iPod Install in 2001 Honda Civic
Posted by Ben on July 19th, 2003
The following is a description of how I was able to install my new iPod into my 2001 Honda Civic EX.
Edit 2003-07-20 13:07 – added the pictures
1) Acquire the necessary parts and do your homework…
- First, you’ll need the HON-AUX input converter, available from Logjam Electronics – I bought mine for ~$50 + S&H. This plugs into the CD-Changer port which is located on the back of the your stock head unit, and talks the unit into thinking that a set of RCA inputs is really a CD changer. (If you’re clever, you’ll see how this can be used to tie in a satellite radio unit like XM or Sirius as well!)
- Second, the HON-AUX converter provides female stereo RCA jacks, so you’ll need either a cable or adapter which converts 2 male RCA jacks to a 1/8″ stereo jack. I ended up with a $20 Monster Cable (because Best Buy was out of cheaper ones), but you can find one at your local RadioShack for under $10 – try part numbers 42-2551 ($6.99) or 42-2483 ($7.99).
- Third, a power supply for your iPod. I’ve got one of the new 10GB ones with the Dock connector on the bottom, so I went with the Belkin unit, which you can get at an Apple retail store, or buy it online from Apple for $39.99
- Fourth (optional), something to put your iPod on/in. I found a cell-phone holder at RadioShack for $21.99 which seems to work fine.
- Fifth, tools. I used a couple metric sockets (8 and 10 mm), a flathead screwdriver, and a cordless drill.
- Sixth, your stereo security code. In the packet of material that came with your owners manual, there should be a small card/sticker which contains your radio’s serial number and the security code for it (a 5-digit number). You’ll need this or your radio won’t work when you’re done!
2) Opening the center console and removing the stereo.
For this section, I relied on a couple illustrations from this page at carstereohelp.com. Print it up and take it out to your car with you!
a) Before doing any electrical work on your car, always disconnect the power. Pop open the hood and disconnect the negative battery terminal. The bolt on mine was tough to get a normal wrench at, but a 10mm socket wrench worked fine.
b) Remove the lower center panel (where the cigarette lighter plug is located at). It’s easiest to pry gently at the bottom left and right sides first – then the panel comes off fairly easily. Disconnect the power plug to the cigarette lighter (it pulls off).
Blue arrows indicate the points where the securing clips are located at. The two on the right side are mirrored in the left. Click the pic for a bigger view.
c) Following the diagrams you printed up, there are two bolts holding in the radio / air conditioner control assembly which are located under the top edge of the open panel. I just reclined the seat and laid upside-down with my head under the steering wheel to get good access. The bolts are both 8mm heads. Yellow arrows on the picture above show the approximate location of the bolts behind the panel.
d) Remove the upper panel. Be careful prying, as you can damage the dash! Just so you’re not surprised, this isn’t just the faceplate you’re removing – it’s the entire unit, which includes the climate control knobs/buttons, the head unit, and the CD storage box.
Blue arrows indicate approximate locations of securing clips. I did dent the console a little bit when I was prying on the bottom (bottom-left arrow).
e) The HON-AUX converter plugs into a connector on the rear of the head unit on the right side (just next to the main wiring harness). Based on the diagrams included with the converter, if you’ve got the factory cassette deck installed as well, I assume you daisy-chain and connect to the cassette deck instead.
f) Route the RCA jacks on the converter to a good location for you. I drilled a hole in the inside top of the little pocket in the bottom center panel and fed them through there. You might be able to just fish them around the side of the panel on the passenger side as an alternate routing. (Eventually, I ended up switching to this as well.)
The hole.
g) Reinstall the upper center panel, the bolts holding it in place, the cigarette lighter connector, and the lower center panel.
h) Reconnect the negative battery terminal, turn the car on. When you turn on the radio, it will request the security code, which you can enter using the radio station preset buttons.
3) Connecting the iPod
a) If you just plug the iPod into the input jacks directly, you’ll probably hear terrible static instead of your music. Apparently, the power source of the car and the iPod’s battery compete. So, the car charger isn’t only smart, it’s necessary. The Belkin adapter I’m using also provides line-out capability, so I plug into it instead of the iPod’s headphone jack.
b) To get your head unit to the new input, push the “CD / Tape” button until “CD-C” (CD-Changer) is displayed as the mode. Push again to cycle back to the in-dash CD player
c) I didn’t want to leave the iPod on my passenger seat to slide around, so I got a mount for it. The one I described above can be mounted into the tray below the parking brake handle. Putting it in the front left corner keeps it from interfering with the parking brake, and puts it right at your fingertips if your arm’s on the armrest.
Click for a larger view.
Update 2004-06-29 – I posted some followups to comments in another blog entry. Read that article too before posting a question. Thanks!
Update 2007-02-22 – I’ve redone how I have my iPod installed in the car, and gone to an even more integrated approach.
For Christmas, I got the harman/kardon drive+play system for the iPod. This is, in my mind, the best way to integrate an iPod into the stock head unit. The system consists of a “brain”, which is hidden from view, a small LCD display which can be mounted on the dash, console, etc., and a controller which mimics the iPod interface. On the LCD display, you’ve got full access to the “Music” section of your iPod’s menu – playlists, sorting by artist, genre, etc. The controller has the same 5 buttons you’ve got on the iPod’s Click Wheel, and it rotates to simulate the touch function of the wheel.
Here’s how I installed it:
1) Install the power connections – Remove the lower center console per the instructions above and disconnect the cigarette lighter connection. The wires going to the cigarette lighter should be yellow and black. Carefully cut and strip the yellow wire (+12 VDC) and connect it to the yellow AND red wires on the d+p’s wire harness. You should have three yellow wires (the two ends of the yellow wire going to the lighter and the d+p yelllow wire) and the red ACC wire. Twist together using pliers and join with a suitable wirenut. Wrap off the wirenut in electrical tape to secure. Cut the black wire, strip the ends, and twist them together with the black wire from the d+p’s harness.
2) Test power connection and choose location for “brain” – Just connect up the controller, display, and iPod cable, hook up your iPod, and start the car. On my car, the display comes on and turns off while the engine is starting. Push the Play button on the d+p controller to turn it on. The iPod display should give you the “Ok to disconnect” message. You should have control of the iPod through the d+p now. If you’ve connected your HON-AUX to the d+p “brain”, you ought to be hearing music now. Now, stash the brain somewhere. I stashed mine behind the center console on the driver’s side – there’s a nice amount of space there.
3) Select controller and display location and mount methods – I chose to mount my display to the left of the dashboard, above the vent and roughly even with the windshield pillar. I mounted the controller basically where I used to have the iPod – right where my hand would rest off the end of the armrest just in front of the gearshift. In both cases, you have the option of self-adhesive mounts or screw-on mounts. I opted for adhesive, as I might be getting a new car in the next couple years. Route the cables as you see fit. I routed the controller cable straight down the driver’s side of the console, then tucked it under the plastic all the way to the “brain”. For the display, I tucked it into the seam wher the windshield pillar and dash meet, down the inside of the door, above the hood release, under the floor mats just behind the pedals to the “brain”.
4) Select location for iPod – the natural place is the covered pocket in the center console under the armrest – it’s out of view to deter theft, but easy to access to grab your iPod. You can remove the black part of the console (up to the seam by the gearshift) by prying. Start from a back corner and work forward. The parking brake handle will need to be up to remove it. Drill a 1/2″ hole in the bottom rear of the pocket. Route the cable to the “brain” underneath the center console.
5) Replace all your covers and rock on.
Enjoy, and if you’ve got any questions/comments, please post below – if you want a response, be sure to include a valid e-mail address!
