive it could certainly be a good option though. If anybody has one I'd like to know more about their experience...

I also saw some head units that play MMC cards as well as CD's but cost-effective capacity on these is relatively small (256Mb = approx £50). Just not sure what is the best option. A 6 CD multi-changer that plays MP3 would provide approx 4-5GB of MP3 and these look to be about £250 plus all the fitting stuff talked about above.

?????????????????

Damon - '03 A2 1.4 Tdi SE, Silver

"Your past is not your potential" Unknown
 
Damon

I've seen the MMC units too-probably a bit messy having cards lying around the car, and then knowing what's on them, downloading from PC etc.
By the time you do all the running around, fitting various bits etc, surely a search for a cheap Sont head unit with the built in 10gb hard drive could be a better solution? OK, so your looking at £600+.......


Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
Hello I`m Jossi. I`ve just ordered an iPod and i have an Audi Chorus cassette in my A2. I love the radio (as part of the interior)so i will try the adaptor set first. Good advice!
You have seen my car at the gallery:black 1.4 with the Apple at the rear.
I`m a mac-user & can be mailed!

jossi
 
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