The Grenadier Forum

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to contribute to the community by adding your own topics, posts, and connect with other members through your own private inbox! INEOS Agents, Dealers or Commercial vendors please contact admin@theineosforum.com for a commercial account.

Connecting a USB-A stick or drive to the infotainment screen

Jean Mercier

GG#920
Grenadier Owner
Lifetime Supporter
Local time
11:20 PM
Joined
Sep 10, 2022
Messages
2,661
Location
Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium
When you connect a device to the USB-A port in the central cubby box, you get:
  • a short message saying "USB connected"
  • It disappears at once and the screen says "No USB connected"
no usb.jpg

This is quite contra intuitive, I thought the device wasn't recognized, but don't despair:
  • Click on the menu "USB" in the upper left corner
  • Then click on the next screen on "USB-A"
Done.
The system will then recognize music files with at least the following formatting:
  • mp3
  • m4p
  • wav
[EDITED 16/02/2024 ]It will not recognize:
  • flac (since software update 1946)
(thanks to my "Hungarian" son who found the solution)
 
Last edited:
When you connect a device to the USB-A port in the central cubby box, you get:
  • a short message saying "USB connected"
  • It disappears at once and the screen says "No USB connected"
View attachment 7812982
This is quite contra intuitive, I thought the device wasn't recognized, but don't despair:
  • Click on the menu "USB" in the upper left corner
  • Then click on the next screen on "USB-A"
Done.
The system will then recognize music files with at least the following formatting:
  • mp3
  • m4p
  • wav
It will not recognize:
  • flac
(thanks to my "Hungarian" son who found the solution)
Well done that man.👍
 
When you connect a device to the USB-A port in the central cubby box, you get:
  • a short message saying "USB connected"
  • It disappears at once and the screen says "No USB connected"
View attachment 7812982
This is quite contra intuitive, I thought the device wasn't recognized, but don't despair:
  • Click on the menu "USB" in the upper left corner
  • Then click on the next screen on "USB-A"
Done.
The system will then recognize music files with at least the following formatting:
  • mp3
  • m4p
  • wav
It will not recognize:
  • flac
(thanks to my "Hungarian" son who found the solution)
That will please wifey she has 1000 songs in m4p format on her flash drive.
 
I wish that head units would start recognizing FLAC. Not because I can hear a difference in a loud car with an OEM sound system, but so I didn't have to maintain 2 music libraries.
 
When you connect a device to the USB-A port in the central cubby box, you get:
  • a short message saying "USB connected"
  • It disappears at once and the screen says "No USB connected"
View attachment 7812982
This is quite contra intuitive, I thought the device wasn't recognized, but don't despair:
  • Click on the menu "USB" in the upper left corner
  • Then click on the next screen on "USB-A"
Done.
The system will then recognize music files with at least the following formatting:
  • mp3
  • m4p
  • wav
It will not recognize:
  • flac
(thanks to my "Hungarian" son who found the solution)
It's all in the manual.. correct? 😂
 
Please let me add my two cents

I tried USB-A with mp3 files:
exFAT= not working
NTFS= working well, organized folders useless, keep files well-tagged.
FAT32= working well, organized folders useless, keep files well-tagged.
ext4 not tested.

In a next step we should find out how the files are organised for playback. Seems like the filename is not the sorting criteria.
 
When you connect a device to the USB-A port in the central cubby box, you get:
  • a short message saying "USB connected"
  • It disappears at once and the screen says "No USB connected"
View attachment 7812982
This is quite contra intuitive, I thought the device wasn't recognized, but don't despair:
  • Click on the menu "USB" in the upper left corner
  • Then click on the next screen on "USB-A"
Done.
The system will then recognize music files with at least the following formatting:
  • mp3
  • m4p
  • wav
It will not recognize:
  • flac
(thanks to my "Hungarian" son who found the solution)
Thanks Jean. Having bragged in an earlier post about how well my USB music was working, I now realise I have no way of searching for anything. I can either play the entire 11,000 tracks in artist alphabetical order🤣, or enable ‘shuffle’ and get what the randomiser gives me. I just added a new album and I can’t search for it 🤪. Am I missing something obvious?
 