Also – in the comments below, I periodically insert my responses to your questions in italics. Just so you know…
August 6th, 2003 at 5:32 pm
Thanks for the help! I drive a 03 civic and use an itrip. My drive to work is too far so I constantly have to change stations which is a pain while driving. I wanted to hook up my ipod directly to my stereo but every car audio store told me it was impossible. I just orded my cables… I let you know how it comes out! Thanks again.
August 14th, 2003 at 8:21 pm
Works Great! Thanks for the links! Got my AUX cord in 3 days. Got the RCA to 1/8″ cord from http://www.everythingipod.com for $4.95. I had everything installed for me because it seems as if 03 civic dashes are harder to get into (?) or maybe I’m just dumb… Thanks Ben!
August 16th, 2003 at 5:22 pm
Hey, this is so wild, I am trying to do the exact same thing as you – install my ipod into my 2001 civic ex. Wild. I bought the same equipment as you, but the sound keeps cuttng out. I am so frustrated at this point. Could you get back to me at my email address? Before I blow up my car? Thanks!
September 30th, 2003 at 2:58 pm
dude, you needed to take off some more panels so you didn’t have to cut ugly holes in your ride. Just did this in my 98 civic and it looks a hell of a lot better that that frankenstein job.
September 30th, 2003 at 6:03 pm
LOL…the only way that ugly hole is visible is if you’re laying on the floor. It’s in the upper (ie, not visible when sitting) side of the pocket next to the power socket.
October 10th, 2003 at 9:54 pm
I have a new 2003 Civic EX that I’d like to add an AUX input to for a 30GB iPod. I just looked at http://www.logjamelectronics.com/auxacurahon.html, and I see 2 basic aux input thing, one from blitzsafe and one from P.I.E. Do you know the difference between them, and whicih did you use?
October 12th, 2003 at 10:35 pm
(also sent by email)
Jon,
I don’t know that there really is any difference between the two units. I used the P.I.E. one in my setup, and it seemed to work fine, and it’s running $10 or $20 cheaper. I’m looking at Logjam’s site myself, and I noticed that they indicate people are getting engine noise in their setups and that they do provide grounding instructions.
If you’re using the Belkin charger/line-out unit that most people use, this will provide the required grounding, as your iPod will be vehicle-powered. If you’re just running off batteries, you’ll need to connect the wire to chassis ground as described at Logjam’s site, which could entail more work and make getting the Blitzsafe worth your while.
–Ben
December 2nd, 2003 at 9:54 pm
I’ll be a hero! Just got a 04 civic ex in the family. Wife loves the IPOD but can’t listen in the car, thanks so much for the post!!
December 16th, 2003 at 12:55 am
I connected PIE AUX input for my Mp3 player (not iPod). Whenever I turn on mp3 player. I heard “pop” sound. How can I remove this noise.
Do you have any idea?
December 30th, 2003 at 8:35 pm
Ben-
Great site!!!! I was amazed when I discovered it online. I just hooked up my new iPod in my 2003 Civic….and it works great!!!! Good tips on all the necessary accessories. Thanks again for making this info available.
Rob
January 10th, 2004 at 1:43 pm
Great advice! I want to connect my iPod in my 2002 civic coupe but it came with the indash 6 cd-changer. Can I still do this?
January 16th, 2004 at 1:42 pm
I thank you very greatly for your site. YOU ROCK!!!!!!! got my xm in my car just fine thanks to you! thanks again
January 22nd, 2004 at 4:16 pm
Thanks for the much needed tips!! I was actually in the process of looking for a new deck that would allow me to connect my ipod. No need now! Thanks a alot! Here’s a site that I found that has really great mounts for various items. Especially nice for an ipod. Cheers!
January 23rd, 2004 at 8:34 pm
Has anyone tried to hook a non-iPod MP3 player to their civic? I tried to hook up a 40Gb Creative Nomad Zen XTRA to my car and it works when the player is turned down, but when I turn it up past 50% the stereo can’t seem to handle it and “pops” alot. Please shoot me an e-mail if anyone has any suggestions. If I ever figure it out I’ll post an update.
Awesome site – thanks for the info. This probably saved us all ALOT of money!
January 23rd, 2004 at 10:04 pm
Thanks for stopping by. What you’ve probably got is a ground loop – use the Radio Shack ground loop isolator I mentioned on my site, and that should do the trick. One thing you can also try is to get a power supply which will power your Zen from the cigarette lighter outlet. That way, the Zen and your car stereo share a common ground.
The third, and most involved thing is a modification the the HON-AUX adapter. See http://www.logjamelectronics.com/piehonaux.html for details.
January 25th, 2004 at 8:30 pm
HI I was able to remove the lower center panel, however the bolt to the right is very difficult to get to — tried for about 10 mins with not luck. Can anyone tell me if there is some kind of tool out there I can use? Thanks.
January 29th, 2004 at 10:16 pm
So basically if I get the Hon-Aux and the Belkin Charger with line out I won’t need to get that Radioshack ground loop isolator? And if I do can I use that instead of doing that whole switch install that LongJam describes?
Tom
January 30th, 2004 at 12:11 am
Yes, it should work. If it doesn’t you’ll need to do the switch thing LogJam describes.
January 30th, 2004 at 8:32 am
So basically with the set-up you described below…did you have to use the Radioshack thing? I was probably just going to plan to buy that and install it all so I don’t have to tear the dash apart twice. Basically whatever worked for you Accord should work for my Civic.
Thanks for putting all of this up by the way. Even the people in the Apple store I go to didn’t know there was this option for Hondas.
Tom
January 30th, 2004 at 8:33 am
Sorry…I said Accord, but realized you have a Civic. So either way, like I said. If whatever worked for you worked, then it should work for me. I have a 2000 Honda. But the audio is pretty similiar.
Tom
February 3rd, 2004 at 8:25 pm
I plugged in my hon-aux and even without plugging it into any mp3 player it is making this weird noise when I turn my volume on to high? I finally plugged it into my mp3 player using a cigarette lighter as an adapter, and I am still getting the same noise. Is anyone having this problem too? Or maybe I just have a defected product.
thanks.
al
February 5th, 2004 at 1:36 pm
alex:
Yes, I’m getting the same thing with my setup. I tried the ground loop isolator in hopes of clearing this problem, to no avail. I was originally trying to use a non-iPod devide (Creative Nomad Zen XTRA). I thought it was the Nomad doing this so I got rid of it and bought an iPod instead. While the noise subsided a bit, I still get some sort of weird feedback from the head unit. I’ve been getting by with turning the volume on the Belkin down and cranking up the volume on the head unit. Although the noise isn’t too bad, it still bugs me. I’m thinking about getting a new head unit with RCA input, or maybe waiting until later this year when Alpine releases their car stereo with automated iPod integration. Should be sweet, but $$$$. Good luck, and let us know if you solve the problem.
February 6th, 2004 at 1:26 pm
I finally figured it out. The ground loop isolator did not help when I was using the “other” MP3 player, and only helped a little when I used it with my iPod. However, when I did not use the ground loop isolator with my iPod, evertyhing sounded 100% perfect! Weird, my other MP3 player sounded as bad without the ground loop isolator than it did with it. All I can suggest to anyone thinking about this is, don’t try this with another MP3 player…you might hit some trouble. Stick with the best – The iPod setup described above should work. Once again, thanks for the helpfull page. I can now rock out to any one of my 300 CDs with the touch the scroll wheel!
February 12th, 2004 at 8:13 am
Well I have mine set up. I think I pretty much did it the way Ben has outlines. HON-AUX into head unit, to RCA Plugs, to Belkin Charger, Charger to iPOD. When I’m using the line out through the charger I get a slight hum. Can’t really hear it with most of my music. But the softer/quiter stuff I can hear the buzz. Kind of annoying (considering I spent close to $100 to get this set-up). May try to the ground loop isolator. Does everyone think this would work? If I’m not using the charger and just run it right from iPOD’s headphone jack…no buzz. But that way sucks because you have to crank the iPOD volume and crank my head unit volume just to get it to the correct listening level. Plus I usually want to be charging my iPOD while in the car.
