Ipod2Car works with Prius!

The Ipod2Car works just fine with my standard radio. The standard radio has an aux input. wWen I switch to he Ipod the radio mode is CD Changer. I can still play CD's using the player without problem.

 

Thanks for that input. It's just the confirmation that I needed! I have just talked to two radio shops in the SF Bay area and they are familiar with the iPod2car and tell me that the installation is quick and easy. They also confirm the existence of an AUX port on the radio. Thanks again. This forum is really helpful.

 

Two more question, please.

1) Does the ipod2car charge the ipod while it's playing?

2) Where do you keep the ipod while you're using it?

Thanks


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ifogel\";p=\"93182)</div>

 

Two more questions, please.

1) Does the ipod2car charge the ipod while it's playing?

2) Where do you keep the ipod while you're using it?

Thanks


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ifogel\";p=\"93182)</div>

 

The Ipod does charge while it is plugged into the Ipod2Car.

I had the device installed so that the cord came out of the little box below the stereo head unit. I also bought a sticky pad to sit on the dash, that way the Ipod normally sits on the dash but I can have it play while closed up in the box if I want.

 

Can some one in the SF/ Bay Area recommend any shops for doing the Ipod2Car installation?

Thanks!!!

 

Nickh;

I have found two:

Custom Car Alarms
1825 Contra Costa Blvd
Pleasant Hill
(925) 680-8881, and

Motor Music of Concord
1931 Market Street
Concord(925) 827-9800

The latter quoted $189 for the ipod2car, $20 for the harness and $45 to install.

Let me know if you get the work done before I do. I'd like to know how good a job they did.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nickh\";p=\"93307)</div>

 

As excellent as KaniS's instructions are, I hear that it's easier to get at by removing the lower glove box and getting in from the right instead of from the left.

 

For clarification:

I just installed my ipod2car today using the glove compartment method and it was very easy and took about 30 minutes. The only challenge was removing the single bolt that holds the wiring harness in place, since the phillips head srewdriver I have is fairly short. I have a 2005 Prius with package 6 and a factory (not dealer) installed 6 CD changer. I have a free AUX port on the back of my radio. I do not have XM, but I do have the navigation system. I have some of the problems described here and I am wondering if anyone else has solved them.

The steps to install the Ipod2car are as follows:
1. Open the bottom glove compartment and press in the sides to release it.
2. There is a latch on the right side that must be detached from the comparment for the drawer to swing free and be removed.
3. Remove the A/C vent to the right of the MFD screen by pushing it out carefully from the inside of the compartment while applying slight outward pressure to the top of the vent.
4. Remove the one bolt from the top of the Large wiring harness that is immediatly behind the vent (it is huge and obvious). I suggest using a long phillips head screw driver. You should be able to swing the top part to the right which should give you enough space to slide the Y connector into the back of the radio. I had a friend help me and I was able to see the back of the radio from the bottom and help my friend guide the connector into the back of the radio. I didn't use a mirror. BTW, you need the Toyota cable PXHTY1 from Periperals AND the Y connector (08695-00370) from Toyota.
5. I threaded the Cable below the large wiring harness and to the space above the lower glove comparment. The is plenty of space to velcro the ipod2car box into this space. I bought high adhesion and high temp resitant velcro for $1.99 from Radio Shack.
6. I then threaded the white Ipod down through this space under the carpet and into the lower (hidden) drawer in the front(bottom) of the center console/armrest. I removed this drawer by pressing the sides together and sliding it out. Below this drawer there is no carpet and there is enough space above the drawer to let the wire pass.



It sounds great and it does charge the Ipod and on the advice of others I turned dip switch 6 to on (down), but I still have the following problems:
1. The Ipod is charging even when the car is off. I am a little worried that this will drain the car battery. This is by far the most annoying issue. I don't really want to unplug the ipod everytime I leave the car.
2. When I turn on the car, I have to press mode again to select the ipod. It seems to forget which device was selected.
3. The is NO text on the MFD Sorry.
4. I haven't tried the CD player yet, but I suspect that it will not work without restarting the car as other people have complained
5. There is no visual indication that you are using the Ipod. I would have though that it would atleast show as CD1 or CD2.
6. It sometimes has difficulty changing tracks forward. I have to hit the FW button a few times to make it work. I will try RW and then FW to see if it is a work-around.

