Adding USB to Fiesta LX

[Squinter]

Hi guys,

I just bought a new Fiesta LX yesterday. It's my first car, so I'm very excited!

Is it possible to add the USB connection that's found on the Zetec model to the LX? As far as I know (or can tell), the Bluetooth system and internal workings are the same in all Fiesta models, so you'd think it would be a somewhat simple task.

I asked the dealer when I bought it, but he said it wasn't available as an option. Is it possible to get it done by a third party?

Cheers!

[Caydus]

I have the same car and when I picked up the car, I asked Ford and they said it was impossible.

I figured due to mass production, it'll prob have the same hardware except for an empty point on the circuit board where on a Zetec the wires from the USB connector will be soldered and a different version of the firmware uploaded to memory.
At least that's all i'm thinking without internal knowledge of the system itself.

I asked a 3rd Party, SoundMaster in Granville if you're curious and they told me most likely they won't be able to do it and if there's by any chance that they could, it'll be a couple hundred dollars anyway.

So vs my current solution which is a cigarette lighter plug with 2 USB power plugs and a retractable AUX cable.

It's a few hundred dollars for:

1. Elimination for the extra aux cable
2. Ability to skip songs with steering wheel controls.

Didn't seem worth it so just dropped the issue.


But thinking technically, to get it done, if my assumption about the system is correct. You'll have to get a circuit board diagram off Ford to first locate the USB solder point. Bodge a USB plug to the open spot on the instrument panel. Solder the wires to the circuit board.
Get the WT Fiesta Zetec sound system firmware off Ford (good luck with that), or attempt to copy it off another WT Zetec (no idea how you're going to interface with it anyway). Erase the firmware on your car (dangerous at best), then attempt to flash the firmware to the system and pray to whoever you pray to, that it doesn't brick your sound system and it recognizes the hardware.

If you manage to get all that done and by some miracle it all works, when you take it into service with Ford and they find out that you've done such a mod, there goes your warranty.

Disclaimer: I only have the same information as you to start with on the inner workings of the car and whatever I've read in the user manual. The rest of it is just educated guesses built on educated guesses and most likely is wrong so please don't use it as a how-to.

[Squinter]

Oh.. I didn't think it would be that complicated. I thought it was as simple as removing the current AUX plate and changing it to have the USB connection too (plus wiring).

I didn't even think to use a cigarette lighter USB adapter. Shame it can't be used to control music playback.

[dannyhilton]

No go sorry mate. Many of the Euro boys have tried, but none have come away successful. There are three main levels of technology interface in a Fiesta, the first was previously found the the base WS CL (so no Bluetooth or USB but AUX Port) and was called Ice Pack One. Ice Pack Two is what you’ll have in your car, so you have Bluetooth and an AUX port, but no USB. In a Zetec we have Ice Pack Three. This is Bluetooth, AUX and USB port. Each pack features a different set of settings, which supposedly means you can’t just “update the software and connect a USB” unfortunately. Despite having essentially the components and features, each setup has different codes to update, so when Ford have to fix an error with the stereo freezing, they have the write three sets of codes to fix each different Ice Pack. The complicate matters, I believe the UK has an Ice Pack Four!

According to the Euro boys, applying Ice Pack Three to Ice Pack Two just makes it effectively dead, it simply won't work.

[ecreek]

I think it is that complicated and more so according to this thread on the UK Forums -

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums...bluetooth&st=0

Wow! Simultaneous posting!