New Guy, Stupid Question - X7 NG4 Connectivity

[Disco_Skipper]

Hi All,

Apologies for kicking things off with such a stupid question but I'm struggling to find a definitive answer!

Is there any way to play music from a phone through the car audio on a X7 C5 with the NG4 Navidrive head unit?

I only use music streaming services so can't get MP3 files onto an SD / USB stick and the Bluetooth seems to only be for taking phone calls. Is there really no way to hook up a 3.5mm cable somewhere or use some sort of adaptor? Seems like madness for an otherwise techy car!

Thanks very much,
James

[the-termin8r]

Keep in mind the NG4 came out circa. 09 (meaning design started way before). Music audio streaming wasn't really a thing back then. I haven't actually used an NG4, but it should have a set of RCA connectors on the ceiling of the glove box along with a SIM tray. The red and white should be your left and right channels for the aux input. If there's nothing in the glove box, check the front wall of the central armrest, there might be TRS and USB-A sockets there.

You can also buy a cheap bluetooth dongle. You won't have steering wheel control of the phone, but you can pipe calls and music to the car that way.

[Disco_Skipper]

To tell you the truth I hadn't registered that the RCA connectors in the glovebox would work audio only - I'd just assumed they were for playing video through the screen! I'm perfectly happy using that as the solution so that's problem solved

You make a good point about the system being more than 15 years old now too, I keep forgetting its not super modern despite its looks and poshness

Thanks for the help Rob

[the-termin8r]

You can also play video through them, that's what the yellow one is for. Though I don't know if the car will let you play video while driving. I know you can only use the DVD function when static. The NG4 was actually a really cool system, it just misses the one feature I actually need which is music streaming. I'm glad that the simple RD45 exists (and the RD4 and NOMAD module combo).

[wurlycorner]

I have an NG4 in mine.
Bluetooth calling via the headunit works very clearly (the interface is a little clunky to set up pairing etc but it then automatically re-pairs well) but there is no bluetooth streaming.

I have tried a couple of things for additional connectivity - a mirascreen into the 3 aux ports as an attempt at getting waze and audio streaming working in a roundabout fashion, via screen mirroring (this had limited success - when I get time I will do a write up).

I have installed a cheap bluetooth streaming device with aux cable output bought off ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226347458104, plugged into those aux ports and powered from the fusebox. It worked ok, although I would say the audio was a little 'flat' - I'm not sure if it was the bluetooth adapter or the aux inputs that was the cause there.
The unit stopped working after just over a week though (not discoverable/light on the unit not lit - have not investigated yet due to the multitude other faults I'm also working on the damn thing simultaneously).

I have also purchased a similar one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334197789986 that is meant to plug into the connector block on the back of the headunit, with the intention the headunit would see it as an autochanger etc. (if I can configure it in Diagbox). Allegedly these don't work with the NG4 but looking at the connectors (and if an autochanger can be configured) then I don't understand why they wouldn't and if so, then it is a far neater install. But haven't yet got to that either for same reason as above.