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Usb Memory Stick Mp3 Problems


Tony_M
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Hi

Has anybody else suffered intermittent problems when trying to play MP3 music tracks from a memory stick via the AUX-USB port (described by Ford as "Connectivity" on p.189 of the MK.7 Fiesta handbook) on cars factory-fitted with the AUX-USB, bluetooth, Voice Control option?

My dealer has now had my car back 3 times without success, even after loading a software update and replacing the USB connector and internal cable to the audio unit.

Briefly, and this happens either when plugging in the memory stick before or after switching on the radio, the audio unit displays either (1) "USB device initiallising please wait" as it should do, in which case pressing the AUX selector button correctly brings up the track info and starts playing, or (2) "USB device not supported", in which case when pressing AUX the display shows "Line in active" but no music, or (3) absolutely nothing happens at all, in which case pressing AUX either gives the same display info as (2) or ignores the AUX button completely and continues playing from the RADIO input. The 3 different reactions to plugging in the memory stick seem to be completely random, although it does go through phases of working OK and then deciding not to, or vice versa. Also, whether I use a USB2.0 extension cable or not doesn't seem to make much difference.

The memory stick is a San-Disk Cruzer Micro 16GB, purchased new Dec 2009, with its pre-loaded back-up software removed in case this was the cause, formatted with FAT32 file system, has no other files other than .mp3, has no playlists loaded, and a very simple 2-layer folder arrangement down to the actual .mp3 tracks. The flash memory-testing program H2testw v1.4 which fills up the stick with files and then reads/verifies them, reported no errors, a write speed of 4.60MB/sec and a read speed of 23.3 MB/sec. The more-important in this case read speed is therefore an average USB2.0 figure even though the write speed is slow.

I would be pleased to hear from anybody with any experience/solution/ideas on this, as I am naturally getting very fed up with this variable fault, which has very much taken the edge off the pleasure of having this new car, to the point when I sometimes wonder whether I made the right choice. Also, disappointingly, Ford Customer Services aren't any help either.

:(

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Have you tried using a different, smaller USB drive? 16gb might be too large a capacity (sounds strange I know, but some tech can't handle over 8gb)

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Have you tried using a different, smaller USB drive? 16gb might be too large a capacity (sounds strange I know, but some tech can't handle over 8gb)

Hi Maffoo

Thanks for the quick suggestion - no, this 16GB stick was my first and is my one and only memory stick, bought especially for in-car music of my choice without the inconvenience of carrying around stacks of CDs, let alone unsafely attempting to change a CD whilst driving! I had originally intended to get the 8GB version, but typically amazon put the price up hugely from one day to the next, which on the day made the 16GB only a little more expensive than the 8GB!

I see you haven't actually got your car yet - before splashing out on another smaller-capacity stick maybe I'll wait and see if anybody else with the USB option can shed any light on the problem, but many thanks. As you will be having the same option perhaps you will be able to get an idea too. As has been mentioned in other threads, the Fiesta handbook leaves a lot to be desired, and although I believe Ford have a list of known compatible bluetooth mobiles and MP3 players, they don't seem to have a similar list for memory sticks, nor any warning regarding not using larger capacity ones.

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Short answer, yes !

I am using an 8MB stick, plugged straight into the USB socket and I am indeed getting the same random problems as yourself.

I have only had the car for 6 weeks, it is the first one I have had with a USB socket, so am still at the stage of experimenting, rather than calling out a problem. Like yourself I only have two levels of folder tree, the contents are a mix of RIPped CDs and what was YouTube Videos where I used a program to convert them to MP3.

Again, I emphasise the fact that its behaviour is totally random.

Stewart.

PS, The car is a Zetec 1.25 3 door in Avalon with Metallic Paint, the BT and radio upgrade and a spare wheel. Overall, I am delighted with it.

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Thanks very much StewartM, it's very useful to know that you've got exactly the same random problem, even though you are no nearer a solution than I am. At least when I next speak to the dealer's workshop technician (cars are too hi-tech these days to call them mechanics) who has been working on it, I will be able to let him know, also Ford Customer Services, that other owners have exactly the same problem. Both have been suggesting that my problem was a unique, to them, one-off.

By the way, if you come back to this thread soon, Stewart, it would be interesting to know what is the make/model of your 8GB stick - is it by any chance another San-Disk? If it is, then it could possibly be an incompatibility problem between the Fiesta and San-Disk memory sticks only. I'm about to raise this possibility on the San-Disk Community Forum to see if anybody there has any answers/suggestions.

