iPod/iPhone adapter for 2002 stock stereo with in-dash 6 CD changer

[brazzle]

Hello all; tried to make the title as descriptive as possible, but it came out a bit long-winded... anywho.

I have been looking for a way to integrate my iPhone directly with my 02's in-dash 6-disc CD changer. I used to think it was impossible, but some searches today have made me believe it isn't so difficult.

I read a couple of posts on this forum that mention I can purchase this and this and that I would be good to go. I just want to make sure I don't screw up. I don't have the engineering prowess to do this myself (I assume), so I will have to pay to have it installed... I figure if I don't mess up on the peripherals then I will save myself a lot of heartache.

I did some searches on this forum, but I haven't found anything definitive (sorry if I missed the obvious)

So... are those all I need? Is there a cheaper alternative?

EDIT: I don't care if it is the most beautiful setup---and if it uses the headphone jack instead I could be OK with that (although I hate to lose the wheel control).
EDIT 2: Oh, and here is the thread I was referencing

Thanks!

 

[jrford]

i put the same (very similar but different wires) in my heep. Works great and even charges the iPod. Cructhfield sells them too, about the same price.

Really this is plug and play, the only thing you might have to do (to get charging the iPod) is to wire those two lose ends to the radio ground and Acc line. Push wire taps work great here, and those are on the back of the radio so its no big deal. I would assume on the back side of the radio and the square 20-pin has pins in it. . . i would also think the steering wheel controls will still work.

I don't think you find much cheaper, in reference my heep the one above ran $110 and the the plug in kind was only $40 cheaper had RCA inputs that replaced the external Cd changer, (fleabay) but didn't charge the iPod. After using it i wound up getting the one above.


I think they mean you will lose the external CD changer if you had one. . .

Another idea is to get the Bluetooth adapter. . . best of both worlds, and i think (don't know for sure) but you should be able to play your iTunes library over it too - and its wireless.

 

[brazzle]

thanks very much for the reply! I didn't even think about Bluetooth, so I will look into that. based on the threads I read, it sounds like I would not lose my CD changer functionality since it is built-in... apparently pushing "CD" once chooses to play CDs and pressing it again goes to the auxiliary input (in this case, the iPod/iPhone).

 

[Pontisteve]

Digging up the dead here, but how did you come out on this? Looking to wire up an Ipod into my CD6 radio.

FYI, I found this very helpful...

http://www.logjamelectronics.com/externalcdford.html

I'm wondering if there is a way to use a cell phone with bluetooth capabilities (Android?) to be the music library and send the music wirelessly to the factory radio somehow.

 

[jrford]

hey, i don't think we will find out. . .# Last Activity: 05-17-2010 03:03 PM.
I can update what i know hopefully it helps?
I never did the bluetooth, just the wired verison on the heep. I went back to the first one PIE with the RCA inputs. The expensive one actually fried the radio, the adapter was pulling to much juice which shorted out the board. Found a used radio and got rid of that thing and went back to the PIE version. 1 yr later its still ok.

As for the CD6 mine dosn't switch using the CD button on the radio but the steering wheel button for some reason but I also have the rear DVD.

I did find this quote "After looking into it somemore I came up with the conclusion that it only works with blootooth headphones. I found this information on Apples website on the IPOD Touch "
http://www.f150forum.com/f38/bluetooth-ipod-touch-35389/

Hopefully someone will chime in with more experience.

hopefully someone will chim in with more experience. .
But read this: http://www.ford-mobile-connectivity.com/files/manual/Ford_BVC_GS_A4_EN.pdf

We do know the wired version works but bluetooth sounds iffy. . .?

 

[Pontisteve]

I'd be happy with the wired version, but not if it burns up my radio. I just got a good used one myself, since the original 6 disc quit working right in mine (the CD player part anyway). I still have the original radio, but have swapped in a good used one that works great. Not cheap!

So what exact device burned up your radio??

 

[jrford]

So what exact device burned up your radio??

I think it had to do more with the radio being, what 15+yrs old. This is a Jeep with the Mode button on the radio, which provided a CD Changer option. The iPod adapter pulled power off the CD circuit to charge the iPod, like 1amp or so. I think it tried to draw more power than the circuit could carry. The electric trace that supplied power had melted, just kinda of popped off the board. $50 later for a used radio and it was fine. I went back to the PIE adapter which only draws power for itself, it didn't charge the ipod, came with RCA's inputs. Simple but it works.

