SONY MEX-BT38UW (01) PDF DOCUMENT

You can cancel the demonstration display which appears when the SONY MEX-BT38UW is turned off by following these steps:

1. Press and hold the select button. The setup display will appear.

2. Press the select button repeatedly until “DEMO” appears.

3. Rotate the control dial to select “DEMO-OFF.”

4. Press and hold the select button. The setup is complete, and the display will return to normal reception/play mode.

If your car’s ignition has no ACC position, it is important to set the Auto Off function on your SONY MEX-BT38UW to prevent battery drain. The unit will shut off completely and automatically after a set time.

To set the Auto Off function:

1. Press and hold the select button to enter the setup display.

2. Press the select button repeatedly until “A.OFF” (Auto Off) appears.

3. Rotate the control dial to select your desired time: “30S” (30 seconds), “30M” (30 minutes), or “60M” (60 minutes).

4. Press and hold the select button to confirm.

If you do not set the Auto Off function, you must press and hold the (SOURCE/OFF) button until the display disappears each time you turn the ignition off to prevent battery drain.

The SONY MEX-BT38UW can play CD-DA (also containing CD TEXT) and CD-R/CD-RW discs with MP3, WMA, and AAC files. The following table shows the compatible disc types and their labels:

You must reset the SONY MEX-BT38UW before operating it for the first time, after replacing the car battery, or after changing the connections.

1. Detach the front panel.

2. Press the RESET button, located behind the front panel, with a pointed object such as a ball-point pen.

Note: Pressing the RESET button will erase the clock setting and some stored contents.

The clock on the SONY MEX-BT38UW uses a 12-hour digital indication. To set it manually:

1. Press and hold the select button to enter the setup display.

2. Press the select button repeatedly until “CLOCK-ADJ” appears.

3. Press (SEEK) +. The hour indication will flash.

4. Rotate the control dial to set the hour and minute. To move between the hour and minute, press (SEEK) -/+.

5. After setting the minute, press the select button. The setup is complete and the clock starts.

To display the clock, press (DSPL). Press (DSPL) again to return to the previous display. You can also set the clock automatically with the RDS feature if available.

Detaching the front panel:

You can detach the front panel to prevent theft. If you turn the ignition switch to the OFF position without detaching the front panel, a caution alarm will sound for a few seconds (if the built-in amplifier is used).

1. Press and hold (SOURCE/OFF) to turn the unit off.

2. Press the front panel release button (▲), then pull the panel off towards you.

Attaching the front panel:

Engage the right side (part A) of the front panel with the corresponding part on the unit (part B), then push the left side into position until it clicks. Do not put anything on the inner surface of the front panel.

To use the Bluetooth features of your SONY MEX-BT38UW, follow these three main steps:

1. Pairing: First, register (“pair”) your Bluetooth device (like a cellular phone) with the unit. Pairing is only required the first time you connect a new device.

2. Connection: After a device is paired, you need to establish a connection to use it. Sometimes, pairing allows for an automatic connection, but otherwise, you must start the connection manually.

3. Handsfree Calling/Music Streaming: Once the connection is made, you can talk handsfree and listen to music from your connected Bluetooth device.

The display on your SONY MEX-BT38UW uses icons to show the status of the Bluetooth connection. Here is a description of what they mean:

Pairing is the process of registering a Bluetooth device with your SONY MEX-BT38UW for the first time. You can pair up to 8 devices.

1. Place the Bluetooth device you want to pair within 1 meter (3 ft) of the unit.

2. Press and hold the (BT) button on the SONY MEX-BT38UW for about 5 seconds. The unit will enter pairing standby mode, and the Bluetooth icon will flash.

3. On your Bluetooth device, search for available devices. The SONY MEX-BT38UW will appear as “XPLOD”. Select it.

4. If a passkey is required on your device, input “0000”.

5. Follow any other directions on your device’s display. The Bluetooth icon on the unit will flash and then stay lit once pairing is complete.

6. Finally, set your Bluetooth device to connect to the unit. The cellular phone icon or music note icon will appear when the connection is made.

Once your phone is connected via Bluetooth, you can make calls using the SONY MEX-BT38UW.

To Redial the last number:

1. Press (SOURCE/OFF) repeatedly until “BT PHONE” appears in the display.

2. Press and hold the (handsfree) button for 3 seconds or more. The phone call will start.

To make a call using Voice Dial Activation:

1. Ensure you have stored a voice tag on your cellular phone beforehand.

2. Press (SOURCE/OFF) repeatedly until “BT PHONE” appears.

3. Press the (handsfree) button. The cellular phone will enter voice dialing mode.

4. Say the voice tag stored on your phone. Your voice will be recognized, and the call will be made.

To end any call:

Press the (handsfree) button again.

When you receive a call on your connected phone, a ring tone will sound from your car speakers.

• To receive a call: Press the (handsfree) button. The phone call will start.
• To end a call: Press the (handsfree) button again.
• To reject an incoming call: Press and hold the (handsfree) button for 2 seconds.

You can stream music from a Bluetooth audio device that supports A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile).

