This guide did not seem to exist when I started trying to figure out how to hook up my iPod to my Scion XB. Even the dealer told me they didn't know how to do this install. So I spent hours researching online, and as I went along I took pictures. I hope this may be useful to someone. There should be everything you need to know to get your iPod hooked up digitally for about $215 in parts (not counting the iPod).
Sections:
1) Options
2) What to buy for this guide
3) Taking apart the XB dashboard
4) Installing the interface
5) Making it work
6) Using the AUX-POD
a. wireless FM transmitter
b.
wired FM transmitter
c. get a new stereo with aux-in
d. use a digital interface box
I had tried 4 different wireless FM transmitters and had no luck getting reception in my Scion XB. Perhaps it's where I live. Perhaps it's the car. I don't know. But I lost interest in that route. Its theoretical advantage is that you don't have to take apart your dashboard to install anything.
The wired FM solution is similar: your iPod headphone jack is hooked up to a device which transmits FM radio waves your car radio can pick up. However, instead of broadcasting those through the air, they get transmitted through a wire which you wrap around your antenna jack on the back of the stereo. This is still very analog, but can give you better reception. It still requires taking apart your dashboard to get to the back of the stereo.
Getting a new stereo with aux-in is not a bad option, but can be costly. And, like the above options, it's an analog connection and you have to find some other way to keep the iPod powered. For the XB, I'd say check eBay for one of the newer Scion headunits. They have updated since I bought my car, now including aux-in and an actual VOLUME KNOB (instead of up/down buttons). This option also requires you to take apart your dashboard.
Why did I ultimately choose a digital interface box? A couple of basic reasons. #1: it charges the iPod as you're using it. The iPod gets turned on and off with your ignition switch, and you don't have to worry about it losing power or plugging anything into the cigarette lighter. #2: of all the options it sends the cleanest signal for the highest sound quality. #3: you can use the buttons on your car stereo to control some iPod functions. If you want to lock your iPod in the glove compartment and never touch it again, this is basically your only option.
The way it works: most car stereos are set up to control some other audio device, like a CD changer in your trunk. The Scion XB's stereo can accommodate a CD changer and an XM satellite receiver. The digital interface box sits between your car stereo and the iPod, translating instructions back and forth. Basically, your car stereo thinks it has a CD changer connected. But in fact it's an iPod. The digital interface box handles all this, making the magic happen.
I bought the AUX-POD from pac-audio. Their site really stinks. It's hard to navigate and they don't provide very good instructions or support. There was some guesswork involved. Because they don't make it very clear which wires & connectors you need to buy, I wound up starting this project one weekend, only to realize I needed to order 1 more part. I have been driving around with my dashboard taken apart for TWO WEEKS now as I waited for the additional part to arrive and for a chance to put it all back together. Let me tell you exactly what you need for the AUX-POD in a Scion XB.
I purchased these parts from The Better Source. They seem to be a good store and I had a good experience with them. Prices listed are current as of 12/17/05.
AUX-POD interface (includes cable that plugs into the iPod itself): $191.92
AB-TOYT wiring harness: $15.84
AB-TOY wiring harness: $7.92
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total: $215.68
NOTE: that's right, you need BOTH the AB-TOY and the AB-TOYT to hook this up to a Scion XB.
I will also mention right now that this is all with a 3rd-gen iPod and a 2005 XB. So you better buy those too :)
Please don't email me to ask about other car models. I don't know.
You can do this yourself. It's easy. You need: a phillips screwdriver and a plastic knife or other flat plastic object. It's tempting to use a metal flat-head screwdriver for prying apart the dashboard, but don't. It's made of plastic and you will leave scratchs/gouges. Use something soft, like a PLASTIC KNIFE. Trust me.
1. Pull off the 3 circular air-conditioning control knobs. This is easy to do. Just pull 'em straight off with your hand. They will not be damaged.
2. Underneath you will see screws on the 2 outmost knobs. Unscrew them with a phillips-head screwdriver:
3. From here on it's just about gently pulling with your hands.
4. Push down right above the center console's left-side vent and gently pull forward. You can see the tabs that are holding the console in place. Apply some pressure right where those are and they should loosen enough for you to pull the console right off with your hands. Go slowly and work carefully.
5. Repeat on the other side:
6. Now the top part of the console should be a few millimeters out. This will apply some leverage to the bottom part of the console. Here's where the plastic knife comes in. Insert it into the crack, where indicated in the picture, and twist or pry to help pop the console out and away from the dashboard:
7. The console is almost free. It turns out that there is a SECOND set of larger tabs up top holding it on. As you pull, you'll see these begin to show themselves. Simply press down a little with one finger to help them clear their slots and come free.
8. Now the console is actually free in your hands, but don't try yanking it away from the dashboard just yet. There are some cables plugged into it still.
These cables go to the controls for AC on/off, rear defrost, emergency lights, and the fan strength. Carefully reach behind and unplug them.
9. Once unplugged, the entire console comes off in your hands and you can put it down somewhere else to get it out of your way. This is what it looks like from behind. The places where those 3 cables plug in are marked in the photo. They are all different shaped plugs so you don't need to worry about marking which is which for later.
And the dangling cables left behind:
10. Now you're ready to unscrew the headset unit, pull it free, and install the AUX-POD. The headunit has 2 screws holding it down on each side. Be careful not to drop the screws down into the guts of the dashboard. You will never be able to find them again.
