Does my 06 Vantage have iPod connectivity?
Discussion
Had my car for a while and I’ve been making do with a rather crap FM radio Bluetooth transmitter for music off my phone….. the quality is not great and definitely wasting the premium audio 
When I bought it, it already had this old 30pin iPhone cradle in the door bin. I could never work out what it did, other than just charge a phone/ipod (which it does.)
It also (pictured) has a Parrot hand free system, which plays through the speakers of course, and that has always worked fine with my phone via Bluetooth.
Am I missing a trick here and might it be possible that the 30pin somehow connects to the audio system and can play music?
I’ve tried everything and can’t find any “function” for it in the radio…… might it just be a charger?
Pretty clueless despite some fruitless research on the options for these cars.
Anyone have anything similar on an early Vantage?
Cheers
When I bought it, it already had this old 30pin iPhone cradle in the door bin. I could never work out what it did, other than just charge a phone/ipod (which it does.)
It also (pictured) has a Parrot hand free system, which plays through the speakers of course, and that has always worked fine with my phone via Bluetooth.
Am I missing a trick here and might it be possible that the 30pin somehow connects to the audio system and can play music?
I’ve tried everything and can’t find any “function” for it in the radio…… might it just be a charger?
Pretty clueless despite some fruitless research on the options for these cars.
Anyone have anything similar on an early Vantage?
Cheers
Hi,
My Vantage is later than yours so it's possible that mine has features yours doesn't. But what I can say, with some confidence, is that yours has had either an amateur or aftermarket automotive electrician modifying your car, so it may be tricky trying to find out what has been fitted and what it does. So, as far as I know:
It's on the front face, opposite the hinge. You'll see mine has a USB stick next to the socket that I use as a source for my music - not sure if yours will have either of these. The next picture shows the special lead that is designed to go from the socket in the console to an iPod (the black part). I've actually bought an iPod to Apple Lightning adaptor (the white bit) so I can connect my iPhone to the car to charge it - normally, unless the phone battery is flat, it just connects via Bluetooth.
Having taken and edited these pictures I now realise how disgusting my centre console cubby has become - I really must vac it out
If you don't already know and don't have an Owner's Guide for your Vantage you should be able to download one from the Aston Martin website - this will cover the connectivity of your particular car.
https://www.astonmartin.com/en-gb/owners/owners-gu...
My Vantage is later than yours so it's possible that mine has features yours doesn't. But what I can say, with some confidence, is that yours has had either an amateur or aftermarket automotive electrician modifying your car, so it may be tricky trying to find out what has been fitted and what it does. So, as far as I know:
- No Vantage ever had a phone connector in the door pocket. This means, unless you trace the wiring, there is no way to know if it has been installed just as a power supply to the handset, or if someone has tried to electrically integrate it in some way with the car (which I doubt).
- What looks like a small screen up by the mirror in your pictures is not standard, and I have no idea what it is intended to do
- You probably have no idea how safe the wiring is, if it has been correctly spliced into the harness, or run back to a fusebox, or even appropriately protected with fuse(s)
It's on the front face, opposite the hinge. You'll see mine has a USB stick next to the socket that I use as a source for my music - not sure if yours will have either of these. The next picture shows the special lead that is designed to go from the socket in the console to an iPod (the black part). I've actually bought an iPod to Apple Lightning adaptor (the white bit) so I can connect my iPhone to the car to charge it - normally, unless the phone battery is flat, it just connects via Bluetooth.
Having taken and edited these pictures I now realise how disgusting my centre console cubby has become - I really must vac it out
If you don't already know and don't have an Owner's Guide for your Vantage you should be able to download one from the Aston Martin website - this will cover the connectivity of your particular car.
https://www.astonmartin.com/en-gb/owners/owners-gu...
LTP said:
Hi,
My Vantage is later than yours so it's possible that mine has features yours doesn't. But what I can say, with some confidence, is that yours has had either an amateur or aftermarket automotive electrician modifying your car, so it may be tricky trying to find out what has been fitted and what it does. So, as far as I know:
It's on the front face, opposite the hinge. You'll see mine has a USB stick next to the socket that I use as a source for my music - not sure if yours will have either of these. The next picture shows the special lead that is designed to go from the socket in the console to an iPod (the black part). I've actually bought an iPod to Apple Lightning adaptor (the white bit) so I can connect my iPhone to the car to charge it - normally, unless the phone battery is flat, it just connects via Bluetooth.
