myrmidon

Hi Folks,

I recently added another Porsche to the stable (I also have an 02 Carrera, pic below), so this makes me a newbie to the Cayenne forum.

After a bit of research, it seems that currently the 'best' option for iPod/Bluetooth integration to my PCM2.1 head unit is the Dension combo. Based on what I have read, it appears that most folks install into the rear compartment, and I have read about one person installing it behind the glove box.

- Have any of you installed behind the head unit itself?
- If yes, do you have any pictures?
- What is the verdict: iPod in the center console or in the glove box?

My bits-n-pieces are arriving on thursday, cannot wait :-)

Olaf

Marc Gelefsky

I installed the unit in the rear by the CD changer and the iPod is mounted in the center console using the extension kit.

plima

I installed mine (GW500 & BDA1500) above glove compartment with iPod in glove compartment. It works well (except I never have gotten the BTA to load contacts from iPhone). You need to put the optical bypass around the CD changer if you have one. I'd say the iPod adaptor deserves an A+ in performance (and a C- for UI) while the BTA gets a C+ for performance. Denison gets an F- for support; without Eric at bumper plugs I'm not sure I'd ever have got it working.

deilenberger

I have some pics on some forum or another..

I mounted mine up front, with the BTA mounted on the top of the glovebox (right side) under the airbag, and the microphone wiring going up the A pillar and across behind the roof liner. Mic is located about 6" left of the center light console in the roof.

The GW500 is mounted - actually just laying there - in a small space that exists behind the console above the transmission tunnel. The wires JUST reach with it there..

I put the IN/OUT/AUX switch assembly on the inside of the glove box (one small hole, and some two face adhesive). I revised the fiber setup they shipped - with the loose bits and pieces and managed to create a Y type connector, where one part of the Y plugs into the rear of the radio, the other part into the GW500 and the existing MOST connector into the 3rd. This makes it really "plug and play" - to take the entire thing out of circuit, all that has to be done is disconnect the connection going into the radio, and plug the original harness connector back in.

Power for the GW500 is continuous ON - which I picked off an empty fuse position in the right side fusebox (If you need it I can check the fuse position I used..) The MOST fiber activity actually triggers it on and off.

I then ran the iPod and USB connectors inside the center console (easier to do then it sounds..) and have them come out in the bottom console storage area. If you're using an iPod - thats an ideal place to mount the iPod mount that Dension provides. I'm not - I use a 16Gb USB/Flash drive - which currently has over 4,000 music tracks on it (and room for about another 1,000.) Cost was $16.. and it works fine with the GW500 interface.

My original dumb phone would not load the phonebook, and had horrendous echo problems. There are some trick settings you can use to adjust the microphone sensitivity and the speaker volume (by sending dialing codes to the GW500) - and that, plus a new HTC Incredible-2 Droid based phone - works with NO echo, excellent sound at both ends, and the phonebook downloads just fine. Only thing that doesn't work is voice dialing through the BTA1500 interface, and that's the fault of the Droid release - not the interface (no one's voice dialing over bluetoof works..)

Dunno why Plima had problems with his phonebook from the iPhone - tried it with a friends iPhone, it downloaded his instantly, and voice dial via bluetooth worked fine.

My rating:

USB music function - 10+ - I have my entire CD collection on one USB stick. I'd suggest "FreeRIP" as the Windows tool of choice to do this. It's FAST and good. And free (although I did donate some support $$ the software is that good..) Sound quality is excellent... as good as a CD.

USB music menu - about a 7-8. Within the restrictions of the PCM 2.1 it's probably as good as it can be. The CD selection is used to change functions. The track selection is used to select individual tracks, artists, albums. I'm still not clear if playlists work - I think they do, and I've created a bunch (FreeRIP makes that pretty easy to do..)

Bluetooth - interface is basically the standard PCM 2.1 one you'd use with Porsches dedicated phone system. Some storage functions only retain info while a phone is connected via Bluetooth.. that's a restriction of the PCM software - not Densions. Voice quality with the new phone - easily a 9.5-10. People don't realize I'm using hands-free. About as good as it's gonna get.

