Navigating digital music in the car should be seamless, but for some, like Bill from Washington state, it’s become a frustrating repeat performance. Bill reached out seeking answers to a peculiar problem with his iPod Touch in his 2018 Toyota. Instead of smoothly resuming where he left off, his iPod frequently defaults to the first song alphabetically, Michael W. Smith’s “Above All,” every time he restarts his car. While acknowledging it’s a good song, Bill humorously questions why he needs to hear it ad nauseam when his library boasts over a thousand other tracks and meticulously crafted playlists. Let’s delve into the details of this audio enigma.
Bill clarifies that this issue occurs roughly 40% to 60% of the time he uses his iPod in his car. He’s running iOS 12.3 on a 128GB iPod Touch, syncing his music library from iTunes on his computer – a mix of purchased songs and tracks ripped from CDs and even vinyl records. He uses the USB port in his Toyota to connect the iPod, which the car’s audio system readily recognizes. When the engine is turned off, the iPod correctly pauses.
The inconsistency is what baffles Bill most. Sometimes, for brief stops, the iPod will indeed pick up right where it paused. However, more often than not, upon restarting the car, the audio system either fails to recognize the iPod initially, or it does recognize it, only to launch straight into “Above All.” Even more perplexing is the behavior when the audio system does show the paused song title with a play arrow. Tapping play doesn’t guarantee a return to the expected track; it can just as easily cue up “Above All” again. This forces Bill to manually navigate back to his desired playlist each time, disrupting the flow he expects from his digital music experience.
Adding another layer to this puzzle, Bill shares a comparison with an older, smaller 12GB iPod Touch he uses in his 1996 van (connected via Bluetooth due to the van’s lack of USB). Remarkably, this older iPod doesn’t exhibit the same issue. It consistently resumes playback where it left off, working exactly as desired. This contrast leaves Bill wondering if a setting difference between the two devices is the root cause. Why does the newer, larger iPod misbehave while the older one functions flawlessly? Is there a hidden setting on the 128GB iPod Touch that’s causing this unwanted musical déjà vu?
Bill’s detailed description highlights a frustrating user experience where the expected seamlessness of digital music playback in a car is undermined by this persistent glitch. The core issue seems to revolve around the iPod’s inability to consistently remember its playback position across car restarts, leading to the repetitive and unwanted selection of the alphabetically first song. The fact that an older iPod works correctly in a different car environment suggests the problem might be specific to the newer iPod or its interaction with the 2018 Toyota’s audio system. Further investigation into iOS settings, iPod USB connectivity protocols, or even potential quirks in the Toyota’s infotainment system might be necessary to finally solve this “Above All” loop and allow Bill to truly take control and touch this song – or any other song he chooses – when he starts his car.
