iPod in a car?

[dobbin]

Does anyone have any experience of connecting an iPod to your car stereo?

I have looking at the Denison Icelink (http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=3709&tab=2) but it seems quite expensive at around £150 including the fixing plate (thats more than I paid for the iPod on cram & jam!).

I have a CD player so a tape converter is no good, and my brother has an itrip which I don't think works too well either (too many radio stations too close together already).

I'd like a direct link to the CD-changer socker like the icelink uses, but I'm not bothered about the bracket. Just a cable would be OK on its own.

I have a Citroen C3 with the standard Clarion stereo head unit in it. My iPod is a 4G 20Gb.

Anyone know anything about this?

[altair]

What I did was purchase a new stereo that had an Auxilary feature, and i run my ipod through the aux-in. You would have to find out if your stereo has an auxilary feature, but besides that i have no clue :)

[revenuee]

There is an Alpine indash receiver that lets you control your iPod

[Peyote]

Clarion just released an touch screen LCD that links to the iPod as well :D

[PlaceofDis]

i just bought a cheap Awia cdplay for my car, but i made sure that it had the aux in so that i could hook up my ipod, no problems with it at al, simple and easy

[natebg]

I have the Dension IceLink and I love it.

[dobbin]

Thanks everyone. I had thought about a new stereo, but the current one is styled to match the car and I think it looks good.

It has its display in a different place in the dashboard to the main unit, and also has steering wheel controls, so it gets more complicated to put a whole new stereo in.

It doesn't have aux in, so I guess the Ice-link is the only way to go.

Natebg - how many cables come out of your ipod when its in the Icelink - and where do you run them? Is it a neat looking solution? I don't suppose you have a picture of a real-world installation do you?

[natebg]

Yes, I have pictures of the Icelink located here http://forums.tdiclub.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=UBB22&Number=801788&Searchpage=1&Main=669666&Words=+natebg&topic=&Search=true#Post801788 .
Installation was easy, 1 wire to the trunk (I have the trunk install option). Wire was installed near firewall and down and under panels on the drivers side to where the CD changer would go on my Jetta Wagon. I can take more pictures if you want, or if you need any more info...

[morkintosh]

Anyone know anything about this?

Don't mess around with any of that, the only way to go is get a head unit that has an aux input and then get a (in the case of pioneer) p-bus to RCA converter so that you have a direct RCA into the stereo, then you hook your ipod up just like you would to a normal stereo. It's the only way to go.

[sigamy]

An auxilary input adapter will convert the CD changer connection to standard RCA jacks. Then you just need a small cable from RadioShack to convert to the 1/8" mini plug.

Check http://www.logjamelectronics.com/auxinpconv.html for a converter for your head-unit. You may have to do some research to find your Clarion HU. And I'm not sure if they ship to UK. The Aux converters run around $80US

I have one in my VW Jetta and it works great. I can't control the iPod via the HU but I put the iPod in the cupholder and have full control that way. I have one cable coming up from the trunk hidden thru the rear seats. Very clean and great sound.

[timnosenzo]

I have an adapter from this company (http://www.enfigmotorsport.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online-store/scstore/store_ipod.html?L+scstore+zxfm1828ff880988+1105292515). The adapter plugs into the CD Changer port (in the HU, not the trunk), and charges the iPod while plugged in. The iPod is held with a ProClip. Here's a not-so-good pic.

http://homepage.mac.com/timothynosenzo/.Public/DSCN1639.jpg

Hey natebg, my Jetta is a diesel as well, and I frequent tdiclub.com. Small world. :)