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Infiniti G35 Audio Questions

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Comments

  • jaxg35ownerjaxg35owner Member Posts: 7
    Thanks You,

    I assume you are using the Infiniti controller or steering controller to operate iPod. Also can you control, play of Mp3s on iPod while vehicle is in motion like CDs or Mediabox?
  • shov8shov8 Member Posts: 87
    I have an '08 with the integrated iPod controller. It works via the Infiniti controller wheel, the steering wheel input, and touchscreen. It's quite nice actually and is very similar to controlling the iPod. You can select Artists, Songs, Albums, etc., and normally I use the steering wheel controller.

    The only cons I can think of are (a) to display video you must use the A/V cable connection (and the e-brake on in park), and (b) the interface doesn't have the "Shuffle Songs" command on the menu, but you just press the RPT button on the center console like normal and it works.

    Alternatively, if you have a large pre-ripped MP3 collection that is not on an iPod, you can always copy them to CompactFlash and play them from there, although that does have some limitations (max files per card is 512, etc).

    kc
  • dcurtis5426dcurtis5426 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2003 G35 and evidently have a CD stuck in the player. I keep getting the error message "error FO". Is there any way to get it out without taking it to the dealer and buying a new or remfg'd radio?

    Thanks Dave
  • dcurtis5426dcurtis5426 Member Posts: 2
    Hi my name is dave did you ever get an answer to how to fix this problem without taking it to a dealer and buying a new radio or re-manufactured radio, Everytime I go to the dealer it's a minimum of $500.00

    dcurtis5426 @comcast.net
  • jeffwilsonjeffwilson Member Posts: 45
    I love the iPod interface on my new 2008 G35x, but I hate that the cable it so long! I have to wrap it around a few times so that it will fit in the console and the console will close. I would love to find a cable that is 3 or 4 inches long. Does anyone know if these exist? What about spare cables if this one ends up bending too much and not working? I suspect Infiniti charges something crazy for them, so I would like to find a cheaper alternative (e.g. Radio Shack). Thanks very much!

    Jeff
  • shov8shov8 Member Posts: 87
    If you find anything out please pass it along - the cable drives me crazy too! You need to loop it round and round just to be able to jam the iPod in the console. I think it was designed that long so you could place the iPod outside the console but I like keeping mine inside since I leave it in the car for days on end.

    The adapter piece looks like a connector from the back of a car radio and as such there might be another compatible connector out there from a car radio manufacturer (Clarion, etc).

    Also, I have noticed that the iPod interface will drain the iPod battery down completely if left alone for a day. What happens is that when I turn the car off the iPod is paused (same thing if I just turn the audio off), and it just stays in that state until the battery drains out. The iPod doesn't turn off like normal, maybe because of the cable connection?? Anyone else experience this. I have an 80GB 5.5G iPod (video iPod).

    kc
  • cadreamncadreamn Member Posts: 56
    Yes, I noticed that too and was about to call Infiniti as I thought the feature was supposed to "charge the iPod battery" - apparently it only does that when the car/audio is on. I have a 4GB iPod nano and a 08 G35X.
  • shov8shov8 Member Posts: 87
    Well, it does charge when the car is on - but then drains the battery when off HA! It's a ying-yang type thing :)

    It doesn't bother me much, except for those few times when I want to use the iPod and it's dead because it's been in the car for a day or two. I could always disconnect it overnight but I'm lazy. It really seems like Infiniti envisioned us plugging in/out the iPod each time we drive the car; from the long cable to leaving the iPod paused so that we can resume play as soon as we are out of the car. Still, I do like the interface alot better than just plugging in the A/V jacks :)

    kc
  • jeffwilsonjeffwilson Member Posts: 45
    I would like to build a cradle so that I can just pop it i nwhen I get in the car. But for that, I need a really short (1"-2") cable. I just don't know is this is a specific cable to Infiniti or a standard type of interface.
  • kb124kb124 Member Posts: 60
    Does this help in your search?

    http://www.radtech.us/Products/CablesiPod.aspx

    Various types on iPod connectors.
  • shov8shov8 Member Posts: 87
    Those are just regular cables or docking connection cables, although the one with the retractable loop is exactly what I have in mind - if it had the right connection. I searched some online places for iPod hookups by manufacturer and didn't find anything that matched. I will upload a pic of the connector if I can, but it definitely looks like an adapter that goes to a car audio receiver.

    image

    image

    kc
  • kb124kb124 Member Posts: 60
    I see. I have the 2007 and this is quite different.

