Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with car and stereo

Convertible with top - Lock the doors, or leave them unlocked?

rinogo — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:54:59 -0800

Loss prevention in a convertible with soft top - Lock the doors, or leave them unlocked? I recently heard an interesting loss prevention technique for convertible owners. Lock anything of any value away in a secure location within the car, and leave the doors unlocked. That way, a thief won't slash your $500 top to get into your car and realize there's nothing there. Just leave the doors open, and they'll look inside, realize there's nothing to be stolen, and take off.

Does this sound like a reasonable course of action to you guys?

Can I put an aftermarket stereo in a new Nissan Frontier?

jeffderek — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 08:14:39 -0800

Can I put an aftermarket stereo in a new Nissan Frontier? I'd like to purchase a 2009 Nissan Frontier. Like many cars nowadays, the stereo seems to take up the entire center of the dashboard, not a single replaceable unit. The edition I'd like to buy (SE-I4) does not have an Auxilliary input available as an option from the factory, so I'd need to put an aftermarket stereo in to get the Aux input.

Can I actually do this? Looking at the dash I don't understand how I'd replace the stereo, but I'm having trouble imagining that this is impossible. I replaced the stereo in my 2002 Saturn SL2 with no problem, but it was a more conventional stereo.

Thanks!

Is this a good stereo?

aeighty — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:54:07 -0800

I'm thinking of upgrading my car's stereo; I still have a tape deck in there! I've located a Sony unit that seems to fit all of my requirements, Sony MEXBT2600. It has built in Bluetooth. Has anyone had any experience with such units? I'm particularly interested in bluetooth speakerphone functionality. Reviews on amazon page seem to be divided. I'd have to guess that on some cars it works very well due to the placement of the unit, and on some cars it doesn't. I think I would have a pretty clear path to the built in microphone from drivers seat. Anyway it this a good unit? The price seems right.

Help me hack my car's stereo!

phunniemee — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:53:05 -0800

I need tunes! Please help me hack* my car's stereo. So, some genius broke into my car (technically a '97 RAV4) and stole (only) the faceplate off of my cd player (an Alpine...something...that I got back in 2002). They graciously left the tape player, and since I've got one of those headphone jack-to-cassette mcgees, I'd ideally like to play songs off of my (no-brand, bare bones) mp3 player. However, the tape doesn't want to play (yes, it is a functioning accessory; it works just fine in my boombox). In fact, the whole cassette player itself appears to not work at all. I don't know if it ever worked, but I'd sure like it to now. I don't recall there being an option on my cd player to switch to the tape player, so I don't think it's that. If all else fails, I'll probably just buy a replacement faceplate, but I'd hate to have to upgrade from my sweet mid-nineties technology.

Picture of the offending area.

Is there anything I can do (for under, say, 10 bucks) to fix this thing? Could it be some sort of fuse (??) issue or something? Is there some secret other way for me to make my music come out of my car? I'm quite handy, so if someone tells me what to look for, I have no problem ripping my dash apart and tinkering.

Thanks!

* ...sigh... Yeah, yeah, I know.

iPhone car charger?

olinerd — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:13:46 -0800

What's a good iPhone car charger that won't make my music noisy? I have a 3G iPhone. I have a car with an aux input. I enjoy playing iPhone music over my car stereo via this input. It's all spiffy.

Until next week, when I have to drive for twelve hours (instead of the usual max seven) to a relative's house for Thanksgiving. I also need to use the phone for navigation, occasional phone calls to update worried parents on progress, and so forth. When I switch off with my co-driver, I may also want to play games on the phone. We may also use the Pandora app to stream some music when we're in 3G areas. All this points to serious battery draw.

So: I want a car charger for the phone. The problem is, I had one of the Monster combination FM transmitter/charger things for an older iPod that I plugged into my old first gen iPhone, and it charged, but any music played over the aux input to the stereo while the charger was plugged in was horribly static-y. I'm not sure if this was a problem with putting something designed for an old iPod into an iPhone, or if the charging itself interferes with the music playback, or what, but it was pretty craptacular. It wasn't GSM noise -- it was serious static.

I don't have any friends with car chargers I can try out to see if iPhone-specific chargers work better, and I'd rather not drop the money on one that isn't going to work. Has anyone had experience with an iPhone car charger that doesn't interfere with the output to a car stereo (via a cable, not over FM transmission)? What do you recommend? (I've found reviews of chargers, and I've found reviews of connections to aux inputs, but nothing really combining the two to see if there are noise issues)

Again, this is a 3G iPhone, and I've got a built-in aux input to my car stereo.

