Mazda CX-7 iPod, Stereo, Sirius, AUX

wjbushsr · October 2006

So it will work, if you don't have factory installed Sirius? No... It uses the same connection sources

How much is the iPod connection and what does it entail? My dealer quoted me of $149 plus installation.
My dealer doesn't even know it exists. Tell him to get off of his lazy @## and get online!
Could I alternate and plug my Sirius Sporster unit (which I already have) in it also? I'm guessing if you already have the Sirius unit hardwired from the factory, you might just want to wait for any updates.
It would work if there was a 1/8 pin connector rather than a iPod dock connector. It's only going to work for the dock connector though, since the head unit also allows the steering wheel controls to control the iPod.
Any options to switch? Hang tight, theres way too much money on the table for Mazda to walk away from, not to mention any models they might want to offer with the Tech package in the future would be obsolete before they left Japan.
Apple and Mazda will come up with something...

sssgounder · October 2006

I have GT AWD with NAV and BOSE system

1. Any update on IPOD adopter

2. How do I display the FM channels name in the display.. Like the one in Murano..??

Thanks..

vbbuilt · October 2006

Go to this discussion thread about the IPOD:

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0f3a79

As for displaying FM channel names? Can't be done. This is one of those shortcomings of this head unit.

Vince.

portly_gnome · October 2006

My dealer also quoted me $149 plus installation.

When I bought this vehicle I was specifically told that it would play MP3 files. In fact, when I was looking, I wanted a vehicle to either play MP3s or have an AUX port. Turns out it DOESN'T play MP3s OR have an AUX port. Oh it will play MP3s if you bought the right one from the factory in the beginning. To get the right one now costs $550.

And I was also told that you cannot have the AUX port if you have Sirius installed. The port, by the way, would be installed in the glove box.

Someone mentioned maybe a switch. Even if I had a manual switch on the line going into the Sirius port that would allow me to plug in the 1/8 pin. Does this sound feasible?

wjbushsr · October 2006

My belief is that Apple will come up with something for the unit for those of us who have Sirius installed. I don't think a switch will be the answer though... The Sirius brain is also controlled by the steering wheel controls as well as the head unit, and thats a bit much for a single switch to overcome.
You can get an FM modulator installed that will allow the 1/8 jack to plug into your ear jack, but the sound won't be the best. And if the salesman specifically told you that the unit would play MP3s, I say haul their butt into the General Manager's office to make the switch free of charge unless they want a negative referral on their opinion survey!
{They hate that}

While you're at the dealer, make sure they've swapped out the gas cap for the new version that has the gaskets on the cap to prevent the engine light to come on.
:shades:

portly_gnome · October 2006

Thing is, I want the AUX jack that's just the 1/8 plug because i don't have an iPod, I have a PDA. An iPod jack would do me no good at all.

Also, I've already tried to force them with opinion survey, knowing they get paid on good reviews. That's when they told me that it sould cost me $550 to get one that plays MP3s. Guess I need to play hardball.

wjbushsr · October 2006

Everybody has a guy whose over him... When he won't budge , go to HIS boss and so on and so on until the owner of the dealership tells you "no". Then I'd call Mazda!

The thing is, is that the floor managers don't want any problems going over their heads, and they'll do whatever it takes to make it right before the owner finds out about it!

Trust me, after working in the business for 6 years, I found out first hand how pressure on the GM will make a customer very happy!

There is not a General Manager alive who wants the owner to know he can't solve a customer problem on something so trivial as a head unit on a new car that his salesperson misspoke about!
Keep working 'em over, they'll give!

carlitos92 · October 2006

It might be worth a shot if one has a strong constitution, but if I had capitalized on every false or ignorant claim made by an inept salesperson, I'd be rich by now.

Legally speaking, if a guy said a car did "x" it's your word against theirs. Frankly, neither the Monroney sticker nor the brochures point to an MP3-compatible player, and the $500 range is probably where it starts to get hard to recoup without a real fight.

