MP3 Insider Lounge: MP3 Player connection to Car Stereo

MP3 Player to Car Stereo

If you have a newer car (say, less than 3 years old) there's a good chance that there is an AUX jack somewhere in the car. Maybe it's on the radio head unit itself. In my Scion tC it's in the center console, which is nice because you can tuck the player away in there if you choose.

If you have an older car with a cassette deck, you're in luck, because you can get a cassette adapter for a few dollars. The adapter connects to the headphone jack on the MP3 player, and goes into the cassette player on the other. I have found the results to be decent on my older Cadillac.

If you have only a CD player in your car, with no cassette, it becomes harder, unless the CD player has an AUX jack, which many don't.

You may be able to hard wire something in the wiring in the back of the player, but this would be expensive. You might be better off getting a new CD head unit that has an AUX feature, but then this whole thing starts to get complicated, doesn't it?

Some of the newer cars go one step better than an AUX jack. Some will allow you to control your player through the head unit, with song info displaying on the screen. But often if your player is not an iPod, then forget about that working.

For your sake, I hope you have either an AUX jack or a cassette. If not then do what I did - get a new car! (I know, easier said than done, especially in this economy)...

Good luck to you in your MP3 pursuits. I really enjoy bringing my Zune in the car with me. Then I take it into my office, play it on the dock which keeps it charged. That way it is always charged!