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| cassette adapter |
Background: Over the summer, my Dad got laid off from his job. Because he had to give back the company car, we bought a cheap car for him to drive until he got a new job. But now that my dad has a new job and a new company car, I get the cheap car. The only problem with this car is that it only has a CD player and a radio. I like to listen to music in the car while I drive but the radio has too many commercials, and CDs only hold 20 songs. If it were a bit older, it would have a tape player and I could use a cassette adapter to plug my ipod into the car. If the car was really new, it would have plug specifically for the iPod. So because my car has neither of these, I decided to add my own iPod plug.
To begin I did some research online to figure out what I had to do. After a bit of surfing I found this website http://www.mattgilbert.net/carstereoauxinput/ . Matt Gilbert did exactly what I was trying to do. So I went to my car and got the radio out. Connected to the radio are about 15 different colored wires. Fortunately, there is a website that has stereo wiring diagrams for just about ever car ever made! http://www.modifiedlife.com/2004-dodge-neon-srt4-car-radio-wiring-diagram/. This is the page for my car. It is a 2004 dodge neon.
The next step was to get all the materials I needed. I have a soldering iron and solder, but I still needed a headphone cord, and a 4PDT (four pull double throw) switch, so I could change between using the CD player(just in case i ever had a CD I wanted to listen to) and the iPod. For the cord to connect to the iPod, I just used an old pair of headphones and cut off the ear buds. For the switch, I went downtown to ABC electronics (I bought one online from china first, but I found this store after I broke the first one).
I have been working on this all day, and as most projects, they actually take longer than estimated. I began at noon, but I am only halfway done. Here are the steps I have taken so far.
1. For safety, I began by unplugging the car battery and waiting an hour for all of the electricity to drain from the car. This is mostly because I don't know where the airbag sensors are and I don't want to accidentally set it off while I am working (mostly because it could injure me, but also because it costs a ton of money to have them put back in).
2. soldered wires onto every pin on the switch. I did this because the wires that connect to the radio aren't long enough for the switch to extend in front of the radio when I am done. Also, by soldering on wires to the switch, on the workbench, I have more space to work. With more space to work, I can work work faster, which makes it less likely that I will melt the switch.
3. Once that was done, I labeled all of the wires so that all the right positive, right negative, left positive, left negative, would be connected to the right wires behind the radio.
4. I drilled a hole for the switch to fit through. I can't leave the switch behind the radio. I have to be able to get to it so I can flip it.
This is as far as I have gotten. Here is what I still have to do.
5. The next step is to solder all of the wires from the switch to the wires to the wires that go to the radio and the wires that go to the speaker. It is really hard to describe in words. Basically, I need to solder the wires to the switch.
6. I need to plug the wires back into the radio and put the radio back into its slot in the car.
7. I recconect the battery and turn on the car.
8. If I did everything right, my car should work.
I will post again when I finish it!!!!
I have been working on this all day, and as most projects, they actually take longer than estimated. I began at noon, but I am only halfway done. Here are the steps I have taken so far.
1. For safety, I began by unplugging the car battery and waiting an hour for all of the electricity to drain from the car. This is mostly because I don't know where the airbag sensors are and I don't want to accidentally set it off while I am working (mostly because it could injure me, but also because it costs a ton of money to have them put back in).
2. soldered wires onto every pin on the switch. I did this because the wires that connect to the radio aren't long enough for the switch to extend in front of the radio when I am done. Also, by soldering on wires to the switch, on the workbench, I have more space to work. With more space to work, I can work work faster, which makes it less likely that I will melt the switch.
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| 4PDT switch with wires soldered on |
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| same switch, different angle |
3. Once that was done, I labeled all of the wires so that all the right positive, right negative, left positive, left negative, would be connected to the right wires behind the radio.
4. I drilled a hole for the switch to fit through. I can't leave the switch behind the radio. I have to be able to get to it so I can flip it.
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| soldering the wires from the switch to the wires behind the radio. (the ones hanging out of the hole) click to enlarge |
5. The next step is to solder all of the wires from the switch to the wires to the wires that go to the radio and the wires that go to the speaker. It is really hard to describe in words. Basically, I need to solder the wires to the switch.
6. I need to plug the wires back into the radio and put the radio back into its slot in the car.
7. I recconect the battery and turn on the car.
8. If I did everything right, my car should work.
I will post again when I finish it!!!!
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