1. Press (SOURCE/OFF) on the SONY MEX-BT38UW. This will select the “BT AUDIO” source.

2. On your connected audio device, start playback.

If your device supports AVRCP (Audio Video Remote Control Profile), you can also control playback from the SONY MEX-BT38UW:

• Play/Pause: Press the number 6 (PAUSE) button.
• Skip Tracks: Press the (SEEK) +/- buttons.

The operation may differ depending on the specific audio device.

The SONY MEX-BT38UW offers several ways to search for tracks:

Quick-BrowZer (Search by Category):

1. Press the Q (BROWSE) button. The unit enters Quick-BrowZer mode, and a list of search categories appears (e.g., Album, Artist).

2. Rotate the control dial to select your desired search category, then press it to confirm.

3. Repeat step 2 until you find the desired track. Playback will start automatically.

4. To exit Quick-BrowZer mode, press Q (BROWSE) again.

ZAPPIN™ (Listen to Track Passages):

This mode plays short passages of each track in sequence.

1. During playback, press the ZAP button. “ZAPPIN” appears, and playback of short passages will begin. You can set the passage length to 6, 9, or 30 seconds in the setup menu.

2. When you hear a track you want to listen to, press the select button or the ZAP button again. The unit will exit ZAPPIN mode and play that track from the beginning.

Storing Stations Automatically (BTM – Best Tuning Memory):

1. Press (SOURCE/OFF) repeatedly until “TUNER” appears. Select the band (FM1, FM2, FM3, AM1, AM2) by pressing (MODE) repeatedly.

2. Press and hold the select button to enter the setup display.

3. Press the select button repeatedly until “BTM” appears.

4. Press (SEEK) +. The unit will store stations in order of frequency on the number buttons (1 to 6). A beep will sound when complete.

Storing Stations Manually:

1. While receiving the station you want to store, press and hold a number button (1 to 6) until “MEM” appears in the display.

Receiving Stored Stations:

1. Select the band (FM or AM).

2. Press the number button (1 to 6) corresponding to the stored station you wish to hear.

1. Before connecting, turn down the volume on the unit.

2. Connect your iPod to the USB connector on the SONY MEX-BT38UW using your iPod’s USB cable.

3. The iPod will turn on automatically, and playback will start from the last played point. “IPD” will appear in the display when the iPod is recognized.

4. To select the play mode (e.g., ALBUM, ARTIST, GENRE), press the (MODE) button repeatedly.

5. To skip albums, podcasts, genres, playlists, or artists, use the (ALBM) -/+ buttons (number buttons 1 and 2).

6. Adjust the volume using the control dial.

Passenger Control: To operate the iPod directly from the iPod itself, press and hold the (MODE) button until “MODE IPOD” appears.

During playback from a CD, USB, or iPod, you can activate repeat and shuffle modes.

1. Press the (REP) button (number 3) or (SHUF) button (number 4) repeatedly until the desired setting appears.

The available options depend on the source:

For CD/USB:

• TRACK: Repeats the current track.
• ALBUM: Repeats the current album (MP3/WMA/AAC only).
• SHUF ALBUM: Plays tracks from the current album in random order.
• SHUF DISC/DEVICE: Plays all tracks on the disc/device in random order.

For iPod:

• TRACK: Repeats the current track.
• ALBUM: Repeats the current album.
• SHUF ALBUM: Plays tracks from the current album in random order.
• And many other shuffle options by playlist, artist, genre, etc.

To return to normal play, select the corresponding “OFF” setting (e.g., “SHUF OFF”).

To adjust the sound characteristics:

1. Press the select button repeatedly until the desired item appears.

2. Rotate the control dial to adjust the selected item.

3. Press the (BACK) button to complete the setting.

You can adjust the following items:

• EQ3: Selects an equalizer curve from 7 presets (XPLOD, VOCAL, EDGE, CRUISE, SPACE, GRAVITY, CUSTOM, or OFF).
• LOW/MID/HI: When EQ3 is set to “CUSTOM,” you can adjust the bass, mid, and treble levels from -10 dB to +10 dB.
• BAL (Balance): Adjusts the sound balance between the left and right speakers.
• FAD (Fader): Adjusts the relative level between the front and rear speakers.
• SUB (Subwoofer volume): Adjusts the subwoofer volume.
• AUX (AUX level): Adjusts the volume level for a connected auxiliary device (+18 dB to -8 dB).
• BTA (BT-Audio level): Adjusts the volume level for a connected Bluetooth audio device (+18 dB to -8 dB).