Anyway, good luck, but the best policy next time is to strive to be more educated about the car than the salesman. Sadly, in my experience, it usually ain't that hard.

portly_gnome · October 2006

I wrote him a lengthy email yesterday. He replied that he'd get back with me.

He's the Mazda manager... he's also the owner's son. This is a huge dealership too, Lujacks Auto Plaza. I believe they have every major mfgr except Ford.

I'm sure he won't want Dad to find out.

There are other issues with the vehicle as well. It's only getting 16-20 mpg on the Hwy for example, and they tell me that's perfectly acceptable. The key and remote start fob have stopped working and they're on backorder indefinitely. And many other things. :mad:

audia8q · October 2006

Also, I've already tried to force them with opinion survey, knowing they get paid on good reviews. That's when they told me that it sould cost me $550 to get one that plays MP3s. Guess I need to play hardball.

We don't get paid on individual surveys...

portly_gnome · October 2006

Hmm... the salesman specifically told me that he would appreciate it if I could fill out the survey I was going to receive in the mail with all "Excellent" marks. It could be a dealer specific incentive/bonus program. He said that they get paid fully only on the questions I marked "Excellent." They're a "One-price" type dealer too. They must get bonuses based on their survey scores. I know they don't get a percentage of each sale; they get points on the number and model of vehicles sold, I believe.

calessi · November 2006

I ran into the same problem with the Bose unit initially--a CD-RW with MP3 tracks was not recognized in the player. However, a CD-R that contained MP3 tracks was recognized.

I compared these two disks and noticed there was a format difference between the two: the CD-R (which plays fine) is in the older CDFS format. The CD-RW (which I just formatted using Windows XP and was not recognized) was in UDF format.

I then took this same CD-RW and burned a playlist of MP3s to it using iTunes (I made sure the Advanced burning options were set to burn tracks to the disk as MP3s, of course). Voila! When the disk was done, it was completed by iTunes as CDFS. It plays perfectly in my Bose unit now.

Hopefully, this will solve your problem.

Carl

xopherchin · November 2006

i do not know anything about these formats (CDFS v. UDF). the only thing i found about UDF was that it was for video discs.

i have made only CD-R's and none have been recognized. also, i have used iTunes' mp3 burning option. so i must be still missing something that you got.

could there be a difference between your windows xp and my mac os x?

no voila's here yet. hope you have some more insights.

thank you.
xopher

vbbuilt · November 2006

Tis a shame you don't have Windows XP

RealPlayer Plus version 10 fully supports MP3. That product is awesome. I burn MP3 disks with RealPlayer and they play well in the Bose deck.

Unfortunatley, RealPlayer isn't compatible with Macs

Vince.

calessi · November 2006

OK, it so happens that my wife has a Mac running OS X Tiger. So I was able to do the following experiment:

From the Mac's desktop, right click the image of your CD-RW disk and choose "Get Info." Find out if the disk's format is "Universal Disk Format" (this is the UDF format I was referring to in my previous post that causes the conflict with the Bose stereo).

If it is UDF, use "Disk Utility" (a program located in your Utilities folder) to Erase the CD-RW (quick erase is sufficient, and will be a lot faster than a full erase). This removes all the data from the disk, and its format.

Now, go to iTunes. Make sure that under the iTunes menu under Preferences, you choose your Advanced/disk burning option as MP3 CD. Burn a Playlist of MP3s to the CD. When the disk is completed, the format of the disk will now be compatible with your Bose stereo (at least it is with mine).

I hope this works for you.

Carl

carlitos92 · November 2006

I thought we figured out in September that your Bose unit does not have the MP3 logo off to the left side. Did you buy the dealer-accessory CD player?

So, sorry to (RE)state the bad news, but if your head unit does not have the MP3 logo, no amount of disc formatting or OS tinkering are going to help you - just because it says "BOSE" does not mean it plays MP3 files.

calessi · November 2006

Yes indeed--I was never completely certain whether the initial poster had MP3 capability or not on their Bose. But if you do have the MP3 logo, but your burned discs aren't recognized, it may well be due to the format issue regarding the disk (UDF format). It positively created a problem in my case.

carlitos92 · November 2006

Agreed.