Again the buzz isn’t too bad, especially since I can’t even hear it with most of hte music I listen to. But I would still like to get it right…and if it costs another $15 to get this ground loop isolator from Radioshack it would be worth it.
Tom
February 13th, 2004 at 12:08 am
I am just starting my research for hooking up my future Ipod. Thanks for the great info!! A few questions: one audio store recommended a wired FM modulator (instead of the crappy wireless ones). Anyone have experience with that? How does that compare to the aux input?
February 13th, 2004 at 2:00 pm
Pat,
Thanks for stopping in. A hard-wired FM modulator will sound better than a wireless FM transmitter, but will probably be a little bit inferior to a good cassette adapter, and defiitely inferior to a hard-wired install through a CD changer port if yours has one available.
If you have some kind of aux input into your head unit, that’s far and away the best one to use.
–Ben
February 14th, 2004 at 12:19 am
I bought a used 98 CRV, how can I: 1) tell if there’s even an AUX plug (or should I just assume there is) and 2) do you know how I can find my code?
February 16th, 2004 at 8:44 pm
Regarding all this about the grounding and engine noise… I just want to ask to one of you who has the non-grounded installation (the one that requires the iPod to be connected to the 12V socket to prevent the noise) to try this and post the result or email me back.
Use your Dock connecting the line-in 1/8″ jack to the line-out on it instead of the iPod’s headphone’s jack.
Does it grounds the installation? Is still the noise there?
February 16th, 2004 at 10:22 pm
Pat,
Look for a sticker in your owner’s manual – it should be a 5-digit number using the numbers 1-6 only (to correspond with the radio preset buttons). Otherwise, you’ll have to shell out $50 to a Honda Dealer to get the code.
Alex,
I haven’t tried that particular setup, but I can’t imagine it would really be any different. You might be able to create a “broken ground” by wiring a custom cord/jack so that the “sleeve” contact (at the base of the plug) isn’t connected to anything – that would prevent a current draw.
February 19th, 2004 at 12:31 pm
I set up a Blitzsafe HON/AUX DMX V.1 in my 2003 Civic-Hybread (I got the Blitzsafe because the P.I.E. unit has some grounding loop problems). I found that when I removed the lower panel (the one with the 12v socket) I was able to reach in back of the radio to plug in the Blitzsafe. I used zip ties to mount The aux converter to a the dash support just behind the panel I removed. I then ran the RCA to 1/8 in cable out the back of the dash and hide the wire in the slot just above the cup holder. I did not have to remove the radio panel or modify the dash and the whole job took about 10 min. Thanks for the web site. If you want pictures of the 2003 job let me know.
Mike
February 20th, 2004 at 4:34 pm
FYI regarding my last post. I’m not using an iPod, I have a Arcos MP3 player using RockBox firmware and I’m not getting any buzz or ground loop problems with the BlitzSafe. I have also tried my friends iPod with and without his Belkin adapter, it also is buzz free.
February 28th, 2004 at 5:57 pm
I installed the PIE adapter today. I hooked it up to a XM Roady and a Dell DJ Music Player. The XM I plug into the power adapter in the dash and the Dell uses it’s own power. It’s great. There are no sound problems or noises other than the music. I have a 2004 Civic LX.
I didn’t make any holes either. I took off the center console and popped out 1 ot the spare switch plate covers. All my wires are hidden behind the console.
This car now has all this and by FM modulator I have a Kenwood Music Keg and the Sirius 902 reciver daisy chained.
I’ll take a picture if anyone is interested.
Yes,I’m insane.
February 29th, 2004 at 10:22 pm
Larry-
I really want to put in an adapter (probably the Blitzsafe) into the ‘04 Civic LX I just got; does yours have the newest style of console? If it does, how did you take it off? I can’t use the instructions on this page, since the lower portion is completely different. Also, I’m leasing, so I want to be extra careful when doing this job, and I can’t find ANY info on ‘04 Civic console/stereo removal on the web. If you (or anyone else) can point me to detailed instructions with pics I would greatly appreciate it!
Thanks,
Erik
March 1st, 2004 at 3:17 pm
I’m looking to do this mod on my 2004 Civic EX, but one problem is that the console is different to the posted pictures. Mainly the cup holders have a clickable flip lid and the there’s no slot space under the power connector. I was wondering if anyone had any experience taking apart the new style console to fit the HON-AUX adapter as I’d like to have some advice on how it works before I start ripping my console apart!
March 1st, 2004 at 6:45 pm
Hi,
Can anyone of you tell me, if instead of purchasing PIE or Blitsafe products from logjam, I can use things that are equally compatible from this site… http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Jlw7mRJvPLy/cgi-bin/ProdGroup.asp?c=11&g=50900&s=0&cc=01&avf=Y&search=
The products are much more reasonably priced at this place. I just want to know what one would be equivalent/compatible to the PIE/Blitsafe HON/AUX Auxiliary Input Converter?
Thanks
March 2nd, 2004 at 3:45 am
I have the hon-aux installed in my 1999 Honda. I’m using the Sik charger with line out plugged into my onboard cigarrette lighter. One thing I have noticed though is if my Ipod is on pause or playing a quiet portion of a song — and the volume is turned all the way up on my headunit — I can hear a slight buzz. If I turn off the headlights, the buzz goes away. Can anyone explain this? Anyone else experiencing this?
March 4th, 2004 at 12:21 pm
The instructions from carstereohelp.com are extremely basic and only point out a couple of things that Ben’s did not. Only 3 pictures of the dash (same ones on the selling page) with just arrows drawn in to show you where the release clips are. The pictures are not of the actual removal. They are cheap ($2.99) but almost worthless.
I plan to connect my iPod with a Sik products charger / line level out adaptor to a pie Hon/aux. Hopefully all will go well. Note that the Belkin’s output is amplified and may cause distortion, and the Sik line out is line level- unaltered. Here is a link- I will post back with news of my progress-
http://sik.com/imp.php
March 4th, 2004 at 5:42 pm
OK I got the PIE, the Sik charger w/ line out and I did not have to remove the head unit to install the PIE. I removed the lower panel withthe 12v socket, and if you reach up there you can get the PIE cord plugged in without too much trouble. Specs= 2001 civic ex 2dr., sik imp and 30g 3g iPod. The setup works great, as long as the charger is plugged in, without it you get nothing but noise.
I did not use the ground wire for the PIE, it made some humm noise when connected but did enable me to unplug the charger. I suppose the ground loop isolator could solve this but I’d rather charge the thing anyway.
I have to say the sound quality to me is better than the stock head unit’s cd or radio sound. iPod all the way!
March 4th, 2004 at 10:34 pm
I’ve collected some of the good learnings from everyone who’s commented here in a follow-up article. Check it out, and thanks for visiting!
March 7th, 2004 at 11:04 pm
Thanks for all the great advice. I just picked up a 2004 Hybrid today. I had sworn that two things I would do before even test driving the car would be to connect my son’s car seat to make sure it fit comfortably and then plug the iPod in to test out the stereo. I almost walked when I couldn’t use the iPod.
I’m looking forward to trying this out.
One question, especially for Mike K: is there anything unique in the hybrid (particularly related to the uniqueness of having much more electrical in the car) that you found. I plan to use the Blitzsafe as you did. I’ll probably run the iPod from its internal battery and keep it free of other connections.
Thanks all for your help and Ben for this awesome work you’ve put together.
March 9th, 2004 at 4:12 pm
Marc, The only thing that was different with my Hybrid was that I could get to the socket on the back of the radio without removeing the main console, I only had to remove the lower panel (the one with the 12v port in it). everything else worked just as Ben said. If you want I did take pictures that I could send you.
