USB + Line-In CONFLICT (TERRIBLE)!!

[MikeS]

I have a 2011 FF with Nav.

I have a flash drive with music plugged into the USB port under the arm rest.

I have a 3.5" line-in cable plugged in beneath the arm rest, and the wire coming out so I can plug in my ipod nano (so I can listen to transient podcasts).

 

When I said "LINE IN", it said: NOT available if device is connected to USB .

 

Do they really expect me to wrestle with that terribly placed USB port under the arm rest every time I want to listen to a podcast on my ipod?

 

What are my options?

 

1. Get a USB extender cable and have the flash drive hanging out the end of the cable so I can unplug it before plugging in the 3.5mm line in port?

2. Burn 10 gigs of music to the jukebox and not use the USB stick at all? (I'll post a separate thread asking if the jukebox can import mp3's saved on a dvd.)

3. Not use the cool voice controls for music and always line in my music from my ipod?

 

Am I missing something?

 

So far, this is the only thing I don't like about my car.

 

Any creative solutions very much appreciated.

 

Mike

[MikeS]

4th option: is there a "usb kill switch" cable? (Basically, if you slide a switch, it would disengage the usb so the car didn't see it)

 

This would be similar in concept to one of those usb charger cables that has a 'sync only' vs. 'sync & charge" slider.

 

Has anyone seen such a thing?

 

Thanks for any tips,

Mike

[MikeS]

Ah: brain storm: maybe one of those A/B USB switches where you could switch between two different USB devices (probably used for printers mostly).

[MikeS]

Maybe if I had one of these under my arm rest, I could switch between USB memory stick and nothing (hopefully, that would make the car think that nothing is connected)

 

http://usbprinterswitch.com/products/usbg-222aah.html

 

Mike

[MikeS]

Maybe if I had one of these under my arm rest, I could switch between USB memory stick and nothing (hopefully, that would make the car think that nothing is connected)

 

http://usbprinterswitch.com/products/usbg-222aah.html

 

Mike

[MikeS]

So far, this one seems most promising:

http://www.usbswitch.com/usb_2port_mini_switch.html

[MikeS]

Actually, with the help of my friend and a soldering iron, we're going to insert a switch inline in a usb extender cable of the desired length:

 

Pin No. / Signal Cable / Color

1 / + VCC / Red

2 / Data - / White

3 / Data + / Green

4 / GND / Black

 

Insert a switch in the ground (Black) or positive (Red) lead in the cable.

[rpreuss]

Actually, with the help of my friend and a soldering iron, we're going to insert a switch inline in a usb extender cable of the desired length:

 

Pin No. / Signal Cable / Color

1 / + VCC / Red

2 / Data - / White

3 / Data + / Green

4 / GND / Black

 

Insert a switch in the ground (Black) or positive (Red) lead in the cable.

 

Hi Mike,

 

I hate to interrupt this conversation you are having with yourself. (It was interesting and did make me look at my Sync manual).

 

I would suggest that you put the switch in the VCC (+) lead. It's just a better practice to cut the voltage supply rather than the ground. Enjoy.

 

Feel free to continue your conversation. :happy feet:

[MikeS]

You should hear me sing in the shower!

 

Thanks for the VCC+ tip.

 

Me, myself & I appreciate it.

 

Mike x2

[kaysee31]

get a bigger ipod....

 

you could probably find a 30gb ipod real cheap online these days. Sounds like it would be enough to hold ur music and ur pod casts

[MikeS]

My ipod is plenty big. The problem is that if you connect the ipod via line-in, you can't voice control your music.

 

If you connect it via USB, you can't control it with the click wheel to fast forward through podcasts, of quickly pause.

 

Call me fussy: I want the best of both worlds!

 

Mike

[caddywhompus]

This is interesting to me, because I do the same thing with my 2010 Fusion and have not had this problem...

 

I routinely have my 320GB USB drive plugged into the USB port, and my iPod plugged into the line-in at the same time.

 

When I want to listen to the lard drive, I hit the menu button, go to select source, and pick USB. Music starts almost immediately.