1. Press and hold the select button. The setup display appears.

2. Press the select button repeatedly until the desired item appears.

3. Rotate the control dial to select the setting (e.g., “ON” or “OFF”).

4. Press and hold the select button to confirm. The setup is complete and the display returns to normal.

The following items can be set:

• CLOCK-ADJ: Manually adjust the clock.
• CT (Clock Time): “ON”/”OFF” – Activates automatic clock setting via RDS.
• BEEP: “ON”/”OFF” – Activates the beep sound for button presses.
• AUX-A (AUX Audio): “ON”/”OFF” – Activates the AUX source display.
• A.OFF (Auto Off): “NO”/”30S”/”30M”/”60M” – Shuts off the unit automatically after a set time.
• MIC (Microphone): “EXT”/”INT” – Selects between an external or internal microphone.
• DEMO: “ON”/”OFF” – Activates the demonstration display.
• DIM (Dimmer): “ON”/”OFF” – Changes the display brightness.
• A.SCRL (Auto Scroll): “ON”/”OFF” – Scrolls long display items automatically.
• LOCAL (Local Seek Mode): “ON”/”OFF” – When ON, tunes only to stations with strong signals.
• MONO: “ON”/”OFF” – Selects monaural reception to improve poor FM reception.
• Z.TIME (Zappin Time): Selects the playback time for ZAPPIN mode (6, 9, or 30 seconds).
• LPF/HPF (Low/High Pass Filter): Sets the cut-off frequency for subwoofers and speakers.
• LOUD (Loudness): “ON”/”OFF” – Reinforces bass and treble for clear sound at low volumes.
• DM+: “ON”/”OFF” – Activates the DM+ function.
• BTM: Starts the Best Tuning Memory function for radio presets.
• BT INIT (Bluetooth Initialize): Deletes all paired device registrations.

To delete the registration of all paired devices (initialize Bluetooth memory):

1. Press and hold (SOURCE/OFF) for 1 second to turn off the power.

2. If the Bluetooth icon is lit, press and hold the (BT) button until the icon turns off.

3. Press and hold the select button to enter the setup menu.

4. Press the select button repeatedly until “BT INIT” appears.

5. Press (SEEK) +. “INITIAL” will flash in the display. It takes 3 seconds to cancel all registrations. Do not turn off the power while it is flashing.

If no power is being supplied to the unit, check the following:

• Check the power connection and the fuse. Ensure all wiring is secure.
• If the unit is turned off and the display is blank, it cannot be operated with the remote commander. You must turn on the unit using the (SOURCE/OFF) button on the main unit itself.

If you are having trouble with radio reception, consider the following solutions:

• Incorrect Connection: Ensure the car antenna (aerial) is properly connected. If your car has a built-in antenna booster (in the rear/side glass), make sure the power antenna control lead (blue) or accessory power supply lead (red) is connected to the booster’s power supply lead.
• Weak Signal: The broadcast signal may be too weak. For FM, try setting the reception mode to “MONO-ON” in the setup menu to improve clarity. For automatic tuning, you may need to perform manual tuning to find weak stations.
• Local Seek Mode: If tuning stops too frequently, “LOCAL” may be set to “ON.” Set it to “OFF” to search for weaker stations. If tuning does not stop at any station, the signal may be too weak, or “LOCAL” is set to “OFF”; try setting it to “ON” to only find strong stations.

If you are having issues with CD playback, check these possible causes:

• Disc Cannot Be Loaded: Another disc may already be loaded. The disc may have been forcibly inserted upside down or in the wrong way.
• Disc Does Not Play Back: The disc could be defective, dirty, or a type not meant for audio use (e.g., a data CD-R). For MP3/WMA/AAC files, the disc may be incompatible with the required format and version.
• Sound Skips: The unit may be installed at an angle greater than 45° or in a part of the car subject to heavy vibration. Ensure installation is correct. The disc could also be defective or dirty.
• Operation Buttons Do Not Function: If the unit becomes unresponsive, press the RESET button.

• The connecting device cannot detect this unit: Before pairing, make sure the SONY MEX-BT38UW is in pairing standby mode (hold BT for 5 seconds). If the unit is already connected to another Bluetooth device, it cannot be detected; disconnect the current device first.
• Connection is not possible: Connection is controlled from one side (either the unit or the device). Try initiating the connection from the other device. Check the pairing and connection procedures in the manual of the other device and try again.
• The phone is not connected: If you are playing Bluetooth audio, the phone will not connect automatically even if you press the (handsfree) button. You must connect from the phone itself.
• Echo or noise occurs in phone calls: Lower the volume. If ambient noise is high (e.g., open window, loud air conditioner), try to reduce it.
• A call partner says the volume is too low or high: Adjust the volume using the Mic Gain adjustment setting during the call.

• CHECKING: The unit is confirming the connection of a USB device. Wait until it is finished.
• ERROR: The disc is dirty, inserted upside down, or cannot be played. Clean or re-insert the disc, or try another one. For a USB device, it may not have been recognized; reconnect it.
• FAILURE: Indicates an incorrect speaker/amplifier connection. Check the installation manual to verify the connections.
• HUB NO SUPRT: A USB hub is connected, which is not supported.
• NO DEV: A source is selected without a device connected (e.g., USB source with no USB drive). Connect the appropriate device.
• NO MUSIC: The disc or USB device does not contain a playable music file.
• OVERLOAD: The USB device is overloaded. Disconnect the device and change the source. This may indicate the USB device is out of order or unsupported.
• READ: The unit is reading all track and album information. Wait until reading is complete. This may take more than a minute depending on the disc structure.
• RESET: The unit or USB device cannot be operated due to a problem. Press the RESET button.
• USB NO SUPRT: The connected USB device is not supported.