Question on Android bluetooth audio streaming on car with ipod connection
12-15-2018, 11:55 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2008 E350 4Matic
Question on Android bluetooth audio streaming on car with ipod connection
Hi, I just bought a 2008 E350 4Matic today and have a newbie question. Sorry I'm guessing this has been addressed before but I couldn't find it discussed exactly while searching.
My car does not (yet) have the little Bluetooth thing that goes in the armrest compartment. As I understand it, once I get it, that will only work for phone calls, not streaming audio, at least with the OEM unit So question 1 is, are there non OEM armrest units that will handle music streaming in addition to phone calls?
If not, my car has the ipod connection kit in the glovebox. I also see an aux jack in there. I will test it tomorrow but from what I've read, if your car has the ipod connection kit, the aux jack is disabled, essentially a dead connection. True?
I have an android phone and have no interest in moving to iphone or using an ipod for music.
So if there aren't aftermarket armrest units that can stream music, and if the aux jack is indeed dead cause I have the ipod connection option what is the best way to play music from my phone on the car stereo?
If I understand correctly, there are streaming audio Bluetooth kits that will connect to the ipod connection kit. If so, I assume it acts just like any Bluetooth connection and I can stream audio (usually pandora) by establishing a Bluetooth link from my android phone to such a unit, despite it being connected to an ipod connection kit. Is that right?
Does anyone know these answers and/or have a product recommendation for my needs?
Thanks
My car does not (yet) have the little Bluetooth thing that goes in the armrest compartment. As I understand it, once I get it, that will only work for phone calls, not streaming audio, at least with the OEM unit So question 1 is, are there non OEM armrest units that will handle music streaming in addition to phone calls?
If not, my car has the ipod connection kit in the glovebox. I also see an aux jack in there. I will test it tomorrow but from what I've read, if your car has the ipod connection kit, the aux jack is disabled, essentially a dead connection. True?
I have an android phone and have no interest in moving to iphone or using an ipod for music.
So if there aren't aftermarket armrest units that can stream music, and if the aux jack is indeed dead cause I have the ipod connection option what is the best way to play music from my phone on the car stereo?
If I understand correctly, there are streaming audio Bluetooth kits that will connect to the ipod connection kit. If so, I assume it acts just like any Bluetooth connection and I can stream audio (usually pandora) by establishing a Bluetooth link from my android phone to such a unit, despite it being connected to an ipod connection kit. Is that right?
Does anyone know these answers and/or have a product recommendation for my needs?
Thanks
12-16-2018, 05:20 AM
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: MA
Posts: 6,074
Received 1,466 Likes
on
1,147 Posts
2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
I have the same E350. You can buy the bluetooth puck on eBay. The brown one is the 3rd gen and a little better than the silver one which is more common. It only works for phone calls. There are no other alternatives besides oem.
Aux is disabled with ipod. If you really want to use it, you'd have to remove the Comand and connect the aux cable and remove the ipod connection or get a splitter to have them both work at the same time, there's only one connection in the back.
I also use an android. I just have an ipod 4 touch. They're pretty cheap, when I originally got it, they were about $100, now they're $20-$30 on eBay. I loaded spotify on it. It's better than the bluetooth on my W212, bluetooth skips and pauses while your music is playing randomly. Doesn't really happen with the wired connection. Because the 4th gen has wifi, you can just sync with your playlist every 30 days or more frequently. Also when you have the ipod connected, you can control the music being played with the steering wheel controls to go back and forth. I think you'd lose that with a bluetooth dongle.
Aux is disabled with ipod. If you really want to use it, you'd have to remove the Comand and connect the aux cable and remove the ipod connection or get a splitter to have them both work at the same time, there's only one connection in the back.
I also use an android. I just have an ipod 4 touch. They're pretty cheap, when I originally got it, they were about $100, now they're $20-$30 on eBay. I loaded spotify on it. It's better than the bluetooth on my W212, bluetooth skips and pauses while your music is playing randomly. Doesn't really happen with the wired connection. Because the 4th gen has wifi, you can just sync with your playlist every 30 days or more frequently. Also when you have the ipod connected, you can control the music being played with the steering wheel controls to go back and forth. I think you'd lose that with a bluetooth dongle.
12-16-2018, 09:58 AM
#3
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2008 E350 4Matic
I have the same E350. You can buy the bluetooth puck on eBay. The brown one is the 3rd gen and a little better than the silver one which is more common. It only works for phone calls. There are no other alternatives besides oem.
Aux is disabled with ipod. If you really want to use it, you'd have to remove the Comand and connect the aux cable and remove the ipod connection or get a splitter to have them both work at the same time, there's only one connection in the back.
I also use an android. I just have an ipod 4 touch. They're pretty cheap, when I originally got it, they were about $100, now they're $20-$30 on eBay. I loaded spotify on it. It's better than the bluetooth on my W212, bluetooth skips and pauses while your music is playing randomly. Doesn't really happen with the wired connection. Because the 4th gen has wifi, you can just sync with your playlist every 30 days or more frequently. Also when you have the ipod connected, you can control the music being played with the steering wheel controls to go back and forth. I think you'd lose that with a bluetooth dongle.
Aux is disabled with ipod. If you really want to use it, you'd have to remove the Comand and connect the aux cable and remove the ipod connection or get a splitter to have them both work at the same time, there's only one connection in the back.
I also use an android. I just have an ipod 4 touch. They're pretty cheap, when I originally got it, they were about $100, now they're $20-$30 on eBay. I loaded spotify on it. It's better than the bluetooth on my W212, bluetooth skips and pauses while your music is playing randomly. Doesn't really happen with the wired connection. Because the 4th gen has wifi, you can just sync with your playlist every 30 days or more frequently. Also when you have the ipod connected, you can control the music being played with the steering wheel controls to go back and forth. I think you'd lose that with a bluetooth dongle.
12-16-2018, 04:42 PM
#4
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: MA
Posts: 6,074
Received 1,466 Likes
on
1,147 Posts
2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
For comedy and stuff, I just use the Sirius satellite radio. If you just got the car, you can do their free 2 month trial.
https://care.siriusxm.com/preownedve...al_view.action
After it expires, you can normally get 6 months for $30, you just need to call and ask for it, otherwise they'll try to sell you a year for $100.
The ipod just sits in the glove box. You load the spotify app on the ipod and sync your playlists at home, then you connect it to the car. I never had any luck with the wifi on the ipod syncing to my phone and then I have to turn on the hotspot which kills the battery quicker. If you're paying for spotify you can have your playlist downloaded to the ipod and you just have to sync it once a month. You may also need a charging adapter for the ipod. But once you have it set up, you just hop in the car, start it up and the music you had set last time starts playing, no need to really do anything.
https://care.siriusxm.com/preownedve...al_view.action
After it expires, you can normally get 6 months for $30, you just need to call and ask for it, otherwise they'll try to sell you a year for $100.
The ipod just sits in the glove box. You load the spotify app on the ipod and sync your playlists at home, then you connect it to the car. I never had any luck with the wifi on the ipod syncing to my phone and then I have to turn on the hotspot which kills the battery quicker. If you're paying for spotify you can have your playlist downloaded to the ipod and you just have to sync it once a month. You may also need a charging adapter for the ipod. But once you have it set up, you just hop in the car, start it up and the music you had set last time starts playing, no need to really do anything.
