Can I do this: hook my iPod up to my car (and w/out killing the iPod's battery)?

Question

I got a '99 Ford Explorer for Christmas and it has a pretty nice sound system in it, so I don't want to have to rip it out or anything. It's a CD player... but my Q is, can I (and how if I can) hook my iPod nano up to my car's sound system. And, if I can, how do I do so without COMPLETY killing my iPod's battery??
Please and Thnak You!!
~Katie~

Answer 1

If you don't live/work way out in the country, avoid FM transmitters if at all possible, because they tend to get spotty reception in areas where there are a lot of FM radio stations. Before resorting to that option, try one of these four possibilities:

1- Check for a line-in jack, which looks like a standard 1/8" headphone jack, on the face of your stereo. If you have one, get a line-in patch cable and just use that to pump your iPod audio into the stereo directly. And make sure to get some sort of power solution that will charge your iPod off the cigarette lighter.

2- Check for a standard USB port on the face of the stereo (this is a bit unlikely for a '99 vehicle to have standard, but if the sound system was ever replaced...), which will allow you to use a standard dock-cable to hook your iPod up to the stereo for both power and audio.

3- I'm guessing this will be right out, but if you have a casette deck, you can get an adapter that'll connect your headphone jack directly to the casette deck (sorry, they can't make these work with CD players). And get a standalone power adapter for the cigarette lighter.

4- Dig into the dashboard until you can access the back of the stereo deck and see if it includes a pair of RCA audio inputs. If so, you can thread an 1/8"-RCA adapter cable from the back of the stereo to some convenient place on the dashboard and just plug your iPod in that way. And again, you'll need that power adapter for the cigarette lighter.

But seriously, FM transmitters are a much better option for stationary indoor use than for driving in a vehicle. I own one for use at work (after all, it is the only guaranteed way to play an iPod on any model of portable stereo...provided you can get a clear signal, which I can), but for driving I still stick to a casette adapter. If you do go this route, there are some brands that are in-car-only that have the transmitter built into a wire that connects your iPod dock port to the cigarette lighter, which will not require additional devices to keep your iPod fully charged. Other brands plug into the headphone jack, and run off of batteries (you'd need to regularly swap these out, and don't leave it in the car during really hot/cold weather). And still other brands are just designed to plug into the dock connector and run off the iPod's internal battery, though the Griffin iTrip (and possibly other models as well) includes a mini-USB port that can be used to power the iPod, as long as you have a car adapter that has a standard USB port instead of a permanently attached cord. In that case, you'd just need to get a USB/mini-USB-B cord (or whatever cord they specify) to connect the transmitter to the car adapter.

Answer 2

Katie,.. i could check out an FM transmitter/charger unit. They run approximately $70-$ninety and that they are made for rather lots all distinctive iPods. this is in reality a unit that plugs into your potential outlet/cigarette lighter interior the automobile. You slip your iPod into the unit and song the transmitter area to an open radio frequency on your section. Then purely song your automobile radio to that very same frequency and *abracadabra-peanut butter and jelly sandwiches* you may hear your music by your Explorer's stereo.

Answer 3

The best way is to get a FM transmitter that attaches to your iPod. It will decrease amount of time you get out of your battery by about 30% when its plugged in, but they work great. Griffin technology makes really good ones.

Answer 4

i use an Fm transmisor for my ipod nano. you conect it to your ipod and select what fm station you want and then tune it in the radio of you suv and bingo there you have. there is one at the best buy that also charges your ipod it costs like 60 bucks and in any autozone you can find some thing like that also for 25

Answer 5

I got a free iPod from this site, I highly recommend it!