New Toyota Accessory Kit for iPod / iPhone $299

[jpadc]

I see in the new 2009 Toyota Prius brochure is a listing for a new iPod / iPhone integration kit for $299 installed. I can't seem to find any information about what it will do. All I get from my salesman is that it will work with my 2008, but no one seems to know what it will do. Anybody got any info? Will it let you control the iPod / iPhone with the touch screen? Show playlists, songs? Play / FF controls?

Anyone got the scoop?

To see it, go to the Toyota main website and then this file:

/prius-hybrid/ebrochure.html

it is on p.13 of the brochure

[rigormortis]

yeah i am pretty sure you can see the song titles and control the ipod from the steering wheel. the device was actually released in august 2007, its just the first time its been mentioned in a brochure. the two important things to watch out for are:

1) the toyota part will take up your satellite port. you cannot have toyota's iphone interface and a satellite radio connected at the same time

2) when you go to the toyota dealer make sure they install the correct part. some dealers are not installing the toyota part and installing a different companies part and it does not work as good as the toyotas.

the toyota part # is PT545-00082

[jpadc]

Thanks for the info..

I see a lot of posts on the site comparing the VAIS and DICE products as well something (maybe?) from coastal ech. I’ve read no discussion of Toyota’s offering here. It surprises me that I can find no mention of it here.

Does anyone know how those products compare to the Toyota one? Given the above caution, I’m assuming the Toyota’s offering requires the AM/SAT radio and it seems the others will work without it. Do you or anyone else have more details about the functionality of the Toyota unit?

[rigormortis]

yeah, toyota doesnt go out of thier way to advertise it, so a lot of people do not have it. this is an interesting thread, he went to his toyota dealer to buy the ipod option and they substituted the item and he wasn't happy with it

http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-ma...ce-option.html

you can find a lot of info about it by googling for the part number and reading other toyota and scion forums

[tongyang]

Wow, from the person's description that sounds completely lame...

[jpadc]

My related concern is that if you have a Vais or Dice iPod integration kit and something happens down the road and the Prius touch screen dies or the Nav unit stops working, is Toyota going to say...

"Sorry, not covered under warrenty becuase you hooked up 'unapproved' accessories to the unit. Should have paid way more for way less and gone with the Toyotya unit"

Any thoughts on that?

[rigormortis]

Originally Posted by tongyang

Wow, from the person's description that sounds completely lame...

yeah he was describing the non toyota version that the dealer substituted him

[9G-man]

Originally Posted by jpadc

My related concern is that if you have a Vais or Dice iPod integration kit and something happens down the road and the Prius touch screen dies or the Nav unit stops working, is Toyota going to say...

"Sorry, not covered under warrenty becuase you hooked up 'unapproved' accessories to the unit. Should have paid way more for way less and gone with the Toyotya unit"

Any thoughts on that?

Those are connected to the radio, not the MFD, but either way....
If you have any trouble, just remove it before going to the dealer.

[Cate Ross]

I just got my '08 Prius back after having the Toyota iPod link put in. I'm still learning how to work it, so I'll post that when I have a better handle on it.

The part was an eyebrow-raising $260--had to be ordered in.

Labor for install was another $225--Dealer was already replacing my MFD, so I may have saved some $$$ on that.

Could I have done it more cheaply? Yup. Would it have been warranted? Not by Toyota. So I sucked it up to keep warranty issues clear.

So far, though, it's better than lifting my armrest to get at the iPod to change the playlist. . .

[jpadc]

Please do report back... I'm interested in learning everything about it as I can find no reliable information about it. I am especially interested in how it handles play lists, it it charges the unit properly etc. What iPod do you have? Also, did they mount it in the glove box or the area below the radio?

Thanks for the info