I'm sure this has been discussed to death perviously, but my search was less than fulfilling, so here goes:

I have a 1995 cab with stock stereo (tweeters in doors and 5 1/4 in map and two speakers in back) and six disc CD. I want to connect an iPod to the stereo. Possible? Possible without disabling the CD player? Thoughts? Thanks.

 

IIRC, it depends on which head unit you have. if your car has a cd changer and is the cd220, you can use this connector:

http://www.discountcarstereo.com/detail.aspx?ID=993

 

I have the original CR 210 tape deck and changer. I searched and read for an hour a year ago about this topic, but because I forgot and am lazy, can somebody please confirm that I can use this now to sub an iPod for my changer. IIRC, I cannot toggle between them. Also, can I easily add an amp, as I have always thought that was the key to good tunes...especially with the sunroof open and windows down? Thanks. Also, if you have a CDR 210 for sale, please contact me...as I have lots of CDs but not tapes. Thanks.

 

Sorry, should have been clearer, my car has the tape deck and remote 6 disc CD changer. Is that the 210? What, if an iPod adaptor, works with the tape deck head unit?

 

the simplest way would be the ipod/headphone jack out/cassette adapter method. I used that for a while and it worked just fine.

if not good enough for ya, then you will have to upgrade your head unit to cd220, Harman/Kardon traffic pro, etc.

 

You could also try this option:

http://www.discountcarstereo.com/detail.aspx?ID=1319

I have the same setup: CR-210 with remote 6-disc changer, and plan to try this cable from the changer AUX to my iPod Touch. Be careful when selecting these cables, as the stereo model and type of iPod are key compatibility details.

- Dave

 

Intersting. I actually have the CR-1, not the CR-210. Anyone know if the CR-1 has the RCA jacks in the back to use this type of interface?

 

Will the Apple iTrip smart scan work? It just plugs into your lighter and searches for a frequency on your radio, that will permit your ipod to play through a station on the car radio. This unit also charges the iPod, and can be used with an iPhone and sells for about $79.00.

Apple also has a non charging smart scan unit that plugs directly into the iPod or iPhone that does the same thing, that looks like a small computer chip.

 

will it work? Yes, absolutely. will you LIKE the quality of the sound? possibly.

I have a Monster Cable Ipod FM transmitter. absolutely horrible sounding in the 993. In our formerToyota Previa, it was better, still not good.
Our current cars all have aux inputs, which is much better.
IMHO, not worth the money.

 

Why are you worried about keeping the CD changer connected if your plan is to connect an iPod? I disconnected by CD changer to connect my iPod and I have not once thought, "wow, I really want to listen to one of the 6 cds that I have in my changer."

 

I use the iPod only in the BMW wagon, but my wife does not like my iPod and drives the P-car sometimes. Not particularly worried about it, but would like to retain as many functions as possible, just for options. I certainly can limit her to the radio, which might be a win-win if it limits her driving the P-car....

 

For those of us with the 210, you have to keep the changer and keep a CD in the magazine to "fool" the radio into thinking that it is playing a CD while you disconnect the wire that connects the changer to the 210 and somehow connect it to the iPod. I decided not to keep the changer and finally bought a CDR-220 yesterday.

So in other words, you have to keep the changer if you also want to have iPod function for your 210.

 

One question I've had about this setup is what happens when the CD in the changer runs out? Does it interrupt the music from the iPod? This might be as simple as always running the CD in "repeat" mode, but I've never seen any comments about this. Since the cables only tap into the AUX output from the changer (audio only), presumably everything else (i.e. control) about the changer setup works the same as stock in terms of interface and behavior.

How do folks with this setup manage this? Or is it even an issue?

- Dave

 

That is exactly how I have mine set up.

 

I finally got a chance last weekend to try the setup I had mentioned above (CR-210 w/ changer using an iPod to AUX jack cable).



What I missed in my earlier inspection was that the AUX jacks seem to be going in the reverse direction. In other words, when I plug the iPod cable in place of the existing head unit --> changer AUX jacks, it appears to connect the iPod to the changer, not to the head unit.

I'm wondering whether something like this would work (RCA female-to-female adapter): http://www.pccables.com/02412.htm

Any thoughts or suggestions? Short of buying a CDR-220, that is.

- Dave