Tutorial: Acura Music Link: The Basics

Acura Music Link is an accessory adapter that allows you to play the music on your Apple iPod on your vehicle's audio system. Designed specifically for Acura vehicles, Music Link connects the iPod directly to the vehicle's audio system for the best sound-quality results (It does not broadcast music from the iPod on a radio frequency). It has also been designed using your vehicle's computer bus system specification, to avoid side effects which can occur with third party adaptors.

The Music Link adapter cable is installed in the glove box (on most models). Once connected, Music Link allows you to use the controls on your vehicle's audio system to play and search for music on your iPod, and it charges the iPod battery.

Even though Music Link has the distinct advantage of charging your iPod when in use, note that it does not have voice recognition. While it does speak (it has voice prompts), it does not recognize voice commands.

Another limitation is in how much information is viewable. With Acura Music Link, you'll see the track number, elapsed time, and disc number (play mode/category) in your vehicle's audio display or navigation system screen. Acura Music Link does not display iPod® information like song titles or artist names on your vehicle's audio display or navigation system screen.

This tutorial covers only the basics.  It does not cover the 'Text To Speech' (TTS), which requires downloading the software that comes with AML. 

The screen below shows the iPod in Music Mode:

Connect the iPod to the music link cable.  Turn the ignition switch to the ON or ACC position, and turn on the audio system. Press AUX (depending on which vehicle you are in). In the screen below, you see my iPod connected to the ML cable.  Notice that it has a big check mark.  Below the check mark it says "OK to Disconnect."

Since the Music Link emulates an external CD changer, each mode appears like a CD in the changer. If you do not download the TTS software, you will only be able to use Preset 5 & Preset 6 below:

Here is the way display looks on the MDX audio screen after selecting Preset 5. 

This shows the mode (CDC), the Preset (5), the Track (162), and the time of play (41 seconds into this track).

• To use this mode, first set your DISC number to 6. Next, activate the mode by FWD or RWD.
• When you start this mode, Music Link loads the entire iPod as a playlist, and plays it in shuffled order.
• If you are already in DISC 6, then FWD/RWD will re-shuffle the entire song list.
• RANDOM commands from your radio, if available, are ignored. You cannot un-shuffle this mode.

• To use this mode, first set your DISC number to 5. Next, activate the mode by FWD or RWD.
• When you start this mode, Music Link randomly* picks an album from your iPod and begins playing it. (*Since album selection is truly random, it is possible for the same album to be picked twice in a row).
• When one album finishes playing by itself, a new album is randomly* picked and begins playing. (Using TRACK UP/DOWN will not cause a new album to be picked).
• If you are already in DISC 6, then FWD/RWD will re-shuffle the entire song list.
• The RANDOM command causes the current album to change to a shuffled order.

 It is not difficult to see the value of downloading the TTS software and having the first 4 play modes available.