    Hope you find it.
  • psunowpsunow Member Posts: 19
    I purchased a 2007 G 35X with Prem and Nav and wood options about 4 months ago....great car. I just purchase a Ipod Nano 3rd generation and wanted to know if anyone has used the AUXILIARY INPUT JACKS to input an IPod into the radio? If yes, what type of cables were purchased. I read somewhere that one needed special Apple cables in order for this to work.
  • slzweibelslzweibel Member Posts: 33
    You should just be able to purchase a cable with a 3.5 mm jack on one end and RCA connectors on the other (Radio Shack - Click here to see example cable). The 3.5 mm part goes into your Nano and the other end into the Aux jacks. You just need to choose the Aux input on the radio and start up the Nano to listen to your tunes. You may need a special cable if you want to watch video via the Aux jacks but this can only be done with the car in Park (I think). I have my 2nd gen iPod attached this way and listen to my music all the time without a problem. You need to change the music selection via the iPod - no controls available through the car (the 08 G has this feature).
  • shov8shov8 Member Posts: 87
    I've also read that you can use a regular 3.5mm to RCA A/V cable (three output cable for audio and video) instead of the (more expensive) Apple cable. The trick is that the output has been swapped around: the video is on the red, the right channel is the white, and the left channel is the yellow. Same signal just on different lines. I can't find a cable around the house to confirm though.

    This only applies to viewing video though, not when you are just playing music.

    kc
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    KC is correct.
    The only time you need to worry about special Apple cables is with the iPod Touch.
    I wanted video output and only found the special $50- Apple cable to work for me.

    Video looks great and sound is perfect, and since the cable was a B-Day gift... all the better. :P
  • jennmajennma Member Posts: 40
    The only thing I have to add is to make sure that the volume on the i-Pod is set to the maximum when using it this way. I've had no problems using i-Pod in my 07 6MT in this way with cables from Best Buy.
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    True... if you're hooking into the headphone jack, you need to adjust your output volume.
    Using the iTouch Cable, it hooks into the larger flat dock connection port, and volume is not affected by the iPod's volume setting.
    This depends on the cable being used.
  • jennmajennma Member Posts: 40
    Better clarify that I meant for using RCA A/V cables for a 1st generation nano.
  • rag133rag133 Member Posts: 25
    Is there a way to search songs in Music Box when driving? When on long highway drives I cann't do much with Music Box since search is greyed out until the car is stopped. Kind of ruins the purpose of having thousands of songs for a long trip like that if you can't work with them when on long highway stretches.

    Is there a way to allow search while driving like this?
  • adamr001adamr001 Member Posts: 95
    No, not really. The best thing you can do is change the play mode by using the SCN-RPT button. You can move through artists / albums that way using the steering wheel controls (hint, hold the up/down steering wheel control in down position for 3-5 seconds and it will change folders (either album or artist)).
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    Or... turning the right side wheel on the stereo itself (Tuning Knob) witll quickly zip through the list of Artists. You can then use the steering wheel buttons to get through the list of songs for that artist.

