Bluetooth and USB don't work for music

I spent a couple of hours last night and another hour+ today looking for a solution to the the problem we're having. We have a 2011 Cayman with the Infotainment (system version 2.20). I can't get either the BT or USB to work to play music. The USB will charge, and the BT works for the phone. Whenever I go into the disc/aux options it doesn't show BT. I saw a post that mentioned that the BT option won't appear if you have something plugged into the USB, so I've tried unplugging the cord, cycling the power to the car (and waiting for a while to restart), but no luck with that either. As for the USB, my wife and I both have iPhone 7s. Any suggestions, or other posts that address this that I may be missing? Thanks!

It’s kinda’ frustrating, but I had same issue (Only had my first Porsche for 5 weeks now). Got it to finally work yesterday after persistence for a week. BT only worked with our phones to make calls, etc, but no music library. We both have iPhone 6’s (1 Splus and 1 S). What I did yesterday was Make sure BT was on, then started playing a song on one of my playlists on my phone. Then pressed the source button til it went to AUX... Then kept pressing MEDIA slowly and then it lit up AUX w/BT icon on the PCM screen and the song from my playlist started playing thru the audio system. My son is kinda’ a rock star & it just so happens that it was a song from their latest album, so it was a pretty cool deal at that point... & he doesn’t even know we got a Porsche !

Ed, 2010 Boxster here. I don't think the BT will play music thru the PCM ; it will only work as a phone -- and only with a limited number of phones. There are details in the user manual. Using the USB for music works on mine. Are you using one of the limited number of acceptable formats (for the USB drive and for the music files on it)? Again the info is in the UM. Joe Henley

I have a ‘16 Boxster Base with Infotainment Package. This is from the Porsche “Good To Know” app... Terrrific app to have on your mobile phone or iPad as it keeps you from having to drag out your owners manual every time you have a question about your car, especially those of us who have just recently arrived in the P Solar System that contains both planet Nine & the newly discovered planet Seven for the first time. Calling up the external Bluetooth audio source/starting playback Keep pressing the media button until the "AUX BT" audio source is highlighted in the bottom line. Playback starts automatically if it is supported by the Bluetooth device. It may be necessary to start playback manually on the Bluetooth device. The mode "AUX BT" is only displayed if there is a corresponding device connected to the interface. Activating the interface To use an external Bluetooth audio source, the AUX Bluetooth function must be activated in the "SET MEDIA / AUX" menu. Press the media button. Press the option button or touch the tab of the same name in the header. Select "SET MEDIA / AUX". You will only be able to access the " SET MEDIA / AUX" menu if there is at least one CD/DVD inserted or at least one audio source activated in the menu ( b). To activate (b) or deactivate (a) the function, select "AUX Bluetooth".

I have a 2012 Cayman with PCM and have never seen a "BT" or Bluetooth option when scrolling through the sources using the "Disc" button. I get "Disc", " iPod ", or "Aux" - " iPod " appears even if I have my phone plugged in. As Joe Henley has noted - Bluetooth is only available for your phone - not for music streaming. I was able to stream music over bluetooth with our 2012 Cayenne - but that was only because the Cayenne had been more recently updated whereas the Cayman ( 987.2 ) was at the end of it's life cycle. As a result, features like auto headlights , folding mirrors and music streaming available on the Cayenne are absent on the 987.2

Yep. Thank you for slapping me on this one Singletrack. I just purchased a Porsche “Dealers Only” “2013 Technik Introduction” binder book (176 pages) on eBay that was issued to U.S. dealer service departments so that they could familiarize themselves with updated features for “new model” introduction changes. Opened it up for first time just now, and I can see the BT audio thing was a new feature with 981 Introduction. My bad. Still learning.

EasyEd, Your system is likely operating as designed. The problem is that your car was built at a time when Bluetooth and USB had been introduced but not yet optimized. And Porsche was behind the technological curve a bit too. So yes, you have BT, but it will only work for calls. Yes, you have USB, but it will not connect to your iPhone . You can't play music through your phone via USB. There is no streaming of any kind. Instead, you will want to copy all your music files onto a small USB flash drive ($10 or less). Then the car's head unit will read the music files off that USB drive similarly to how it would read them off a CD. Now you see why there are so many threads on this forum about replacing the radios in these cars. For me, the USB flash drive thing works just well enough that I can't justify the expense of replacing my Bose system . Oooooh, but I get tempted....