 

When I want to listen to the iPod, I hit the menu button, go to select source, and select line in. I can then control playback with my iPod's controls.

 

Additionally, I also use my Blackberry to stream bluetooth audio to the system. I activate it the same way, by pressing menu, select source, and going to bluetooth audio.

 

All 3 are connected at all times. I just switch between them with the head unit.

[MikeS]

It's surprising that the 2010 does that and the 2011 does not.

 

It expressly and verbally says line-in isn't available if the usb is plugged in. I verified it personally twice.

 

Odd.

 

Mike

[xmech2k]

Do you guys have the same Sync version number? Although one would think MikeS, with the newer car would have the newer version and that would make that part of the program a downgrade... I know my 2010 has an older Sync version and I haven't bothered upgrading. I've only used USB, so I can't verify what I'm suspecting.

[MikeS]

A funny thing about upgrades: newer isn't always better. For example:

 

The president of my company just got a new iPhone4, which has a terrible and crazy behavior: If a person has a company logo or other graphic in their signature, and you are exchanging emails back & forth, each exchange will create a separate attachment to the email. It looks really stupid and is very annoying.

 

Another one of my users has an iphone 3, which does not have that annoying behavior.

 

When he upgraded the iphone3's firmare to IOS4, it then behaved the same way. He was avoiding upgrading the iphone software for a very long time because he really liked the way everything worked, and he didn't want to mess around with perfection. However, there was a very serious security vulnerability that was so serious, I really encouraged him to upgrade to the latest, which solved that security problem, but now has created this attachment issue.

 

As for the USB + Line in-issue, I don't know if that's a consequence of my 2011 NAV system, or if it's the version of sync. And yes: my sync is the latest version. BTW, there has been no updates for 2011: every 2011 has the latest. There will soon be a sync upgrade to support phone apps like pandora.

 

Mike

[akirby]

A funny thing about upgrades: newer isn't always better. For example:

 

The president of my company just got a new iPhone4, which has a terrible and crazy behavior: If a person has a company logo or other graphic in their signature, and you are exchanging emails back & forth, each exchange will create a separate attachment to the email. It looks really stupid and is very annoying.

 

Another one of my users has an iphone 3, which does not have that annoying behavior.

 

When he upgraded the iphone3's firmare to IOS4, it then behaved the same way. He was avoiding upgrading the iphone software for a very long time because he really liked the way everything worked, and he didn't want to mess around with perfection. However, there was a very serious security vulnerability that was so serious, I really encouraged him to upgrade to the latest, which solved that security problem, but now has created this attachment issue.

 

As for the USB + Line in-issue, I don't know if that's a consequence of my 2011 NAV system, or if it's the version of sync. And yes: my sync is the latest version. BTW, there has been no updates for 2011: every 2011 has the latest. There will soon be a sync upgrade to support phone apps like pandora.

 

Mike

 

For 2010 the Nav system/radio and Sync were separate. I believe for 2011 they were integrated. I'm sure there was a reason if they purposely disallowed it.

[MikeS]

I think ur right about the integration. On the 2011 with nav, you can send an address from google maps and it then integrates into the nav system, and you can use the tough screen navigation to get there (not sync voice instructions).

 

mike

[MikeS]

PROBLEM SOLVED! (or at least 95% solved).

 

Here's the trick:

 

Unplug the USB memory stick.

Change the source to Line-In

THEN plug in the USB memory stick. If it's on Line-In, it won't auto-detect the USB. It will stay on line-in (even with the USB stick plugged in, EVEN if the car is turned off and back on!).

 

For me, who wants to use my ipod as line-in 95% of the time, this is awesome!

 

If another user gets in the car (or I forgot my ipod), I just say USB and I have access to 32 gigs of music!

 

Since I won't have to unplug my USB every time I get in the car, I no longer am concerned about wiring in a disconnect into my USB extension cable.

 

I also have the benefit of leaving the USB stick under the arm rest (instead of convenient sticking out from the arm rest, which although convenient, made me nervous about a smash-n-grab for my memory stick).

 

Just wanted to share my great hack with anyone who was following this saga.

 

Thanks again for everyone's patience,

Mike