    I'll use the Steering Wheel trick (hold the button downwards for 3-4 seconds) for one or two jumps, but if going from B - R, it's quicker to zip through the alphabetical list with the tuning knob.
  • silica1silica1 Member Posts: 23
    I've been hesitant to get the Nav package on the G35 due to cost and hard drive reliability. I usually own a car for 10 years so I would rather not have things break. Does anyone have any idea what to expect about hard drive failure for the audio/nav? Is the drive designed differently for automotive applications? Most PC hard drives fail within 5 years or substantially less. I replace the hard drive once a year in my wife's laptop and she doesn't abuse it. Too bad the G35 doesn't use flash memory instead, but it would be too expensive.
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    As for reliability... who knows yet, but to answer your question regarding the harddrive, it is built for the automotive intention and should be able to take the shock of daily driving better than the typical drive.

    I've seen some folks talking about replacing them with larger capacities, but the issues found are based on compatibility and not the hands-on how to's.

    What I'm trying to say is that, if this does go, replacement is fairly easy and not very expensive... about the cost of any other drive.
    Finding a 100GB drive with the same specs as the OEM is what's difficult.
  • silica1silica1 Member Posts: 23
    Thanks for the response. I took a quick look around and found Toshiba automotive drives which are supposed to be ruggedized for temperature and shock. I assume a similar drive is being used in the G35. The spec on the drive had 200g for operational shock and 800g non-operational along with a wide temperature range.

    I'm still a little leary about hard drive reliability but at least they are trying to make it tougher.

    Do you need to remove a lot of dash to access the drive or is it relatively easy? If a drive failed, I would assume an Infiniti replacement part (drive) would be needed since a blank drive wouldn't have an image on it (data). This is starting to remind me of modding my TiVo many years ago. At least TiVo added an eSATA port to the new units to make expansion easier. A USB port on a G35 would be nice (hard drive or flash).

    If I can replace the drive myself, I wouldn't be quite as concerned although I would probably need to buy an overpriced Infiniti drive if a failure occurred after warranty.
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    I know the drive is right behind the front stack... not too tough to get out.
    I figure, I just ripped out my steering column and installed paddle shifters, so replacing a drive is a cake walk in comparison.
    But, a bigger question comes to mind here.... why are we so worried about something as simple as a hard drive?
    Is that your only concern with this car?
    There ARE 5 different sources of music in this car, from ipod integration, cd, cd changer, compact flash drive and the hard drive. Wait!..8!!! with XM (or Sirius), FM and AM... if you're 75. LOL
    Just bite the bullet and buy one. If the silly drive goes, I'll replace it for you! ;)
  • adamr001adamr001 Member Posts: 95
    I'm pretty sure that the HDD that's in the G35 is this one from Seagate : http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/consumer_electronics/ee25_series/

    The'yre pretty rugged and normal driving and most drive-away type accidents shouldn't be enough to upset it.

    I believe the drive is 30 GB with 20 dedicated to Nav and 10 (9.5) to MP3s.

    I was considering removing / cloning it just to have a backup, but decided, after researching, that it's just not worth it with a drive as tough as these. Now, if I intended to keep my car 10 years... well, long about 3 years 11 months, I'd probably clone it. ;) Right now one of those drives will set you back about $130 US. Pretty cheap you just have to be savvy enough to plan ahead and have a little bit of mechanical skills to remove it and a few computer skills to clone it.
  • silica1silica1 Member Posts: 23
    I like the G35. I'm just not sure I want Nav especially if it would have reliability problems later (hard drive concern). As for music, I think the iPod option is the most flexible and you can take it with you. Nav isn't even needed to use the iPod interface on the 2008 model. So the hold out on the Nav is the extra cost and the concern about the hard drive. I'm sure it would be a fun feature just not sure if I want it for my situation

    I just wanted to explore the hard drive reliability in case I end up having to get Nav to get the other color and options that I want (dealer availability). I do like the backup camera in the Nav package.

    I appreciate the reliability feedback from adamr. It seems these drives aren't as fragile as I thought.
  • adamr001adamr001 Member Posts: 95
    Glad to help and don't over look Scott's comments either. He's got a lot of knowledge and experience with the G35s.

    If you skip the nav you skip one of my favorite features (and remarkably useful even if I was unconvinced originally), the backup camera.