Mike K.
March 9th, 2004 at 8:23 pm
I have a 1998 honda CRV, and i want to hook up my Archos (different MP3 player) to my car, do you think i will get any “poping” noise?…also i think i am going to go with the PIE model (because it is cheaper).
March 10th, 2004 at 10:14 am
Thanks, Mike.
I’d be interested in seeing the pictures, but only if it’s convenient for you.
I’m really anxious to get my iPod going again. My kid keeps asking me to play things that I put into it specifically for him. Not that *I* miss the Wiggles, but it does make the drive longer when I keep having to tell him “we don’t have that” — if you know what I mean.
Thanks, again.
March 11th, 2004 at 3:20 am
Thanks for the posting!! I am looking to install this into a ‘97 Honda Civic Dx and was wondering how long I should expect for installation? This will be my first car audio install. Is it worth the extra $20 for the Blitzsafe convertor or should I stick with the PIE that seems to require a ground loop? Thanks again.
March 15th, 2004 at 1:36 pm
Just a quick comment to say that thanks to the help on this page, and help from someone who emailed me in response to my post on this page, I successfully fitted the PIE HON/AUX connector in my 2004 Civic Coupe EX yesterday. Although the fitting was a little more complex than what is posted above, I’ll just summarize the difference.
1 – you need to remove the top of the gear shift (I have a stick shift) and then lift off the panel that the gear shift is housed in upwards from the front (its held on by clips).
2. The bottom part shown in the first figure above in the EX has plastic housing that stretches all the way to the centre console. Now the top plastic is removed you can unclip this from the sides buy pushing on the clips, and then when it is detached from the sides, pull on the part with the accessory adapter so it comes off.
Everything else is the same, except I didn’t pry on the dashboard to get the stereo out, I pushed from behind until it popped out, thus avoiding denting my dash.
Oh and I popped out one of the plastic blanking plates that would be used from the Fog lamps which I don’t have, drilled a hole in it and fitting a 2.5″ headphone jack to it, so there’s a AUX input in my lower dash now, rather than having a wire hanging out of the dash. Looks like a pro-job despite the fact that I am a rank amateur!
March 17th, 2004 at 2:14 pm
I thought this might be helpful to those who need help installing the
HON/AUX connector. This site has various honda parts. Along with a description they give instructions. I havent done it yet because I havent really had the time. But if you look at a few of these they should give you a pretty good idea how to do it. I looked at the lighter and stereo setup…but I’m sure you can go to other products to see if those instructions are a little clearer.
http://www.cheaphondaparts.com/shop/instructions/civic04/aii25443.pdf
http://www.cheaphondaparts.com/shop/instructions/civic04/aii25487.pdf
Let me know if these helped anyone out! Thanks!
March 17th, 2004 at 5:06 pm
okay, i just ordered my cable (PIE model), and i will expect to install the cable on the 27th or 28th of march sometime, becaue i have no time on my hands right now to install it.
March 19th, 2004 at 1:42 pm
Ben,
HELP!Please help I just purchased an iPod mini and want to install it into my Civic 2001 (I still have the factory cd player). I’ve read your instructions and it seems simple. I’ve tried the Belkin FM transmitter but the reception wasn’t that great. So now I want to try it your way. I want my iPod to sound perfect (without static). Some of the other comments left on your website is confusing because some people talk about PIE, Blitz, ground looping, fm modulator, hmmming noises. I would really appreciate it if you can answer a few of my questions and help clarify the different terms and products out there.
1.)Would your way work with a mini iPod?
2.)What exactly do I need? (ex. ground looping?)
3.)I guess everything is by trial and error because some people recommend different things. What do you think will work for my mini?
4.)Do I need a car charger? What kind do you recommend?
5.)Is your way really the best way to listen to a iPod in a car (I mean without buying a car radio, and working with the factory one)
Your website is great! Thanks for posting it on the net! Hope you can answer my question, Thank you again!
March 26th, 2004 at 8:03 pm
I had an iPod hooked up to my 2001 Honda Civic coupe, but recently purchased a 350Z and took out the HON-AUX auxilary converter before I selling it. If anyone would like to purchase the HON-AUX converter, please let me know. I might also have a ground loop isolator floating around the house, but I never needed it. You can pay me via paypal or personal check (will ship when check clears. Let me know how much you would like to offer me…kjh176@hotmail.com. Good Luck!
March 26th, 2004 at 10:59 pm
Ben, Looking from instructions on how to uninstall a Nokia and found your site… Thanks! Worked great!
March 31st, 2004 at 1:04 am
I was wondering what you used to remove the bezel so you can access the headunit. I am thinking about putting a new one in there and I dont want to damage the car.
March 31st, 2004 at 10:05 pm
i drilled a hole in one of the blank filler panels next to the power socket and installed a 1/8″ stereo panel-mount jack wired to my head unit’s input. i use this with my xm receiver and laptop. it’s also good for ipod-having friends who want to play dj.
April 1st, 2004 at 4:13 pm
okay, i tried to install the PIE HON-AUX into my 1998 CRV, and it didnt work for some reason. Whenever i pressed the “CD” button on the radio it did not switch to the MP3 player. I think i am going to have a car audio place to it for me, because i obviously must be doing something wrong.
April 3rd, 2004 at 3:34 pm
nah, screw it, i got a whole new radio…hahaha
the Sony 52-Watts Xplod® XM™ Radio-Ready CD Receiver with Changer Controls and 3 Pre-Amp Outputs CDX-M800 is what i got
(Not installed yett thow).
April 7th, 2004 at 5:41 am
Mike K (or anyone else that has them),
Are your pictures available to view online somewhere? I also have a 2003 civic and I’d love to see the pics to give me a better reference since the dash is different on Ben’s car.
Thanks:)
April 10th, 2004 at 11:10 am
>Mike K
I would like some pictures for CIVIC 2004 Hybrid.
I just got one yesterday and investigating on how to connect my ipod.
all your comments are really cool!!
April 18th, 2004 at 3:37 pm
2003 Honda Civic EX iPod Install
I just installed my iPod into the stock head unit in my 2003 Honda Civic EX. I posted a breakdown of what parts I used, and how I actually accomplished the install:
http://www.muc.muohio.edu/~brownljt/iPodInstall
April 19th, 2004 at 12:17 am
Hey Ben, I really appreciate your sharing your process and even giving links to the parts. I got the adapter and cable and I just put them into my 97 Civic today. I am one happy man.
I just tested it out without grounding through a charger. I didn’t notice any popping sounds. Will it ruin my iPod if I don’t ground the set up? If sound is the only issue with not grounding, I might just go ahead and run it off my battery for now.
Ben’s reply: No, shouldn’t be a problem at all. You actually are grounded, but there’s just no ground loop, which is good.
April 23rd, 2004 at 10:36 am
Alot of people have been asking for the pictures that I took. I have a site that I will be posting the pics to in the next week. I will leave a URL once I post ‘um
Mike K
April 23rd, 2004 at 5:02 pm
On a somewhat related note, I’m interested in installing a similar audio hookup for my TiBook 667. Has anyone tried hooking a laptop into the installed stereo jack? Any thoughts on whether or not this would work? (I power the TiBook from the cigarette adapter.)
From Ben: No reason it shouldn’t work.
April 24th, 2004 at 2:59 am
To make the installation cleaner more professional, I’d like to build/buy a faceplate with a female 1/8″ stereo jack. Does anyone know if these are even made and what they are called? I’d probably buy a faceplate, pop the jack itself out of the plate, drill a hole in one of the spare switch locations — i.e. I have no moon roof — and turn that switch location into a faceplate with a jack. Does this seem feasible? Any ideas on how to build this jack?
Thanks.
P.S. This article and all the subsequent comments are a tremendous resource! Thanks!
