Ok Everybody here it is. If you have an Acura Music Link installed and you want to get rid of the dreaded "OK to Disconnect" message and keep control of your iPod here is what I figured out.

I know this works with a 2006 TL w/nav and music link and 5G Video iPod.

Initial Conditions:

Vehicle Ignition ON
CD-C selected on Radio
Music Link cable connected and iPod playing
iPod MUST BE FULLY CHARGED


Procedure:

Turn Vehicle Ignition OFF

iPod:

DISCONNECT Music Link Cable
Turn OFF iPod (display MUST BE DARK - hold play/pause to turn off)

Timing is critical for remaining steps - Must be done before Navi splash screen

Turn Vehicle Ignition to ACC (First Click)

iPod:
Connect Music Link cable - iPod should turn on and display "Charge Complete"

Press MENU repeatedly untill main iPod menu appears.

You should now be in control of your iPod.

I believe it will stay this way until you disconnect the Music Link Cable or leave the Vehicle Ignition OFF long enough that the iPod completely powers off (a few days, I think)

I'm going to try this with my old 3G iPod next.

Everybody try this out and let me know if it works for you. All the steps may not be needed, but this is how I got it to work.

PS - The steering wheel and radio buttons still work too!

jjh1234

 

omg dont tease me

ill try this out when i get home

 

Gosh, that sounds like a lot of work for simple control of my iPod while I'm driving. I'm glad I got the drive & play instead.

 

You can keep your drive & play. I can watch videos now, can you? Music Link rules!!

 

Actually, yes I can. I got a P.I.E. adapter which has three line level inputs. D+P has one as well. I haven't bothered to convert the Navi screen, but I can certainly export the audio without the D+P.

Keep your eyes on the road JJ!

 

I want to use my steering wheel and i want a STOCK look
not a fan of different controls and screens poking out of the panels

 

http://mysite.verizon.net/imagelib/s...target=tlx_new

 

Justin, I'm not trying to change your mind. I totally respect your mod. To me, all that work to control the iPod - shut the car off, unplug the iPod. then turn key, plug iPod back in and start the car - seems like a lot of work to do every time you want to control the iPod from the clickwheel. All that and the iPod is still mounted externally for video viewing.

I know the D+P isn't for everyone. I'm not trying to sell ya. Those reading this post have probably already made up their minds. I like the Drive & Play and I'm sticking with it. Keeping a stock look is important for some, but the steering wheel control is limited to tracks from a playlist. I like to skip around. The voicelink software is a complete lemon from what I've gathered.

I will gladly shell out over $500 if the AML would let me say, "Play Aerosmith's Greatest Hits" or "Playlist My Drive songs". Honda just ain't there yet and I don't want to wait anymore.

Your setup sounds nice and the picture posted after your reply above looks great, but I'm tucking my 3G iPod in the glove box. The D+P screen compliments the graphite/carbon fiber interior and the control dial matches the blue backlight from the factory radio. I'm giving up a cupholder like the other setups I've seen in this forum.

Later on, y'all!

 

I will try it after I'll fully charge my iPod, but, I don't think that this method can be a permanent solution

 

Very complicated fix, but definite props to you , jj, for finding it.

Still doesn't change the fact that Honda should have made this easier from the start.

 

I know it's a pain in the rear end. The only bonus is that once you get it out of the "Ok to Disconnect" mode, it lasts untill you disconnect it.

I found this accidentally when fooling with my new 5G 30gig iPod. I was able to replicate it pretty easily on that iPod. Then I decided to exchange it for the 60gig model. For some reason it's harder to get the 60gig model in this mode. Don't ask why.

Hopefully this is just a temporary fix until something better comes around. I'm hoping the USA Spec iPod interface proves to be compatible with our TL.

jjh1234

 

THIS REALLY WORKS!!! GREAT STUFF.

I have the 06 TL with 60gig video ipod. For me, once I do the trick of pressing Menu rapidly and get the menu on my ipod, as long as the Ipod is plugged in, I won't have to do it again even when I turn the car off.

Good stuff!!!

 

sybaek3,

Glad it works for you. I've been fooling around a lot more with my new 60GB Video iPod. I think that most of my instructions are probably not necessary, but it works for me. I think the trick is to plug in the iPod while it's OFF. I have never been able to get it to work while it's still on. Maybe that's the only trick. What do you do exactly? To be honest, I expected a lot of comments from others about how this worked for them.

jjh1234

 

What is the Music Link? You can hook up the Ipod? Does it work thru the navi system? Tell me more please...where do I get it?

 

jj. Works like a charm for me. I just hold play to turn it off, turn on the car, plug it in. It will say charged, i simply hit menu once or twice, and thats it. Its good as long as it stays plugged in. Not too hard of a fix at all! Next best thing to an actual hardware/software solution.

 

what will it take to get exact screen of ipod onto navi?? is it even possible?

 

This setup doesn't work for me. My commute includes riding in public transportation, so my iPod is never fully charged

 

I think the most important factor for me is:

-Plugging the ipod in while it is off and pressing the menu before the navi screen appears. I haven't tried to plug it in while the car was off, so I will try that next. Have you tried this?

