Potential Problem with Mini Plug and iPod

cattail722 · 03-21-2006, 04:28 PM

I haven't seen any posts addressing this issue. Has anyone else experienced this?

I have a 2006 package #3. I've used my 60 gig video iPod several times using the mini plug outlet in the center console without any issues. That is until yesterday...

Yesterday I plugged my iPod into the mini plug jack and after a few seconds the bottom of the screen began to fade to black. I could still see most of the top part of the screen and as far as playing tunes, it worked fine. I did think something was seriously wrong, however, and decided to unplug it. I put the iPod in my bag, went into a store and came out to my car again, removing the iPod from my bag, thinking I'd check to see if still looked the same. It was back to normal. Hmmm. So, I tried plugging it into the mini plug again. Same thing, the bottom began to fade to black again.

I had planned on stopping at Radio Shack to get a new mini plug, as the one I was using was borrowed from a piece of equipment I planned to sell. I picked out a new one and went to pay, and thought I'd ask the guy at the counter if he had experience with this issue. He said that you shouldn't use this plug, especially in a hybrid car, because the spikes in power zap power from your iPod, draining the battery, and can lead to battery failure in the iPod, and possible loss of the items stored in memory. He said to use either the cassette adapter or the fm transmitter, which I had already for use in my prior car, and worked fine. I tried using this device last night in the Prius when I got home, and no wierd screen fading to black happened. Does the guy at Radioshack know what he's talking about? While the FM transmitter works fine, it's far less convenient, especially when traveling distances and the signal changes. I would have thought that Toyota would have thought of this, but is it possible they didn't?

tmorrowus · 03-21-2006, 04:44 PM

Does the guy at Radioshack know what he's talking about?

No. He just knows how to sell cassette adapters.

Two problems with his theory:

1. The miniplug does not provide any power from the car to the ipod.
2. If it did provide power, the Prius actually has one of the most stable, regulated 12V power systems of any car, because it is powered by a DC/DC, not directly from the distributor in the engine as on most cars.

My wild guess as to your problem is that your battery was low, and the power required to send the signal into the miniplug somehow brought it low enough that it didn't have the voltage to power the screen right. Try again with a fully charged battery.

cattail722 · 03-21-2006, 04:49 PM

My wild guess as to your problem is that your battery was low, and the power required to send the signal into the miniplug somehow brought it low enough that it didn't have the voltage to power the screen right. Try again with a fully charged battery.

[snapback]228029[/snapback]

[/quote]

It actually was fully charged when I plugged it in, but discharged rather quickly, I noticed, after plugging it in. Hmmm.

LMidnight · 09-05-2007, 11:23 AM

i'm having this same problem with my ipod. my wife is at the dealership as i type trying to sort this out.

she was first told that she had to 'turn the car on' to charge the ipod. we know that... ugh.

i think the black screen is because the ipod is overheating and causing the LCD to black out. i had mine charged in for a more than a few minutes, and it was red hot to the touch. it was almost to hot to touch.

other accessories work fine. i actually went out and bought a new ipod charger and had the same problem. the two ipod chargers we own work fine in my VW car.

any ideas??

dareniott · 09-05-2007, 12:25 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LMidnight @ Sep 5 2007, 11:23 AM) [snapback]507315[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

i'm having this same problem with my ipod. my wife is at the dealership as i type trying to sort this out.

she was first told that she had to 'turn the car on' to charge the ipod. we know that... ugh.

i think the black screen is because the ipod is overheating and causing the LCD to black out. i had mine charged in for a more than a few minutes, and it was red hot to the touch. it was almost to hot to touch.

other accessories work fine. i actually went out and bought a new ipod charger and had the same problem. the two ipod chargers we own work fine in my VW car.

any ideas??

[/b]

You guys have faulty iPods. The Aux in jack on the Prius is no different than plugging in headphones or any other device. It has the same impedance and is simply audio in, there is no power provided and no feedback, blah blah blah. If you using an ipod charger then maybe that is faulty. Like another poster said the Prius has a very well regulated 12v system, although you could have a fault here if you Prius is not working properly. I use my wife iPod and my phone/iPod (Razr v3i) in the car with no problems.

narf · 09-05-2007, 12:51 PM

Temperature can have a big effect on LCD screens. If your IPOD is in a warm place or sitting in the hot sun the screen could temporarily darken. Now, if you are also using a 12V power supply at the same time to charge the battery and that power supply fails, who knows. But it's real unlikely the Aux input could cause any damage

Spoid · 09-05-2007, 01:41 PM

Are you charging your iPod (through the bottom connector) at the same time or just using the headphone jack only? If you do have any charger, try removing that.

