How do you know if your car is phone capable?

[Andy Marshall]

Hi All,
My 4200 spyder has working Satnav and all the phone buttons, but if I press the phone button it says this service is not available. I know I have to insert a simcard, but is there a way of knowing if the car is phone capable before I go get a new sim? Does having satnav automatically mean that the phone will work, or was it a separate option?

Cheers

Andy

 

[Gullible]

It was an option but if you go get a free sim from any phone shop and take out the unregstered sim and sellotape your sim into the sim card holder (from the rear of course so as to not sellotape over the contact points) you can slide this into the sim slot (with gold contact points of sim facing the passenger side)
If it has a phone it will read the sim and either reject it or accept it.Either way you have a phone kit but if nothing happens then you dont.
hope this helps

 

[bigbob]

Just taking a step back here.

The sim card slot is next to the sat nav disc but at right angles to it and next to the passenger. If you can slide something into it (try a credit card) then you have the phone option. If you cannot get anything into the slot it is because it is blanked off and you do not have the phone option (as is the case with my car - I have nav but no phone).

Enjoying the fine weather with the spyder?

 

[Parisien]

Just taking a step back here.

The sim card slot is next to the sat nav disc but at right angles to it and next to the passenger. If you can slide something into it (try a credit card) then you have the phone option. If you cannot get anything into the slot it is because it is blanked off and you do not have the phone option (as is the case with my car - I have nav but no phone).

Enjoying the fine weather with the spyder?

Must get around to checking mine too!


P

 

[Andy Marshall]

Thanks guys!
I'll get busy checking my slot (oo, err missus!)

 

[Parisien]

Thanks guys!
I'll get busy checking my slot (oo, err missus!)

Now.....now A-M...we don't want you being easily mistaken for AndyK on this board with your salcious utterings......


P


PS Good to see you on the board, do enjoy, have fun, do use the huge and growing help sections....and feel free to try and match AndyKs running total!!!!!!........

 

[reservoirfrog]

I am waiting for a new info centre controler. this controls the audio, sat nav etc., also the fone.
I got a call yesterday from my supplier who tells me that maserati now have the unit and asked them if I want it configured for the phone, at an extra 2 k cost.
off course I dont.
but just because you have a slot for the phone card doesn't mean that the unit is rigged for the phone.
it is an option.

 

[Parisien]

Same info comes up on my screen.....but there are two mics in the cabin, must investigate further.


P

 

[bigbob]

I am waiting for a new info centre controler. this controls the audio, sat nav etc., also the fone.
I got a call yesterday from my supplier who tells me that maserati now have the unit and asked them if I want it configured for the phone, at an extra 2 k cost.
off course I dont.
but just because you have a slot for the phone card doesn't mean that the unit is rigged for the phone.
it is an option.

All cars have the slot but it is blanked off if the phone option was not taken at the factory.

 

[Parisien]

All cars have the slot but it is blanked off if the phone option was not taken at the factory.

So it can't be added as an after thought, so the mics placed in my car mean?

P

 

[reservoirfrog]

I imagin that it could frank, I dont know if the card slot on mine is blanked, but I do know that the factory option wasn't taken up cos graypauls told me when they had the car in and I asked.
now they are asking if I want the new unit configured for the phone, so I guess its not to much of a job to unblock the card slot.

 

[Tiburon44]

If you don't have the phone option, but still have the mics, does that mean you can use the voice activated controls for the sat nav, audio, etc.?

 

[Parisien]

If you don't have the phone option, but still have the mics, does that mean you can use the voice activated controls for the sat nav, audio, etc.?

No idea...aint even used the satnav on mine yet.....10 months on......lol....


P

 

[safrane]

Guys, my car was without phone or sat nav...I too was quoted £k's to up-grade, however.

A friend took my NIT unit out and showed me that the female connector for the Sat Nav was there and by installing a new CD rom onto the NIT and buying a Antena for £8.99 of e-bay I now have Sat Nav which works perfect.

For the phone I will need some more hardwear, ie a SIM card reader which will have to be installed into the NIT, a mic as the overhead light has holes but no mic and possibly a GSM antenna as there is not one on the roof and I do not know if the one in the screen can be retro fitted.

My Multi Function screen shows the phone signal at 0 at the moment, if your screen does not show the signal strength symbol you do not have the softwear or hard wear for it. Soft wear is a cheep fix, and hard wear can be salvaged off any Fiat/Alfa system...if you can find it.

 

[aliquot]

If you don't have the phone option, but still have the mics, does that mean you can use the voice activated controls for the sat nav, audio, etc.?

i have the phone working fine, but buggered if i can find out how to use voice with the sat nav

 

[DaveT]

I had sat nav and phone in my last Mas and as far as I remember you could not voice operate the sat nav.

 

[aliquot]

i have come to that opinion, but i read somewhere, maybe in the manual that it should be possible. i have been through all the menu's but cant find anything.

 

[davidhowson]

Steve - The voice commands are for the phone system only.

Be careful poking anything into the slot, coz if the sim card rearder isn't there, you will loose what ever you have stuffed in and then have to remove the NIT to get it back out!! I know!!

You can upgared the NIT software to enable the phone, but as Peter says, you need more hardware to make it function. There should be a mic fitted just behind the mirror and you will need the antenna too. Early cars with the wing mounted one will already have GSM capability but later cars need the roof antenna fitting. The most complex part is the hardware in the NIT as it requires a sim card reader and the PCB card.

If you don't have sat nav, that can be put on using the same upgrade software and a cheap GPS antenna.

-David-

 

[Gullible]

make sure some of the things you think are Mics are not temperature sensors guys

 

[Parisien]

Steve - The voice commands are for the phone system only.

Be careful poking anything into the slot, coz if the sim card rearder isn't there, you will loose what ever you have stuffed in and then have to remove the NIT to get it back out!! I know!!

You can upgared the NIT software to enable the phone, but as Peter says, you need more hardware to make it function. There should be a mic fitted just behind the mirror and you will need the antenna too. Early cars with the wing mounted one will already have GSM capability but later cars need the roof antenna fitting. The most complex part is the hardware in the NIT as it requires a sim card reader and the PCB card.

If you don't have sat nav, that can be put on using the same upgrade software and a cheap GPS antenna.

-David-

I have a mic down by my left knee.......and another at head height on the A pillar........must check further...or thoughts guys?


P