Ben says: Sure, you can probably buy a 1/8″ female at RadioShack or any similar store. You will need to solder up some wires. I’d probably just solder wires to male RCA connectors to match up with the female connectors on the PIE or whatever converter you’re using. Just drill out a hole in the pop-out for fog lights and mount it right there.
April 30th, 2004 at 1:08 am
Just a quick note, there are three clips on the top of the instrument cluster. I thought there were only two, and when i pulled the contracption out, i broke one of the clips
May 2nd, 2004 at 6:42 pm
Hey there, i just got a 2000 honda CR-V LX, with the alpine CD-Changer already installed. I’d like to have an AUX jack so that the iPod can come with me on road trips, but i’m not sure if it will work since there’s already something plugged in to the head unit’s AUX, namely that CD changer.
Also, i’m wondering if there is an online resource that can tell me how to safely remove the dash unit without making it look like a disaster.
Anyone have any ideas?
May 27th, 2004 at 4:03 pm
Thanks Ben,
If not for nice guys like you I would have to spend God knows how many hours figuring out the whole procedure myself.
June 5th, 2004 at 7:13 pm
Just installed a PIE cable in my ‘03 Civic Hybrid today. Thanks for all of the helpful instructions and comments. I was also able to plug the cable in with just the lower panel removed. It’s a little awkward, but if you just reach up and feel around for the pins of the connector on the back of the stereo head and then plug the cable in – I believe the clip side was up.
Connected the PIE’s ground cable to the 10 mil ground bolt behind the 12V socket and there is no noticible hum with the ipod on battery power.
Next step is a drill 1/8″ hole in one of the fog light inserts for a female stereo jack. I think I’m going to strip a 1/8″ stereo male to male RCA Y cable and solder that to the back of the connector. Seems easier than mounting two male RCAs.
June 19th, 2004 at 3:55 pm
Plan to install 20g iPod in a ‘02 Civic, hopefully I can reach around, I have big hands, perhaps my long fingers will help do the walking, anyways, I am alittle confused with the whole ground loop/grounding issue.
I am getting a BLITZSAFE adapter.
Is there interference/noise when the iPod is self powered???
Ben: With the Blitzsafe, I’m not sure.
I have just recently found all this information -after a whole day searching the web (did not know what all this stuff is called before, I knew about the FM modulation, I fugured there was a way to take advantage of the AUX input) I was suprised Crutchfield did not have any info, though I suppose there are in the buisness of selling aftermarket stereo’s.
Anyway DO I NEED TO WORRY about grounding with or without Belkin charger?
With the Belkin charger, I didn’t need to do anything special to prevent a ground loop.
One thing I’ve noticed which I like is upon disconection/loss power the iPod stops play and subsequently will auto OFF by itself, although I WOULD NEVER LEAVE THE IPOD IN THE CAR!
I would be concerned with the constant full charging, as well as upon power up/starting the car, I would figure there would be some powersurge… normally upon ACC power to elec is up, but then additionally turning the key to IGNITION there is a power drain as the car starts causeing the off/on/off/on effect… I dont think thats good practice especially turning the key full way fast.
Well, in my car, the power does cut off to the iPod when I turn off the car. However, it’ll keep playing until it hits the end of a playlist or the battery dies. I wouldn’t sweat the power surge too much. Hasn’t killed my iPod yet…and, there’s a fuse in the Belkin charger which should help protect the iPod.
Please excuss my brain dump, I am excited about the new toy IT IS AWSOME… technology is cool, watched a postal employee watch live streaming sports video (game) on his cellphone while working HA!
June 23rd, 2004 at 1:39 pm
Awesome site… the pictures aren’t showing up for me though (404 error when I click on them). I’m looking to do a similar install in my 2003 civic, is there any way to access those pics you put up? Or anybody else that has pics of the process for that matter.
Thanks, and its cool to come across this community of civic/iPod owners.
Sorry about that! I screwed up the permissions of the images folder. They should all be viewable now. Oops.
June 26th, 2004 at 10:39 am
Ben:
Great information on your site! When I saw a webpage dedicated to installing an iPod in a 2001 Civic EX, I was dumbfounded!
One comment, however. I bought the PIE HON-AUX for my 2001 Civic EX and it didn’t fit. The connector in the rear of the stereo is rectangular and not round. Upon closer inspection — and I would have found this out if I had paid closer attention to the Logjam website — the one I needed was the HON98-AUX. I’ve ordered the correct one and it should be arriving in a couple of days.
Regarding my installation: Instead of powering my setup vie the external DC socket, I’ve decided to splice in an additonal DC socket behind the DC socket cover and hide my Belkin power supply and the PIE unit behind the cover. I’m also going to Zip tie the whole works together to keep down any possible rattling. That way, all I’ll have coming out the fog lamp switch panel is the one wire for the dock connector. Pretty slick, eh? I’ll post photos when completed.
I’m contemplating installing a hinged covering on the fog lamp switch panel… but that maybe a bit much.
I also concur that it is possible to reach the rear of the stereo to plug in the PIE without pulling the stereo out. And I have monster caveman hands, too.
Andy
July 2nd, 2004 at 3:52 pm
Ben,
I installed the PIE HON98-AUX in my ‘01 Civic. No problems plugging it in without removing the stereo, even with my freakishly large meat hooks.
I know I wasn’t supposed to do this, but I opted not to disconnect the battery. The reason for this was two-fold. First, I didn’t think I was doing anything that would short out the system. Second, I couldn’t find my Sec Code for my stereo and I didn’t want to pay $25 or whatever to have someone dig it up. What can I say, I’m a slacker. I slack.
Anyway, I wasn’t prompted for the Sec Code after plugging in the PIE and I didn’t short anything out. This is where you do the responsible thing and warn your readers not to do what I did. I took a risk and was OK, but, as in all things, YMMV!
As I mentioned in my previous comment, I installed a second power socket behind the socket cover by tapping into the original sockets power leads. I then crammed it, the Belkin Power adapter, the PIE and all the wires behind the cover. After drilling a small notch in the fog light switch panel, all I have coming out of my dash is a Belkin’s dock connector. It looks absolutely clean!
The only problem now is that I have a ground loop hum. It’s not bad, but bad enough for to bother me. As instructed, I grounded the PIE using the provided wire to the grounding screw behind the socket cover, but it’s still making noise.
I’m going back in. I planned to do this anyway after road testing to strap everything down, look for potential problems, etc.
First I’m going to solder a couple leads I accidently cut. They’re ones that power the original socket that I tapped to install my additional socket. I misread the instructions on the back of my clamp-on taps. Anyway, right now they’re just twisted and taped. I’m going to solder (!) and tape the heck out of them. I’m also going to ground my additional socket to the car chassis with a length of wire. Lastly, I’m going put electrical tape on any exposed metal I see.
I would install a ground loop isolator (and I will if the above doesn’t work) but I’m afraid that with all that stuff crammed in back there, it wouldn’t fit. Who knows. Stay tuned.
Again, I’ll post pictures when I’m done. So far, it’s looking pretty good.
Andy
July 3rd, 2004 at 10:20 am
Ben,
Thanks for all the info and the idea. I just wanted to let you know that my local honda dealership kindly gave me instructions to take apart my console. I had a hard time finding them because my car is a 5-speed (2003 civic) and its much more difficult to take apart the console for that model. The instructions provided are used to install a tape deck, but it basically tells you how to get into the center console.
July 10th, 2004 at 1:38 am
Hey Andy,
I think ur gettin a ground loop because ur not suppose to grounded the PIE using the provided wire to the grounding screw behind the socket cover when you are running ur ipod off a of prower from the car. You only ground the PIE when you are runnig the ipod off its own battery atleast thtas wat Logjam suggests…
-TOM
July 10th, 2004 at 1:42 am
Hey has anyone tried the swwitch setup suggested by Logjam because
I want to sometimes power my ipod off the charger when its low and sometimes just run it off the ipod battery when its already charged. An i dont want anonnying ground loops doing either methods…. suggestions or/and comments please thanks
-TOM
July 10th, 2004 at 12:54 pm
If you had the cassette player head unit instead of the cd player, couldn’t you have used one of those converters that let you play cds in a cassette player instead of going through all this hassle?
