iPhone 4S not working with Subaru iPod connector.

Hi James...

I am glad that you got it working. I have long known that the cable is very important in making the connection work. I did make an assumption that everyone is using an Apple dock connector to USB cable and not an aftermarket one? Some cars have special "pig tail" connectors that go into the USB and AUX port....

...None the less your discovery has reminded me that even though I use an Apple cable, it is well worn and several years old. I will replace it with one of the few brand new cables in my collection and try again.

I would recommend anyone having issues prior to the iOS 5.0-5.0.1 upgrade to change to a new or higher quality dock -> usb cable. Hopefully apple does look into this issue. I submitted a full bugreport to engineering and hopefully it gets into the queue for resolution.

Regards, Trifster

The only issue with your solutions is that the 08-09 Subarus, the ones this thread was originally opened for, dont have USB ports. We have hard wired iPhone cables that plug directly into the back of the deck. So far nothing I have tried has worked, so I had to resort to using the AUX input for now, which means no steering wheel controls and I have to power it seperatly. Pretty lame.

Ugh. That stinks. Reading the pin-out specs via WikiPedia its not a simple connection. I can see why its easy to introduce issues with different voltages and resistors required on certain pin-outs depending on the device.

http://pinouts.ru/PortableDevices/ipod_pinout.shtml

For the cars with a hard wired pig-tail that only have a Dock connector to plug into i'd suggest beating up the dealer to try a new cable/head unit OR take car to a good high end audio installer. The kids that sling solder irons and glue guns all day may know the tricks to get a good connection to car head units....

Trifster

Is this with the Pioneer Head Unit? Does it use a USB connection in the console? I have an 09 STi with the Kenwood HU and iPod kit. It does not work, but I was wondering if the people with the 10-11 STi's with the Pioneer HU have issues with the 4S. Can anyone comment?

I have an 11 Forester with the Pioneer navi unit and have no issues with my 4s. Bluetooth works as do the steering wheel controls for the ipod and phone. My wife's 11 forester has the standard HU with blutooth audio streaming and the bluetooth doesn't work at all. Very frustrating!! Apple store already exchanged her phone once. Still doesn't work.

I have a 2010 Forester with a Navi unit and having the same problem with my new 4S. I don't have a USB port in the vehicle, just jacks and a hardwired pigtail. Are there Apple cords which will plug into a jack? I've been using an Apple dock extender with my pigtail and iPhone3 and it has worked just fine though it would sometimes suddenly click off. Need music!!!

I have a 2012 Outback LTD and have the same problem. My work around was to set it up as a BT audio device. Start the connection in BT mode and then plug in the cable. I then have all of the controls and lists.

My '08 Impressa (hard wired pigtail) plays my ipod touch (5.0.1) just fine. My brand new 4s while charging, reads as "detached". I promised the itouch to my husband if I got the iphone for christmas, do I have to renege?

My Brother-In-Law's 4S worked just perfect in my cars head unit. Mine was still flunky. I am going to restore my iPhone in iTunes and see if that makes things better. Both of our 4Ss are on 5.0.1.

Trifster

To make this clear, your 4s does not work on your subaru interface, but your B.I.L has the same phone and it does? Does your iphone charge, even if it won't play? Do you have the interface that reads "attached" when your BIL's is plugged in and "detached" when yours is plugged in?

I'm just trying to figure out where this problem is, since my ipod touch works flawlessly.

I have tried everything to get my 4S to work with my 09 WRX headunit pigtail. Nothing worked. I have had to resort to using the AUX input and a car charger 😟

Trifster, I believe you have a newer Subaru head unit with the USB cable rather than the hardwired pigtail. Not quite the same issue.

Sorry, i forgot to mention I have an aftermarke JVC head unit with USB port in front. So my nomenclature is quite different. My JVC head unit has 2 connections modes in the settings menu "ipod mode" which lets me select music from iPhone 4S and "head unit mode" which only allows me to go through the head unit menus to play music, podcasts, etc. With my iPhone 4S connected, i can only use the head unit in "head unit mode" where prior to 5.0.1 upgrade i could use "ipod mode". My BIL's 4S worked in both modes with no issue. So i'm guessing a software issue with my 4S and will try a restore in iTunes and setting up phone as new.

When my 4S does not work in ipod mode, the head unit has "stop" on the display. I can select music to play on iPhone and the time indicates that its playing a track but the head unit still displays "stop" and i hear no audio.

Trifster

yeah, a completely different kettle of fish.

lightgod86:

😟😟

It's still not working. The audio streaming, I could care less about but, the bluetooth phone connection won't work either. I wish apple would admit there's a problem so we know they are working on it. The only way to make it work is to re-pair it every time you turn the car on. I can do it but, my wife is beyond frustrated now. I'm looking at a Kenwood navi unit without the streaming audio feature but I'm still checking to make sure the bluetooth for the phone will function properly.

Has anyone tried upgrading to IOS 5.1 and seeing if the Apple Pig tail to the Kenwood HU will work now? I tried, and now instead of getting "attached-detached-attached..." it just says "detached". Obviously it cannot recognize the phone when it's connected.