[Compdude]

Hi everyone,

My name is Jack, and I just signed up on the forum a couple days ago. I live in the Chicago area, I bought my SRT-4 back in August, and I’m loving it!

So, I thought I’d say hi, and also share a quick write-up guide I wrote on how to install an MP3 adaptor for the SRT-4’s radio. See, I tried to find a walkthrough for this on the forums or elsewhere on the net, but couldn’t. So, I decided to wing the installation myself and figure it out as I went along. I figured maybe this guide might be useful to others trying the same thing! So, here it goes:

INSTALLATION GUIDE: INSTALLING IPOD/MP3 ADAPTER FOR STOCK SRT-4 RADIO

Difficulty:
Medium (removing panels, unscrewing parts)

Time Commitment:
~1/2 hour

Tools you will need:
a flat- or Philips-head screwdriver.
Your mp3 adapter kit
Your mp3 player
Wire jacketing? (optional, see step 12)

Notes:
-My car had the 6-CD changer already installed, so my walkthrough & pictures will make note of that. You can absolutely still install an mp3 adapter without the CD changer.
-The particular brand of mp3 adapter I bought is designed to work with the Apple Ipod brand. It can control the Ipod through the SRT-4’s radio buttons, and plugs into the ipod’s data/power port. If you buy a generic “auxiliary jack” connector, it will connect to your mp3 player’s headphone jack instead and use your car’s stereo like a pair of “headphones”, but you will have to use the mp3 player’s butons to control your songs.

General tips:
-Keep all your screws together. All the screws involved are interchangeable, but losing one is a pain.

My brand of mp3 adapter (for reference):
-Axxess CH1 adapter - for Chrysler products
-Manufacturer’s website: Axxess Digital Interfaces
-Retailer: Replacement Radios:
-http://replacementradios.com/product_info.php?products_id=509&osCsid=5d66d0474d64c7e3f2afa8760472fba8
~$150 (minus shipping).
-NOTE: product will work for all Ipods EXCEPT the shuffle (it needs that long, thin “data/power” port at the bottom of most Ipods)
-The adapter gives you basic control of your Ipod through your radio controls. For example, the FF/RW button controls fast forward and reverse on your Ipod, and the SEEK button skips songs back and forth. It also charges the Ipod as well. I think you can set certain playlists using the DISC buttons as well; but I haven’t figured that out yet.
-I think there are other brands of adapters that work like this too; shop around and see what you like. I liked this brand in particular because aside from the Ipod connector, it has separate connections you can use for other devices (XM radio, other mp3 players, etc).

STEPS:

If you have a 6-CD changer (skip this part if you don’t):

1. TAKE THE CD’S OUT OF YOUR 6-CD CHANGER. This sounds obvious, but I completely forgot to do this until the very end, and I had to disassemble everything AGAIN to get them out.

2. Take off the dash panel covering the cd changer. This will just pop off if you pull it from the sides, but don’t overstress the part.

3. Undo the two screws holding the cd changer in place, and then the whole thing should slide out (like a drive in a computer). Don’t yank it out – it’s still plugged in from the back.

4. Unclip the wire hook-in in back of the changer, and put the changer aside (you won’t need it for the rest of the installation).

Taking off the main panel

5. TAKE OUT THE CLIMATE CONTROL KNOBS. I didn’t do this myself, and it caused the knobs to all go flying when I popped off the panel! The knobs should just pull straight out.

6. Take out the two vents on top of the panel. The vents should pop right out if you tilt them down all the way and then pull out from the top.

7. Undo the two screws that were hidden behind the vents.

8. You can take off the whole silver panel now. I started at the bottom of the panel and worked my way up; it seemed to work better this way.

9. Unscrew the four screws holding the radio in place, and pull the radio out (remember it’s still plugged in in back).

10. In back of the radio, you only need to undo the middle, smaller multi-wire connection here (if you don’t have a CD changer, the port is open), but you might want to unhook the whole radio to get better access for running your mp3 adapter wire in back. Also, the power wire seems frail to me; be careful unplugging it.