11. Once those 4 screws are out, just pull the stereo free, carefully! It has several wires plugged in behind it but they have some slack. If you pull it forward and drop the front of it downward, this is what you will see:
There are 3 factory cables on the left and two empty ports on the right. Your AB-TOYT cable is going to plug into the smaller empty port. Don't worry, that's the only place the connector will fit. You can't get it wrong.
12. Now is the time to make sure the dip-switches on your AUX-POD are correct. Do NOT adjust them once it is plugged in. My AUX-POD had a sticker right on it with the recommended dip-switch settings. I used the "TOYOTA" settings: 1, 2, 4, and 8 down/on.
13. Now let's connect everything. The AB-TOYT cable plugs into your stereo. Then, plug the AB-TOY cable into the AB-TOYT (again, only one connector will fit). Then plug the AUX-POD into the AB-TOY cable. The AUXPOD has a round port for the cable that goes to the iPod itself. You really can't fit this all together any other way, because all the connectors are different shapes and sized.
Once more: CAR STEREO HEAD UNIT--> AB-TOYT --> AB-TOY --> AUX-POD --> WHITE CABLE --> IPOD:
14. Just to review, this is what the back of the stereo should look like before you slide it back in:
#1, I believe, is the antenna.
#2 is the speaker outputs
#3 is the power input
#4 is your AB-TOYT wiring harness.
15. Slide the headunit back in. Fit the AUX-POD and wiring harnesses in the empty space behind the car stereo. There should be enough room to place everything back there. The only thing you need to hold onto is the white cable which comes out of the AUX-POD. Be sure to hold onto the end of that. I brought it out the front of the stereo mount and ran it down through the dashboard to the cargo compartment below the AC controls:
I actually drilled a hold in the top of the cargo compartment for the cable to go into. Now I keep the iPod and excess cable in there. This is closer than the glove compartment and more convenient. Its only issue is that you can't lock that compartment. But if you think the lock on your glove compartment will keep thieves from stealing your iPod, you're fooling yourself.
16. That's it!! Just reverse the instructions and re-assemble. Be sure to plug in the 3 console connectors, and then just push the console back into place, snapping all the tabs in. Push on the knobs, and you're done.
Imagine my chagrin after going through all this only to find that it didn't work.
I fired up the ignition, saw that the iPod was charging. Cool. So far so good.
Now, I was under the impression that the AUX-POD would take the place of an XM satellite radio receiver (which I don't have). So I kept trying to press the SAT selection button on the stereo, but it did absolutely nothing.
The stereo seemed unaffected otherwise. I was able to play the radio, CDs, etc. But no matter what I did, I could not make it play the iPod!
Finally I emailed pac-audio and they told me to press the CD button. This seemed asinine, because I'd already confirmed that that button simply played the in-unit CD deck. However, if you press the "disc" button TWICE, you'll get the iPod.
I guess the explanation is that the AUX-POD takes the place of a CD changer, not an XM receiver. Anyway, it works.
The sound quality of the iPod playing through the car speakers is good, but the volume is low. I am accustomed to playing CDs and the radio at volume = 30 or so. The maximum I ever play CDs at is volume = 40. But with the iPod / AUX-POD I need to crank it up to 50 or 60 to get the same volume. This is no big deal, I guess. It just makes it a pain if I want to switch to the radio.
The whole deal about controlling the iPod from the car stereo isn't that impressive. So far, all I have been able to do is "next track" or "previous track." I do not get song titles on the stereo display (like I do for MP3 CDs). Most disappointing is that the "random" button on the stereo does not turn shuffling on/off. I like to listen to my iPod on "song shuffle" most of the time, but once I hear a song I like I often want to turn shuffling off and hear the rest of that album. No such luck. Pressing "next disc" on the car stereo seems to do the same thing as "next track." If there's a difference, I haven't figured out what it is. Actually one other thing does work, and that's FF/REV or fast-forward/rewind. I hate the iPod's FF capability (slow!) but the control is there with the AUX-POD.
I guess that power on/off must also be considered a type of control. If you stop the car and pull out the key, the iPod will stop playing. Put the key back in and start the car, and the song will resume at the same place. This is pretty cool. And so is getting a charge all the time. Bear in mind that with the car off and the key removed, the AUX-POD will continue charging the iPod. This could create a drain on your battery over time. If you are leaving the car for a long time or if your battery is in trouble, just unplug the iPod when you turn the car off.
In the end I'm pretty happy. $200 is a lot to pay for what amounts to little more than a simple connector, but it is a nice convenience to have this wrapped up. I'm going to stop hauling around a stack of MP3 CDs now. I've got headphones at work and a dock connected to my speakers at home, so with the AUX-BOX I have finally arrived at the holy grail of one music library for home, work, and car. It shouldn't be so damn expensive, but oh well. Once I get a gadget craving, I tend to get stupid about spending money on it.
The other day I went out to lunch with 2 co-workers and one of them brought up the film "Dark Days." It has to do with the homeless, which, I think, is how we got on the subject. Anyway, I have not seen the film but I do have the soundtrack for it on my iPod. DJ Shadow put together a few songs for it, and I am a big Shadow fan from way back. My point is that when we got back in my car to roll back to the office, I was able to pull up the Dark Days soundtrack and play it for them right there, because I had my 40GB of music right there on me, connected to my car stereo. It was nice to have an occasion to get some use out of the AUX-POD the day after I installed it. A couple of days later I was out on a date and we wound up stuck with 30 minutes of time to kill before we could go into the movie theater. So we just sat in the car where it was warm and conversed. I had all my music there, of course, so I was able to choose something mellow and date-suitable to play, something just perfect for that moment. She enjoyed it, I think. So I guess the whole setup has its uses after all :)
scarabic