Bluetooth car kit

[imported_dazzling]

Hi Guys,

I am new to the A4 world have have just bought an 02 plate 3.0 quattro sport. Love the car!

It has Navigation plus but I am wondering what options I have to interconnect a bluetooth car kit to give radio mute etc. I used to install car phone, ICE years ago although if it is too complex would be prepared to pay someone in the Cheshire, Manchester area.

I generally use Nokia mobiles, but may go Sony Ericcson in the future so compatibility is important.

Also my Nav Plus does not seem to have the TV module fitted, any ideas where I can get one and how to fit?

Any advice/help welcome.

Cheers

Dazzling

 

[DaveP]

I think you will find that you have a mute input at the back of the head unit. You can probably feed the output of the car kit into the head unit. BOSE will give you a problem, but you haven't stated that you have that. Lots of people have Parrot kits (including me) and they seem good. SonyEricsson integration seems good (much better than the Panansonic bluetooth attempt).

 

[Leddy]

I have a hard-wired Nokia Cark-126 with my 7250 and it works great. Combined it with a dashmount from dashmount.co.uk for a non drilling solution.

Charges the phone, and most importantly, no-one can tell you are using a hands free kit as the quality is superb.

 

[Grant]

Bluetooth is an industry standard - so a Sony Ericsson Bluetooth carkit will work with any Bluetooth capable phone.

I have the Sony Ericsson HCB-30 kit and it is good. Contrary to popular belief, you do need to get the extra cable to mute the stereo - well I did anyway.

In reply to clcollins:

1) With bluetooth, your phone always has to be on prior to starting your engine, the car kit only sends out the ‘connect’ signal for a short period upon ignition, if your phone is not ‘bluetooth on’ then you will have to turn it on and stop/start your engine.
- Why would you have you phone off? You switch on Bluetooth, and leave it on. When you go into your car and start you engine, the connection is made.

2) Even when your phone is ‘bluetooth on’ you still have to press a button on your phone to accept the connection.
- No. You can press the Answer button on your Bluetooth controller or use the 'Magic word' feature - i.e. voice activation, so saying 'Answer' will answer your phone without touching it, or you can say 'Busy' to not answer it.

3) Bluetooth kits obviously can’t charge your phone.
- If you want to charge your phone in your car, you can always use a in-car charger. But it's best to charge your phone at night. Over charging kills mobile phone batteries.

4) The hard-wired kit is simply put your phone in the holder and go, and it charges.
- Keep your mobile in your pocket - no unsitely phone holder sticking out the side of the console.

 

[imported_dazzling]

Well this seems to be a bit of a pain in the ***!

I have just started work with a new company and been given the CARK126 car kit and Nokia 3100 mobile to match. I have a comapny coming to do an install on Friday although they say they cannot do a 'deluxe' install and it will be external speaker etc.

Simply put my Sat Nav plus seems to have settings for phone volume etc. and i assume thats some car kit can be wired in properly?

Any ideas?

 

[The911SC]

Car kit can be wired to the standard concert2 or symphony2 units without an extra mute lead (I am not sure about the nav +, but the ordinary nav will work in the same way.

Take the yellow lead and attach a mini spade recepticle to it, then attach to the Phone connector. Cut the speaker off the end of the lead, and wire the + and - to the tel + and - spades on the back of the stereo and job done.
Will mute/pause cd and the sound comes through the speakers.


As for the bluetooth comments from Gareth, the kit does make a connection if wired up correctly upon the ignition starting or pressing and holding the button for 4 seconds on a nokia kit. This will mean calls made from the phone will be through the kit not through its normal earpiece etc (be careful here, there are settings on most phones to choose if bluetooth is not present)

Oh, and bluetooth is NOT actually implemented universally so dont go buying a Nokia kit for a sony Ericsson, cos it wont work properly!..

Try and stick to the same manufacturer... nokia for nokia etc.. its safer!..

 

[The911SC]

here are the pics of the connectors

 

[garethj]

Jonathan, if you read my comments properly I was pointing out that Bluetooth isn't Universal and that you need to be really careful when choosing a Bluetooth kit / phone combo.

As for the initial connection comment, the Nokia kit does go into pairing mode automatically each time it starts but will not make a connection unless the phone is left in discoverable mode (which it should not be). There is no requirement to handshake with an already paired device at start up, its not part of the Bluetooth standard.

 

[The911SC]

Oh, thats true gareth; sorry, maybe i mis read your post.
Most fitters do not connect the blue lead to the ignition and just connect it to power all the time thus not triggering the pairing of the ck-1w unit at least (cant speak for the others).
You are right about the non standard 'standard' though... the idea of bluetooth is that you could pair your phone to potentially any kit as long as you knew the codes.
My sony ericsson T630 woked with the nokia car kit but not 100% as it didnt ring and mute properly (wheras it did when i tried it with a nokia phone).
Gave up in the end and went for hard wired; its much better for me as i forget to charge the phone and its usually in my pocket!..

 

[imported_Pottsy]

I have to say that BT has to be the most convenient. I have a Sony Ericsson S700 and HCB30 BT kit. My phone never comes out of my pocket, and it all works perfectly. No button pushing, and I have my phone set as "invisible" yet it still works. If you turn your phone off, for some reason, then when on again the connection can be established by pressing the off hook button on the little control panel.

Installation was simple too, couple of ISO connectors and I have sound coming from my main speakers.

 

[Davidb67]

Gizze,
is the backlighting on the HKW-600 only blue, or are there other colours selectable??

 

[Davidb67]

Forgot to ask Gizze - what phone(s) you using with your kit?
i want to go for the HKW-600, but in my new A3 the blue backlighting will look out of place, and i'm not even sure the phonebook/contacts feature of the kit will work on my SE T610 & moto V600.

worst comes to worst, i'll be going for the SE HCB-300 kit, but that doesn't have a display - not the end of the workd, but the Siemens kit looks a lot better (IMO) than the Nokia or Parrot kits with display.....

 

[pwnorman]

Would it work ok with nokia 6230 and do you have it through your car speakers as im having problems getting someone who can put them throgh bose speakers on mine i know it can be done just dont know whats needed todo it with so if anyone can help as i need it doing asap cheers.

 

[gizze]

Ok to answer your questions on phones, I could not get my T610 to even sync with it, but then it is a very early one and never had a firmware upgrade, somone on teh expansys forum said his works great with it.
My 6230 will not let you view your contacts, Nokia changed the bluetooth spec after the 6310 to make it more secure more like make you buy their accessories. But it works a treat for calls etc.
My Siemens S65, as you would expect, works a treat.
So I would make sure you have a late version firmware with the T610, I know the newer phones from SE work fine.

The display isn't actually blue, although it looks it in the photo, it is a clear sort of colour, not as bright a white as the speedo dials but definitely clear.

I sold my A4 Avant on Sunday, see new sig., and will probably try and get part prices for the Audi bluetooth kit as I like to be able to see who is calling on the display and as I have the DVD Nav+ it would be nice to be able to control everything from that.