The Aux Input on my car radio menu is missing!
September 2, 2013 3:43 PM Subscribe
I have a 2004 Hyundai Tiburon with its original factory radio, a Kenwood KDC-MPV6022. I've just now tried to use its Aux In feature by connecting a cable to its RCA cables as listed on page 31 of the manual. According to Page 27 of the manual, the radio's configuration menu should have an Aux On/Off setting but this setting doesn't appear in my menu. I can hear the music from the iPhone but it's in addition to the other source (radio or CD), not instead of the other source, i.e. I hear both the iPhone and the other sound combined. I've tried connecting older iPods in case there were some equipment compatibility issues but the results were the same.
What am I missing here? The radio has the Aux In cables so clearly it's expecting the audio. Why doesn't the radio allow me to select it as an input?
Elaborating on polkadot's point, often the problem is a case interfering with the cord. Try removing it if you have one on there.
posted by blue t-shirt at 4:17 PM on September 2, 2013
posted by blue t-shirt at 4:17 PM on September 2, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for the responses but I can confirm that the cable is firmly placed in the iPhone. There's no case in the way.
Any other suggestions?
posted by Jamesonian at 4:30 PM on September 2, 2013
Any other suggestions?
posted by Jamesonian at 4:30 PM on September 2, 2013
Use the CD input, but take out your CD. I suspect the factory version of this radio differs from them Hyundai version.
posted by bensherman at 4:39 PM on September 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by bensherman at 4:39 PM on September 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Super-dumb question, but is the cable also plugged in firmly on the other end? Less-dumb question: when you hear both the iPhone and the other source, is the iPhone volume coming out of the iPhone speakers, the car speakers or (unlikely) both?
The radio in my truck is not a Kenwood, but it's another aftermarket brand (it's not really relevant to your question, but I'm not sure that your Kenwood is the original factory radio), and, with it, there's a button called 'Source' (yours may be 'Input' or similar) that cycles between 'Tuner,' 'CD,' 'Aux' and 'Off,' and, in each of these modes, only certain options appear in the menu (e.g., the clock can only be adjusted when the radio is 'Off,' and the 'Aux On/Off' setting (which, in my radio, just controls whether 'Aux' appears in the list of modes), can also only be adjusted when the radio is 'Off.' Maybe there's something like that going on?
posted by box at 4:41 PM on September 2, 2013
The radio in my truck is not a Kenwood, but it's another aftermarket brand (it's not really relevant to your question, but I'm not sure that your Kenwood is the original factory radio), and, with it, there's a button called 'Source' (yours may be 'Input' or similar) that cycles between 'Tuner,' 'CD,' 'Aux' and 'Off,' and, in each of these modes, only certain options appear in the menu (e.g., the clock can only be adjusted when the radio is 'Off,' and the 'Aux On/Off' setting (which, in my radio, just controls whether 'Aux' appears in the list of modes), can also only be adjusted when the radio is 'Off.' Maybe there's something like that going on?
posted by box at 4:41 PM on September 2, 2013
(Okay, upon further review, skip that aside about how it's not the factory radio--it looks like Hyundai had Kenwood decks as an option for a while.)
posted by box at 4:43 PM on September 2, 2013
posted by box at 4:43 PM on September 2, 2013
(This forum might be a decent place to poke around for more info.)
posted by box at 4:45 PM on September 2, 2013
posted by box at 4:45 PM on September 2, 2013
Page 9 under "selecting the source" indicates this is not a feature of the mpv6022. Probably because it was not wired up in the Hyundai. Best bet is bensherman's suggestion. If it works you are lucky.
posted by cosmac at 4:46 PM on September 2, 2013
posted by cosmac at 4:46 PM on September 2, 2013
When you say you hear the sound of the ipod and the other input, through the car speakers?
If that's the case, either the wire is installed incorrectly, or the radio is broken. My money is on broken radio, unfortunately.
posted by gjc at 4:48 PM on September 2, 2013
If that's the case, either the wire is installed incorrectly, or the radio is broken. My money is on broken radio, unfortunately.
posted by gjc at 4:48 PM on September 2, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for the good ideas.
@cosmac That reference lists the models which require an optional accessory to use the Aux In, and my radio isn't included. Therefore, it should work without it. This is confirmed on Page 27 which clearly states that the menu for my radio does include this option. That's the source of my confusion.
@box Yes, the sound of the iPhone is coming through the car speakers along with the radio/CD. This is confirmed by activating the radio's attenuation button which kills the radio/CD sound but not the iPhone. And thanks for the forum link. I'll pursue it there as well.
@gjc There were only two wires available at the rear of the radio, and they were both RCA as listed in the manual. They are connected firmly as I wouldn't be getting stereo sound otherwise. While I can't rule out a broken radio, it seems unlikely since the problem appears to be with the software and not the hardware.
posted by Jamesonian at 5:31 PM on September 2, 2013
@cosmac That reference lists the models which require an optional accessory to use the Aux In, and my radio isn't included. Therefore, it should work without it. This is confirmed on Page 27 which clearly states that the menu for my radio does include this option. That's the source of my confusion.
