MSG C5

Quick question regarding the C7(Z) infotainment system. I'm planning to the pull the trigger on a 2017 C7Z and I know the infotainment screen raises and lowers so that you can plug in a memory stick or your smartphone into the USB port.

I was at an industry conference last week and placed my business card in one of those prize drawings and actually won a new 6th Generation 128G iPod Touch. I've been an iPhone user for the last few years and I haven't had the need for an iPod since then, however, this new 6th Generation iPod Touch is really nice!

My question is if I plug the iPod Touch into the USB port behind the infotainment screen and just leave it there all the time, can I also connect my iPhone via Bluetooth wireless for incoming and outgoing calls, etc.? If I'm driving listening to music via the iPod Touch and a call comes into my iPhone, does the infotainment system pause the music automatically so you can take the call? Basically, does the Bluetooth phone over ride the system or do they act separately?

Thanks!

Eff A Ford

Yes when you make/receive a call, the music will pause whether the music is through BT or USB. I have my iPod touch plugged in and I can take calls over BT with no problems. I can even switch between BT audio on my phone and music from my iPod via the USB cable.

MSG C5

Great. Thanks.

For some reason my wife's SUV doesn't allow this as the system is somehow confused by two Apple devices. It works with the iPod and a Samsung phone but not my iPhone.

Rooster OG

The manual says you can pair up to 10 devices via bluetooth. I'd be curious to see how it would handle that many, so YMMV on that one.

Citation

You can use a music device via USB, and a phone via bluetooth simultaneously. I do it every day. My iPod Touch with Spotify is connected via USB. My Blackberry OS10 device is connected via bluetooth. If I make or receive a phone call, the iPod music pauses, then resumes.

Unfortunately the GM infotainment system cannot talk to two bluetooth devices simultaneously. The Ford Sync system can. On Ford vehicles I can use both devices via bluetooth at the same time. On the GM system you may have many devices *paired* at the same time, but only one can be *connected*.

Even if I could do both via bluetooth, connecting your music device via USB is better. Besides charging the music device, you also get a much better music quality via the wired connection. A bluetooth music stream is highly compressed.

I have learned to turn off the wifi receiver on the iPod because when I don't drive the car for a few days the iPod battery will go dead. With wifi turned off that doesn't seem to be a problem. I have the Spotify music downloaded to the iPod so I don't need a wifi connection.

Note that Apple Car Play is not supported on any iPod. That seems odd because its the same operating system as the iPhone and iPad, but it the iPod definitely does not work for Car Play.

MSG C5

Thanks. Good information. Strange that the new iPod won't work with Apple Car Play. If I connect the iPod to the USB port behind the screen and keep the wifi off, will the battery drain between drives or will it shut off with the car?

Citation

The iPod will drain at the same rate it would if were sitting in your house, not connected to anything. With wifi turned off that would be at least a week.

I use the USB port in the center console. I think that is easier to operate the device. If you are playing music that is actually stored on the iPod you can do everything from the car's touch screen. I am using it for Spotify so I need to touch the iPod screen to make changes. If I was able to use Apple Car Play I would be able to do everything form the car radio screen.

MSG C5

Probably better to just have it sit in the center console. Not much room in there for much else anyway and then just manually turn it off after each drive to keep the iPod battery from wearing down.

aj98

Yes,

I have an iPod classic behind the screen; my iPhone generally sits in the rear cupholder.

The car knows the difference; when you select media, it will ask which media device, the iPod or the iPhone.