Wanted: Car stereo with simple aesthetics and aux input

wildblueyonder — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:30:35 -0800

Car Stereo Recommendations: must have an aux input. Must have zen-like interface simplicity, and mostly pushbutton operation except for the few things for which knobs really make sense. A manual should be all but redundant for operation of this device. Would be nice if it has bluetooth built-in. Satellite radio is a plus. What am I looking for? Here's an example that I don't think is good: the Eclipse Cd7200 MkII. The buttons are small and the labels are small and probably difficult to see. The most prominent control is a knob which is great for volume but I'll be the designers use it for other stuff for which it was never intended. 7 band EQ and gold-plated connectors and Das Blinkenlights are also overkill and really not preferred. And stuff with neon accent lighting is way way to common.

I almost think what I'm looking for will have the aesthetic of a basic built-in factory stereo -- big buttons, simple controls, radio + a few other things. I think I've seen stuff like this in high-end rental cars (Chrysler Sebring). Hell, even this random honda unit gets at the simplicity, even if it's really not all that great looking.

But I'm starting to think that every aftermarket car stereo is designed by 12 year old boys (God bless 'em). Hope me, Metafilter.

New car stereo solution?

ObscureReferenceMan — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:37:40 -0800

Car stereo solution for someone non-technical. I have a 1990 Acura Legend with original stereo & speakers, but the 10-disc changer my brother installed is having issues (discs aren't always recognized, and the remote is broken). And the rear speakers are buzzing. So I'm in the market for something new. I don't want to spend more than $500 (for stereo and speakers). My requirements:
- Input for iPod (will be purchasing that soon also)
- Should play at least one CD (in case on a road trip, someone brings tunes)
- Some kind of equalizer (not just treble/bass control)

My question is not so much "which unit" (but I welcome input/feedback), but "where to go?". My gut tells me BestBuy. I've browsed, and they seem to have a decent selection, and installation is minimal. Or do I go to a car stereo place? There are plenty on Long Island (suggestions for/against would also be appreciated). Would $500 get me something good?

One qualification: I do NOT want to buy individual components and install them myself (I know it's cheaper). I am NOT handy. I CANNOT do electrical installation. This is non-negotiable. Sorry.

Any other suggestions (units to be aware of +/-, forums, review sites, etc.) are welcome. Thanks!!

How to get an iPod to work in my car? (i had to use this title)

Pants! — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:34:17 -0800

Hooking up an iPod/amp after car stereo was stolen? My friend's car was broken into and his stereo was stolen. He'd like to know if it's possible to make a connection for an iPod without purchasing a whole new stereo system. The speakers are still there, there must be a way to access them via USB.

Where's the simplicity?

dance — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:18:51 -0800

Swapping a car's stereo head unit: I would really like to replace my car's ailing Blaupunkt CD player with a more modern head unit, ideally one with a front aux-in for my iPhone. Before I embarked on this I thought it would (should!) be as simple as popping out the old HU, slotting the new one in and simply reconnecting the connector block. But it seems the process is rarely that simple. My car, a 96 Mazda 626, does not seem to have the pretty wiring harnesses to be seen in many online tutorials. It looks exactly like this.

A friend said that all aftermarket stereos connect to the car's wiring harness via an ISO connector so I presumed that as my stereo is almost certainly aftermarket the hard work was already done for me. But having bought the removal keys and had a look behind the stereo it doesn't look like it.

What are my options? I would dearly love to avoid soldering, splicing and dicing and have a nice clean solution involving adaptors or the straightforward swap I hoped for.

I guess if I buy another Blaupunkt then I can just swap head units? There are two connectors even though only the brown topmost can be seen in the picture. Do Blaupunkts continue to use this setup?

I've tried asking at the12volt and installdr, but without much success!

Any help appreciated!

iPhone Car Integration

jpcody — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:05:08 -0800

I, like many others, am trying to get the perfect setup for my iPhone in my car. Are there any solutions? Current info:
2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport XLS, stock stereo, no aux-in or tape deck
1.1.3 Jailbroken iPhone
Monster FM transmitter

I'm looking to be able to both listen to my iPhone and place and receive calls. I had a friend that was able to do this through a tape deck, and I became insanely jealous.

Ideal setup: be able to run headphone jack to an aux-in input. I haven't been able to find an accessory to allow me to essentially rig an aux-in.

Less-than ideal setup: an FM transmitter that will not produce GSM buzz and will run without being in airplane mode.

The kicker: $100 budget. Preferably way cheaper.