I am not sure if the ipod needs to be charged. I don't think mine was.

 

I think you are right. The only thing needed is the iPod OFF and hit menu repeatedly befor it gets stuck in "OK to disconnect". I think it works even it the nav is already booted up. I don't think it will work with the car off.

jjh1234

 

Have you tried it with the navi already booted up?

If that works, then all we need to do is turn the ipod off and plug it in and press the menu rapidly to avoid it being stuck on that mode.

 

I think I've had it work at least once with the nav already booted up. I will try it again when I get back in town on Friday.

jjh1234

 

Ok...Maybe it is just me. I just got my iPod Link installed today, first thing I tried was this little trick. I tried it whiel the care was in ACC mode and when it was started. The "OK to Disconnect" scrren comes up almost before the plug is even inserted. How in the world are you able to hit menu right away.

Any pointers for this simple idea would be greatly appreciated...Thanks Dennis

 

I'm getting the same thing.

 

i can get out of it by pressing menuor even holding it

even try holding the play/pause button

 

Hey this seems to work for my 4G PHOTO iPod...
I do have a question about this that concerns me a bit...
After I turn the car off, the "Charged" screen still appears with a picture of a battery
and an a/c adaptor there. Will this deplete my battery? I want to leave it connected so I
don't have to continually have to do this.

Anyhow this is the best "solution" that I have seen to the musiclink problems, but the interface that Acura designed that displays on the navi still sux. For $350+ it should be great.

 

One thing that I have noticed is that I have better luck if the iPod was previously connected and playing in the "Disc 6" mode before I disconnect it, turn it off, re-connect it and hit MENU a bunch of times. Hope this helps.

 

Anyone know if this technique drains the acura battery since the ipod never turns off completey now (see question above)?

 

My iPod goes to sleep a few minutes after turning off the ignition, and totally shuts down in about 12 hours.

 

Bump

 

i found that if you disconnect the ipod, use the ipod to select what you want, press play and reconnect. The selection will play through the radio.

I haven't been able to get to the ipod navigation screens as you've described though.

Dave

 

Update, at 11:30 pm last night I'm sitting in my garage in my car trying to get this to work. I can do it, haven't quite mastered it yet. Works once in awhile, not reliably yet, but it does look good!!!

 

Its really not that hard to navigate your IPOD using the voicelink software. Once you get the timing down, its dang easy to find any album, artist or genre on your IPOD.

 

jjh1234,

I got it to work! Thanks. So now we've got three ways to use the music link. Your way (which is probably the best), my way (preset the ipod to the selection and plug in), and the acura way (which I rarely get to actually play what I want, but sometimes its nice to be surprised).

All in all not too bad. I was able to blend the cost of the music link into the car price with my wife none the wiser and the sound quality is great. I'm happy. I've got xm radio (I used the $77 for the year code so I've got 15 months for $77), the regular radio (which I haven't even listened to), a cd play (again not using), and my ipod with 7500 songs on it.

Dave

 

Just bought a 60 gb ipod to replace my 1st gen one, hooked it up and low and behold i can use the ipod to navigate my songs and movies... have no idea why but even if i turn the car off and on, disconnect and reconnect while the car is ON or OFF... i have the radio on disk 6 and i have NOT loaded the acura software on my ipod... i can still move fwd and rev from the head unit as well btw...


Very weird, i already have the USA spec convertor so i will be adding it as i might be doing a mac mini with dom video conversion later and using the aux in on the usa spec...


one for the books for sure

 

good one, i may take the acura software off, as i find it to really slow down the ipod loading process and it hardly ever gets to what i really want to listen to.

Let you know.

 

That's strange! I wonder why yours does not go into the OK to Disconnect Mode?
I would be interested if you have a newer version OS on your iPod. Maybe there is something wrong with it that happens to work in your favor. Strange!!

 

Not sure, was strange i had an older ipod on there and it worked about as good as a brick would plugged into it.. lol.. the old ipod was on its last leg it was 4 years old and I was surprised it even worked at all.. so i bought a new one last week and just installed the USA spec last night... maybe it would have regressed into the check mode? not sure only used it a few days and left it in the glove compartment for the most part...

 

We have our wires crossed. This thread is discussing how to trick the Acura Music Link into working similar to the USA Spec. You HAVE the USA Spec already, so this thread does not apply to you.

 

I indeed had the muisc link and that was what my post originally was referring to... I had normal ipod control after i had purchased a new video 60 gb ipod WITH the Acura music link.

I just installed the USA Spec 2 days ago.. so no more music link.

 

I have read this entire thread with great interest. I just purchased a new 06 TL with Nav and the music link accessory. I should have done the research first. I listen to audiobooks on the road. I want to be able to fast forward and rewind in the middle of a book to get to specific parts. I don't see anywhere in the directions where you can do this. Is music link only designed to play music in shuffle mode?
Thanks

Joe