If you purchased a Mercury Mariner and upgraded to the naviation radio and audio cd player but were under the pretense that the system was a MP3. Guess what Mercury has updated their website. So if you have any litature or printouts from the mercury build your hybrid website, save them for any futher recourses. I sure feel dupped by Ford/Mercury for the misleading info regarding the navigation radio and MP3.

 

http://www.mercuryvehicles.com/marin...site/specs.asp

Check under the options at the bottom.....it STILL says the Nav system is MP3 capable. I still have the brochure claiming the Nav system is both MP3 and Sirius capable.

 

That website was updated. It originally state MP3. that's it it meant it had MP3. Ford updated the website to MP3 capable, which means you can add MP3 aftermarket. Any car is MP3 capable , my mom's 1977 Monte Carlo is MP3 capable. I have a print out for the original specification. I am also current going through the California State DMV for this dispute.

 

I don't think that Ford is trying to imply that you can hook up an aftermarket player...especially since you really can't. Having to use all sorts of adapters, modules and re-wiring things doesn't remotely represent "being capable" especially since the system itself would lack any ability to control that device. I don't think that any manufacturer would try to make that claim. That would be like claiming that it was "Flight ready" you just have to add wings and a jet engine. That would expose them to way too many false advertising claims (more than they should already be facing). I think that either they made a mistake or the unit was supposed to be MP3/SAT capable and wasn't.

 

Well if I were sitting on a jury, the term 'MP3 Capable' would mean to me that it will play MP3s. Don't back down until you get compensated for it. That terminology is too vague to provide them solid footing IMO.

 

The odd thing is, it can read CD-R's (I know because I've fed it a CD-R copy of my NAV CD's--don't trust not scratching them). So that part of the hardware is there. Its obviously got a fair amount of processing cause of the Navagation, etc... we know it has some DSP capability because of the Audio settings....

It seems like the hardware OUGHT to be able to do it if someone at Visteon would just get off their behinds and write a firmware update...... It doesn't take THAT much processing power to decode MP3's.... if it did flash players would be the size of notebooks and need to be plugged in!

 

You're right, it does say that but that doesn't really mean much. MP3 capable?? ALL CARS are MP3 capable.................

~John

 

Well, playing and decoding MP3's and reading CDR's isn't the same thing so they might not physically be able to playback an MP3 CD even with updated firmware.

I think our only hope is some form of credit/cash refund or the long shot of maybe getting a system from the 08 models that offers these features...if it even does?

 

What I meant was that the hardware of the CDROM can read CD-R (which most MP3's will be as they are home recorded). Not all CD-ROM's can. After that... its just data and the CD-ROM will read it (its no different than reading the nav data files).

A u-processor is needed to decode the data to make sound and that just needs enough processing power. From its other capabilities, it should have enough.... it doesn't take that much actually.

Presonally I suspect the problem is budget related. They don't want to spend the money to have someone write the firmware. Its an educated guess.

 

I hope you are right about a firmware change...at least there would be something to hope for! If it was budgetary (and what isn't considering they don't even include a cabin air filter which might cost them $1?) perhaps it would become worth it if every Nav system owner wrote to Ford expressing their displeaure and they feared a lawsuit. I wrote them about a week ago and haven't heard back yet.