No scolding of any sort intended - a "new-to-you" car is still a new car. You probably have, or can get (from Suncoast and others) the USB/DIN Y cable to 30 pin iPod male connector that Porsche had for our 987 cars. What I did was get a 30 pin female to lighting male connector to which I connected a female lightning to male lightning extension cable (both from Amazon - read the reviews to get the best you can find) and a Rennline magnetic phone mount - now I plug in my iPhone 6 and can stream Spotify or any other service to my car over the "iPod" source - of course I can also listen to my own iTunes playlists as well (does anyone still do that?). While I'm unfamiliar with Android phones, something similar can probably be put together to achieve the same outcome. Enjoy the car - I've had mine more than six years now and have yet to not find joy in the experience of driving it each time I take it out.

Thanks for all of the replies. It seems the consesus is that the 2011 doesn’t have the capability to play music via BT or the USB. The PCM manual gives directions on how to play music via BT, so it’s a bit disappointing that it doesmt actually work. On the flip side, it’s still an AWESOME car and my wife and I are both thoroughly enjoying it! I’m sure we will enjoy it even more as we continue to learn more about it. Thanks again for all of the help, Ed

For the Android crowd, you can use a BT to AUX port converter. They are really cheap ($20) and available at BestBuy or Amazon . When I start my car, I just connect my phone BT to this new device and choose AUX on the car system. I can stream any app I want. My car came without NAV so I use Android Auto this way and have access to voice commands for play lists as well as navigation through Waze or Google Maps. The device needs 12V and access to your AUX port (mine is in the center console). For a fun little project I pulled the center console and ran the wires from the passenger foot well 12V plug to the aux port so everything is hidden. I then ran a USB charging cable up the center stack and exited where the Rennline phone mount is mounted. I then converted the 12V outlet to "on with key" instead of always on so I can leave everything plugged in. I get in the car, throw my phone at the magnetic mount, plug in the power cord and connect to BT. Good to go.

FYI - All 987.2 (Model year 2009 through 2012) had NO bluetooth streaming. Not sure which PCM manual you are looking at .. it might be for 981 PCM and not 987.2 PCM version. If you have PCM 3.0 with your 987.2 (option code P23, you'll know it because PCM 3.0 comes with navigation. it will play via music via USB ONLY if your car has also has option 870 universal audio interface (you'll know if you have this because center console will have 3 plugs on the front side (side toward gear shift): AUX analog port Ipod serial port USB port (USB port will only play music via USB memory stick, I don't think it plays music via your iphone/ipod if you plug it into USB port. That's why Porsche included a separate ipod serial port. I think this is where your confusion is. Try plugging a usb stick into the usb port, it'll play music and show up in PCM. ) If you car does NOT have PCM 3.0 (no nav), then option 870 only gives you an analog AUX port in center console.

The PCM manual is the one that came with all of the owner’s documentation. We have Nav and the three plugs (I need to order the iPod adapter). I appreciate the information. Ed

I have a 2012 Cayenne , The USB port connecting my iphone to the stereo system died. I spend two days in and out of the Niello Porsche dealer service center without any resolution. They installed a new port, but it still did not work. The cigarette lighter works to charge my phone battery , however the port doesn't play music or charge the battery . Next step is to go to a car stereo specialist as the Porsche service people don't seem to know how to deal with the problem. Any suggestions?

Bluetooth 30 pin adapter if you have UAI with iPod

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Had same issue and refused to believe there was not a simple workaround...there is! Buy Aux to Aux cable $7 @ Target, Walmart, Amazon etc. Plug one end into Aux in car, plug other end into mic jack in iPhone . When you want to play anything from your phone, select Source from console and choose Aux. This also allows you to be charging your iPhone while playing music/podcast via Aux port. Works great!

You should replace your USB connector, perhaps it is broken and does not receive the signal to play music.

I have a 2009 Cayenne and usually a usb works fine - but i just uploaded 4 songs (WMA and MP3, same as others on the usb) onto my usb, but 3 out of the 4 songs won't play - they play fine from the usb on my laptop, so it's got to be the car (she has only 96K on her but the music things is driving me crazy) - any help is appreciate, TIA!