Having taken and edited these pictures I now realise how disgusting my centre console cubby has become - I really must vac it out
If you don't already know and don't have an Owner's Guide for your Vantage you should be able to download one from the Aston Martin website - this will cover the connectivity of your particular car.
https://www.astonmartin.com/en-gb/owners/owners-gu...
Thanks LTP for that My Vantage is later than yours so it's possible that mine has features yours doesn't. But what I can say, with some confidence, is that yours has had either an amateur or aftermarket automotive electrician modifying your car, so it may be tricky trying to find out what has been fitted and what it does. So, as far as I know:
- No Vantage ever had a phone connector in the door pocket. This means, unless you trace the wiring, there is no way to know if it has been installed just as a power supply to the handset, or if someone has tried to electrically integrate it in some way with the car (which I doubt).
- What looks like a small screen up by the mirror in your pictures is not standard, and I have no idea what it is intended to do
- You probably have no idea how safe the wiring is, if it has been correctly spliced into the harness, or run back to a fusebox, or even appropriately protected with fuse(s)
It's on the front face, opposite the hinge. You'll see mine has a USB stick next to the socket that I use as a source for my music - not sure if yours will have either of these. The next picture shows the special lead that is designed to go from the socket in the console to an iPod (the black part). I've actually bought an iPod to Apple Lightning adaptor (the white bit) so I can connect my iPhone to the car to charge it - normally, unless the phone battery is flat, it just connects via Bluetooth.
Having taken and edited these pictures I now realise how disgusting my centre console cubby has become - I really must vac it out
If you don't already know and don't have an Owner's Guide for your Vantage you should be able to download one from the Aston Martin website - this will cover the connectivity of your particular car.
https://www.astonmartin.com/en-gb/owners/owners-gu...
That little screen above the mirror, is the Parrot hands free unit. It interrupts anything on the speakers and plays the voice call over these, so there must be some physical "aftermarket" connectivity to the Audio system....
I have read about the "Bovee" solution, and am wondering if that 30 pin in the door is an aftermarket version of the OEM connectivity that you have in the centre cubby?
My simple solution for playing music in my Vantage, is leaving a memory stick plugged into the USB socket in the centre storage compartment.
Dot wav files, extracted from mp4 video files.
A huge choice of music is available to me (at satisfyingly no cost at all).
I have noticed though, that playing music does tend to muffle the exhaust sound.
I have a 2008 4.3L V8V N400, so was the run out Ltd edition model based on the original 4.3L V8V. This might mean it had a mix of the old technology and new that was being rolled into the 4.7L V8V’s.
Like most others have said I have the iPod 32 pin connector in the centre armrest console, with an iPod connector and a hover for the Bluetooth. I also have the in-built phone Bluetooth connectivity but it’s an AM system and not parrot and is literally only for phone calls and not music.
It sound like your system in the door cubby is aftermarket and others have said maybe cutting edge at the time but now way way expired.
I would be tempted to have it removed and set back to factory and instead have Aston installation upgrade to a proper solution with CarPlay and Android auto, not cheapest option but is modern tech at least.
As for the Bovee solution, personally I think it’s awful, if you have an iPhone it autoplays your music from Apple Music app and no way of really stopping it as the iPod connection has a protocol to autoplay when connected. Which sucks I’ve never really used Apple Music app or iTunes so have little in there other than the free U2 album which is not my favourite and a few foo fighters tracks or videos which I do like.
For sat nav I had some success using Waze to play over phone call which was connected via the phone Bluetooth.
For a while I also had an automation which worked to stop Apple Music app after connecting, but that stopped working and I can’t get it to function properly again.
Like most others have said I have the iPod 32 pin connector in the centre armrest console, with an iPod connector and a hover for the Bluetooth. I also have the in-built phone Bluetooth connectivity but it’s an AM system and not parrot and is literally only for phone calls and not music.
It sound like your system in the door cubby is aftermarket and others have said maybe cutting edge at the time but now way way expired.
I would be tempted to have it removed and set back to factory and instead have Aston installation upgrade to a proper solution with CarPlay and Android auto, not cheapest option but is modern tech at least.
As for the Bovee solution, personally I think it’s awful, if you have an iPhone it autoplays your music from Apple Music app and no way of really stopping it as the iPod connection has a protocol to autoplay when connected. Which sucks I’ve never really used Apple Music app or iTunes so have little in there other than the free U2 album which is not my favourite and a few foo fighters tracks or videos which I do like.
For sat nav I had some success using Waze to play over phone call which was connected via the phone Bluetooth.
For a while I also had an automation which worked to stop Apple Music app after connecting, but that stopped working and I can’t get it to function properly again.
Edited by Apollya on Wednesday 22 January 12:31
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