Taurus Car Club of America : Ford Taurus Forum banner

Adding an iPod type input to a stock HU and Mach

5K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  leonedog 
#1 ·
Okay, I finally did the Mach upgrade to my very base model SE. Now I would like to figure out how to put an iPod type input on this stereo so I can play music from my phone or iPod.

This car does not have a CD player of any kind in it, therefore it only is using two plugs. The amp plug and the grey tape input plug.

The question is, can I hook up some inputs to this mach amp that will let me play music from my phone, using the CD plug?
The issue I see is how the dash unit will know there is something plugged into the Mach amp in the trunk and actually switch it over?
Since this car never had a CD player in it, there is no wiring for that going from the dash unit to the trunk unit. That is where the rub is.

Below are some pics of the CD plug that I cut from the donor car that I got the Mach amp from. Can anyone tell me what the wires in this plug do, and if I can make a harness to let the dash unit talk to the trunk unit and bring in the music input?

Thanks for the help.
 

Attachments

See less See more
2
#5 · (Edited)
are serious enough to be willing to spend $ ?

I have been down this road & am happy.,
but not as easy as pulling & splicing wires.

option #1:

pie adapter:
Ford Taurus sable auxiliary audio input adapter mp3 aux port


several flavors from different companies out there
Hooks into the rear amp in the trunk :

Standard (4-5w) -or- MACH (20w x 4) or JBL (20w x 4 + sub woofer)

at the CD changer inputs & gives you 1 RCA stereo AUX input
(in the trunk, must run cables to the front dash)

Fools the stock ford head unit to think the trunk 6 disk CD changer is online]
& displays <disk 1 / track 1> constantly
but gives you an AUX input instead.

There is a complicated Ford RS485 serial com protocol the vendor has reversed engineered
that makes this work.

I use Mine for a trunk mounted FM HD radio input. spliced into the main antenna..
& the new display panel sticky taped to my dash (20 more saved stations in HD)

option #2:
Cassette Tape Mod:
requires you to order a modified Ford head unit
to hijack the cassette tape audio & give you a 1/8" AUX jack directly on the front panel.
when you press the <tape> button.
depending on your specific model year you will have to pick out which one you need from here:

Ford Taurus AM FM Cassette iPod Aux Radio 2004-2007 Digital Climate Control - 1 Factory Radio

only catch (besides the $) is you must have 1 tape loaded in the player -with music recorded-
or the radio can sense there is blank spots on the tape & keeps Fast Forwarding.

works by simply plugging in a stereo jack into the new connectector they have installed.
tape still works normally with no jack plugged in.

I ordered a vintage sealed 3 minute infinite loop cassette I still need to try.
But there is a specific Hendrix track I want to record onto it first.

I have both options installed & they work great.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I bought an aux input mod radio from 1 Factory Radio as linked above. No problems in months, good sound quality. I don't expect it to last forever though since it needs to be reading a CD to work (as nearly every solution does). I'll be replacing it with an aftermarket solution eventually however.
 
#7 ·
I have one of the PIE X3 units for my 03 SEL. CD changer still in the center console, mounted the PI just under the floor shifter mount, plenty of room in there. I mounted the selector module in the center console, cut out a small rectangle just left of the coin holders. Works well enough and is pretty clean. I plan to install a dash mounted AUX input to one of the 3 inputs then add a bluetooth adapter to another. Leaves 1 open input that will probably never be used.

My only gripe is the ground in the radio and/or the 12V lighter outlets is crappy and results in some pretty harsh alternator feedback or ground loops, whatever you might call it. I plan to install a SoundBot to get bluetooth and hands free for my phone soon and since it uses 12V from the lighter sockets I will either throw in a ground loop isolator or improve the ground at both the lighter socket and the PIE interface, heck may even get the radio as well.

Sound quality when not using something that is charging is outstanding and way better than my tape adapters. Can't believe those are selling for that much on eBay. You couldn't give those away 10 years ago.
 
#9 ·
yes.

if you look at the RCU amp in the trunk behind the plastic liner on the driver's side-

there will be an empty connector (bottom middle) where the factory CD changer harness would go

(for those of you with JBL amps I do not mean the smaller sub-woofer connector)

That is where the 1st cable for the pie adapter plugs in.

the 2nd cable is a short in-line tap harness also plugiing into the RCU for the +12vdc power.
 
#10 ·
I used to have the PIE aux adapter, in my 99. I ordered a new one from the company stated above, oemautosound. they unfortuantely quit manufacturing the PIE AUX FRDR, so i can no longer use that one or id buy it in a heart beat. ill attach a picture and the link to the new one at the bottom of this post. My main question is that theres some wires coming out of one of the connectors on the model by blitzsafe, which look like a ground and im guessing a power wire. i thought it would grab the power from the RCU like the PIE adapter did? please see attached picture. I spent 90 on this blitzsafe model and want to be sure itll work for me.

link to BLitzsafe one incase my picture doesnt attach : ford taurus aux input mercury sable auxiliary audi

thanks guys!
 
#11 · (Edited)
sometimes aftermarket audio manufacturers don't want to pull too much current off the key-on 12v power rail & will use some type of relay circuit tied to the battery to pull all the current from.

I had been through this before 1 year ago when I wired mine up when I switched everything from old -> new car & ran out both 12v & 12v switched dc from the wiring harness through my own 2pin (not ford) ebay power connector & added an inline fuse.

But I actually just dropped my bull car off at the garage to be worked on this morning
so I can't go out / open the trunk & look at where I specifically tapped them from.

I think I had to spice into the harness to find the +12v power-on:

http://www.taurusclub.com/forum/117...talling-amp-sub-stock-stereo-remote-wire.html

& that red/yellow wire that was hanging on an open connector (at least for me) in the trunk
for the unused power antenna is the battery +12v.


but I think fastest way for you to confirm what that bare yellow wire does in their pic

(black wire is clearly a ground lug)

may be to email / call those sales guys at oemautosound.com and ask.

you should get a responce as they probably want to make a sale.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top