Er indoors wants to hook up her (latest gen) iPod up to her 07 Focus. In her previous car is was a cable/adapter jobby, but it appears Bluetooth is now the way forward.

Halfords want something like £125, another audio place £250, and Ford recommend Parrot + fitting £250ish. I’ve asked her to ask on a Focus owners forum before committing.

Anyone done anything similar? What worked/didn’t work?

TIA
SM

Do iPods have bluetooth on them?

No experience of BT in my car. Had FM transmitter, got tired of the crap sound, got one of these now. Full stereo and a damn sight cheaper
FROM ASDA

Yes iPods have Bluetooth

Is she wanting to use it to make calls or play music (or both)????

Do iPods have bluetooth on them?

That’s what I said. Apparently the Bluetooth adapter plugs into the iPod and talks to the stereo. Never had to look into this before but it doesn’t quite sound right IMO.

I don’t trust any of these installers, hence checking out owners’ feedback.

I put the connection socket in our Focus. The correct Ford cable is about £20. Unscrew the glove box lining and pop out the head unit. Plug cable into head unit, route to glove box, drill hole in the space provided and click the socket in, secure cable with supplied cable ties.

If you Google it, there’s plenty of info onn how to do it. Ford want £90-£150 to fit the exact same thing.

Is she wanting to use it to make calls or play music (or both)????

Just to play music. She doesn’t like using her phone in the car.

PP, is yours a similar age Focus, i.e 2007? And did you do it so that the iPod can sit outside the glovebox, e.g. velro’d to the dash or whatever (without making a mess)?

Just to play music. She doesn’t like using her phone in the car.

Then all she needs is a simple connector – no need for a Parrot, that is duff advice.

Does the unit have an Aux in on the front (or one hidden in the glove compartment)?

Yep, found aux in the glovebox, so a trusty cable should do the job.

Sounds like she was getting talked into having the full monty.

Cheers

Yup – just a £2 aux to aux cable from Ebay is needed. You may find you need to enable the aux functionality though – but there is lots of instructions available online.

I assume the dealers thought she wanted to use it as a phone though – a Parrot would be a weird solution just for music!

Is she wanting to use it to make calls or play music (or both)????

Do iPods do telephony?

Yep, found aux in the glovebox, so a trusty cable should do the job.

3.5mm stereo jack to same, then. I got one from Amazon for like two quid or something. You can send me the other £248 if you like.

This is the one I bought.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0009V8W7I/

Do iPods do telephony?

I must admit I was (perhaps wrongly) assuming it was an iPhone.

If it is an iPod then the dealers really should be shot at dawn for that recommendation.

Of course, you could get a gold-plated hi definition 360degree 64 bit cable for £250 which will provide a vastly superior sound.

Make sure you don’t plug in in the wrong way round though, or you’ll summon the Great Old Ones.

Cheers all – the good lady is picking one up locally cos she’s excited!

You can send me the other £248 if you like.

NP – a tidy bit of consultancy there Cougar.

PP, is yours a similar age Focus, i.e 2007? And did you do it so that the iPod can sit outside the glovebox, e.g. velro’d to the dash or whatever (without making a mess)?

I just have a cable and put my iPhone in the centre console. 🙂

a tidy bit of consultancy there Cougar.

If only that was representative of regular contract work, I’d have kept doing it.

(-:

Turns out the jack (right at the back of the non-illuminated glovebox) is actually for air-con (WTF?) and not an aux (even though the handbook supports it as being aux). So an adapter does indeed need to be ordered. PITA and weird.

Hm, a Google would suggest that there’s an optional adapter you need fitting to add Aux functionality.

@rse.

See my first post…. 🙂

io play for those that dont have the aux in.

PP – lining/fascia seems a right git to remove on ours. Plus I’m good at taking things apart, not always so good at putting them back together. If it was my car I’d have a go – but it’s the wrong time of the month for me to start hacking at her interior (if you know what I mean 🙂

Thankfully Ford aren’t going to try it on because their adapters are only £12 – and a mate is going to hook it up via a socket in the console.

Sorted.

I put a Dension Gateway 100 in our ’07 Golf……. excellent piece of kit. Sure there will be a version for the Focus.

Yeah the Dension stuff is good – had one on an astra a few years ago that plugged directly into the FM (not broadcast) as it had no aux in. £100 Inc a cradle. Worked a treat.