 

[Compdude]

installation guide (continued)

... CONTINUED


11. If you had a CD changer, remove from the radio bay the hanging wire that connected the radio and CD changer before. Note that this wire may be taped to another main wire bundle (I’m kind of pointing to it with my finger below), and you may have to undo that before it will come out. At any rate, I found it easier to pull out the wire from the top than the bottom, but do whatever’s easiest for you.

12. If you want, you can put some wire jacketing on your new mp3 adaptor wires (if you bought some, or if you had a CD changer and want to swap what is on the existing wire). I didn’t bother though - I don’t think the wires will rub up too much back there.

Installing mp3 Adapter

13. You can now put your new mp3 adapter wherever you want it, but the most obvious place is in the now-open CD bay. Take the wire connector supplied in your kit, plug one end to where your adapter is now, and run the other end up to the radio deck. Connect that end to the CD changer port that was pointed out before.

14. Before closing everything up, reconnect the radio’s wiring, and put it back loosely in its drive. Turn the car on to the accessory position, and try running your ipod/mp3 player through the radio. You should make sure your mp3 player is hooked up in the manner appropriate to your adapter, and that your mp3 player is already running. For my adapter, I put the radio in the “MODE” for the 6-cd changer accessory slot (the 2nd MODE; the 1st is for the single-CD in the radio). If you bought an Ipod-type adapter, it will probably make your Ipod screen look something like this:

15. Success! You can now play your mp3 player in your car without sacrificing the very nice and easy-to-use stock radio. Take a look around the innards of your dash controls if you like (I think the climate control panel looks kinda cool when disassembled). Now if your adapter is like mine, it should now have basic control of your Ipod using the standard radio buttons (the FF/RW button controls fast forward and reverse on your Ipod, the SEEK button skips songs back and forth, etc.). It should also charge the Ipod as well. I think you can also set certain playlists using the DISC buttons as well; but I haven’t figured that out yet.

16. General note, I recommend keeping your wires tucked away and out of sight when you leave the car – car thieves tend to break into cars that have a lot of “electronic wire” hanging out, so they can steal GPS units, mp3 players, etc.

Reassembling

17. Pretty much go backwards from step 9, as appropriate. Make sure the radio doesn’t smush up your new adaptor wires when you place it back in the slot – I recommend pulling gently on the adapter end of the wire at the same time you put the radio back in, so that the wires slide nicely down as you put the radio back in. I also recommend putting the screws for the CD changer back in their place (if you have them) - it doesn’t hurt anything and you might use that drive bay for something again in the future.

18. Double check your work area to make sure you haven’t accidentally misplaced or forgotten to re-assemble something. Put your tools away.

19. If you had the 6-CD changer, see if a friend who drives a Neon or other Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep product with the same radio could use the product (it should plug neatly into their car in the same way).

***

That’s it; if you have any questions on my guide, let me know.

As for my car, there’s nothing really to say, as it’s just stock (well, plus an mp3 adapter). Maybe when I get more money!

 

[CrEaTrE]

Very well written. Will be added to my sticky. :thumbsup:

 

[40811]

great write up.

i sold my 6 cd changer and connected a retractable aux line to the back of the deck, so I could use my nokia n95 as my mp3 and gps in car and it sounds great through the cars speakers

 

[Lay]

How does it sound?

 

[Compdude]

How does it sound?

It sounds great! Since it's a direct hookup to the radio port, the sound quality is not limited by the connection method; but by the sound file & the device used to play the file.

 

[Plan B]

It sounds great! Since it's a direct hookup to the radio port, the sound quality is not limited by the connection method; but by the sound file & the device used to play the file.

I bought the cheaper AUX adapter that plugs in like a headphone. Sound quality is nice, but it just doesn't get as loud as a cd. been thinking of grabbing one of these (could charge the ipod then too)...Very nice write up!

