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I have my iPod connected to my car's system and it's located in the glove compartment. Have not removed it for over 2 years. Still working, even in 20 below zero weather.
 
Yeah, exactly. How much could I get one for? By junk do you mean damaged or broken at all?

The "junk" iPhone 4 I use for my car has some home button issues, minor scratches here and there etc. But works fairly fine. I wouldn't want to use it as my phone, but it does the job. Plus if someone steals it, it's not worth much.

I would think you could get a decent 4 for $50-$100 on craigslist. I would lean towards getting a 32gb (or at least 16gb) if you are going to really load it with music. I made the mistake of getting an 8gb. It's rough. I have to re-sync a lot to switch music etc.
 
Where in Cali? I've always dreamed of moving to SoCal, is it all it's cracked up to be?

No, it's not great in California, otherwise 3 billion Californicators would not be emigrating to Colorado on a daily basis. And every CA license plate I see here in Colorado is on a vehicle that is being driven extremely poorly. I guess it's hard to see the road with your head up your butt. :)
 
Or will it cause noticeable damage or effect the performance as an iPod? I have the USA Spec iPod adapter that hooks into my Acura's factory radio through the XM connection.
Does your car have a standard Aux jack? I've been using one of these for the past 2 years...

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Hands-Free-Bluetooth-BlackBerry-Smartphones/dp/B004CLYJ2I

This thing just rocks. I don't even pull my phone out of my pocket. Get in, connect, and I have tunes + siri when driving. Just a suggestion. I've been thrilled with the audio quality of music playback too. Very clean for Bluetooth...
 
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I'm not sure if this was mentioned or if anyone even cares but I always used to leave my Tom Tom up on the windshield in my vehicles regardless of temperature and never had an issue. From -15 to 115 Fahrenheit outside.
 
I do - use a 3gs as a music source - and I live in Maine so it is a little colder than in CA or ??

I have seen the message telling me it is too cold (on the phone) and then it doesn't work until it warms up but that is rare. Since it is always plugged in to the car and thus charging I can't tell you if battery had been killed.

But I do it.
 
I've never had an issue with the electronics in my car...lcd panel stereo, ceiling mounted dvd screen, hard drive in the stereo.

Are the airplanes that ship the phones from china, heated in the cargo area?
 
No problems with cold

I have a 2nd generation iPod Nano I purchased in 2007. It has been a permanent fixture in my car since and is still going well enough (*see below). I live in VT where temperatures will frequently drop near or below -10 F.

Odds are my Nano has a NiMH battery, not a Li-ion like more modern devices use. Li-ion batteries reportedly do not charge well in extremely cold or hot temperatures. In particular, charging while the battery is hot can shorten its life significantly.

On the rare hot day in VT (90 F or higher) when the car has been sitting in a parking lot, my Nano will refuse to turn on. But on those days I just unplug it and jam it in the AC grill for a minute or two and it'll start working just fine.

After 7 years of this abuse, my Nano does frequently require a manual reset when I get in to start the car, which is annoying. I'm not sure if this is because the battery is just getting old or if it's had some permanent damage due to the harsh temperatures.

As another poster mentioned, I've never had a problem with the LCD screen at subzero temperatures other than it can be a bit slow to display. That's not unusual and is typical for any LCDs included in cars by the manufacturer, like radios. Computer electronics love cold temperatures, so that's not a problem. The only concern would be the battery.
 
Also no problems in MN . . .

A few years ago I bought an iPod touch to keep in my car all the time. Here in MN we hit -15 F (-26 C) every winter and often hit -20 F. I have never had a problem with the iPod. Maybe not the best treatment of it, but at least it's a data point.
 
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