@box Yes, the sound of the iPhone is coming through the car speakers along with the radio/CD. This is confirmed by activating the radio's attenuation button which kills the radio/CD sound but not the iPhone. And thanks for the forum link. I'll pursue it there as well.
@gjc There were only two wires available at the rear of the radio, and they were both RCA as listed in the manual. They are connected firmly as I wouldn't be getting stereo sound otherwise. While I can't rule out a broken radio, it seems unlikely since the problem appears to be with the software and not the hardware.
posted by Jamesonian at 5:31 PM on September 2, 2013
Agreed, the manual is poor and seems to have conflicting information. Still, it seems unlikely Hyundai would sell a car with a radio that allows selection of an aux input, but has no way to connect something to the aux input. It would be confusing to owners.
posted by cosmac at 5:41 PM on September 2, 2013
posted by cosmac at 5:41 PM on September 2, 2013
What I mean is, are the wires plugged into the correct spots on the radio? That kind of sound mixing should never happen on a car radio. That isn't a software issue, since the hardware shouldn't have that capability.
What I'm wondering is if there is a separate power amplifier, or some kind of pass-through connector, on the back of the radio, and the other end of the aux wire that you are seeing is plugged into the wrong place. You may have to pull the radio out and see what it looks like on the back. Or there could be some kind of short or frayed wire.
Another thing: a lot of radios, my factory Hyundai radio being one of them, does not let me select the aux button if there is nothing connected to it. That also leads me to believe that the wires are plugged into the wrong place. A radio that new should probably automatically switch to the aux in channel as soon as something is connected to it.
Last thing. I once had a receiver that went bad, and the way it failed was that the different inputs bled through to each other. That's why I lean toward that possibility.
posted by gjc at 5:53 PM on September 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
What I'm wondering is if there is a separate power amplifier, or some kind of pass-through connector, on the back of the radio, and the other end of the aux wire that you are seeing is plugged into the wrong place. You may have to pull the radio out and see what it looks like on the back. Or there could be some kind of short or frayed wire.
Another thing: a lot of radios, my factory Hyundai radio being one of them, does not let me select the aux button if there is nothing connected to it. That also leads me to believe that the wires are plugged into the wrong place. A radio that new should probably automatically switch to the aux in channel as soon as something is connected to it.
Last thing. I once had a receiver that went bad, and the way it failed was that the different inputs bled through to each other. That's why I lean toward that possibility.
posted by gjc at 5:53 PM on September 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Ok, nevermind. Looks like it should work. I assume you've tried this:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_get_the_auxiliary_function_to_work_on_your_kenwood_car_radio
If so, you could try removing power from the radio for a couple minutes to reset it, and try again.
posted by cosmac at 5:57 PM on September 2, 2013
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_get_the_auxiliary_function_to_work_on_your_kenwood_car_radio
If so, you could try removing power from the radio for a couple minutes to reset it, and try again.
posted by cosmac at 5:57 PM on September 2, 2013
"That reference lists the models which require an optional accessory to use the Aux In, and my radio isn't included. Therefore, it should work without it. This is confirmed on Page 27 which clearly states that the menu for my radio does include this option. That's the source of my confusion."
Were there different versions of that Kenwood radio installed in the car? I've found that car manuals aren't always too clear about things when there were multiple options.
(Alternately, have you had the car since new? Maybe someone replaced the radio with a slightly different model before you owned it.)
posted by gjc at 5:57 PM on September 2, 2013
Were there different versions of that Kenwood radio installed in the car? I've found that car manuals aren't always too clear about things when there were multiple options.
(Alternately, have you had the car since new? Maybe someone replaced the radio with a slightly different model before you owned it.)
posted by gjc at 5:57 PM on September 2, 2013
Response by poster: @cosmac Thanks for the link. I did try that but the Aux Off/On setting should be available in regular mode, not just in Standby Mode. The manual clearly indicates those settings which are available only in Standby Mode, and Aux On/Off isn't one of them. I tried anyway and it wasn't there.
@gjc I purchased the car from its original owner but the radio is original as its marked with both Kenwood and Hyundai insignia.
Frustrating, ain't it? I appreciate all of your suggestions but so far no solution.
posted by Jamesonian at 8:14 PM on September 2, 2013
@gjc I purchased the car from its original owner but the radio is original as its marked with both Kenwood and Hyundai insignia.
Frustrating, ain't it? I appreciate all of your suggestions but so far no solution.
posted by Jamesonian at 8:14 PM on September 2, 2013
The manual is confusing, but I read it as you use the SRC button to cycle through the sources and it will display AUX ON/OFF depending on whether something is connected to the AUX input.
posted by nightwood at 10:09 PM on September 3, 2013
posted by nightwood at 10:09 PM on September 3, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
I had a similar problem and that fixed it. I remember being concerned with how hard I was pushing bit it worked.
posted by polkadot at 4:15 PM on September 2, 2013