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iPod question on 2009 S550

9147 Views 13 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  stutenn, 
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I have just bought a 2009 S550 4-Matic with AMG sport kit, Premium 3 and iPod. Absolutely loving the car.

I do have one question - I am having trouble with pausing the iPod either manually or when a call comes in.

I listen to a lot of audiobooks so losing my place is a real pain. Muting doesn't pause the ipod and incoming phone calls don't seem to pause it either (?). Only way I have found to pause iPod is to turn audio off from the Audio menu or by switching inputs (e.g. go to FM). However this is hard to do when a phone call is coming in without hanging up on the caller.

Anyone else with this system got any tips or tricks for a newbie?

Thanks in advance.

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Mandingo said:
I have just bought a 2009 S550 4-Matic with AMG sport kit, Premium 3 and iPod. Absolutely loving the car.

Only way I have found to pause iPod is to turn audio off from the Audio menu or by switching inputs (e.g. go to FM).

Anyone else with this system got any tips or tricks for a newbie?
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I know you won't like the answer but the only way I have found to do it is by physically pressing Pause on the iPod itself. I have an iPhone and it's the same problem there. You may as well not put the iPod in the glovebox but keep it sitting on the center console because you can't pause it easily any other way. Why you can have all the features on the COMAND screen for an iPod in an E-class but not in the S-class is one of M/B greatest mysteries and software mistakes. :(
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Mandingo said:
Thanks.

I actually ordered a PCMCIA adapter and 8GB CF card - I plan to put the audiobooks and podcasts on that so I can pause/control those.
I'll let you know how that works out.
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That would be good. I also just ordered a PCMCIA adapter with two USB 2.0 ports in it. I have a Kingston 8GB thumb drive with about 1200 songs on it (and divided into folders) so I want to see if that can take the place of the iPod issue of Pausing. I should receive it in about a week and will post back if I have any luck. I'm also hoping it will show up on the COMAND screen because someone said that PCMCIA input will. I'll believe it when I see it
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Mandingo said:
Well I have good news, good news and good news.

Note I used Transcend Ultra Speed 133x 8GB CF and Transcend PCMCIA CF Adapter.

  • The 8GB card and PCMCIA reader worked perfectly first time (didn't even require formatting)
  • The door closes completely
  • Copying the files was very straightforward, even if you use iTunes to manage podcasts (in iTunes select "Show in Windows Explorer" and just copy the Podcast folder straight over)
  • The COMAND screen shows the folder contents in a very clear way
  • IT PAUSES WHEN YOU MUTE :)

Appears that my problem is solved - hopefully.
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Wow! That is excellent! And anyone who likes David Sedaris and drives an S550 is in the Hall of Fame :) I'll look into this solution, if the thumb drive doesn't perform. Thanks again.
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Mandingo said:
Note I used Transcend Ultra Speed 133x 8GB CF and Transcend PCMCIA CF Adapter.

  • The 8GB card and PCMCIA reader worked perfectly first time (didn't even require formatting)
  • The door closes completely
  • Copying the files was very straightforward, even if you use iTunes to manage podcasts (in iTunes select "Show in Windows Explorer" and just copy the Podcast folder straight over)
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I do use iTunes but how did you get the files onto your CF card in the first place? Did you plug the PCMCIA adapter and CF combo into a laptop and move them that way? I have a Toshiba laptop with an Express Card slot which (I'm told) is incompatible with PCMCIA, and an HP desktop with a CF card reader slot so I guess I could use the HP. Thats' the primary reason I have been opting for UBS thumb/flash drives to move stuff around.
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Mandingo said:
One more trick I just discovered - you need to *push and hold* the COMAND control knob to the side to FF and REW through a track - turning the control skips forward and back a whole track at a time.
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I really get a kick out of all their undocumented stuff. You'd think when they install the iPod adapter, they would have a separate little user guide for it, but Nooooooo! If the PCMCIA-to-USB adapter doesn't work for me, I'll just use the CF reader on my HP desktop. I think I can get the Transcend combination from Amazon.com fairly reasonably. Thanks for your input.
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Mandingo said:
Hmm, might have discovered one problem.

If I am mid-way through an audiobook and lock the car, it seems inconsistent whether it remembers where I was in the file when I return and start the car later.

It appears to remember some times and not others - I need to track down the behavior.

Might be related to how long you leave the vehicle or whether I switched audio sources before leaving the car.

Be a bummer if it resets to the start of each file each time - I want to be able to go to any book and have it resume from where it was left (equivalent to "remember playback position" in iTunes).
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I have heard that problem on other forums, that it simply starts over every time if using the PCMCIA interface. I'm not sure that there is a proper link to the whole COMAND system through this device and that it was an afterthought prior to MB developing their somewhat goofy iPod adapter. That could become a real chore, finding where you left off each time. I tend to use "shuffle play" for the MP3s so if it starts over again, I'll go back into shuffle mode and be surprised at what comes up next!
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PCMCIA adapter with USB ports doesn't work!

I was glad to hear about the solution from mandingo about using the PCMCIA and CF adapter. Even using the On/Off button and changing the Audio to facilitate answering phone calls is better than nothing. When I plug in the Rosewill (or even Transcend) PCMCIA adapter with USB ports in them, COMAND doesn't recognize them in the AUX mode. Bummer! I suppose I understand but it would have been nice. I'll just use the CF adapter combination. :crybaby2:
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