$40 for the Aux Input always seemed like a total ripoff to me, so I got the idea to use a PC audio cable that I had laying around. Thanks to Shankrabbit for his DIY found here.

This picture was especially helpful.



Here's the PC audio cable I had.



The flat 4-pin connector was easily cut down the middle with an Exacto knife.



I glued the white wire (pin 3 on the head unit) next to the red wire (pin 4) to make one L-shaped connector. Note the pin assignments to match the head unit pic above.



I bought 2 female 1/8" stereo jacks at Radio Shack for $3.00, snipped off the connector on the other end of the audio cable and soldered the wires to the female jack. (Note the mini cable pin assignments, tip=left, ring=right, sleeve=ground or common)



After a total of 15 minutes work and $1.50 worth of parts, I had an Aux Cable. But would it work?

Time to go outside, pull off the down tubes and slide out the head unit.




I pushed my home-made connector onto the pins and it fit perfectly!!



I plugged in the MP3 player, hit the Mode button until it showed Aux, turned on the player, and, bingo, I had tunes!! Woohoo!! Ain't it great when a plan comes together? I drilled a hole in the glove box, tightened it down and the job was done!

 

Looks good don!

 

nice job

 

that's cool....but I had thought, mistakenly, that there was some sort of resister within the aux input cable somehow...guess not

 

Very nice!

 

Nicely done!

I'm glad that top image was helpful!

 

Following these instructions I've made my own (completely identical) cable. I'll be installing it tonight. I'll let you guys know how it works for me.

 

That's cool. Glad to help!!

 

Ok, so this is semi related to this topic... For those of you that already have AUX ports... where did you put the plug in? where they recommend, the glove box? under the centre console?

I have one, and am not sure where I want to drill the hole for the cable, where the ideal place would be?

J

 

I didn't get a chance to install my cable tonight but I'm planning on mounting the jack out of sight under the center console to make it easy to plug an iPod into when needed.

 

another common place is into the parcel shelf (if you have one).....I drilled mine into the back of the parcel shelf......that way I can throw my ipod there when I leave the car so as not to invite a break-in

 

I think in the glove box is a bit more hidden then on the parcel shelf. Although the shelf blocks alot of view points...there is no way to see inside the glovebox without being inside the car 1st. That being said, mine is mounted under the center console, I take my iPod with me everywhere (and almost always have it on) so leaving it in my car is in no way a factor I have to think about.

 

My only concern with the glove box, is the wire, and pinching when you have it plugged in and to the IPOD/MP3 device... that is assuming you do not leave it in there while it is playing and you are driving, and also, not leaving the glovebox open when you drive... :P

until I figure it out, I just have the cable sitting there, under the ctr console.

J

 

Jason,

If you look at the last pic above, I can leave the cable plugged in (in fact, it still is) and easily close the glove box with lots of clearance. The glove box organizer also has a handy shelf right there to stick the MP3 player.

 

I ran mine under the carpet.

 

Mine is under the HU to easily allow my Belkin adapter to plug right in without running wires everywhere.

 

Will this mod work on '02 radios?

 

I was thinking of putting it there actually... have you noticed a pain at all with the cord sticking up in that area? hitting or knocking it?

J

 

Soooooo....did your cable work? <waits with bated breath>

 

Thanks Big_Daddy,

I used your diagrams and made my own DIY Aux cable and it WORKS!!! I didn't have a computer cable, so I took a good R/C car servo snipped off the wire, went to Radio Shack, bought a 1/8 connector, a 1/8 m2m cable , 30 mins later presto! I now can play my IPOD of my stock HU......! Thanks a million! I love this forum.

 

That's great!! Glad it worked for you.

 

Well I finally got around to installing it. Everything is working good. I like how it reverts to the previous source when you unplug the iPod (or whatever load you have on it).

Thanks for the guide.

 

i decided to purchase a Tuneflex to hold my Nano and charge it at the same time, because apparently I should have been able to plug the Aux cable into the tuneflex.


There seems to be a strange problem.... when I plug AUX cable into the tuneflex (with it plugged into the cigarette socket) the headunit no longer recognizes the nano and i cannot click on "mode" to bring AUX back... so no music at all??? when i unplug the aux cable and plug it directly to the nano.. the HU recognizes the nano again.. and music...

then i tried plugging the aux cable into the tuneflex but didn't plug it into the cigarette socket and it kinda worked?? i could hear sound, but it sounded like it was only on one channel.. without bass and very very weak.. i touched the tuneflex lightly against the cig socket then the HU would bypass the AUX completely within a second

i'm totally lost.. anyone have any idea what the heck is going on?

 

PM Sent

For those not getting the PM, it's a ground loop issue that can be remidied with a ground loop isolator.

The reason with no sound when it is not plugged in is because of a teeny tiny amplifier within the tuneflex which is receiving no power.

 

Where do we put the ground loop isolator?