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Anyone else deal w/ a dead MDI interface?

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decrescendo

Ready to race!
I own a 2011 fully-loaded GTI (with the Dynaudio). I bought it in July of 2011.

I had been having some sort of weird issues with the iPod interface since I bought it but now I cannot play any music off of my iPhone or iPod through the MDI cable.

At some point between July 2011 and July 12 I had the MDI software updated. Some of my initial issues went away but for the last few weeks the MDI won't recognize any iPod or iPhone (when pushing the "Media" button it says "no media" or whatever).

However, SOMETIMES it will charge the iPhone or iPod. Charging is very erratic but no matter what the charging situation is I cannot get the car to recognize the iPod or iPhone's music.

Anyone else experience this? Is this a straight-to-dealer problem?
 
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decrescendo

Ready to race!
I've tried reseating the cable numerous times and that's definitely not the issue.

Where is the cheapest place to get a new MDI cable? Do I have to go through VW for that? I'm sure that's the most expensive way to do it
 
[Old User]

[Old User]

Go Kart Champion
have exactly the same problem. reads the phone sometimes and other times acts like there is nothing plugged in. I've noticed that when you move the phone while its connected, the wire moves slightly and the connection is gone. I think the metal on the end of the wire is just really cheaply designed and doesn't stay in the phone properly.
 
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decrescendo

Ready to race!
TSI_mr.niceguy said:
have exactly the same problem. reads the phone sometimes and other times acts like there is nothing plugged in. I've noticed that when you move the phone while its connected, the wire moves slightly and the connection is gone. I think the metal on the end of the wire is just really cheaply designed and doesn't stay in the phone properly.
Click to expand...

so you haven't tried a new cable yet, either?
 
[Old User]

[Old User]

Go Kart Champion
decrescendo said:
so you haven't tried a new cable yet, either?
Click to expand...

nah, I use bluetooth audio so I stopped caring about the cable. but still, as I tried just now, the problem remains... perhaps it is the cable. the car only has 1100 miles. would a cable really have gone bad that fast considering that it has been used 5-10 times?:confused:
 
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decrescendo

Ready to race!
TSI_mr.niceguy said:
nah, I use bluetooth audio so I stopped caring about the cable. but still, as I tried just now, the problem remains... perhaps it is the cable. the car only has 1100 miles. would a cable really have gone bad that fast considering that it has been used 5-10 times?:confused:
Click to expand...

I suppose anything's possible with a low-grade electronic component.

I'm up to around 13,000 and this issue has been going on for a while. Maybe this cable is the reason why I've had spooky MDI issues for the entire life of the car.
 
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nuggstein

Go Kart Champion
TSI_mr.niceguy said:
nah, I use bluetooth audio so I stopped caring about the cable. but still, as I tried just now, the problem remains... perhaps it is the cable. the car only has 1100 miles. would a cable really have gone bad that fast considering that it has been used 5-10 times?:confused:
Click to expand...
I mean there's also a percentage of electronic devices/cables failing rate. Anything can fail dude. You can buy a TV and 60 days later it will stop working. What does car mileage have to do with a cable?

Listen to what everyone else said...replace the cable. Sounds like a poor connection. If a new cable doesn't work, then you'll know it's something else.
 
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nadams5755

Ready to race!
you can find the mdi cable (and its usb port counterpart) on amazon for relatively cheap. someone here added some bump-stops to their armrest to ensure it wouldn't crush the cable/connector.

i have an older ipod touch i leave in my center console, plugged in and tucked out of the way. i leave it on all the time and sync it over wifi via itunes. library, podcasts, etc. /me lazy
 
[Old User]

[Old User]

Go Kart Champion
nuggstein said:
I mean there's also a percentage of electronic devices/cables failing rate. Anything can fail dude. You can buy a TV and 60 days later it will stop working. What does car mileage have to do with a cable?

Listen to what everyone else said...replace the cable. Sounds like a poor connection. If a new cable doesn't work, then you'll know it's something else.
Click to expand...

I never use it so I'm not going to replace it as I don't give a shit. But judging from the fact that this is happening to multiple people I don't think it is necessarily equivalent to one person buying a TV and it stopping working because of something breaking, unless its a commonly known issue, which until now I never knew it to be. and by car mileage I meant usage... meaning it didnt make sense for it to break because of wear and tear since the cable has barely been used since I haven't actually been in the car that long.
 
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decrescendo

Ready to race!
TSI_mr.niceguy said:
I never use it so I'm not going to replace it as I don't give a shit. But judging from the fact that this is happening to multiple people I don't think it is necessarily equivalent to one person buying a TV and it stopping working because of something breaking, unless its a commonly known issue, which until now I never knew it to be. and by car mileage I meant usage... meaning it didnt make sense for it to break because of wear and tear since the cable has barely been used since I haven't actually been in the car that long.
Click to expand...

Could be a manufacturing quality control issue. Who knows.

I'm going to call the dealership today and see if they have any I can try out.
 
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decrescendo

Ready to race!
So last night, I got the MDI to start working by messing around with the cable (for way too long). I basically had to give the damn thing a back massage in order for it to work.

This confirms the MDI cable suspicions TSI_mr.niceguy brought up. There's something wrong with the cable where it is ridiculously sensitive.

Sometimes it would just charge. Sometimes it would just play songs. Sometimes it would do both.
 
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