As for Radio Shack, I haven't met anybody there who knew anything within the last 25 years.

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03-21-2006, 04:28 PM	#1
cattail722 cattail722 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bay Area, California Posts: 25 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #3 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I haven't seen any posts addressing this issue. Has anyone else experienced this? I have a 2006 package #3. I've used my 60 gig video iPod several times using the mini plug outlet in the center console without any issues. That is until yesterday... Yesterday I plugged my iPod into the mini plug jack and after a few seconds the bottom of the screen began to fade to black. I could still see most of the top part of the screen and as far as playing tunes, it worked fine. I did think something was seriously wrong, however, and decided to unplug it. I put the iPod in my bag, went into a store and came out to my car again, removing the iPod from my bag, thinking I'd check to see if still looked the same. It was back to normal. Hmmm. So, I tried plugging it into the mini plug again. Same thing, the bottom began to fade to black again. I had planned on stopping at Radio Shack to get a new mini plug, as the one I was using was borrowed from a piece of equipment I planned to sell. I picked out a new one and went to pay, and thought I'd ask the guy at the counter if he had experience with this issue. He said that you shouldn't use this plug, especially in a hybrid car, because the spikes in power zap power from your iPod, draining the battery, and can lead to battery failure in the iPod, and possible loss of the items stored in memory. He said to use either the cassette adapter or the fm transmitter, which I had already for use in my prior car, and worked fine. I tried using this device last night in the Prius when I got home, and no wierd screen fading to black happened. Does the guy at Radioshack know what he's talking about? While the FM transmitter works fine, it's far less convenient, especially when traveling distances and the signal changes. I would have thought that Toyota would have thought of this, but is it possible they didn't?

03-21-2006, 04:44 PM	#2
tmorrowus Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 425 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Does the guy at Radioshack know what he's talking about? No. He just knows how to sell cassette adapters. Two problems with his theory: 1. The miniplug does not provide any power from the car to the ipod. 2. If it did provide power, the Prius actually has one of the most stable, regulated 12V power systems of any car, because it is powered by a DC/DC, not directly from the distributor in the engine as on most cars. My wild guess as to your problem is that your battery was low, and the power required to send the signal into the miniplug somehow brought it low enough that it didn't have the voltage to power the screen right. Try again with a fully charged battery.

03-21-2006, 04:49 PM	#3
cattail722 cattail722 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bay Area, California Posts: 25 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #3 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	My wild guess as to your problem is that your battery was low, and the power required to send the signal into the miniplug somehow brought it low enough that it didn't have the voltage to power the screen right. Try again with a fully charged battery. [snapback]228029[/snapback] [/quote] It actually was fully charged when I plugged it in, but discharged rather quickly, I noticed, after plugging it in. Hmmm.

09-05-2007, 11:23 AM	#4
LMidnight Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	i'm having this same problem with my ipod. my wife is at the dealership as i type trying to sort this out. she was first told that she had to 'turn the car on' to charge the ipod. we know that... ugh. i think the black screen is because the ipod is overheating and causing the LCD to black out. i had mine charged in for a more than a few minutes, and it was red hot to the touch. it was almost to hot to touch. other accessories work fine. i actually went out and bought a new ipod charger and had the same problem. the two ipod chargers we own work fine in my VW car. any ideas??

09-05-2007, 12:51 PM	#6
narf Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 534 My Car: 2008 Prius Package: #6 Touring Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Temperature can have a big effect on LCD screens. If your IPOD is in a warm place or sitting in the hot sun the screen could temporarily darken. Now, if you are also using a 12V power supply at the same time to charge the battery and that power supply fails, who knows. But it's real unlikely the Aux input could cause any damage

09-05-2007, 01:41 PM	#7
Spoid Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 286 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Are you charging your iPod (through the bottom connector) at the same time or just using the headphone jack only? If you do have any charger, try removing that. As for Radio Shack, I haven't met anybody there who knew anything within the last 25 years.