For a '03 Ford it would be PIE, FRDN-AUX.

 

[jrford]

On another topic, i have the original radio that came with my truck, AM/FM/CD/Cass. In taking it apart, i noticed on the circuit board, where the tape plugs into the main board, 3 traces or circuits which are labeled - L/R/Gnd. I'm thinking of trying to add an input using those circuits using old headphone wire. the idea being you can use the Cass for an input, you might need a old dead tape to trick the radio in using the cass. It looks like the solder point would be after the cass amp so it might work., not 100% as i've yet to try it out. This way i'd keep the steering wheel and rear DVD, as those adapters are pricey.

My CD6 still works at the moment, but once it locks up. . .

 

[Pontisteve]

With discs in the CD6, I tried hitting the CD button while playing the CD's. Nothing happened, except a small pause. I thought it would say no CD-DJ, but that must have been my 98 explorer that did that. I'm yet to try removing all the CDs and hitting the CD button.

So far, I'm thinking my truck doesn't have the ability to control an outside CD player after all.

 

[jrford]

Hitting my CD button only gets me the CD player too. Do you have steering wheel controls? The music button will switch to any of them.

I also have the rear Radio controls, they can switch it too i think, i have to run out and confirm. The controls are part of the RSE (rear DVD player).

One thing i noticed is if you don't have any device plugged in the radio will 'skip' that function. Using the Corp Bus (i'm guessing) a signal is sent to the radio to tell it to listen to that device. In other words if you plug in the adapter it should appear in the selection. Not 100% on that but thats what it seems to do.

As an example when i tried the bypass the sub amp and hook up to an aftermarket one, the Radio refused to output any Bass signal's to the aftermarket amp. It wasn't until i hooked up the stock sub amp that the signal was outputted from the radio; therefore i had to use the friggin stock sub amp and use speaker level inputs on the aftermarket one. It took me 2 hours and I rewired it twice to figure that one out.

 

[Pontisteve]

That's interesting, and I never thought about using my steering wheel controls, just the radio "CD" button. I'll try it again with the music button on the wheel. I also need to try it with and without CD's in the CD6.

I guess it was my 98 Explorer that I was remembering did this. When you hit a button on that player, it used to say "NO CD-DJ", meaning it could not find a disc jockey hooked up, or that the DJ was empty. That told me that radio definitely had external CD changer controls.

From what I've heard, the rear DVD vehicles could not use the aftermarket Ipod stuff. Is that true?

So how the heck can I tell if an Ipod adapter will work in my truck, and which brand should I buy?

 

[jrford]

From what I've heard, the rear DVD vehicles could not use the aftermarket Ipod stuff. Is that true?

True. aftermarket has to use the Inputs that the DVD uses. If you have the rear DVD there are a set of inputs just in front of the screen, L/R/Vid hooks up a Playstation or something. I just use that.

So how the heck can I tell if an Ipod adapter will work in my truck, and which brand should I buy?

How many wires are in the back of the radio? 20Pin square socket. If just 2 wires, i'd suggest the PIE one. . .PIE frdn-aux, few had luck with it. If you search on the part no. you should find some posts. Note with an '03 you should have the older plugs, 'World Plugs'

 

[Pontisteve]

I don't remember how many wires now that it's installed, but I do remember that it was the older black world plugs, not the newer gray ones. Does that tell you anything?

 

[jrford]

For World Plugs this should do it 'PIE frdn-aux' so long as you DONT have the RSE or Rear DVD player. If so you will lose it, (just to be clear), 20-pin plug should only have two wires in it.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225693
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=254474

 

[Pontisteve]

Bingo! That's just the thread I was looking for. Thank You!!

By the sounds of it, my radio will work just fine, and will "see" the Ipod once I actually plug one in. His radio looks identical to mine. And on Ebay, there's even these adapters that come with cables for plugging into the bottom of an Ipod for charging.

I was hoping to find an adapter that went straight from the adapter to the Ipod docking port without having to use special cables, and with the ability to charge the Ipod. So the input to the adapter would be an Ipod dock cable, not RCA's. Seen anything like that?

 

[jrford]

crutchfield would be your friend here, thought i saw one or two?

 

[Pontisteve]

What do you mean by that? Isn't that what the PIE adapter is?

 

[joeschmoe2332]

do you have to connect the two loose wires that hang off of the PXHFD3 or if you do not care for the charging capabilities, can you just keep them unconnected?