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I have had an 8GB stick in since last March and never had one problem with it. It's set up with each album in one folder. Not a clue what make it is but I have 2 USB sticks and they both work perfectly. Maybe there has been a software update that has caused the programs, my car has been nowhere near the dealers since I bought it so running the original software.

There was someone else last week who had a similar problem.

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Originally I was using a 8gb Sandisk Cruzer as my music source (still a trusty workhorse mind). However I noticed that, even as small as it is it can be knocked when going for the hand brake. Also the constant inserting/removal will weaken the clips a little each time making it drop connection regularly.

So, my solution:

http://usb.brando.com/eagletec-usb-nano-flash-drive_p00892c041d15.html

I can't take all credit though as I learned about this cracking little device on this forum a few moths back. I loaded it up and now just leave it in there as it looks like part of the car.

I have noticed some USB sticks are more secure than others. It may be a Sandisk thing?

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Cheers Tony, the make appears to be 'integral', it's purple coloured, bought from PCWorld, nothing fancy, deliberately chosen as it has no security software on it.

Stewart.

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Cheers Tony, the make appears to be 'integral', it's purple coloured, bought from PCWorld, nothing fancy, deliberately chosen as it has no security software on it.

Stewart.

Thanks for the info Stewart, I have an Integral USB SD camera card adapter/reader which works well into my PC, although the Fiesta has never recognised it - could be wrong file format for .mp3 music files.

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What file system are people formatting their USB drives to? FAT (16) or FAT 32?

FAT 32.

Stewart.

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FAT 32.

Stewart.

What does the audio manual say it will support? Also, when formatting, it may be important to specify the allocation unit size as something specific, rather than the default. I know this can be a problem with some brands of memory being read correctly by things other than a home PC.

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I think a :D might be appropriate at this point

and if it wasn't me you were refering to... one of these :unsure:

It very well might've been you coysht. Thing is I was so excited to find it exists I didn't remember who told me. Have the credit anyway, unless someone else wants to claim it...

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What does the audio manual say it will support? Also, when formatting, it may be important to specify the allocation unit size as something specific, rather than the default. I know this can be a problem with some brands of memory being read correctly by things other than a home PC.

FAT32 and quick format worked a treat for me. As far as I'm aware it will only support FAT32.

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FYI, this USB drive is now available from Argos in 4Gb (£14.99), 8Gb (£22.99) and 16Gb (£39.99).

Handy for those not too keen on buying over the internet.

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I have 16GB and a 8GB USB in the car, both work perfectly. The only issue I have is if I'm playing music via USB, or CD for that matter, when I start the car it always goes back to the radio *grrrrr*

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  • 4 weeks later...

I too am having problems with the USB support in the Ford Audio on my new Fiesta Edge, but it's a bit different from the original poster. On mine, it does always say 'USB initializing, please wait', and I do always see the correct display on the LCD screen when I press 'Aux'. The problem is, I sometimes get simply no sound from the Speakers when the screen says a track on the USB stick is playing.

Sigh, it's almost as if Ford put in these bugs on purpose. How difficult is it to make a relatively solid firmware to read MP3s on a FAT32 file system and play them?!

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I too am having problems with the USB support in the Ford Audio on my new Fiesta Edge, but it's a bit different from the original poster. On mine, it does always say 'USB initializing, please wait', and I do always see the correct display on the LCD screen when I press 'Aux'. The problem is, I sometimes get simply no sound from the speakers when the screen says a track on the USB stick is playing.

Sigh, it's almost as if Ford put in these bugs on purpose. How difficult is it to make a relatively solid firmware to read MP3s on a FAT32 file system and play them?!

Jez, the other comment I will make, over and above what I said in my other post this morning, is the fact that a bump in the road is sometimes enough for the system to lose contact with the USB stick.

Stewart.

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Jez, the other comment I will make, over and above what I said in my other post this morning, is the fact that a bump in the road is sometimes enough for the system to lose contact with the USB stick.

Stewart.

But it didn't lose contact with it, it could read it fine, hence its displaying the files and filesystem structure properly, just not forwarding the sound to the Speakers.

