[ap0stle]

Hi all, I'm new around here. Seems like a great place!
Anyways, I have an 03 Mercury Sable sedan with a factory stereo (in-dash CD player, see picture). I am interested in hooking my iPod up to my car stereo.

I do not have an AUX input, nor can I use a cassette adapter (b/c there IS no cassette player), and am not interested in using a FM transmitter because I understand that they are generally very weak.
I HAVE searched around this forum a lot for answers and have only found tutorials and answers to this topic for cars that have in-trunk cd changers.

I am interested in the idea of installing an FM modulator and then using an adapter to hook up my iPod to the stereo. However, I'm not sure where I would start and how I would go about doing this. I was hoping I can get some help.
Thank you VERY much.

 

[KhanTyranitar]

Whether you have a CD changer or not should make no difference, the RCU still has a connector for a CD changer. This is what you need.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_541PXDP/Peripheral-iPod-Adapter.html?tp=120

USA SPEC iPod Interface Connects your iPod to select Ford factory radios at Crutchfield.com

An FM modulator is the same thing as an FM transmitter.

This adapter will work with yours because you do have the COMP and SHUFFLE buttons.

If it were me, I would go for the more expensive of the two, it has a cleaner interface, longer wires, and such.

 

[Gimpdiggity]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I was looking for information about that USA Spec iPod interface controller.

Seeing it suggested has just sold me on the product.

My Taurus only has a tape player in it's radio...ugh...and I've been connecting my iPod to it via a cassette adapter, but I don't do it very often because it's a hassle to get the cassette adapter out, plug it in, plug the iPod into the cigarette lighter, and then use the actual iPod. Instead, I just listen to the radio.

I had been thinking about hooking it up to the changer slot as an auxilary input (I've done that on a couple of cars just for audio with a homemade plug) but then started wondering if there was anything out there that controlled the iPod from the face of the radio.

I found the two mentioned in this thread, and was leaning towards the USA Spec one, if for no other reason than the fact that it LOOKED a bit nicer.

I actually found the manual for it on Crutchfield, and I like that it will pick up playlists that are named "FORD1, FORD2" etc so that you can have at least a little bit of an idea what song is going to come up next.

The whole package will run around $160 for the adapter and the longer cable to connect the iPod to the radio in the hatch area of the wagon...but that's not really too bad. Beats buying a dash kit and a new CD player, just so that I can still not listen to CDs and then have to buy an adapter to plug my iPod into my new CD player. That, and I'm not really the biggest fan of either of the kits I've found to do a new head unit...they just look a bit off...