    Of course, it's useful to me because I *always* back into parking spots, my garage, etc. so I use it three or more times a day. Perfect backwards parking, every time! The guide lines are more than just the distance markers, but instead they respond to the wheel being turned and show you where the rear bumper of the car is actually going to go! When I first saw the feature in my test drive, I took the car back out into the parking lot and played with it for 10 minutes. LOL

    It's probalby not worth the cost of the Nav by itself, but adding in the rest... Still, in the end it's your call on what you want to pay for and don't want to pay for. :)
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    I completely agree... the Navi would be an expensive option if it came by itself, but it includes the voice recognition, the backup camera and the musicbox as well.
    Together, it's well worth the price.

    I also use my backup camera every single day and although we also have it in our MDX, the resolution, viewing angle and interactiveness of the guidelines makes this backup camera easier to work with.

    I had to buy the additional Tech package to get mine.
    Having the backup camera included in the Navi package is a great deal.
  • silica1silica1 Member Posts: 23
    The backup camera is the most appealing feature in the nav package to me.

    From what I understand, the voice recognition works without needing the nav package to control an iPod (assuming premium package which I definitely want). Voice commands used to control several things until the recent changes to the voice commands :mad: .

    The jukebox feature doesn't seem that appealing since you have to load CDs to add files to the hard drive. I think an iPod is much easier and suports download music which the jukebox does not. The CompactFlash is a great idea but seems to be crippled at 512 files.

    I've had 4 hard drives fail in the past 2 years so that's why I am paranoid about hard drives. It's a pain to replace them, and I would rather avoid the headache. Flash is much better but is expensive for very large capacity.

    The idea of cloning is a good idea after the warranty expires. I just wouldn't have to worry about it if I didn't get nav. Too bad the backup camera requires the nav package. At least it doesn't require the Tech package any more.

    If you could download music from CompactFlash to the hard drive, it would be worth the hassle of the hard drive and likely make me want to upgrade the drive. Unfortunately, that's not the way it was designed.

    Thanks for the ideas guys.
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    I can understand your concern, given your past experience.
    It sounds like you've had some pretty bad luck with drives.

    I, on the other hand, have had no issues with hard drives, ever. I guess this is how the world stays balanced. :P
    I work for a software company and I personally have more than 10 pcs in my arsenal and boy, do they see a lot of abuse. I've never had an issue with hard drive failure. At home, I have 3 pcs, 2 laptops and a new 24" iMac (my new love) and again... never had an issue. I guess with all these drives around me, if they were failing, I'd have concerns too.

    I'm not 100% sure on the voice commands for the ipod integration, but I'm pretty sure on this. The Premium pack will give you the ipod integration. It will also give you hands-free telephone, but I don't think any voice commands are included.
    To get voice commands, which cover navi, climate control and audio functions, you need to upgrade to the Navi package.
    Check on this.... it sounds like you're hoping for the ipod integration to include voice commands, and I don't think it will without the addition of the Nav pack.
  • 2007g35x2007g35x Member Posts: 3
    hi all.

    I hate the Bose Studio On Wheels audio system in my '07 G35X (although someone told me it is not the Bose speakers but the Clarion Head Unit - with GPS; Voice Activation; stereo, etc. Crutchfield has not 'reviewed' my car so they cannot help.

    Has anyone upgraded this '07 G35X Studio on Wheels system to a better system (either head unit or speakers)? If yes, what did you do to make it sound better? Thank you.

    Ken
    kenengelman@hotmail.com
  • jebelljebell Member Posts: 54
    I also love the back-up camera but I have a question. Do the green/amber/red lines highlight when an object is within that distance or do I just know when an object is in those colored areas the distance to impact?
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    They don't highlight, they just help to gauge how far away you are.
  • silica1silica1 Member Posts: 23
    Hmmm, I thought I saw something in the manual that voive commands were partially supported without the Nav package. After looking at the manual again, it doesn't seem that way. I remember voice commands being listed under the nav package, but thought it was just for the new features that came with nav. I'm not sure how I confused myself, but it appears that voice commands are only with the nav package. So, that's one more benefit of the nav package.