Has anyone had any success with this? Any audiophiles that can satisfy my possibly irrational desire to run my iPhone through my car stereo?

How should I setup satellite radio in my car?

Rewind — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:04:04 -0800

Any satellite radio users able to offer some insight on the best method of installation? My lovely girlfriend surprised me with Sirius satellite radio for Christmas and I am thrilled no end. However, I’m wondering if I could pick the brains of my fellow AskMeFites as to the best way to set it up.

The unit she ended up getting me was a Stratus, which seems like a good fit, however given my current setup, I’m wondering if I should go another route. I currently have the Alpine CDA-9851 in my car along with the KCA-420i interface adaptor for my iPod. I love my setup, and I’m thrilled to be adding satellite radio to the mix but I’m wondering whether I should keep the Stratus and use it as essentially a 2nd unit to control the satellite radio, or whether I should return it and get the necessary components to have the service controlled directly through the Alpine.

The pros to the Stratus as I see them are more presets, the ability to see more than one line of text so you can see artist/song/channel info, and can (relatively) easily see what’s on the other channels with less scrolling through the display. The downside however is the fact that it’s a 2nd head unit, and that it would plug into my cigarette lighter (or whatever they’re called these days) thereby ensuring that I wouldn’t be able to use my GPS at the same time. Also, there seems to be a queston regarding the sound quality unless I have a direct connection.

The pros to the control through the Alpine are that it’s all one unit, which means less wiring all over and power is coming from a source other than the cigarette lighter. The downside however would seem to be that it only displays one line of text so that I’d have to hit a button each time I wanted to scroll through artist name/song/category, etc. Also, I’m worried that the scroll will be interminably slow. Currently, I control my iPod through the head unit and it is suh-low as molasses. It’s great to be able to do that, but I find I have to set everything up in playlists to actually find music efficiently. I’m worried that the scroll through the Sirius channels would be just as slow. Of course, I could upgrade my current Alpine head unit to one that displayed two/three lines of text (and I haven’t yet ruled that out) but that might be quite cost prohibitive.

Anyway, any MeFites have a similar setup to those described above and are there any major (or minor) pros/cons you’d be willing to share? Thanks in advance.

Where can I find a Car Stereo Installation Guide for a 1999 Mitsubishi Mirage?

willnot — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 10:52:44 -0800

Where can I find a Car Stereo Installation Guide for a 1999 Mitsubishi Mirage? I bought a Sony Xplod back in February of this year. The Auxiliary jack on the front that I plug my iPod into has already broken so that I only get audio out of one channel. It's still under warranty, but the store that sold it to me has washed their hands of it, and Sony wants me to send the thing back to them at a shipping cost of about 10% of the value of the radio (to say nothing of whatever hassle is involved in getting it out of there and being without a stereo for who knows how long).

I think I should be able to plug the iPod into the back of the thing, but I'm not sure how to get all the plastic trim stuff off to expose the guts of the wiring in a way that would allow me to put it all back the way I found it.

Seems like there should be a guide of some kind on the internet, but I haven't been able to find one yet. This Question mentioned Dr. Install, but they don't have a guide for a Mirage.

Help me TASTEFULLY "pimp" my car audio.

CommonSense — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 09:27:31 -0800

I'd like to modernize my 2001 Honda Accord's audio system -- satellite, HD Radio, Bluetooth handsfree, and on-screen iPod controls/track display. Help! My dream of moving up to a sexy new car with all the latest gadgets has been quashed again, for the perennial reason that I just plain can't afford it. So what I'd like to do is dull the pain somewhat by at least upgrading what I've got in my 2001 Honda Accord.

Right now I have the stock AM/FM/CD deck, with no AUX IN (so I can't even do a low-fi iPod connection). I use a small FM transmitter for the iPod, but most of the time it's such a hassle that I don't feel like bothering.

What I'd like to have, ideally, is satellite (probably Sirius, though I'm not 100% decided yet), HD Radio, Bluetooth (so I can do the handsfree thing with my Sony Ericsson P990i), and "real" iPod integration -- not just an AUX IN, but something that plugs into the dock connector and hopefully, allows control of the iPod from the buttons on the deck, and maybe even on-screen artist/title display as well.

The big limiting factor here is that I have NO CLUE how to install car audio, so I'm limited to in-store installation at Worst Buy/Circuit City/etc. Given how incompetent these people are at computer support (I may be biased; I do Mac-specific consulting and am extra-resentful of their shoddy attempts to do Mac support), I'm leery of them doing extensive car audio work. But I know absolutely nothing about it, so I don't have much choice.