 

[Lay]

I bought the cheaper AUX adapter that plugs in like a headphone. Sound quality is nice, but it just doesn't get as loud as a cd. been thinking of grabbing one of these (could charge the ipod then too)...Very nice write up!

I done the same thing.

 

[tamadx]

i also used the one that plugs into the headphone jack on the i pod which was good at first...then i got a new cd player that reads the i pod which is sweet

 

[IronMan2003]

Is there any Way to still use your ipod to pick and choose a certain song or can you not do that with this setup?

 

[Compdude]

Is there any Way to still use your ipod to pick and choose a certain song or can you not do that with this setup?

It's funny you should mention it; I've found there are TWO setups with the Ipod once it's connected. First is the third party mode where you cannot control the Ipod directly, and a generic "audio only" mode where the ipod acts as normal and you control your songs through it.

Typically, the first time you connect your ipod to the system, the Ipod seems to go into the third party mode. This is good for setups where you cannot reach your ipod, or want to run things through your radio, but it sucks when you want to search your ipod, change playlists, etc.

However, you can get it it to revert back to the Ipod's menus if you then simply unplug the connector, and plug it right back in (leave your radio on). Somehow the system seems to recognize this, and allows you to run your Ipod normally from then on, as long as you don't disconnect your Ipod again.

Then if you want to go back to the third party menu, simply turn everything off, unplug the Ipod, turn the radio back on, and THEN plug in the Ipod.

It's not foolproof; I can't get it to work consistently; but fiddle with it and it should work out either way for you, depending on what you want to do.

 

[srtio]

What do you do with the ground wire and the battery wire? I saw those in one picture but I didn't see where you mentioned how to connect them and where to connect them.

Will it work, but just not charge your ipod if you don't hook those up?

 

[escort_gtx]

Very nice post... this is one of the best install how-to's I have seen on this forum. Very nice to see someone does know what they are doing

 

[srtyourmom]

wow awesome write up, I didn't know that was possible, I have been using fm transmitters lololol

 

[Legoman]

nice write up!!!

 

[NeonDan]

not loosing my 6 disk for ipod/mp3 connectivity....sorry not just yet

nice write up

 

[Compdude]

What do you do with the ground wire and the battery wire? I saw those in one picture but I didn't see where you mentioned how to connect them and where to connect them.

Will it work, but just not charge your ipod if you don't hook those up?

I'm not sure what wires you're talking about. Do you mean the ones shown in the 1st pic of step 13? If so, to be honest, I didn't do ANYTHING with those. I think they're still hanging back there in my CD dock. They are not needed at all to connect an Ipod. The ipod still charges anyway, drawing power from the data port connection for the 6-cd changer.

I think those are for if you're powering something like an XM radio or something, because the adapter I bought can also be modified to power something like that.

 

[OH5SRT4]

not loosing my 6 disk for ipod/mp3 connectivity....sorry not just yet

nice write up

...nor am I spending the $150 you stated this adapter costs! I could buy an aftermarket HU thats ipod ready for only a little bit more and get much better overall sound quality than what I have with my stock stereo(I have the kicker system). Good write up though for those who choose this path..

 

[Compdude]

...nor am I spending the $150 you stated this adapter costs! I could buy an aftermarket HU thats ipod ready for only a little bit more and get much better overall sound quality than what I have with my stock stereo(I have the kicker system). Good write up though for those who choose this path..

True, it's all about what's most important to you. Me, I like the seamless look of the stock radio over the "out-of-place" look of an aftermarket product. Plus, the buttons on stock radios are usually much larger and user-friendly when you're trying to operate them while driving, compared to the tiny, confusing ones on most aftermarket radios.

Overall, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a $150 aftermarket radio that offers you full control of your Ipod through the radio buttons, charges your Ipod, and connects to the data port for better sound quality.

 

[Madrex]

Anyone ever find any cheaper I-pod adapters? I found one off an add on this page, but it was still $134. I would like to keep the stock radio, but I cant justify spending as much as I spent on my Nano for an adapter.