Sure. Quality isn’t as good though. It’s the classic CD vs. tape comparison.
July 13th, 2004 at 1:59 pm
hi i waqnted to ask how you remove a 2002 honda lx civic radio to put in another? it would help alot to know thank you
marissa
Easy. Follow the instructions above to remove the center console, slide out the stereo chassis, and install the new head unit in there. Beyond that, follow any specialized instructions that came with your stereo.
July 21st, 2004 at 11:23 am
I found this site when I was trying to figure out how to plug my ipood into my new ‘04 Accord. After some more searching I found this page: http://distantcreations.com/accordipod/
It has pretty detailed instructions with pictures for installing in an Accord. I plan on trying it as soon as my cables get here.
Also, check out http://www.cheaphondaparts.com/shop/instructions/ for instructions on how to take apart most of your car
(someone linked to one of the pages above, but this is the index to all the instructions).
Great site Ben!
July 24th, 2004 at 4:31 pm
Does anyone know what Hon-Aux I need to buy for a 2001 Acura 1.7 EL? From the pictures that are on Ben’s Weblog, the stereo itself looks the same (however, I think the heater buttons are in different positions). Also, doesn anyone know where I can get one of these in Canada or for delevery in Canada?
August 18th, 2004 at 3:33 am
This site is great. unfortunately I already ordered (and received) a Clarion head unit with aux in. I really like the ideas that some of the people here have of mounting a 1/8″ female to one of the blank foglight panels. How would I do that though? How would I keep it from getting pulled through the hole or getting pushed back in?
Thanks!
Well, with a 1/8″ panel-mount jack that you could buy at RadioShack, it’ll have a screw-down washer/nut to hold it on.
August 20th, 2004 at 9:40 pm
Why not just get the product at http://www.carplayer.com/whatisit.html
Then you will be able to control the iPod from the car stereo controls and charge it at the same time. I believe logjam has a similar product now.
Caveat from Ben – it’s $180 for this unit, versus ~$50 for the PIE and ~$30 for a SiK IMP (which I’d now recommend over the Belkin car adapter). If you’re going for a concealed install of your iPod, this might be preferable, but I like the way mine’s mounted right at my fingertips. Personally, I’d rather have a solution that allows me to run everything (including volume) from the iPod.
August 22nd, 2004 at 10:56 am
Hey, Ben:
Here’s the Reader Digest version: installed iPod into Honda with no problem, but not all songs will play in stereo sound! I need help!
I have a 98 Civic I bought used. The car came with a trunk mounted Alpine CD player. I’m assuming that the head unit and CD are stock, as a friend of mine has an 2000 Accord with the same setup. I haven’t been able to determine for sure, though. Now, on to the details…
First off, thanks for initially posting your iPod installation info. I have a ‘98 Honda Civic whose CD player died. I had toyed with the idea of adding an iPod to the car somehow, but didn’t have the inclination to do it until I read your site.
Overall, the installation was fairly easy. I picked up the Hon-AUX adapter and the SIK charger. The green plug on the PIE adapter was too big for the AUX port on the back of my head unit. I disconnected the CD player by unplugging the cable that connected it to the head unit. I then used the the 8-PIN DIN adapter that came with the PIE adapter to connect it to the head unit. The DIN cable on the head unit was a bit big for the PIE DIN adapter but I did get it on.
I hooked up the SIK charger to my cigarette light and the PIE converter, plugged in the iPod. I fired up the car, changed the stereo to CD and volia! Eighty albums and thousands of songs at my disposal.
The downside: certain songs will not play in stereo. For example, on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, Dick Dale’s “Miserlou” and the spoken intro will only come out of the the left speaker. Yet most of the other tracks, such as “Son of a Preacher Man”, do play in stereo. I have a blues compilation that does the same thing. However, the same cuts played on the iPod through headphones on the Mac with iTunes *are* in stereo.
The songs were initially ripped in iTunes (I think version 2) as MP3. I then chucked those and re-ripped as ACC through iTunes 4. Same problem. My next trick was to convert the songs through Quicktime Pro. I haven’t tried it yet but I’m not hopeful.
I think the problem is probably the DIN connection in the glove compartment. It wasn’t a perfect fit, so maybe that’s what’s causing the songs to flake out. Haven’t contacted PIE yet but will this week. If you or anyone else has any suggestions, I’d love to hear them.
Anyway, thanks again for the initial info. While the problem is a bit annoying, being able to listen to nearly my entire music collection on trips with me is fantastic.
Later,
Matt
August 22nd, 2004 at 11:00 am
In my previous e-mail, I neglected to mention that I did the intallation back in March. I just visited PIE’s site, and it appears now that they have a specific adapter for the Honda 98! They just had the one HON-AUX adapter previously. Defintely calling them this week. Thanks for listening.
Matt
August 27th, 2004 at 2:33 am
I bought the 1/8″ female panel mount from radio shack. I had an old stereo rca (male) to 1/8″ (male) so I figured i could just clip off the male 1/8″ and solder on the new female one. this was my first soldering experience and honestly it went very badly. I didn’t expect to have to ground both wires and so now I have four sets of wires to solder, coming from two cables, going to three places. Is there an easier way? Should I just have used rca->rcas and not rca->1/8″?
September 15th, 2004 at 12:53 pm
Did anyone find a solution for an auxiliary device for a 2001 Accord with the 6 CD Changer? I have looked everywhere and it seems that my only solution is the tape adapter or the FM modulator.
I think there’s a device some company sells which allows you to switch between the CD Changer and an aux-input. –Ben
September 16th, 2004 at 10:34 pm
I see you have a single CD headunit. After you add the HonAux adapter, how does the radio handle playing CDs and having the input?
You just push the CD/Tape button to toggle between the in-dash CD player and the aux input (which shows up as CD-C). –ben
September 29th, 2004 at 8:11 pm
Has anyone does this to a 2001 Honda CRV? I have an iPod that I would LOVE to hook up. I listen to books (audible.com) as I have a 50 minute commute each way to work.
Thanks!
I don’t know if it’s been specifically done to a CR-V, but you should be able to find either a PIE or Blitzsafe adapter that’ll fit your stereo head unit (it might even be the same as the Civic’s) –Ben
October 4th, 2004 at 9:59 am
Awesome !! I am going to do this as well in my 2001 Civic. However it looks like you use the regular cigarette lighter for the Belkin charger/adapter. Did you ever think about installing this behind the dashboard as well (i.e install a second cigarette lighter)? In this way only the wire that sticks into your iPod from the Belkin adapter is visible.
Thanks,
Andre
October 4th, 2004 at 10:56 am
ok, so with these 1/8″ female panel mount installations… you’re not installing the additional power adaptor, right? I guess that wouldn’t really make sense if you’d like to use it for sources other than the ipod… i think i just answered my own question.
October 5th, 2004 at 2:12 pm
Ben,
Thanks for all of the information on the site. I am hooking up my new 20GB Ipod and just wanted to make sure that I have all the correct information. Is there an updated article to this one that I am missing? Which adapter should I use from Logjam?
Thanks in advance for all of you help and information!!!
October 5th, 2004 at 2:16 pm
First of all thanks Ben for all of your information. I am getting ready to install my 20GB Ipod in my 2003 Civic LX and just wanted to make sure that I had all the information. Did you have an updated post to this blog, kind of a condensed version? Which adapter from Logjam should I be using?