    As for the hard drive failures, you are very fortunate to never have one fail. If you replace your equipment within 3-4 years you will probably avoid it. The worst problem I've had is with my wife's laptop. The hard drive only lasts about a year to 18 months. She's on her third. I really don't think she is abusing it especially on the second drive. I've switched brands each time so maybe there is something odd about the hard drive controller in that laptop.

    I've also had two drives go out in my two TiVos. The series 2 died after about 7 years which is to be expected since it runs all of the time. My new series 3 died after 9 months and had to be sent back for warranty replacement. This one really made me nervous. It shouldn't have failed that early. Hopefully, it was just an odd occurrence.

    I've had co-workers with laptop drive failures and seen servers with hard drive failures. Laptops seem to be the worst especially if someone is walking around with the drive running (asking for trouble).

    When I take these experiences and then consider the bumpy back road that I use for part of my commute and about a 10 year ownership period, it makes me wonder. At least the automotive drives are ruggedized which I didn't understand before. How tough they really are, I don't know. They should be a lot better than a PC. Also, a car doesn't run all day long so the operation time will be less compared to a PC which should help. It would just be nice if it were flash memory instead, but then I'd have to pay even more for the nav package.

    Ruggedized seems to be the key concept here. I'll just need to play with the features in person and see whether it's worth the extra money.
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    Geez... Now I'm knocking on wood! :surprise:
  • adamr001adamr001 Member Posts: 95
    *laugh*

    Well, I've been in the IT world professionally since 1988. I've seen dozens and dozens of hard drives go. Sometimes it just happens. Sometimes it's out of the box, sometimes you get to hear it or feel it coming for days or even weeks.

    You're perfectly reasonable being skeptical of the hard drive longevity, especially in an environment like a car. There are also certain brands of drives that are known as likely failure drives. IBM had a line of HDDs called "Deskstar" that those of us in the biz called "Deathstar" because they always seemed to go bad inside the first year. Quantum had a line of high speed server drives called "Fireball" which, while being some of the very first 10,000 RPM drives, were aptly named not because of speed but because they'd routinely overheat and the bearings would go out. Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel. *shudder* I can still hear that noise. :P

    As to the on/off issue, that's honestly a double edged sword. Ask most IT guys and you'll likely find that drives (especially server drives) tend to fail after there has been a power event or other reason to reboot / restart the hardware. I've seen it happen personally. In fact, I don't usually turn off my own PCs at home unless I have too.

    So I'm not trying to go back on what I said earlier, but just trying to point out that there are always risks. Even NVRAM can go bad. A simple bit of static electricity and you can wipe the whole thing out or maybe someone shorts something in the audio system accidentally one day... Just don't worry too much, especially not since there's a relatively inexpensive backup to be had. It's further mitigated by the nature / style / warranty on the drives and the vehicle. As I said earlier as well, a relatively small investment ($130) and some free drive-cloning software from Sourceforge and you're protected in the post-warranty phase of ownership.

    That's my $0.02 anyway. ;)
  • adamr001adamr001 Member Posts: 95
    Oh and one more thing... slightly OT... I backup my TiVO drives regularly too. I hate having to retrain the TiVO!
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    I know hard drives go and I also admit to being one of the lucky ones who hasn't suffered the fate of a lost drive.
    I keep backups of everything just in case, cause it can happen. In fact, I'm due! (lol)

    I guess my final thought on this is that the Navi package, especially now that it includes the backup camera, is worth the price, IMHO.
    The car has a great warranty and even if the drive goes after the fact, it's a small financial smack to the wallet... nothing to cancel the kid's college dreams over.

