I've found a lot of good iPod car install tips on www.ipodlounge.com forums. I think the easiest way to hard wire an iPod to our cars would be to buy a head unit with an Aux input. There are some inexpensive Aiwa units with a stereo mini jack Aux input in the front, if you didn't want to run wires to the glove box or wherever you plan on placing the iPod.

I'm sure in the next year there will be some good aftermarket products for the iPod and other digital music devices. Alpine has an interesting unit that lets you control the iPod from the head unit, but it's expensive, mainly because you need a compatable Alpine head unit for it to work.

 

I've had iPods for a while now and have tried several ways of listening to my iPod in my car. The 3rd party plug in FM transmitters that have an external box are really clumsy to place in the car and if they move, you get a loud noise through the transmission like a needle scratching across a record.

The iTrip was the best thing when it came out although it was more expensive than all the others but it fit snugly on the top and seemed to transmit over stations when there was another partial transmission on my programmed setting. The only issue with the iTrip is that it doesn't provide power.

By far the best solution that is still portable, is the Transpod FM Car kit. It's not cheap, but it provides a stable cradle that plugs into the cigarette lighter to hold the iPod and has a built in FM transmitter.

Hope this helps.

Greg

 

Stay away from FM modulators they are trash. Your best bet is to get something like the neo ion www.mp3yourcar.com that makes a direct connection to your cars stock stereo. By making a direct connection the quality is good and it also charges the iPod.

 

Thanks i will order that tomorow p.s where do i plug it in the radio antenna ?

 

Point of clarification... FM Modulators are not trash. FM Transmitters are trash. Good FM Modulators are how a lot of non-factory CD Changers are connected to head units. Perhaps you missed my earlier post explaining the difference. I have used several FM Transmitters and an FM Modulator, the FM Modulator is very good sound quality.

Additionally I have emailed MP3YourCar.com and asked how they are able to offer a cable to hook up to a Crossfire head unit when the CD Changer port does not work! They even asked me for picture of the back of our head unit (which I happily provided) but they are still researching it. I have not seen (but I certainly could be wrong) anyone here purchase the cable from MP3YourCar.com and install it on a Crossfire. That would be very cool if it works but I highly doubt it.

From what I've seen the only way to use the stock head unit and an MP3 player is with an FM Transmitter or FM Modulator.

 

Tony, good luck, please let us know if you get it to work.

Here's the description from the MP3YourCar.com site:
It should plug right into the CD Changer port on the back of the Crossfire head unit. Then you just connect power and ground, route the dock connector and plug in your ipod. Your iPod is at least a 3rd Generation with a dock connector, right?

I'm curious to see what "Full quality audio and controls" mean.

 

THere should be an aux as the slk and c mercedes even in stock form have an additional wiring that can be done to give it an aux jack. Hence the xfire is built on the slk platform and share alot of the wiring with them such as fibreoptics then it could be done just a matter of getting a wiring diagram from Chrysler or Mercedes

 

Yes and I think the hare should have beat the tortoise too if I'm remembering the fable correctly...

The stock head unit in a Crossfire is a CD only version of the Becker Monza. It does not have the hardware internally to operate a CD changer nor Aux-in. Once I find the post I will link to it but another Crossfire owner even called Becker and was told the same thing. Heck it even has the fiber optic port in the back of it but that doesn't mean it will work if you plug it in. Hmm maybe I'll install my old head unit in my wife's SLK230!


Edit Link to other post

 

If you're like me, you hate to start pulling apart your Xfire. I found the iTrip from Griffin Technology works pretty well. Has a great deal to do with how big a city you live in because of limited station positions on your Xfire stereo. (iTrip works on dead frequency bands). The trick here is to take the white sticker off the top of the iTrip transmitter and (carefully) pull up and out the small wire antenna so it looks like a transistor radio with it's whip up. This greatly improves the performance of the unit.

It's also a good idea to buy the Belkin car adaptor. It plugs into the cigarette lighter and puts your iPod at perfect height. By the way I'm talking about an iPod mini. I don't know what model iPod you have.

To learn more go to ipodlounge.com it has all the details including the details about the antenna trick

Good luck.

 

I looked at the MP3YourCar website and found it interesting that all 2004 Chryslers use the same part number adapter. It looks like someone there made an assumption that since it's a Chrysler it would have a Chrylser stereo. They also list one for a 1995-2000 Crossfire. That doesn't give me a whole lot of confidence in them

 

I'm not sure what you're talking about. The iTrip is just an attachment to the iPod mini and is merely an FM modulator. I don't work for any of these people...just answering a question for another iPod owner.

 

Exactly... That's why I emailed them and found it interesting that they wanted pictures of the back of the Crossfire head unit. They are perhaps misguided as a few others that just because the plug is there the CD Changer port must work!



I don't think anyone was referring to your post and the iTrip is an FM Transmitter not a modulator...