Thanks in advance for all of your help and information
October 9th, 2004 at 12:49 pm
Works like a charm in my 2003 Civic Si! 40Gig and Cds no more.
Thanks,
Josh
October 9th, 2004 at 12:53 pm
How do i remove the area of cigarette lighter from honda civic 2004 2dr Coupe EX , so I can add the aux hon, are the clips on the side or do i have to remove everything
Thanks for your help
I’m pretty sure you have to remove the whole lower center console. –Ben
October 11th, 2004 at 5:14 pm
A good resource for installation instructions that I have used is http://www.partscheap.com If you look at how to install a cassette deck for your model it usually has the official honda install guide. If you follow that you certainly lower your risk of wrecking something.
Looks like a good resource…I wasn’t able to find something like that when I did my Civic, so thanks for the info – I’ll incorporate it into the body of the article next time I do an update. –Ben
October 12th, 2004 at 7:58 am
Thanks for the help, i am still not sure if i should do it, its a brand new car , I live in flushing, queens , Does anyone know a good auto dealer that can install ipod in honda 2004 civic 2dr
October 22nd, 2004 at 7:27 pm
hey ben, nice work on the car. only ?’s i have is how did you hold the ipod with near the e-brake? and where can i buy it? thanks a lot
RadioShack – it’s a cellphone holder –Ben
November 20th, 2004 at 5:47 am
I took the PIE adapter out, it was really bad noise problems big time.With a GLI or no ground loop the noise problems were still there. I just tried the Blitzsafe adapter and it is night and day. It cost more than the PIE but the Blitzsafe adapter is worth every penny I also noticed that the dynamic range of the Blitzsafes audio is much, much better than the PIE. I wanted to save some mony so I bought the PIE, in the end it cost more in money and time then the Blitzsafe. In a word buy the Blitzsafe.
November 24th, 2004 at 12:20 pm
i spent an agonizing weekend troubleshooting a noise/beep problem. thinking it was the radio (part # 39110), I took apart the head set to no avail. turns out it was the rca/3.5 mm cord. to the others that complained about the beeping, try that first.
November 29th, 2004 at 11:50 pm
Thanks for posting these instructions. The people at Tweeter’s told me it would cost like $500 to install an aux input into my 2001 Civic — they claimed I’d have to buy a whole new radio. I got the Blitzsafe adapter for $64.99 (including $5 shipping) from http://www.enfig.com.
It came quickly via USPS priority mail from New Jersey. I just installed it tonight and have not experienced any problems with noise so far. I do not have a car charger so I will have to do some further testing if I ever get one.
Before I started I downloaded the official Honda CD/cassette player installation instructions so I’d have some formal instructions on how to dismantle everything since this is my first do-it-yourself car “repair” and I didn’t want to mess it up. I failed to bookmark the website I got it from but I still have the file, though, if anyone else needs/wants it. Instead of drilling a hole into the console like the picture above I just removed the fog light switch cover and put the cord through there. It looks kind of ugly with a random cord hanging out so I might take everything apart again and reroute the cord under the emergency brake so it comes out of the storage area next to the e-brake, but for now I’m just happy to be able to listen to my iPod in the car. Thanks again for making this possible without costing a fortune.
November 30th, 2004 at 8:21 pm
Based on other people’s comments about the PIE adapter I decided to go with Blitzsafe. I ordered mine from http://www.enfig.com for $59.99 plus $5 shipping (USPS priority mail from NJ). I received the adapter quickly and installed it last night into my 2001 Civic. It works great and I have not experienced any popping or other weird noises when running off of the iPod battery. I don’t have a car charger yet but will probably buy one since I seem to have a problem with forgetting to turn off the iPod when I park the car.
I downloaded the official Honda instructions on how to take apart a 2001-2005 2- or 4-door Civic if anyone else needs them. Unfortunately I didn’t bookmark the page I got them from but I can email them or whatever if you need them. The instructions were mostly straightforward but I was not able to figure out how to put the car in neutral to get the center console panel off without reconnecting the battery (I have an automatic). Also, the part that took me the longest was getting the radio/heater/vent unit out of the dash. The instructions weren’t too clear and I thought there was supposed to be some kind of latch I could push to unlatch the clips. After looking for this non-existent latch for at least 30 minutes I just used a butter knife to pry the clips off. All of the clips are plastic with a metal sheath over them so they are sturdier than I thought. Initially I was worried I’d break them if I pried them off and I didn’t want to have a loose radio panel in case of an accident (flying objects = bad). Anyway, the install was very easy despite this being my first do-it-yourself car “repair” project.
Once I got the adapter plugged in I removed the piece of plastic that covers the fog light switch and routed the cables through there instead of drilling a hole into the dash. It is kind of ugly to have random cables sticking out and I’m a bit worried that it might get tangled around the gear shifter so this weekend I will probably reroute everything under the center console so the cable comes out from the sliding storage thing next to the e-brake. That way I can tuck the cable out of sight when I’m not using it.
Anyway, thanks Ben for this web site and to all the people who commented on their experiences. The people at Tweeter’s told me I’d have to buy a whole new radio if I wanted to hook up my iPod and that it would cost $500. I guess I’ll just have to swing by and tell them I did it myself for $65.
December 6th, 2004 at 9:37 pm
thanks for the great guide!
I ended up buying the Blitzsafe adapter from the Logjam electronics store (great store, they processed my order the same day). It was a little more expensive but I am happy to pay for the quality.
I took off the lower center panel and reached up with my hand to feel for the socket. After finding, I was able to get the adapter plugged in after a couple minutes of trial and error.
Works great and it sounds perfect. No need for a cigarette adapter.
December 15th, 2004 at 5:22 pm
Thanks for the site ben, very useful information. I just had most of my audio equipment stolen out of my ‘98 Accord and am back to using my stock head unit. The HON/AUX converter is a little much since it won’t be too long before I’ll be buying a new head unit. I’ve been using a cassette tape adapter to listen to my iPod in the car, but the quality is terrible. Do you (or anyone else) have information regarding the DIN Socket the HON/AUX converter plugs into? I’d like to quickly wire up my own aux converter instead of making a purchase. Thanks.
December 18th, 2004 at 12:45 pm
First of all, I want to say thank you to Ben for an excellent site and information. I however have a question. I’m looking to install the setup into my 2001 Civic EX. I went to http://www.enfig.com and looked at the blitzsafe converter. They said not to use that one with the ipod but instead use title = "Ipod Adapter">this product instead. As you can see that is an extra $70. I was wondering if you would recomend this.
December 19th, 2004 at 12:06 am
Thanks for the info, a friend told me how he did basically the same thing but without as much detail. I’m a little bit weary of doing this myself as I’ve read others are but where did you get it done? Best buy? And do I have to supply the HON/AUX converter and stuff? And about how much are we talking for instilation? Help, anyone.
Thanks!
December 29th, 2004 at 7:04 pm
Thanks MAN!, I was able to intstall a new headunit in my girl’s o4,
and it got me Laid that night! Thanks again.
January 8th, 2005 at 8:21 pm
Thanks a lot for this info.
I was frustrated with poor reception of the iTrip but instaling the PIE Hon AUX-98 was a snap into my 2001 Civic EX coupe. Works great. I grounded it to the chasis (there is convenient ground screw right behind the lower panel). Sounds great just running it of the iPOD battery without any distortion. I too was able to get by without taking of the central panel. For anybody else trying to plug in blindly, the converter plugs into the right side of the radio almost behind the tuner knob. If you can get your hand up there from the lower panel you should be able to feel the open slot on the right side. I used my left hand even though I’m right handed. After that the instalation is easy.
Thanks again Ben.
