I have an EX35 with the optional, dealer installed iPod connector. Aside from the clunky, screen control interface, I am very pleased. My only gripe is the lack of hardwire power. This iPod is just for use in my car, I don't use it anywhere else. Has anyone successfully re-routed the installed iPod adapter to be hardwired, so it does not lose a charge every other day or 2?

you've got to be kidding. all of that proprietary work just for the iPod and it won't charge it? What a total waste of effort.

Not EXactly. It does charge, as long as the car is running. Turn off the car and all it does is drain the ipod battery. The iPod connection is not always "hot".

Oh well that's different. A lot of cars don't do that. In particular, most Japanese cars don't do that. My Ford will do that, but it also drains the car battery.

Welcome, phillyex!

I think inteller's analysis is dead on. Most manufacturers have elected not to risk draining the battery. With all the onboard electronics, some of which need trickle power, I can't say I blame them.

Still, if they allowed that as an option somehow (via soft setup, jumper, optional fuse, etc), that would have been nice. Now, if only we knew where, and to whom, we can submit our various wish lists for the EX!!

Just curious, if you're using the iPod just in the car, why didn't you simply buy a CF card (or several)? With CF cards, there wouldn't be any charging issues anyway.

Cheers,David

My vote is for CF as well. My current project is to rip all of the old CDs that I bought for some reason or another, then put everything else on CF.

A CF card is light years different than a 40GB or 80GB iPod. I have nearly 5000 songs to enjoy. I have yet to even figure out the reason for the CF slot, but that's a whole other topic.As to the battery issue, my previous car was a Mini Copper S with the iPod interface. I never even came close to draining the battery, it's an iPod not a microwave oven.

Here's the problem....

How an iPod traditionally works: If you put it in pause mode, set it down, and walk away, within 2-3 minutes it will go completely to sleep. Deep sleep. The battery won't have any appreciable discharge rate in this mode (well, it will discharge over weeks rather than days).

How an iPod works when connected to the EX35: When you switch off the car or turn off the radio or press the iPod pause button on the EX35's Nav screen, the connected iPod goes into pause mode. However, it never enters deep sleep if left unattended but connected to the car. Sure, the screen (backlighting) dims but the iPod is still wide awake. In this mode, it will run its own battery down in days, not weeks.

Until Infiniti fixes this with a firmware upgrade, we're stuck with it. The only option is to manually disconnect the iPod from the EX35's dock connector cable each time you park the car.

Mark

Thank you. Very clear.

Doesn't the option exist to find the "hot" wire in the harness and reroute it to an always hot feed?

I have not charged my ipod since I got the car a month ago. I leave the ipod connected all the time. Every time I get in my car the ipod is on. i wonder if it comes on when the intell key is in range. Does anyone think this will cause damage or car battery drain if I leave the ipod connected 24/7 ? When I get in the car the song is exactly where it left off from last trip so I am guessing that the ipod is always on.

The ipod does charge, but only when the engine is running. If you drive for an hour each way to work or wherever, it will charge enough to hold the charge, but it is not charging when the car is off

do you know if the interface cable communicates with the iPod using the serial remote strings or does it use the proprietary Apple Accessory protocol? if the former, this means I can get an old 3G ipod and slap ipod linux on it so I can pile it up with WMAs and not have to use iTunes crap.

as far as functionality with the EX, a CF card doesn't function much differently than an iPod. that is both good and bad.