Nav & MP3?

[Conti2K]

Hi folks,

as of yesterday I am the proud owner of a 2006 Lincoln Navigator Ultimate 4x4 (still have the Conti as well though). I have nothing but good things to say about it, though I do have a question. It's got all available options, including the navigation system. Now I saw in the manual that on the more basic stereos, the MP3 format is supported, however I see no mention of that for the THX/Nav system. Does this setup just not support MP3? It would seem extremely weird, having support for it on the lower end models, but not on the high-end stereo? Also, unlike the 07, which seems to be getting an aux. input, this one really has no decent way of hooking an iPod or anything like that to the stereo either.
Any thoughts or input? Thanks!

- C2K

 

[asharillc]

not sure

I think you are correct my friend. I have 2005 Lincoln Navi Ultimate. I've tried multiple cd's that i've formatted in mp3. I can't get it to work at all. They always say error or invalid disk. I even thought that maybe they meant the DVD Player on the Rear Seat Entertainment unit would play mp3's....nope..I can't get it to. The only thing I can think of that may work so you can have a cd with lots of songs is to burn a DVD mp3 cd and put it in the DVD player in the rear seat entertainment unit. I haven't tried it yet but as soon as I do i'll let you know. By the way. You do have a AUX input for an ipod or device if you have the Rear seat entertainment unit. If you don't then SWEET! Even better.. You can use the jumper harness from PAC to add one. Then you can put it anywhere and not have to have the RCA's hanging from the headliner where the dvd player with the aux inputs are. Check it out on Ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FRD0...hZ019QQitemZ7992334350QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

 

[Conti2K]

I think you are correct my friend.

Hm... well, that's really too bad. I figured that for the (almost) $3K they make you drop for the THX/Nav system you would at least get all the features that the more basic versions of the stereo have (especially the MP3 part).
The Navigator has all the available options, including the rear-seat DVD entertainment system, so unfortunately I can not use that RCA connector - that would have been awesome though.
I know that some companies make some connectors that can plug into the connector for the 6-disc changer, so you can control an iPod as if it were a CD changer. I wonder if that would work on this stereo?
I'm not too fond of running the FM transmitter on the iPod though, since the sound quality is far from what it would be with a more 'direct' connection.

 

[asharillc]

hmm not quite sure

i'm not quite sure you understand what i'm sayin....if you have the rear seat entertainment unit with the drop down monitor and the built in dvd player...there is a composite input on the front of the dvd player. RED, WHITE, YELLOW for video. if you go to best buy or some similar store you can buy a RCA to Minijack cable that you can plug one end into the ipod and the other into the RCA on the dvd player on the celing. I did this but the only prob is that the cable hangs down...unless you run it through the headliner and down to the driver console. The only problem with this is I couldn't get the damn overhead unit down to do this. I took out 4 small screws but it won't budge when i pull it..and I certainly don't want to break it. I was also going to see if i could tap into the video feed from the factory dvd player and split it to some headrest monitors. Hmm...I'll let you know if i get it figured out. Also a thought I had was to get the AUX cable that goes on the back of the factory navigation. PAC sells it. It's when you don't have the rear seat entertainment unit. If we used the cable to input an aux to the THX sound system from this cable you would lose the sound from the dvd player...but the people in the back could use the headphones...or you could use a PS2 for movies and input the video into the front of the overhead dvd player and the sound in through the new RCA Aux inputs that will come off the back of the radio...the piece is around $60.00 I'll buy it and try it...let you know what it does. Nex mod for me is the Vizualogic Perfect Match Head rest monitors and the VisionTrac KVH A5 Satellite Dish .

Hm... well, that's really too bad. I figured that for the (almost) $3K they make you drop for the THX/Nav system you would at least get all the features that the more basic versions of the stereo have (especially the MP3 part).
The Navigator has all the available options, including the rear-seat DVD entertainment system, so unfortunately I can not use that RCA connector - that would have been awesome though.
I know that some companies make some connectors that can plug into the connector for the 6-disc changer, so you can control an iPod as if it were a CD changer. I wonder if that would work on this stereo?
I'm not too fond of running the FM transmitter on the iPod though, since the sound quality is far from what it would be with a more 'direct' connection.

 

[Conti2K]

I got what you were saying. The only thing I meant to say was that I do have the rear-seat entertainment system so it's too bad that AUX port on the back of the headunit is already used by that. Otherwise hooking the iPod straight into the headunit would've been best. Also, yes, plugging it straight into the entertainment unit in the backseat is possible, but as you said, then you have the dangling wire to deal with. I wonder if places like Cartoys could lend a hand to work that into the headliner though.
I looked at the FM transmitters today, when I was at Best Buy, but I don't really like going that way. Picky, I know, but hey.

i'm not quite sure you understand what i'm sayin....if you have the rear seat entertainment unit with the drop down monitor and the built in dvd player...there is a composite input on the front of the dvd player. RED, WHITE, YELLOW for video. if you go to best buy or some similar store you can buy a RCA to Minijack cable that you can plug one end into the ipod and the other into the RCA on the dvd player on the celing. I did this but the only prob is that the cable hangs down...unless you run it through the headliner and down to the driver console. The only problem with this is I couldn't get the damn overhead unit down to do this. I took out 4 small screws but it won't budge when i pull it..and I certainly don't want to break it. I was also going to see if i could tap into the video feed from the factory dvd player and split it to some headrest monitors. Hmm...I'll let you know if i get it figured out. Also a thought I had was to get the AUX cable that goes on the back of the factory navigation. PAC sells it. It's when you don't have the rear seat entertainment unit. If we used the cable to input an aux to the THX sound system from this cable you would lose the sound from the dvd player...but the people in the back could use the headphones...or you could use a PS2 for movies and input the video into the front of the overhead dvd player and the sound in through the new RCA Aux inputs that will come off the back of the radio...the piece is around $60.00 I'll buy it and try it...let you know what it does. Nex mod for me is the Vizualogic Perfect Match Head rest monitors and the VisionTrac KVH A5 Satellite Dish .

 

[Conti2K]

I've been reading the manual some more and it actually says you can play MP3 discs (up to 255 tracks per disc) in the rear entertainment system. So I tried it with CD's as well as DVD's, with the MP3's in the root as well as in their own sub folders, and every time I try it it will start playing on the first file, for about 2 seconds, and then just shut off and go to Radio instead... what the hell? And I checked it on the rear screen and it actually shows it goes to folder x, track y, and still won't continue playing... I don't get it...

 

[asharillc]

ran mine

finally ran mine through the headliner down the pillar post last night over to my ps2..i can finally play games and see it on the front factory navigation and the rear seat dvd and hear it through the car stereo! sweetness. i should post a pic...it doesn't look bad at all...atleast the wires don't dangle anymore!

I got what you were saying. The only thing I meant to say was that I do have the rear-seat entertainment system so it's too bad that AUX port on the back of the headunit is already used by that. Otherwise hooking the iPod straight into the headunit would've been best. Also, yes, plugging it straight into the entertainment unit in the backseat is possible, but as you said, then you have the dangling wire to deal with. I wonder if places like Cartoys could lend a hand to work that into the headliner though.
I looked at the FM transmitters today, when I was at Best Buy, but I don't really like going that way. Picky, I know, but hey.

 

[Conti2K]

Very nice! How did you get the video signal to display on the front display? I'd love to do that to this one.