I should add that it's randomly decided to work again now, with no removing/adding of the USB stick. :)

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I too am having problems with the USB support in the Ford Audio on my new Fiesta Edge, but it's a bit different from the original poster. On mine, it does always say 'USB initializing, please wait', and I do always see the correct display on the LCD screen when I press 'Aux'. The problem is, I sometimes get simply no sound from the speakers when the screen says a track on the USB stick is playing.

Sigh, it's almost as if Ford put in these bugs on purpose. How difficult is it to make a relatively solid firmware to read MP3s on a FAT32 file system and play them?!

I've had this too - in addition to the stereo (very) occasinally going into "sulk" mode & completely refusing to recognise my memory sticks which were working fine beforehand.

Workaround is to turn the stereo off, lock the car & then wait for about 3-5 minutes (as the system doesn't power down straightaway...) then unlock & re-start the stereo & then mine works.

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  • 1 month later...

Ive had my fez a week and a half. I have 2 8GB usbs(one in use currently only) attached to the usb by an extension(not a hub, just one like belkin use for there Wifi Sticks-it is one of those actully-so when im taking it in and out constantly, I wont damage the actual port.

First two days it was in sulk mode, woudnt recognise the device/ r if it did, said there was an error

There is about 6 folders then straight to the music( I have folders instead of playlists for rock, top40, dance, etc)

Have had intermittant problems(not recognising device) that seemed to cure them selfs be repetition of unplugging/plugging or just leaving it be for a while. Nothing but Mp3s on the disks, there brand new and are correct format. on the way to work I couldnt get it working at all, hopefully going home it will work but it is very annoying that such a good feature is such a common problem/has so many common errors.

I dont want to take it back to for because I am enjoying the car, as i say, ive only had it a week and a bit.

It has worked approx 65-70% of the time I wanted it to- and thats not good enough.

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Ive had my fez a week and a half. I have 2 8GB usbs(one in use currently only) attached to the usb by an extension(not a hub, just one like belkin use for there Wifi Sticks-it is one of those actully-so when im taking it in and out constantly, I wont damage the actual port.

First two days it was in sulk mode, woudnt recognise the device/ r if it did, said there was an error

There is about 6 folders then straight to the music( I have folders instead of playlists for rock, top40, dance, etc)

Have had intermittant problems(not recognising device) that seemed to cure them selfs be repetition of unplugging/plugging or just leaving it be for a while. Nothing but Mp3s on the disks, there brand new and are correct format. on the way to work I couldnt get it working at all, hopefully going home it will work but it is very annoying that such a good feature is such a common problem/has so many common errors.

I dont want to take it back to for because I am enjoying the car, as i say, ive only had it a week and a bit.

It has worked approx 65-70% of the time I wanted it to- and thats not good enough.

Have you tried other USB sticks? I use a Kingston "Mini-Slim" 8Gb stick that I leave permanently plugged in. I mostly have 256kb/s VBR encoded mp3s in a simple folder structure (no playlists) in the form /Music/<Artist>/<Album>/<number> - <track>

I've had no problems so far.

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I have also been having the same problems with using a USB stick. I first tried a Sandisk Cruzer 8gb and the car did not recognise the device, so I then tried a pny-city series micro usb 8gb, as recommended by someone in the "connectinmg an ipod/usb" thread.

The USB stick was working fine for a week until my partner decided to press the "shuffle" key and the "scan" key on the dash! The USB then stopped working...I had no volume and it wouldn't go past the track it was on (no controls would work). This did not correct itself even after ejecting the USB stick or turning off the car engine.

I had the car in the dealers yesterday who reset the USB/AUX, but said everytime they put my stick into it, it jammed up again. They tried a different USB stick in my car (a Sandisk one!)and that worked fine. So they have said there is a fault with my USB stick as they tried the stick in another car and it also failed to work :(

Really annoying, I have spent over £35 on memory sticks and neither work! :angry:

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Not sure if it was answered before, but on USB sticks people are using, can they advise what file system they are using (FAT, FAT32, NTFS, exFAT) and what allocation unit size they have used? (4096 bytes, 8192 bytes, 16 kilobytes etc)

I ask, as I know that some devices can be picky about reading USB drives that are not of exact setups and also brands. Sometimes, what the sticker says, isn't who made it. I remember getting a PNY memory card once and the sticker peeled away to reveal another THREE stickers beneath it, all different brands. The card itself ended up being a Toshiba as it happens.

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