So, besides a dealer-installed accessory, how does one GET the MP3 capability? Is it in the technology package?

wjbushsr · November 2006

It is indeed included in the Tech Package...

astegman · November 2006

OK, so now I'm regretting, I think, that I didn't get satellite radio when I first purchased the car. While at the service department yesterday, I asked the manager what I'd have to do to get it installed. Do I buy the equipment and bring it to Mazda for installation or what? He told me that of course he'd prefer that I do everything through Mazda and was quick to point out that it would not be cheap - about $600 for everything. He did mention he'd give me 15% off, for being a regular customer (the car's been in for service 4x in 12 weeks). And he mentioned that it would be under a much better warranty than if I went to Circuit City or Best Buy or the like.

Is his price quote totally insane or in the ballpark? Has anyone out there added in satellite radio after the fact, and if so, what were your experiences? Thanks.

wjbushsr · November 2006

I got mine from Mazda and paid roughly about 480 installed.
My guess is that you're being a bit hosed...

On the Mazda website you can get the radio and installation kit for 399. Then you can ask the dealer what the charge for installation is, roughly about 2 hours {I wouldn't choose anyone but Mazda to install it}. or you might just call another dealer, that 600 is steep, even with 15% off...

calessi · November 2006

That's hard to say without more particulars. In my case, I didn't want Sirius satellite, I wanted XM (this has nothing to do inherently with the quality of one network over the other, I just had a programming preference regarding XM's lineup). Quite some time ago, I purchased an XM MyFi radio (the portable kind that you can dock in the car or home) for about $200. When I bought the CX-7, I paid some guys $65 to mount it next to my center console, and run the satellite antenna though to the roof at the back. Given that I have the tech package in the CX-7, I'm forced to play the satellite radio through any available FM frequency (as opposed to a hard-wired link to the stereo).

So for the money Mazda is asking, you have to find out:

Is it Sirius or XM? (It's probably Sirius, because that's the CX-7 integrated unit).
Which radio/features are you getting? Is it fully integrated into the vehicle, or something placed on an extra mount like mine?

Finally, once you've determined those specifics, you might want to comparison shop on your own. I certainly would.

vbbuilt · November 2006

The disadvantage of your solution, particularly if you have the Tech Package, is that the head unit functions and the functions of the Sirius package offered by Mazda are very tightly integrated. Not only do the channels and textual data display on the main screen of the Nav System, but some of that info also displays in the upper display on the dash.

Opting for XM negates all of that. Output from any XM component will not display properly on the Nav screen nor on the upper dash. And as calessi points out, one would have to use an available FM frequency to gain output.

From a purely aesthetics point of view, sticking a docking device and a clunky looking module onto the dash, in my humble opinion, would look like !@#$#. :P

Vince.

astegman · November 2006

Thanks for the replies. I guess the price I was quoted was rather high. I haven't made a decision one way or the other, but I do think that should I proceed, I don't want any external devices on or near the dash - I want it fully integrated.

I will have to find out how much my dealer would charge to install the kit if I were to first purchase it from the Mazda website. Perhaps that route will bring the price into a more reasonable range.

wjbushsr · November 2006

You'll most likely be looking at an average of around 35 to 40 an hour for labor...

If nothing else try another dealer in your area... try the aftermarket dept. and ask who does their installations as well.

I agree with Vince {again

}, No way in the world would I want anything sticking out or attached to my dash... :shades:

rex10 · December 2006

I currently have the Bose 6 CD changer and I am considering upgrading to the MP3 6 CD changer from the accessory catalog. My question is, does the MP3 capable changer also support both the Bose "centerpoint" and "audiopilot" functions? I find these work very well and I would hate to give them up after forking out money for an upgrade.

Thanks!

sssgounder · December 2006

I recorded all my mp3s in a CR-RW and my BOSE system plays perfectly. One thing I read a while ago in the "MAZDA FUEL" Magazine that only Music Stereo CDs will play with CENTERPOINT feature.. So don't expect the MP3 cds to use the Centerpoint..

sssgounder · December 2006

I just read the MAZDA FUEL magazine and here its

"It will be available with the Dealers in September."