 

Update:
The CD player does not work unless I turn off the car disconnect the Ipod and turn the car back on. I don't use the CD player (frankly I never have), so this is not much of a problem.

If you press RW and then FW, it seems to work around the isse of being unable to press FW when the car starts.

Step 6 should read :

I then threaded the white Ipod wire down through....

 

I was talking with the woman at the parts counter last weekend while getting an oilchange. Seems there's going to be an IPod option for the scion. Perhaps that would work with the Prius, as the XM/Sirius does.

 

Did she give you any idea when? This perhaps could be the perfect solution.....

 

She might have mentioned it, didn't pay attention. Next oil change will be in a couple of months.

Meant to ask how much the Invision headrest DVD systems go for, not that I want one.

 

1. The Ipod is charging even when the car is off. I am a little worried that this will drain the car battery. This is by far the most annoying issue. I don't really want to unplug the ipod everytime I leave the car.

You are right, the Ipod2car WILL drain your battery. I have cut off the +Wire (yellow) from the IPOD2CAR and used (as DanMan suggested to me)the accessory power from the 12V outlet.

see my pictures below.

Alexandre.

 

I leave my iPod in the car all the time charging -- I personally think it's great! It hasn't drained the battery yet, even over a weekend in the car with the car unused (hmmm... big car battery vs little tiny iPod mini battery), and I'm always ready to go when I take out the iPod to go exercise. Personally, I think it's a plus!

Jeanne

 

Alexandre,
Wow! Thanks. I thought that I remembered reading about this work-around (mentioned by Dan). The pictures are really helpfull, but I was wondering how difficult it is. I wasn't able to remove the lower plastic panel that the accessory outlet is attached to. I don't need to remove the dash as is suggested by the Chris Dragon document, do I?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(shulmda\";p=\"97752)</div>

Removing the white thing is quite difficult! There is a little snap on the bottom of it that you really have to be a :evil2: to! Its much easier to just remove the white thing to get to the back of the stereo...

I have installed the ipod2car into my '05 Prius with Nav in-dash 6 cd changer. When the ipod is plugged in, the 6 disc changer will NOT work, the song title/artist will NOT display (even though the website says it does). The ipod DOES work when the mode is switched to CD Changer after one cycle of clicking 'mode'. But, if i leave the cd changer mode "on" while listening to the ipod and turn the car "off" then back "on", it plays the 6 disc changer NOT the ipod. Then if i cycle through the modes then come back to the CD Changer, it plays the ipod, but the stinker is that i keep having to click the play button on the ipod when i turn the car on. Oh and another thing thats real annoying, that I will just have to live through is... There is quite a volume difference between the ipod and the 6 disc changer/fm/am. So if your listening to your ipod at a decent volume, park your car, go into the beer store, come back and turn your car on, the stereo blasts very loud.
............................................................................................................ :cussing:

HOPEFULLY SOMEONE WILL MAKE A PRODUCT THAT IS BETTER!
ipod2car seems to be the best way to integrate into the Prius without having a gazillion of wires all over the place. Hope this post helps!

 

See another post where turning dip switch 6 to down increases the volume. It's not perfect, but it definitely helps.

All in all, even with the irregularities of the CD/iPod interface, it's way better than an FM modulator.

Jeanne

 

I had the iPod2Car installed in my '05 w/ Pkg. #2. The steering wheel controls will control the volume, track advance and will switch modes. The iPod charges while the car is off, but I take the iPod with me most days, so no problem. Also, the iPod draws no power once it's charged, so that shouldn't be a problem even if I leave it connected.

The sound is great and the volume level changing to FM is not noticable. AM is a little louder, but it doesn't 'blow out your eardrums'.

Installation was $65 in a Bay Area shop, and they did a super job. They put the cord in the box below the radio.

I'm very pleased.