Connecting the iPod to a Honda or other automobile

Question

Okay everybody - I am posting here as a warning and possible plea for help if the right people are out there.
This fall, I traded my vehicle in to get a 2006 Honda Civic, enticed by many of the electronic system upgrades. The biggest and most appealing was the integration of the iPod into the stereo system. This was great for me, as I am a musician and music educator, and I have over 10,000 songs on my iPod I listen to for various personal and professional reasons.
Through a close relationship with the management of my local Honda dealer, I was able to get the iPod connector for the Civic a few weeks earlier than it was to be released to the retail market. Design was completed, testing was completed, all they were doing was producing and shipping.
The iPod connector available to Civic owners, and all Honda owners, is a TRAVESTY! I was told that it would allow me to view and browse the songs on my iPod as if I were looking at the iPod screen, but on the car's radio display. WRONG! What it shows you is "Track 01," "Track 02," "Track 03," etc. Up to I suppose 10,000+ or however many songs you have.
In order to browse the iPod, you choose a different disc (from the 6-disc CD Changer controls) to change what style of browsing you're doing - by artist, album, song, genre, etc. Once you pick the kind of Browse, you hit a button, and a computerized voice starts to read off "A," "B," "C," "D," etc. You stop it when you get to the letter you want. For example, I stopped at the letter "B" while browsing by artist. I then had the choice of one of two B-52's songs. That's it. None of the other few hundred titles I have by artists with names beginning with "B," like Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Blink182, Bluecoats, or more.
I am now fighting with Honda to get them to take care of me, their customer. In addition to several other problems with the electronic system, the iPod ws the last straw - it was the big reason I chose a Civic over the Mazda 3.
If you are considering buying the adaptor for your vehicle, force your dealer to do a live demonstration before you buy. I spent $350 - almost as much as a new iPod - for a component that is largely useless.
If you have any feedback on how I can overcome this problem, please let me know. If you have a similar story, I'd be interested to know that, too.
Thanks!
Ryan

Answer 1

If you're connecting it to the stereo only and nothing is actually charging the iPod, then yes. It will drain the battery.
You might consider getting a dock & power adaptor. THis would allow you to connect to the stereo via the dock's line-out port and charge the iPod at the same time with the power adaptor.