Hooking up mp3 player to car stereo?

Scott Salisbury · 12 Jul 2006 at 17:15

Hey all.

My dad just bought a new car, which now has a CD player instead of a tape drive.

Problem is, my dad has an mp3 player and a cassette adapter which he used to use in the old car. It plugged into the headphone jack of the mp3 player and just had a wire going to a tape. So he could play his mp3s through the tape player.

Now his new car has a CD player he can't do that and normal cds arn't long enough these days.

I was wondering if it is possible to wire up an mp3 player to the car stereo? Or if there are any kits you can buy to do this?

I know it would be easier to just buy an mp3 cd player but I'm trying to save some cash for my old man. It also means I will have to burn all his CDs for his car as well as putting tracks on his mp3 player :rolleyes:

The cd player is just a standard renault player as far as I know.

Thanks,
Scott.

p.s. I don't know anything about car electrics or car audio, so forgive me if this is a silly/nooby question

Violent-J · 12 Jul 2006 at 17:25

Yep. My headunit, Sony CDX-GT300 has a front AUX in port. I use a double ended headphone cable and plug the one end into the AUX in on the front of the headunit, the other end into the headphone out on anything. I can play tunes off my iPod shuffle now and control them with the iPod or basically anything, it's quite handy cause if a mate get's in the car with his mp3 or cd player, can just plug his tunes in.

Most good headunits have an AUX in however most are at the back, take your headunit and have a look.

What my mate's done is plugged in the headphone to headphone cable at the back of his headunit and put the wire through into the back of the glovebox and then he can just plug the cable into anything in his glovebox.

*EDIT - Dunno if a standard Renault headunit will have AUX, worth a look though.

happytechie · 12 Jul 2006 at 17:36

^ as above but my standard renault CD player doesn't have an aux in at all

I have one of those radio transmitters for the iPod which works more than adequately.

mine is a V plate car

HT

Scott Salisbury · 12 Jul 2006 at 17:47

Thanks for the replies. I'll have a look see if there is anything that can be done.

My dad's car is about the same age as yours, so we might be out of luck.

benjo plz. · 12 Jul 2006 at 17:50

The radio idea will work, but it's illegal in the uk (probably not to a great extent). What car is it?

Scott Salisbury · 12 Jul 2006 at 17:51

How does that work?

It's a renault clio.

benjo plz. · 12 Jul 2006 at 17:55

Scott Salisbury said:
How does that work?

It's a renault clio.

Something along the lines of the Griffin iTrip, it has a shortrange FM transmitter, and you just plug it into your mp3, then tune your car's radio into it.