Playing an MP3 through car radio

McMalley

Hi, does anyone know how to connect an mp3 player to a car radio and what do you need. I have an iaudio x5 and a VW golf with a delta radio. Any advice or links would be appreciated.

Cheers

Bard

Does your car stereo have a tape deck? If it does, you can get a cassette adapter in any half-decent computer or electrical store for about €10-€15.

If it's a CD stereo, check if it has a line-in connection on the back. If it does, you can run a cable directly from the MP3 player's headphones or line-out socket to that. That cable should cost you about €5-€10.

If you don't have a tape deck OR a line-in on your car stereo, there is no LEGAL way of listening to your MP3 player through it.

(The other way is to get a miniature FM transmitter, such as the Belkin Tunecast. I use one of these with my own iAudio X5L. However they are still illegal here and in the UK, so they can't be bought in a store here. Try Ebay.)

If we had a forum for MP3 players (*cough*cough*), I'm sure this would be in the stickied FAQ there...

green_onions

Well if you have a spare €161 you could get yourself one of these.

Got the mother one for Christmas and it works fine (well really it's for me because I drive her car and her old radio was broken but that's a different story;) ). Has an SD memory card slot and a USB port for plugging in your MP3 player or iPod.

McMalley

My radio is a CD player and has a connection for a CD changer if that makes a difference.Any ideas where I would get the cable and how to install it?

The Belkin thing is on ebay for €33,does it work well?

Cheers

rubadub

Dont get the transmitter quality will be poor, even if it is perfect it is only going to be fm quality. if you can have a cd changer it almost certainly will have a line in in the back, leads are about €2 in powercity, it will probably be 2 phonos, or a 3.5mm jack

Bard

My car stereo has a CD changer connection which looks like a standard phono line-in but doesn't work as a line-in (i.e.: I cant just connect a device to it using a standard 3.5mm jack -to- composite cable and expect to be able to play it through - it is ONLY for a CD changer).

... So basically, don't assume that just cos it looks like a composite line-in connection that it will work like one. It might not.

€33 for a Tunecast? Bit pricey that ... Are you looking at ebay.ie or ebay.com? Mine cost £6.99 (STG) from ebay.ie (before delivery costs) - worked out at about €30 (Including delivery. From New York.... I should have ordered a few of them at the same time) and it works just fine.

mik_da_man

I got a pioneer radio with a cd palyer input.
was able to grab a cable from a crowd called Audio Leads which works as a line in for a MP3 player via 3.5 jack.

Well it's a CD to RCA and RCA to 3.5

Works fine

colm_mcm

how about this?

http://www.ratocsystems.com/english/products/subpages/rslink1vw1.html

colm_mcm

or this would be even better

http://www.discountcarstereo.com/detail.aspx?ID=169

McMalley

alright, if I get the cable ive got the problem at getting at the back of the radio. I think u need a tool that only dealers have to get it out so thats a bit of a problem cuz I dont want to have to get professional help with this.

fletch

Just use an old clothes hanger...failing that, drop down to Halfords and you can pick yerself up a radio removin tool for about a fiver...

greglo23

afaik the vw stereo systems are made for them by blaupunkt. if this is so you can get a cable that links in to the back and is a direct input miniheadphone jack. the part numbers are 7 607 897 093 for the 8 pin and
7 607 001 504 for the 10 pin. here's a link http://www.blaupunkt.ie/download/Installation_Guide_2004_6_English_Version(1).pdf