Dearest Diane ...
Waste of time going through the back and seeing if that works or not as the iPhone only puts signal out two ways - USB or earphone jack. That is pretty much set in stone ... and it is best to work it the way Apple has it working.
To get the most bang for buck ... and make you a happy lady.
I recommend you upgrade to a Kenwood CD player (get the cheapest one out there, at Crutchfield you can purchase all the parts you need and pay for one shipping charge.)
This one is $99 ...
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113BT318U/Kenwood-KDC-BT318U.html and has a USB port. Just use your USB Lightening cable and plug it in or get a heavy duty one for the Ranger and have it in the glove box maybe.
Upgrade your speakers for your door ports and behind your bench seat to Co-Axial (it has a tweeter in the center of a midrange or woofer speaker) for another $75 or so. Behind the bench seat might need 'box speakers' ... Work it so you get four speakers going, so you can have the surround sound ... it makes the tunes really nice.
For $15 you can get a Marine AM/FM rubberized whip antenna that is 40 feet long (coiled wire) in an 18 inch application. Together his will really pull in long distance FM stations and give you a strong clear signal that Kenwood is famous for. If the antenna swap is a chore, stay with the factory antenna you have.
See if this one has a REMOTE CONTROL ... through the Kenwood that will function your iPhone music (it will see it as an iPod). This will allow you to advance the song shuffle with a push of the button on the infrared remote having the Kenwood work your iPhone that way.
If not get the one that is ... like ... $125 ... until you find one with the remote control in the package.
There are more expensive Kenwood that will also work your Phone for handsfree talking .. as they will supply a microphone and the sound for the phone will come through the speakers ... cutting off the music. For those it is best to have the steering wheel controls for that purpose.
But for the vehicle ... don't put big bucks into it.
Just enough money to make you free and happy.
Later on you can get a less older vehicle that has the steering wheel controls.
I have a 2008 Chevy Avalanche ... and it is nice to drive around in.
I put Mercedes Benz synthetic oil in the engine so I can get 300,000 miles out of it ... this is only 30 cents more expensive then Mobile One synthetic oil.
With the Kenwood .. then you can get the Koomus for the Kenwood application that way ... and have it for navigation in that manner you would like to have. See if they make one that works for you.
Toss a few bucks at it ... and have the money buy your happiness and freedom.
If you buy a headache (since you are an Apple person that doesn't suit your fancy I would conclude) .. then you get one.
So do a little research, find out if you can swap the antenna easily (with the Ranger likely so), then make the careful purchase ... and when the radio and parts (speakers/antenna) arrive have a good electrical person do the install into the wiring harness so the radio circuit breaker is working properly.
You will be very happy .... with your creative endeavors and the money you spent to get you there.
May God keep you safe and well protected on your journey.
Alan
It's a 2001, so no plug and play on the deck. I do have to pull it as there are conflicting reports of a cd changer port/plug on the back I could tap into. If it's not there I will replace the deck.
The OEM deck does have a CD player so that is an option.
I can deal with playing through the phone speaker for now, but I have to get it up off the floor.
Two separate issues really. I'm trying to resolve the holder at the moment. And yes, every time I go down this route I think of having someone copy the one in the car lol
The Koomas doesn't look bad and they have vent mounted ones as well. They didn't have any reviews on Amazon.