This sucks, because it rules out online vendors, where the selection is MUCH better and the prices are better. But I guess I'll make do with what I have.

I don't need to pimp out the speakers, add extra bass, etc. I'm pretty sure the stock speakers will be fine for me. (It's CAR audio, for crissake; it can only be so good.) I'd prefer a relatively sane, streamlined design; I don't need tacky, gaudy colors or a bunch of preposterous animations on the screen that scream "STEAL ME!"

It seems like you have to buy a "receiver," then buy a BUNCH of add-ons for satellite, HD Radio, etc. How can I best minimize all this nickel-and-diming and get a system that's right for me?

I need a cheap car CD player

the ghost of Ken Lay — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 13:20:45 -0800

I need a cheap car CD player with a line-in for my ipod that will be very unattractive to thieves. I live in a large city and am getting a little tired of the FM transmitter I currently use to play my ipod through my car stereo. My stereo is a tape player, but not one that accepts tape adapters anymore.

I'd like to buy a replacement radio but Im afraid this will make me a target for theives. Im sure no one wants my stock radio, but if I got a new one, albeit a cheesy one, it might be an invitation to break my window and take it. I do not have a car alarm and I often park in a marginal neighborhoods on the street.

Should I just go with a removable faceplate? Will a radio with an activation code make a difference? Should I invest in some kind of alarm?

I hesitate to go with the removable face because it adds cost and I dont want to remove it everytime I park at night, but if I have to I will. An alarm feels like overkill but if thats the most cost effective way to protect my car it might be worth it. Any advice?

Also, while Im getting this installed I'd like to ask them to make my cigarette lighter work only when the car is running. How much more for install should I expect this modification to take? Is this something a technically minded person could do on their own?

Car Stereo Blues

ninazer0 — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 21:42:13 -0800

What's the key-sequence to unlock my car stereo? I know the code but how do I enter it? I have a 99 Toyota Corolla and just had the battery connectors replaced. Because the battery was disconnected my stereo is now not working and is displaying "SEC" meaning I need to unlock it to be able to use it.

I know what the code is, I just don't remember the sequence of key-presses that will let me enter the code. The stupid thing is that I did this a couple of months ago and had no problems - it was some combination of "scan" and the "next/previous track" keys.

My Google-fu has turned up requests for codes but not the input sequence. Help??

Need Jensen MP5610 car stereo advice

orlin — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 13:14:23 -0800

I bought a car with a Jensen MP5610 and there is no manual to program the time. Does anyone out there have one and would be kind enought to tell me how to program the time? Thank you...orlin

iPod-compatible car audio vs cassette adapters

neilkod — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 10:21:52 -0800

Do iPod-compatible car decks sound THAT much better than using a cassette adapter? Also, will a new deck interface with my steering-wheel controls and factory cd-changer? 2001 VW Passat here.

I'm no audiophile but I like my music to sound crisp and have range. When I use my cassette adapter, the music sounds a lot flatter and more bass-heavy, even when using the car's EQ and the bass reducer/treble enhancer settings on the iPod.

I also notice that a playing a cd made from my mp3s sounds much crisper (both the highs and lows) than listening to the same files on the iPod.

So I'm sure a direct-line iPod adapter will sound better but is it enough to justify the cost of a new deck?

Additionally, my Passat has some audio controls on the steering wheel and a factory cd-changer. Will after-market car audio decks be able to utilize those?

Get this Mother^$(ing Thump out of my Mother$(#ing car!

toxic — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:49:00 -0800

Very strange electrical noise getting into radio on newly imported 1997 JDM Toyota Tercel hatchback. Radio replacement is imminent, but there's So I bought this car, without checking to see if the radio worked, because I'd planned to replace the radio anyway (Japan's FM spectrum is 70-90 MHz, New Zealand's is the more normal 88-108, so even if it were working, the original Japanese radio would only get 2-3 stations).

A couple of days after I bought the car, I turned on the radio for the first time, and was greeted by very strange noises.

The noise is a repeating "Thump Thump Thump", that comes out of both speakers when the stereo is turned on. It doesn't matter what the volume knob is set to, it doesn't matter where the fader/balance knobs are set, it comes out of both speakers at the same volume (fairly loud, but not eardrum-shattering)

I'm hoping that this is just a bad amplifier in the stock unit, and that the replacement radio that I've got ordered will take care of this, but I'm concerned that it may be indicative of some other kind of electrical problem in the car.

I'm wondering if anyone else has heard similar noises from their Toyota, or has any further insight on this. Anyone?

Looking for a car stereo with a good UI.