But not sure Sept 2006 or Sept 2007. But looks like it will be there soon... to know more read the MAZDA FUEL magazine issue 6 Page 11

Thanks..

:shades:

wjbushsr · December 2006

I wouldn't get too excited about the iPod and the CX 7, there is a posting I made on the front page of the discussion board regarding the connection interface.
The unit is out already. Check out "The news ain't good..." link on the front page.

cxrabbit · December 2006

Apparently, from what I've heard there are some downsides to the Mazda iPod interface. First, it WILL NOT work if you already have the Satellite Radio installed (both the Sirius Satellite and iPod connector use the same connection on the back of the radio). Second, the iPod interface supposedly really sucks.

I DO think there will be some options available when the car has been out a bit longer. Because it's so new, tackling the problem just hasn't been figured out yet. But as an example, apparently on the Mazda 3 with iPod plug, originally you weren't able to have both the plug working and satellite radio, but they've since come out with a splitter that makes it possible to connect both.

carlitos92 · December 2006

Doesn't anybody have one of these iPod interfaces yet? I don't have SAT, so I'm not too concerned about being able to connect it. But it sure would be nice to hear about the controls/display/sound quality/etc.

Anyone?

maltb · December 2006

The sound quality is the same as a CD, but the area that the unit lacks is in the display. You only get track/album/artist/playlist numbers, no text. If you set up playlists, it works great and it's nice to have the controll on the steering wheel.

I can e-mail the instructions if you want.

maltb · December 2006

Just to clarify...CX-7 6-disc changers with Bose and without Navigation cannot be upgraded with MP3 capabilty. the CX-7s with Nav have MP3 functionality and the standard audio CX-7 can be upgraded.

rex10 · December 2006

I'm talking about replacing the entire head unit with the one from the accessories catalog, which supports MP3. I'm hoping the replacement head unit/changer supports the Bose centerpoint and audiopilot features. Has anyone done this replacement?

rex10 · December 2006

Does anyone know what the "prog" button does? I've looked through the owner's manual and tried pushing it on different occasions, but I can't figure out what it does. Is it a leftover from the days of autoreverse tape players?

defreitasm · December 2006

OK, so now I'm regretting, I think, that I didn't get satellite radio when I first purchased the car. While at the service department yesterday, I asked the manager what I'd have to do to get it installed. Do I buy the equipment and bring it to Mazda for installation or what? He told me that of course he'd prefer that I do everything through Mazda and was quick to point out that it would not be cheap - about $600 for everything. He did mention he'd give me 15% off, for being a regular customer (the car's been in for service 4x in 12 weeks). And he mentioned that it would be under a much better warranty than if I went to Circuit City or Best Buy or the like.

Is his price quote totally insane or in the ballpark? Has anyone out there added in satellite radio after the fact, and if so, what were your experiences? Thanks.

One of the models I am considering has to have the Sirius unit added but so far they have quoted me the normal option price... probably because there is a little cushion in the deal they can take the hit for the labor. Once you leave the dealership with your new car the entire expense to add it later becomes the car owner's responsibility and exceptions are rarely made unless you have a lot of clout with the dealer's owner.

defreitasm · December 2006

I hate the fact that Mazda cut a deal with Sirius only. Is there a way to add an aftermarket XM brain? I have nothing against Sirius, but I already have XM in another vehicle and it would be cheaper to add an addtional subscription to XM. I am not interested in a solution that transmits through FM.

vbbuilt · December 2006

You have few options. Mazda doesn't offer anything with XM, so you're only option is aftermarket, in-dash or external. If you purchase an in-dash unit, you risk not having the proper interfaces for the CX-7's in-dash displays or steering column controls plus the fit/finish of the head unit and/or adapter kits most likely will not match the CX-7's.

I understand new licences for your XM account are very inexpensive, so if that's your primary consideration, you may just have to wait for the aftermarket to start producing products for the CX-7.

