Aux In for my iPod

It all started when I filled up my travel CD holder and thought to myself, "Well, now what am I going to do?" This led to buying a 30GB iPod on eBay for $160. (note they are usually refurbished, some are used. A refurb from Apple is $209). Well, dang it! How is this supposed to connect to my Mazda?!?

After much research here and elsewhere, I found the Sylfex, AuxMod product. It and the iPod arrived in the mail the sameday. So after a trip to RadioShack I was ready for some modding.

At RadioShack, I got a 6' Male/Male miniplug, which I cut in two. For this purpose only about a foot is needed. I also got a panel mount female miniplug.

It has three contacts which correspond to the 3 wires on the cut miniplug cable - Left Channel, Right Channel and Ground. If you're unsure how to wire it up, here's the wiki wiki.

Use a small, flathead screwdriver to remove the optional MiniDisk faceplate.


I just used a tiny X-acto knife and twirled the point around. The hole doesn't have to be perfect - the finishing nut will cover any small irregularities. You will note that the back limits the placement of the jack. I suppose a Dremel would solve this problem, but I was doing this rather low tech.


With the jack wired up and tested (I plugged it into my PC Line Out with headphones attached), I was ready for the install.


I had read somewhere that you didn't need to remove the entire Head Unit (HU). So I worked hard to get the AuxMod unit through that tiny whole. You can do it, but it is a bit tough. And I might even go so far as to attach string or thread to the double sided backing on the AuxMod so I could remove them insitu. Tight confines and a sticky backing does not mix well. Forceps might also do the trick. I didn't have anything long enough to grab and manuever the AuxMod into the slot at the back of the HU other than my fingers.


What would I do different? I'd put the jack closer to the tuner knob than the volume knob. I put a right angle adapter in it and that helps alot.

But the iPod works like a charm by using the MD/Tape button. I'm very happy with the results of this little project.

Max-Ray

looks good, now I know what I am doing after I get my suspension done.

Thanks this is great, just installed mine. That wiki totally doesn't tell you how to wire the jack by the way, but I guess I'll figure it out.

Wishmaster said:

Thanks this is great, just installed mine. That wiki totally doesn't tell you how to wire the jack by the way, but I guess I'll figure it out.

Click to expand...

Hows the quality? Cant be too good with a headphone cable? But is good enough right? Did you use the Auxmod from the site linked here?

Yeah fill us in on how to wire, that wiki is long and not very good.

Sound quality is great... but that's coming from someone who doesn't really care to much... sounds like I'm listening to CD's to me. Yes, I did order the Auxmod from the site linked in the original post above and am happy to report no problems at all with the vendor, payed with paypal and soon as the payment was recieved it was shipped and arrived at my door a couple days later.

It was a little hard getting the part aligned propertly through such a small hole. It's not too hard to get it in there when not using the sticky tape stuff that is attached to the part, but I think if you don't use it, the Auxmod may disconnet over large bumps. When using the sticky stape, it feels very secure. Anyway totally scratched up my hands getting it done, the tape tends to stick before you get in lined up properly and I had to unstick and restick it about 3 times... It's probably best to get a girl or a friend with small hands to get it to it's final resting place.

I haven't had a chance to wire up the jack yet... just currently have the plate removed and the cord hanging out, but will update as soon as I wire up the jack.

So far, overall it's an easy install, if you don't mind a few srcatches which could probably be avoided if you prepare a little better than I did, like having some good, small, long handled gripping tools or even small, nimble, strong tongs could work You could also remove the head unit and avoid having to use the small hole altogether if you wanted to.

Totally recomend doing this though, it's so awesome to be able to hook-up my iPod so easily for so cheap!!

That seems a lot cheaper than the 180 plus installation that my local dealer ship wants to put in an iPod jack into the MD/tape slot. I'll have to look into this when I get home.

Just take the headunit out to do the install. Thats what I did because I had to remove my cassette player and made the process very simple.

And to plug it in I just ran a male-male length of cable down through the slot right behind the cupholders. That way i can have my ipod plugged and then just tuck it all away into the slot and the car looks completely stock with no added temptation for theives.

Wired and installed the jack last night... it was pretty simple, just cut off one end of the male/male plug as he mentioned in the original how-to. You will find three wires - two insluated wires (one red (positive right channel) and one white (negative left channel)) as well as an un-isulated wire (the ground).