Plutor — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 06:36:24 -0800

The factory-installed stereo in my car has stopped playing CDs, and my commute is fairly long, so this is essentially unacceptable. I've looked into getting it repaired, but the whole stereo'll have to be sent away for weeks, and it'll end up costing a bunch. But I've yet to find an add-on in-dash stereo for $200 or less that isn't terribly ugly. I have a 2003 Nissan Altima; the current stereo (and dash) looks like this, which I'm otherwise 100% happy with. I'm not really an audiophile, so pretty much any stereo will probably sound good enough for me. I've considered buying an MP3 player, but my stock stereo doesn't have an aux port, and it'd require a lot of CD-ripping time to convert all of my collection. I'm savvy enough that I have absolutely no problem mounting a stereo myself.

But I absolutely hate the trend of blinking lights and tiny lettering on tiny chrome buttons that seems pervasive in the car stereo market. My priority is a good UI. Is that too much to ask for?

How do I install a car stereo?

gaelenh — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 22:17:51 -0800

I am looking for advice on installing car stereos. I've searched hi and low and haven't been able to find any (free) good tutorials for installing car stereos. Normally I would just base my installation off the original install, unfortunately it was stolen. Luckily they didn't mess up the base connectors, so I am good to go. Sort of...

I have the right harness and kit, but there is one connector I am particularly suspicious of. It is black, about 1 1/4 cm wide and starts off rectangular & bulky and ends up flat.

Any advice besides "take it to a pro" would be helpful.

How to foil car stereo theives?

u2604ab — Tue, 14 Jun 2005 11:42:49 -0800

Help me secure my car: For the seventh time in two years, I'm buying replacement window glass for my car. For the third time in two years, I'm shopping for a new stereo. For the second time in two years, I'm wondering what in the heck petty thieves want with my car registration and insurance forms. I really have 2 questions:

1. Should I get an alarm or some other method of securing my car? I've had blinkenlights and stickers on my car to intimate the presence of an otherwise non-existent alarm, and this has not deterred theives. I remove the face plate from the stereo every time I leave the car unattended. This practice also has not deterred the thieves. Are there other options?;

2. Is the theft of my registration forms and insurance cards more than a nuisance? Will the insurance card and registration theft be a prelude to car or identity theft?

How Dangerous Is It to Drive With Earphones?

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Jan 2005 22:49:58 -0800

How dangerous is it to drive with earphones? I drive a noisy, noisy little car with a crappy stereo, and the tempation to just listen to my flash mp3 player with some Koss isolating earbuds is pretty strong, yet I don't want to endanger others or die in a fiery wreck. But at some point, with the car as noisy as it is, what's the difference?

Opening up the dashboard of a Hyundai Tiburon

mzurer — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 13:57:53 -0800

Anybody know how to get into the dashboard of my Hyundai Tiburon? I am getting an aux adapter cable to plug into the back of Pioneer head unit, but poking around doesn't show any easy way to get the dash off. It might be there are some screws on the front of the head unit that will release it without taking apart the car. It looks like Pioneer has some fancy pokers and pullers, but I don't have them. Any equivalents I can find laying around my house?

Car Stereo Mysteries

lynda — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 16:43:45 -0800

Why is my car stereo cutting off and on? [+] I have a '97 Ford Contour I bought in '99. About a year after I purchased it the stereo started cutting on and off. It seemed to happen most when I hit the break hard or went over a large bump in the road. It also seemed to happen more during the winter months. At first if I kneed the side of the stereo it would sometimes respond by coming back on.

My husband's father owns a store which primarily specializes in car stereos. We asked him what the issue might be and he said he didn't know, but thought replacing the stereo would help (no, he wasn't just trying to sell us something). We did replace the stereo, but it continues to go off and on. It will usually go off and on repeatedly and then stay off for a good long while.

Now this happens even more randomly than before although it'll still cut off if I go over a huge bump. I live in Atlanta where an 11 mile commute translates into 45 minutes in my car and I've gotten to the point where I'm going to go absolutely insane if I don't figure out how to get this fixed.

Any ideas?

How to find a skipless CD player for my car?

luser — Tue, 14 Sep 2004 05:45:18 -0800

My car CD player (a Sony unit, probably about 6 years old) pretty much stutters/skips every CD I put in it, usually 5-10 minutes into the disk. Should I replace it, or try those lens cleaner thingies? Also, if I go to replace it, what's the metric in CD players' model specs that will tell me how well the lens will handle light scratches and/or burned CDs? I guess I could just get a really expensive one, but the only feature I really care about is that it doesn't skip.