    Buy the car, get the Navi and hope for the best.
    :shades:
  • cadreamncadreamn Member Posts: 56
    Besides everything mentioned, there is one other feature you get with the Navi that may seem like a nit but was a real big one for me: You can control the phone mute and other features using the steering wheel control, center control, etc., whereas without the navi you need to use voice commands (at least that seemed the case when I tried at the dealer). When I'm on a conference call in the car, I'm constanting going on and off mute. If I had to keep saying "mute" and "unmute" everytime it would drive me nuts, especially if the system failed to recognize my command. With the navi I just position the cursor on the mute command and press enter on the wheel to switch mute on and off. Super convenient.
  • rsaulrsaul Member Posts: 28
    Recently purchased an Extreme III Compact Flash card for use in a 2007G35. Having problems with putting music from I-Tunes library onto the Compact Flash and having it played by the car. While in I-Tunes, I am dragging the music onto the compact flash card that has been inserted into my computer and the folder clearly shows the music is there (in mpeg format), however, when I insert the CF into the G, it says "no audio files." Is there a specific process or file format that I'm supposed to be using? The G ownermanual is not helpful, nor is the I-Tunes website. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
  • synergy212synergy212 Member Posts: 1
    What is working for folks with ipods and the G? I have a 2007 S and I hate the the FM matching trip products. Is there an auxiliary cable connect I don't know about? Any help would be appreciated.
  • slzweibelslzweibel Member Posts: 33
    I did the same thing and had no problems listening to the music. Maybe it is the fact that it is an Extreme III CF card - maybe that doesn't work with the G?? Maybe you need a regular CF card. I also put the songs into folders on the card but that shouldn't matter. When you look at the card on your computer do you see the files there? Are they the right sizes (ie. a few MB each)? Do you have another plain CF card you can try out with only a few songs? You can't use iTunes songs (AAC) you have purchased from the iTunes Store - only MPEG audio files you have burned from a CD. To use AAC songs you need to first burn them to a CD and re-import them back into iTunes as MPEG audio files.
  • shov8shov8 Member Posts: 87
    You should be able to plug your iPod, using a standard 3.5mm to RCA jack audio cable, to the A/V jacks inside the center console. Then you manually control the iPod but hear the music direct through the stereo AUX input.

    kc
  • slzweibelslzweibel Member Posts: 33
    I have a cable that has a mini headphone jack on one end (for the iPod) and RCA connectors on the other end for the AUX input jacks on my G. I think I got it from Radio Shack for a few bucks. Works like a charm. Obviously you can't control your iPod through the car but you can control the volume. Good luck.
  • rsaulrsaul Member Posts: 28
    Thanks for the reply. What type of CF do you have and where can I get one? Went to BestBuy to purchase the Extreme III (I saw another member of the Edmunds Forum had used it) and BestBuy wasno help trying to find a CF for audio files. As for your questions, when I move the songs from iTunes to the CF, is does show the MPEG there and its a few megabytes, so would have thought it was working. Joys of technology.
  • laderakingladeraking Member Posts: 69
    I transfer the file to the card. Insert the card and the folders show up. The music plays fine.

    Then the annoying part starts.
    There is a random folder titled "501" with nothing in it.
    Then in some of my folders the songs have the song title and file but then there is a duplicate of the file with a wierd extension before it.

    Any ideas?

    Thanks
  • slzweibelslzweibel Member Posts: 33
    Not sure about the random folder. I also have those annoying duplicates of my songs on the card with two periods before each song. I think this is a Mac thing (or at least that is what I assumed because I am using a Mac). The filing system for Mac and PC is different and these extra files might be coming from that. They don't bother me too much because the audio system just skips over them.
  • adamr001adamr001 Member Posts: 95
    What are you using to transfer the files to the CF card? Don't use iTunes or Winamp or whatever media player / manager you're used to using. Just use plain ol' Windows explorer.

    No mystery files or folders will appear unless you copy them yourself.

    As far as what type of CF card? You don't need one of those Extreme IIIs. Those are camera cards designed for super-high performance for large format digital cameras (10+ megapixel). A newegg cheapy (I use have 4 of this one -> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211257 ) works just fine and costs 1/5th as much.
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