I just recently bought a 2004 prius. I use this car at night on a newspaper delivery route and my daughter uses it during the day. My daughter loves this car with one exception. The only thing she doesn't like is that it doesn't have an aux input. I was thinking about going to a local audio shop and see if there are any options of adding an aux input to the existing factory radio. Well, in the meantime, the CD player has started skipping. My guess is just because it is over 10 yrs old. I have found some factory prius head units on ebay that have a button for aux but I don't see an actual aux input. Will this work for me? And what else might I need for the aux? Thanks.
seriously, get rid of that junk oem head unit and get a modern aftermarket unit, a metra axxess steering wheel button interface, and a scosche install kit. crutchfield can hook you up with everything you need, if you don't want to scour ebay for the needed components. and crutchfield will give you installation instructions, and has a help line if you need it. the oem head unit is about the worst sounding car stereo I think I've ever heard. usually takes about 2 days to get it delivered sometimes they get it to me the next day. do it now.
Thanks for the advice. I really think I'd like to keep the factory radio though. It sounds fine to me and I like the use of the MFD for the radio. But I will consider an aftermarket unit. But for now I want to know if a full swap will work for me or if it is more complicated than that.
2din radios fit nicely in the dash, and if you heard the difference, you would be amazed, unless you don't really like music much anyway. if you can find a good used oe radio, its not hard to swap em out. but I bet a new replacement is more than a kenwood touch screen 2din.
Chris54 - I'm in a similar situation: 2004 with factory nav; really, really want an AUX in; CD player just started to eat CDs; don't want to give up the controls / integration. I was thinking of doing just what you suggest, but thought to look for advice here. I'm very interested in what you've decided.
you can still use your steering wheel buttons with a metra axxess. only thing that changes is pressing the audio button will read "audio off" on the mfd. everything else works normally.
I've actually not done anything with it yet. The cd player seems fine now, not skipping anymore. I think maybe it just got to hot or something. I'll probably just go to an audio shop and have an aux installed.
+1 What he said I also went the aftermarket route. I love having a CD player, aux input, USB input, Bluetooth audio and Bluetooth phone. I just had to mount my microphone which was easy. You can get an ok double din or even single din radio for about the same cost as an aux kit, and it'll have aux built in and probably even Bluetooth so you don't have to plug anything in. That's what I love the most about BT! I get in, turn car on and it starts playing my music if my app is open on the phone. I control it all with the head unit or steering wheel controls with the metra axxess. It just doesn't "beep" any more when I touch a function on the MFD. No big deal.
how did you finally play this out? did you swap for another factory unit? i got a dealer price of $1650 when i called about mine. then i found a unit on ebay for about $75. installed it today, but will wait a couple of months before i get too excited. everything, so far today, works...cassette, CD, radio, tuner and volume knobs.