So all I did was wrap the wires tightly around the contacts on the jack and wrapped them solidly with electrical tape. The wires and contacts are pretty small and a little finicky, so I cut up some small pieces of electrical tape, got out the tweezers and just took my time.

On the jack... the upper contact, the one near the front sticking up is the ground, the other two are left and right channels. I wasn't sure which was which, so just hooked it up, it sounds great, but left and right may be reversed... ie. the sound meant for the right speakers may be coming out of the left... but I don't really care (wink).

Once I was satisfied with my wiring job and it felt solid... I drilled my hole into the plate for the jack, put the jack into the plate, screwed on the locking ring, plugged in the other end of the cut male/male cord into the Auxmod (this time using tongs = no scratched hands), pushed the plate back onto the HU and it works great! Lov'in it!!

FYI - as he mentioned on the original how-to, I placed my jack closer to the tuning knob, so that the cord doesn't get in the way of the volume. No, you cannot centre the jack on the plate without some serious modding of the plate. The back of the plate is covered with ridges that leave little open boxes on the back... and only a few of these boxes will fit the chunky electrical tape covered jack. Make sure you test before you drill!

Yes, if you listen to your iPod all the time in your car you may just want to remove the HU and run the cord somewhere else like to the cup holders or into the glovebox, you won't have to deal with wiring the jack. Or you could put the jack somewhere else... totally up to you... be creative!! But I only use my iPod for road trips and/or longer periods in the car. So for me this was a great way to just be able to plug a cable in when I want it and when I don't, not have anything in the car at all... it also kinda looks stock when the jack is in the plate.

I found these on E-Bay and I'm wondering if anyone has tried them. Rather than using the tape-jack under the Head Unit, it connects to the CD-Changer plug at the back of the HU. It seems like the same idea as the AuxMod setup but a bit more complicated and not as clean.

Check it out:
https://www.ebay.com (commissions earned)
Search GROM Ebay Store for 'Mazda'

gottacatchup said:

Just take the headunit out to do the install. Thats what I did because I had to remove my cassette player and made the process very simple.

And to plug it in I just ran a male-male length of cable down through the slot right behind the cupholders. That way i can have my ipod plugged and then just tuck it all away into the slot and the car looks completely stock with no added temptation for theives.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I have the auxmod as well. Works great, sounds tons better than the FM transmitter i used to use.

I ran the male to male cable down from behind, and through the Ashtray. Just cut a small hole in the back of the ashtray for it to fit through, and then I too just coil it up and hides all inside the tray for a stock look when the Ipod isnt hooked up.

Now i wish i didnt see that Avic D3 review that somebody put up on here...that headunit/nav/ipod interface sure is tempting.

==jason

hotrippr said:

Hows the quality? Cant be too good with a headphone cable? .

Click to expand...

Why wouldn't this be good? Same thing as if you used a RCA cable, just a different form factor. It's gonna sound much better than an FM modulator. I have an aftermarket HU, but I still use a cable that uses the headphone out on the Ipod and converts it to Ai-Net input on the Alpine. Sounds great.

Anybody have any tips on getting the head unit out?

marshmallow said:

Anybody have any tips on getting the head unit out?

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Get the ford removal tools from autotoys.com for 5.95 for 2. Need 2 sets tho unless you do it like I did one side at a time. Shipping sucked but still cheaper than 50.00 from dealer.

That or just bend up a couple of coathangers. There was a how-to on the sizes you need and whatnot. Thats how I got mine out and it worked great.

I just finished mine. I drilled a hole in between the cigarette lighter and the ash tray. Kinda scary to drill a hole in such an apparent place, but I got it right. The plastic was thicker than i originally guessed. I ended up having to countersink the hole. I'm road tripping tomorrow, so I guess I'll see if it changes my life or not.

I just finished mine, loving it. Getting the card into place was a bit if a pain, but it eventually got in there. I ran the cord down the back of the center stack and out a slot above the cupholder. Cord hides away there and it still looks totally stock.

Can this be used with a zune?

^^ Yep, it will work with a zune. It will work with anything with a headphone jack. With the right connectors I guess it could be used with anything with a sound out.

Is there a retailer in canada that sell the auxmod?

Not that I know of, the only way is to order it through their website.