Thanks Jean. Having bragged in an earlier post about how well my USB music was working, I now realise I have no way of searching for anything. I can either play the entire 11,000 tracks in artist alphabetical order🤣, or enable ‘shuffle’ and get what the randomiser gives me. I just added a new album and I can’t search for it 🤪. Am I missing something obvious?
The owner's manual indicates that tapping the "Audio" tab on the screen, brings up the option to "Browse folder" and sort by artist, album and genre. Frankly I have found it less than satisfactory, which is why I now rely on the "music" app on my (Samsung S10) android phone and the material stored on its micro SD card and connected to the main display via Android auto.
 
The owner's manual indicates that tapping the "Audio" tab on the screen, brings up the option to "Browse folder" and sort by artist, album and genre. Frankly I have found it less than satisfactory, which is why I now rely on the "music" app on my (Samsung S10) android phone and the material stored on its micro SD card and connected to the main display via Android auto.
I agree that it is less than satisfactory.
Luckily for me, when in Belgium, I listen to the radio.
When travelling, I plug in several USB sticks with music "according to my mood": Rock, Brazilian, Belgian, New Age, Pink Floyd and similar, ...
I tried to connect a hard disk drive: I succeeded, but it took so much time to go through the directories, that I abandoned the idea.
 
The owner's manual indicates that tapping the "Audio" tab on the screen, brings up the option to "Browse folder" and sort by artist, album and genre. Frankly I have found it less than satisfactory, which is why I now rely on the "music" app on my (Samsung S10) android phone and the material stored on its micro SD card and connected to the main display via Android auto.
Hi DenisM. Thanks for this. I’d been trying to navigate music on USB A by spinning the big silver dial, which is clearly only useful for skipping a few tracks in either direction. I’ve now tried the “browse folder” function, which is bit buried to be used whilst driving, but which does at least allow an alphabetical search for artist or album. However, it takes a little while to catalogue the drive, prior to which I only see folders beginning with “A” and, bizarrely “V”. If I’m patient 🤪, artists starting with all the other letters of the alphabet eventually appear. So I agree, it’s clunky. What I do like is the ability to select a genre, so like Jean I can play a selection to suit my mood, although I’m not sure what mood would have me searching for Belgian music…🤭
 
Whilst saddled with android auto that cuts out after 15-30 seconds and kills spotify , maps and everything else , I'm "forced" to select a cd of choice and use my portable cd usb powered/linked discman 🙂
 
I did some testing the other night working out what USB stick formats and Audio file formats are supported. The following are my findings. Software version is 1946.

Memory Key FormatsReadable
Fat32Yes
NTFSYes
exFatNo
HFSNot tested

Audio File FormatsReadableComments
.MP3YesArtwork supported
.FlacYesArtwork supported
.WavYes
.OggYes
.AacNo
.WmaNo
.M4aNo

Cheers

Steve
 
I did some testing the other night working out what USB stick formats and Audio file formats are supported. The following are my findings. Software version is 1946.

Memory Key FormatsReadable
Fat32Yes
NTFSYes
exFatNo
HFSNot tested

Audio File FormatsReadableComments
.MP3YesArtwork supported
.FlacYesArtwork supported
.WavYes
.OggYes
.AacNo
.WmaNo
.M4aNo

Cheers

Steve
 
I did some testing the other night working out what USB stick formats and Audio file formats are supported. The following are my findings. Software version is 1946.

Memory Key FormatsReadable
Fat32Yes
NTFSYes
exFatNo
HFSNot tested

Audio File FormatsReadableComments
.MP3YesArtwork supported
.FlacYesArtwork supported
.WavYes
.OggYes
.AacNo
.WmaNo
.M4aNo

Cheers

Steve
Yes that's the conclusion I came to on audio files. Shame as all mine are aac format
 
Back
Top Bottom