Good luck, Vince.

carlitos92 · December 2006

Finally had a chance to install the Mazda iPod adapter I bought before Christmas. Put it in my AWD GT with Bose, but no NAV or SAT. The part itself ran about $160 with tax and everything.

Took me about an hour; the hardest part (or maybe most STRESSFUL, I should say) was taking off the center dash bezel that covers the radio and HVAC controls.

Sorry I didn't take any pictures, but if you Google "iPod CX-7" you can find some guys who have done it and posted progress images. The adapter comes with pretty decent directions, but if you've ever put in a car stereo, the process in the CX-7 shouldn't be that complicated for you.

The display integration leaves something to be desired, but the functionality is good, and all the controls, steering wheel or otherwise, work fine.

I like the fact that the volume level between radio/CD/iPod is pretty consistent. That was a big problem in my other car where I was only able to install a line-in jack for the iPod.

All in all, I'm happy and looking forward to loading up my new iPod (also a holiday gift) with music.

-c92

vbbuilt · January 2007

Carlitos, question for you. What will you do if you EVER want a Navigation system for your CX-7? Will you always rely on paper maps? :P

Enjoy the new iPod kit!

Vince.

carlitos92 · January 2007

Yeah... paper maps.

Incidentally, I spent yesterday loading 1,800 songs on my iPod. This morning I am learning that my comment about the functionality of this adapter may need to be revised.

Getting access to the actual songs I want is proving to be a fun little game, which is cool in the driveway, but less cool during the commute.

greenrhino · January 2007

My nav system won't display the track, title, and artist from my cd's. They play fine and centerpoint works fine but just '---------' for those areas. Ive tried over a hundered different CD's now. Both store bought and mp3 recorded. Dealership said sys was working fine and that I needed special CD's for this to work. I'm frustrated. And help?

cxrabbit · January 2007

You don't need special CDs, you just need to make sure that the MP3 HAVE the information (open them on the computer and see if you get artist, song, etc.). If not, you used software that stripped this information out or used an older version of the ID tags.

I made all my MP3s with iTunes or iTunes+SoundTaxi. I used standard CDRs (nothing special). Info is displayed properly on the nav screen.

greenrhino · January 2007

Tried that. My CD infos came up fine on computer. I tried itunes and media player. Also remember my store bought CD's don't display either. I don't know where else to get help. Does mazda have a web site to ask such questions? I also posted this on mazda's CX-7 forum, I think you answered me there too.

cxrabbit · January 2007

Did you try converting the ID tags using iTunes and then burning a new MP3 CD?

carlitos92 · January 2007

Try reading around post 37 in this thread.

wjbushsr · January 2007

It's post 41...

And if you're using iTunes; go to 'Edit', click on 'Preferences'. When the full options box opens, click on the 'Advanced' tab then click on the 'Burning' tab and place a check on the box for "CD Text".
From there you can name your playlist, and create your disc with the title of the disc being the playlist, and the names and artist being displayed.

Next time you make an MP3 disc, trying using the 'Data Disc' option, some machines don't give the full info on MP3 type discs.

cxrabbit · January 2007

You don't need to use the Data Disc option in iTunes.

This definitely has to do with the ID Tags. Load the MP3 into iTunes, right-click on the song and select "convert ID3 Tags" ... then select version 2.2 (I know for certain that works because it's what I'm using for my MP3 CDs in my CX-7 -- version 2.4 might work too, just don't know.)

wjbushsr · January 2007

Maybe not in iTunes, but in Musicmatch, I've found that you need to use the Data Disc option to get all of the info to pull up on the screen.

greenrhino · January 2007

Well, you guys are right. That worked. Both suggestions did. I am still disappointed though. I cant believe Mazda got the only system that doesn't read the CD's you buy. Every other component I have, Stereo, Portable CD player, computer of course, all read title, track and artist from store bought CD's. It is really discouraging considering how much they charged for the system. I didn't think Mazda was so cheap. But thank you for the help.

Mazda CX-7 iPod, Stereo, Sirius, AUX

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