Got an IPod...

[Rider90]

Just thinking of a way to hook it up to the head unit. They've got cassette adapters but thats too old school, so where could I splice? Does the trunk amp power all four interior speakers? Is there a wiring diagram? I'll run a few wires all over the car just to do it right.

[Festus]

I've got an MP3 player too. I couldn't find a good way to hook it in directly. I ended up using a cassette adapter and it works fine.

[rookie1]

Just thinking of a way to hook it up to the head unit. They've got cassette adapters but thats too old school, so where could I splice? Does the trunk amp power all four interior speakers? Is there a wiring diagram? I'll run a few wires all over the car just to do it right.

the trunk amp powers only the subwoofer.

[Marauder]

Get an iTrip...plug into the top and uses any FM station controlled by the iPod. That's what I use. I have that plus a Tune Dock which is a cradle for the ipod that fits in the cup holder.

The iTrip comes in a tab bit scratchy in the city but outside of the city it works great. At least you can use it with any FM radio even if it doesn't have a tape player or other input.

[SouLRioT]

The tape adapter is the best way, unless you have an aftermarket head unit that has a RCA input. I know some of them have a place in that back to add additonal audio lines in. As far as the FM transmitter, I've had bad luck with them, not very good. But a suggestion if you have the Itrip, remove the sticker on top and you'll beable to have the built in antenna stand up to send a better signal.

[Festus]

As I said I ended up using the cassette adapter. I tried several alternatives before settling on it. My old car had alternate input jack that worked great with my MP3 player. I don't have that option with the MM.

The first solution I tried was the FM transmitter. My opinion on it was that it stunk. The quality of the audio was not good, and it was impossible to get a frequency that wasn't constantly being interfered with by actual radio stations or other RF sources like power lines.

So I had a cassette adapter on the shelf and tried it and it works great. By using the cassette adapter, you can use some of the controls on the steering wheel.

At first I just allowed the cable to dangle out the front of the head unit. But recently, I ran the cable back behind the head unit and under the console so the cable isn't as visible. All I did was loosen the head unit a couple inches, stretch the cable to the left side of the head unit and go behind it. I put a piece of electrical tape on the cable where the head unit covers the cable to reinforce the cable so it's not pinched. Then I simply ran the cable behind the dash and under the console to come out on the passenger side to the right of the shifter.

For the player, I got a mount from Arkon that attaches to the seat bracket and has a flexible goose neck mount. http://www.arkon.com/pdamount.html The mount is easy to install and places the player a couple inches to the right of the shifter. So it is easy to reach the controls on the player.

I also power the player by tapping into the lighter socket in the console with a cigarette lighter adapter hard wired into the power source and snaking out from under the console to the player. This works very nicely because the power cord and the cassette plug are right next to one another and they come out together under the console. I can easily hide the wires by tucking them between the console and the passenger seat, and the mount has a thumb screw to disconnect it.

To make it more interesting, I'm not using an Ipod but a Compaq Ipaq which is a primarily a PDA. It has a sleeve with a 5GB hard drive that I can fit about 1200 songs on. The nice thing about using the Ipaq, is that I can also use it for other things, like a GPS navigator. My Ipaq supports Bluethooth, so I use a Bluetooth GPS receiver that receives the GPS signals and retransmits them over Bluetooth to the Ipaq. The Ipaq has software on it that provides "turn by turn" navigation instructions. With everything hooked up I can be on the road listening to my MP3 songs while every now and then a voice chimes in telling me "approaching right had turn" etc.

[Directedby]

I tried itrip, but the quality is really really bad.

I then got the audio tape connector and the quality is much better. My head unit has a motorized face with teh cassette player behind it. I ran the wire into the dash so it cannot be seen.

For the best sound quality you can get the ipod kit that has RCA adapters and tie them into the back of the unit - sound slie this is your plan. But if you can't do that then the cassette and the quality is still very good.

[GarageMahal]

I believe there is an adapter cable available *IF* you are willing to give up the CD changer in the trunk. You should be able to find them on one of these links: P.I.E. (http://www.pie.net) or Log Jam (http://www.logjamelectronics.com)

I just replaced my CD changer with a Kenwood Sirius tuner using a P.I.E. cable. The Kenwood unit lets me hook one of their CD changers (or MusicKegs) into it and P.I.E. makes an adapter that will give me an external input instead if I want it.

More about my setup in another post later...

jta

[Mad4Macs]

Alpine decks currently in production have an optional Ai-Net adapter that allows your iPod to be controlled via the head unit... no other MP3 player can touch the 'Pod ;-)

[Rider90]

I do not have the CD Changer, and I would not like to go the path of FM Transmitter or even Casette. I know what work is ahead of me, I've done this before, but I am not familiar with the Marauder's sound setup. Since I do not have the changer in the trunk, should there be two inputs near the trunk area that it would plug in to? Thats why I had suggested the amplifier. In a post above, someone (Already forgot who) suggested putting the RCA cables behind the head unit - and well, is there an RCA input behind it? There wasn't in any of the Vics I've worked on. I'll take my seats out, carpet up, dash apart, just to get it right. I've got 250 CDs that I'm tired of hauling around and switching. If you have the knowledge, give me the answer, if it works I'll do it.

[GarageMahal]

I think this is what you need: Ford Aux input adapter (http://store.yahoo.com/logjam/piefrd03aux.html)

Note that it does not list the 03 MM but I believe that is a mistake since the radios are the same. The part I purchased also did not list the 03 and works fine.

jta

[Rider90]

Thank you for the link, but on the same site I found this: http://www.logjamelectronics.com/pacauxpod.html I think that might be what I have in mind. I'll have to find some iPod forums or something...

[jgc61sr2002]

I do not have the CD Changer, and I would not like to go the path of FM Transmitter or even Casette. I know what work is ahead of me, I've done this before, but I am not familiar with the Marauder's sound setup. Since I do not have the changer in the trunk, should there be two inputs near the trunk area that it would plug in to? Thats why I had suggested the amplifier. In a post above, someone (Already forgot who) suggested putting the RCA cables behind the head unit - and well, is there an RCA input behind it? There wasn't in any of the Vics I've worked on. I'll take my seats out, carpet up, dash apart, just to get it right. I've got 250 CDs that I'm tired of hauling around and switching. If you have the knowledge, give me the answer, if it works I'll do it.


No trunk mounted CD player = No wire harness. Not sure if that answers your question.

[fastblackmerc]

I took out my factory 6-CD changer and replaced it with 12-CD changer from JVC. Took about 60 minutes of work "fixing" the factory bracketry and cover to make it work, another 60 minutes to run the one cable up to the front of the car and hook it up. Unit has a FM modulator, a small control unit and a remote. Mine is an older unit so it will only play .wav files, the newer ones play .wav & MP3's.

:o