Could use some help / advice / guidance...

I had the AVIC-5000NEX installed today. It was installed to use both an iPhone 6 and iPod Classic. I'm having some issues. 

I assume it has the latest firmware since they updated it there in the shop (and he told me that's what they were doing).

I don't have iOS 8.1 yet. 

Here's the issues I've run into...

Most annoying one:

If I'm listening to music via iPod2 (my iPod Classic), and a text message comes in, the minute I try to interact with CarPlay it switches over to iPod1. It never goes back to iPod2 even when I'm done listening, replying, etc. It doesn't do what I'd expect... mute/attenuate the music while I'm texting or making a call, but then return to playing the music on iPod2 when complete. Is there something wrong with my setup or is this just how it works?

Most baffling one:

Siri seems to like to not read messages correctly when they come in. If I text someone via Siri and a little while later they reply, she won't read their message... she'll read the last message I sent to them and ask me if I want to send it. Apparently this is an Apple bug, but it isn't something I've run into outside of CarPlay. She seems to do it randomly, but it also seems she's more likely to do it when the message is very short / one word. My husband for example likes to answer with one word -- "LOL" -- or even one letter -- "K" -- and those seemed to be more likely to cause the problem to occur. Anyone else have this experience and a work-around / fix?

Least important one:

I can't connect the iPhone via bluetooth at all. If I do, it won't "remember" that USB1 and USB2 are being used. What happens is this. If I connect my iPhone via bluetooth while everything else is working, all seems to continue to work fine. However, if I turn the car off, go into a store, come back and turn the car on, neither "iPod 1" or "iPod 2" show up or work. I have to disconnect bluetooth completely, delete it from the 5000NEX, and then plug in my iPhone and iPod Classic. Obviously, way too inconvenient to go through that constantly. My audio shop even called Pioneer to get some answers on this and apparently their answer was "just turn bluetooth off" when using both USB1 and USB2. 

My only other issue, which maybe me being stupid... how the heck do you turn down the volume of sounds coming through from the iPhone -- like text notifications? Siri, her volume is okay, but all the notification sounds are WAY too loud. I can't seem to access volume on the phone in the apps themselves (like messages) to adjust it while connected. Where it is? Where am I missing it?

Thanks all...

Have you tried setting the "Alerts" volume? It comes up on the right hand side of the volume bar whenever you raise or lower the music volume. It controls Siri too, but it should adjust the other notifications as well.

Have you tried setting the "Alerts" volume? It comes up on the right hand side of the volume bar whenever you raise or lower the music volume. It controls Siri too, but it should adjust the other notifications as well.

 I didn't notice that but I will check. I did go into the "settings" area and set the alerts volume there, with no effect, but I'm not sure it's for the same alerts you're talking about.

Overall, I find the whole experience just a bit buggy. Not terribly, but not terribly smooth either. Price for being an early adopter, surely. Just wish I could solve some of these problems.

Will definitely check out what you're pointing to tomorrow morning. Even today when I was using Apple Maps, the voice guidance was BLARING loud, to the point I had to turn it off. Luckily with the AVIC-5000NEX, it has it's own navigation I can use instead.

Another interesting thing I noted ... in the latest firmware update (1.08) there's an addendum to the manual...

Now, I haven't tried this so I don't know what it does, but that would seem to make all CarPlay features unavailable if using the built-in navigation. That seems like a pretty poor design if you ask me, if it's indeed true. Can someone speak to this? Anyone know?

This is referring to the avh4000nex, using the avic-U260, (hideaway) nav add-on. If you use AppRadio, or CarPlay, Navigation is not available. So it is either, CarPlay or AppRadio or Navigation. What gets me is, the navi add-on, AppRadio and CarPlay, all use a different input. Navi uses RGB input, AppRadio uses hdmi input, and CarPlay uses usb input. Why not just have these as input selections along with all the others. XMRadio uses a special input and it is readily available on the input. If i hook up iPhone to hdmi, and use hdmi as input Navi is available, but if i set smartphone to av connect, then Navi is not available but AppRadio is. I know on this head unit, the three all take up the same space on the screen(top left), even tho the website shows navi icon below that space. I could understand not being able to use CarPlay and AppRadio, because they use different inputs and the iPhone can't be hooked up to both at the same time, but navi is Pioneers own add-on. What works best for me is, iPhone connects BT,(for phone), and hdmi via apple a/v adapter(usb from a/v adapter to car charger, not usb from head unit), the only app radio app i use is DashCommand(iPhone 6 has large enough screen so i do not need AppRadio), I can play music thru BT from iPhone music app, Pandora or Google Music, using hdmi as input and turning iPhone horizontal, it mirrors iPhone and can play videos via HBOGO, MAXGO, Youtube, DisneyMovie app or Apples video app, usb1 has 14000 mp3 songs on a 240gb solid state drive, usb2 has 200+ ripped dvds in mp4 format on 480gb solid state drive. Navi add-on, xmradio add-on, digital tv tuner on a/v input. Everything works and i do not miss CarPlay or AppRadio. SdCard is samsung 64gb sdxc, formatted to fat32 and has 60 gb of my favorite song in flac(lossless format).

Another interesting thing I noted ... in the latest firmware update (1.08) there's an addendum to the manual...

0. Notes on using Apple CarPlay with the AV Receiver

   To use Hideaway navigation system and iPod1 at the same time, set “Apple CarPlay†in the “Smartphone Setup†to “Off†beforehand. 

Now, I haven't tried this so I don't know what it does, but that would seem to make all CarPlay features unavailable if using the built-in navigation. That seems like a pretty poor design if you ask me, if it's indeed true. Can someone speak to this? Anyone know?

I hear what you're saying, but then I don't know why it was a manual addendum for the avic-5000 NEX. I assume it's because several models use the same user manual with certain sections only pertaining to one or the other model, but still, it's dumb for it to be listed as an addendum specifically to the 5000NEX model if it really doesn't apply to it.

Have you tried setting the "Alerts" volume? It comes up on the right hand side of the volume bar whenever you raise or lower the music volume. It controls Siri too, but it should adjust the other notifications as well.

BTW, this worked. I updated the firmware tonight (to 1.08), and while I was doing so I checked on what you were saying... and was able to adjust Siri and all the CarPlay sounds down.

On another note... I played with AHA a bit and it was buggy for me. Anyone else?

And my 80gb iPod classic crashed and died today. Bad coincidence...