FWIW - I also did link in my CD changer. This requires buying the accessory fiber run kit. You really only need one set of fibers run to the back (they provide two - intending for the result to be twice as long..) if you route the fiber like I did. Mine comes out of the rear storage area where the changer lives, runs below the floor of the rear compartment, up over the hump the seats mount on (behind the padded lump), then along the door openings - tucked up under the plastic from the sill. It runs up that way into the glovebox compartment, then across to the GW500. One length of cable JUST reaches.

It's questionable if I'll ever use this.. to use it, you have to shut the truck down while you're sitting in it, and wait for the blue light to go out on the aux-switch. You then throw the switch and can repower the vehicle. The changer will now function, but nothing on the GW or BTA will work. It makes it so the Cayenne PCM doesn't even know it's there. People suggested I was wasting money doing this - but I didn't listen, I should have.

I bought mine from autotoys.com - they are about $30-40 cheaper then BumperPlugs (counting free shipping and lower prices) - total for the GW500+BTA1500 was $409.00. Their price for the fiber extension was around $20 cheaper. They do provide some level of support (via forum and email) - but I wouldn't count on hand holding. If you need hand holding - probably the extra $$ for BumperPlugs is
worth it.

I actually found Dension fairly responsive to emails and posting on their forum and question form. My questions were quite specific, and weren't about general installation. The documentation that comes with the GW500 is lacking - it has no specific operating GW500 instructions for the Cayenne (apparently AutoToys is working on one..) and the install instructions are sparse to say the least. The BTA1500 operation instructions are slightly better.. but not a lot.

All in all - it's a great toy. I like it a lot. The radio hasn't been used at ALL since I added it.. and I'm getting to listen to music I haven't listened to in years..

One caution on installing it - there are moving parts under the dash - the heat servo motors. Don't run wires where they'll tangle with the levers/arms/motors. That could get expensive.

mellowyellow-atlanta

I installed the Gateway in the rear compartment where the CD changer is, but then installed the BTA1500 under the driver's side rear seat. There's a neat little metal shelf that I mounted it under, so it's nice and protected. Even though Bluetooth is supposed to have a 30 foot range, realistically it's a lot less than that so this helps clean connectivity. This also helps to make a shorter run for the BTA mic to the top of the front windshield, since you cannot reuse the Porsche mic for the Bluetooth setup.

Don't forget to reprogram the BTA volume settings for mic and speaker, and flash with the latest firmwares. Otherwise it sounds like krap. The settings are fully documented in this forum.

mudman2

I bypassed the CDC4 and installed MoBridge / Combo this morning, 2 hours

iPod in center console, Parrot mic left of head unit , works a treat

leek

I have same car purchased new from Barrier in Bellevue (down to the color). Next stop was Benchmark (also in Bellevue) for radar detection, ipod interface and bluetooth integration. All have worked flawlessly. Derek was responsive and decent to work with. You will love this car in our area, I am running snows in the winter and the car is great in the mountains. I tow up to the limit (7700#) in the summer and it has done well./ 77K and very few issues.

SQLGuy

Currently doing this install on a 2006 Cayenne with CDC4 and CDR23. I didn't get the extension cable, because I was told I didn't need it. I wish now I had, since I'd prefer to keep everything that was original connected.

Anyway, I went route of ripping apart the whole quarter panel liner to get to the back of the CDC4. I could not find any pictures of the back of it online, which would have helped, I think. In case it helps someone else: the fiber connection to the unit that needs to be unplugged and have the bypass attached to it is at the back of the unit, towards the front of the car on the back. It plugs in towards the back of the car. If you reach under and behind the CDC4, you should feel a box on the back of the unit, on the side of the this box (the bottom of the edge towards the front of the car), is the fiber optic connector. If you're lucky, you may be able to remove this connector blindly, without having to unbolt or unclip anything - just reaching in through the CDC access door. You'll then need to attach a bypass loop to this connector. The bypass goes on the cable, not on the CDC4.

Hope the picture helps. The connector plugs in where the Laser Product sticker is.

If you run the extension cable, it will go from the CDC side of the Gateway 500 to this connector on the CDC4.