iPod and Z refuse to cooperate
 

Last year I bought an iPod Classic 120gb. I have the navigation package in the Z. I pretty much can't use the iPod because it constantly/randomly enters a loop of "Check USB Device" / "Reading USB Memory". It'll be playing a song and then stop and flash these messages in alternation for a few secs, then go back to the song for about 10 seconds, then quit again, and repeats this over and over. Even when it goes back to the song you can't skip to the next song or even turn off the system. The only thing you can do is unplug the iPod.

Sometimes simply plugging the iPod back in solves it. Sometimes I can go a couple days without any issues. But other times it just refuses to work and nothing matters.

When this is happening the iPod screen is also changing, so it's not happening just within the Z. But the Z is causing it because the iPod works fine otherwise, including in my truck. Always works without issue in my truck.

I don't encode or download any MP3s that are over 320kbps and most are only 192kbps. Most are not VBR either. But while selecting new songs sometimes does fix it (for a while), it doesn't seem to be a problem with reading certain files because it'll have this issue with files that I know I've played fine before.

Any ideas?

My Classic 80gb refuses to work in my Z as well. I also have a Nano that works fine so it must be some issue with the Classics.

Anyone else? I'd hate to try buying a new iPod based on one person's experience

I can only suggest uploading your fav music to the HDD Music Box??

Or try another iPod

Triple, I don't have my car yet but would like to ask, can music be loaded to the HDD from a USB or does it have to be recorded from a CD?

It has to be a recorded cd or you can also use the media slot.

I believe you guys do have that option. I haven't looked at the 2010 and on

to see if they still include it with the Nav pkg

Nah I don't think that's an option. Only recording from CD, which would take ages.
Plus I really want all of my music available, which is ~50GB. Don't know anyone else with an iPod I could check with. Guess I could buy one and return it if it doesn't work...

iv'e tried the usb slot on my after market jvc unit to play my music
but it just doesn't sound as good as plugging into my nano.

plus in my case the usb never plays in order and the folders are always out of order............

My iPod Touch and my iPhone work great... I haven't tried my iPod Classic yet... I'll do so when I get home and post my findings...

Thought about buying a Nano but the drives just aren't big enough.

I figured something out though. Plugged in my iPod and it immediately started repeating my problem, but I found that if I go to the menu and keep pushing up/down to keep the menu from timing out and returning to the Now Playing screen, it works perfectly. If I let the menu time out or if i manually select Now Playing, it immediately stops and shows "Reading USB Memory". WTH?

I think it has to do with the software updates on the iPod, I have a new nano and works just fine...

side note, how do you delete music thats stored in the hard drive on the nav?

I have the latest firmware available for the Classics. I think 2.0.1
According to the book, Classics v 1.6 and greater (or something like that) will work
Mine used to work a lot more often than it does now. Almost as if the more music it has the more of a problem it is. Now it basically never works

Yeah, mine worked fine. Even displayed the Nissan logo on the iPod screen.

You might try connecting the iPod to iTunes and clicking the "Restore" button. This will reformat the iPod and may fix the problem if it's software based.

Keep in mind, it will erase the iPod. You'll have to re-sync all the music from iTunes. Shouldn't be a problem, as long as you still have it all.

thanks for the tip - that seems to have fixed it

i was also using MediaMonkey instead of iTunes, cause it's 1000x better, but i guess i'll just use MM to organize and tag my music and iTunes to do the syncing

Just bought a classic and got the check USB memory error after about a week. Storing close to 70GB. Unplugging/plugging back in didnt work. Car on/off didn't work. Finally restoring the iPod did the trick. My iPhone and Touch work fine.

Wonder if it actually does have something to do with how much is on the iPod... Regardless, constantly restoring will get old real fast. I actually stream music over Bluetooth most of the time anyways. Good luck, if all else fails, just restore.