January 8th, 2005 at 9:44 pm
Thanks Ben and Mike (#30) for the posts. I just installed the Blitzsafe in a 2003 Civic Hybrid. My hands being big, it took quite a bit more than 10 minutes, but I do recommend being patient and trying to work the adapter in without taking off the upper panel. If you shuffle the cords around, you can reach up with your right hand and the adapter plugs in at the bottom, about 2/3 of the way to the right at the back of the stereo. You can feel around first to get the adapter plug oriented.
As far as removing the 12V panel in the 2003/2004, the clips are on the top in the center, and then 2 on each side, about a quarter and a half way up (sorry no photos). I stuck in a small flat head screwdriver and pried as Ben suggests. As long as you insert the screwdriver carefully, you can pry pretty hard without damaging anything. Hope this helps and isn’t redundant.
January 9th, 2005 at 5:01 pm
Thanks to all for the help. Just installed in my ‘04 civic coupe ex. I like the following for a holder http://www.seidio.com/documents/iMount.pdf
January 12th, 2005 at 11:37 pm
what model of the HON-AUX do i need for a 2004 civic. do i need HON98-AUX or just the HON-AUX.. Also, did everyone who used PIE have problems with humming noise after the install if they did i will get the Blitzsafe.
January 13th, 2005 at 9:10 pm
Dan, thank you man
I just now (while on the phone with my gf, it took maybe 10 minutes) got this working with my second gen ipod (20gb, firewire port on the ipod, touch wheel, real buttons, that one). Using the P.I.E HON98-AUX and a big honkin targus power inverter to power the apple wall socket adaptor (yes, I know, this will eventually change) it sounds f-ing great! It I tried it both ways, no ground and with ground. With ground is certainly the way to go for this setup.
Also possibly of interest to this group, I just mounted a Uniden BC350A scanner INSIDE the flip door cd tray under the head unit
I’ll post pictures of all this somewhere and post a link to this site.
January 14th, 2005 at 4:19 pm
Sorry, meant to say “Ben, you are the man” My excuse is that I read the entire thread before posting and forgot who’s weblog this was
January 23rd, 2005 at 12:18 pm
Great install! I have a website, http://www.ipodincar.net , and I’d like to know if I could feature your install on it. If you’re interested, contact me either through my email address provided here or through the ipod in car site.
Thanks
January 30th, 2005 at 9:16 pm
Just like to thank you for putting this info up on here. I never would have attempted this had I not read everyone’s successes on here.
Anyhow an update for some of those asking about how to do this on a Honda Civic 2003
I have an Automatic Transmission (A/T) 2003 Civic LX with the armrest and the beverage cup holders with the lid. This console bottom is different than others which was really messing me up because even the instructions (the honda ones) were telling me just pry off the console and that was it, but here is a tip for others on what I did.
I first bought the PIE HON98-AUX from this site http://www.discountcarstereo.com/detail.aspx?ID=458
It is cheaper on there than anywhere else i found it.
To get the console off for the install you need to take off the cover on top of the Shifter to get the console off (it is connected from around the lower console all the way to where the armrest starts.
The best directions I saw to take this off were here (I know it is directions for installing an ashtray/lighter but the first part is the important one)
http://www.cheaphondaparts.com/shop/instructions/AII24165.pdf
You don’t have to do the part about removing the under dashboard, just start at #7 on that list.
I also used a butter knife instead of a screwdriver, it was easier for me and I didn’t scratch up anything.
Once you get the thing off you can reach up around in there and feel (even with my big hands) where to plug it in, it was kind of hard manuveuring in there to plug it in, but finally I was able to do it (took me like a half hour and my hand hurts from contorting it) but it was better than ripping out the radio/climate part. I then just put the PIE in the hole behind the console and filtered the Y cable line out of the left fog light hold that wasn’t used (I even was able to pretty much cover the hole back up with the cover from the outside to make it look nicer, at some point maybe I will drill a hole in the cover.
I didn’t hook up the ground wire that comes off the PIE, I was going to but I couldn’t loosen the screw easily that the socket is grounded to, so I just left it. After the hookup it did have back ground loop noise, so I may go back in there later and hook it up, but otherwise as long as I use the Belkin Car Charger it sounds awesome.
Oh yeah, I don’t have an IPOD, I have a 1st Gen Dell DJ 20 and the belkin car charger (if you buy from http://www.belkin.com you get 50% off anything with code 12345)
If anyone wants pics let me know, but I didn’t take any pics of everything taken apart.
Thanks again for all your help.
February 2nd, 2005 at 10:42 am
I own a 2004 Civic LX. I got the IPOD installed in my car. The process is very simple. I ordered the Aux from Logjam.com and got it fixed at Circuit city car installations. They charged me 22 bucks for it. I also got the car charger for the IPOD…a Belkins product. it has a small amp on it. You dont need to get it though. The sound quality is really good and I have no problems at all. if anyone needs some more info pls feel free to email me.
February 24th, 2005 at 8:50 pm
I have a 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid and I was wondering if the Blitzsafe aux is compatible with my car. Most of the websites like logjam or enfig have the compatible years up to 03 or 04. I wouldn’t think the stock radio would change that much in the 05 for it not to work, but I would hate to buy the wrong cables and not be able to return or exchange them. I would appreciate any help anyone can give me on this. I’m dying to hook my ipod up! Thanks.
February 25th, 2005 at 6:08 am
I got a picture from a Honda dealer that shows how to remove the head unit.
February 27th, 2005 at 9:21 pm
Mari, I would like a copy of the official Honda instructions on how to take apart a 2001-2005 2- or 4-door Civic if anyone else needs them.
Email it to me woozyguy@gmail.com
March 2nd, 2005 at 12:28 am
Thank you so much for making this site. I used a ton of the information here to have a flawless install in my 2002 Civic EX. I found that I didn’t have to take of the main face plate and I could plug it in using my finger tips. It was a little frustrating, but better than scuffing up the dash.
I have the PIE HON98-AUX. I chose it because it was cheaper and I read that it would do the job. It sounds great and it has a ground wire to eliminate any noise.
Thanks again.
March 2nd, 2005 at 4:54 pm
Does anyone have instructions for getting access in a 2000 Civic SE (standard)? I’ve contemplated buying them, but I’m cheap. Plus, I’m concerned that there could be differences between automatic and standard…
If you have ‘em, please email me: johngraham2(at)hotmail.com
Ben – great job you’ve done here. Really top-notch.
March 20th, 2005 at 1:58 pm
Was taking out my stock Honda CD player in my 1998 CRV-EX to add aftermarket unit and Google’d up this page — thanks for info. To assist anyone else in removal / iPod installs / other mods — I found this site to have great Honda official pdf files for such what-not.
http://www.handa-accessories.com/index.html
And by the way — ITZA REAL PAININTHEARSE doing this myself as nearly the whole friggin dash has to remove to get to the stinking radio. Itz antitheft just in how itz installed never mind the security codes ;-P
Ciao!
April 5th, 2005 at 10:47 am
I have a grounding question: I just got the HON98-AUX for my 2000 Civic. Trying to decide whether to ground it or not. I may or may not get a car charger. It sounds like if I ground it I should NEVER use the charger and if I don’t ground it I should ALWAYS use the charger. Is that correct?
April 6th, 2005 at 8:29 am
Post-install, I can answer my own question. I was getting some nasty interference noise when I had the HON98-AUX grounded. It persisted whether I plugged in the car charger or not. With the ground removed, there was no noise, whether I used the car charger or not.
April 15th, 2005 at 11:46 am
I’m in the process of doing this myself, and I found this part: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-tdXWM9RuzDS/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=142FMMOD01&s=0&cc=01
It plugs into your antenna jack on the reciever and then you plug the antenna into it (so you don’t lose the ability to recieve radio). You plug the iPod into it like you would with the HON-AUX, but then you tune the radio to a particular frequency (like an iTrip, but with a wire). It’s cheaper than the HON-AUX, and you’d still be able to plug in a CD changer or tape deck or whatever into that port.
You’re taking the FM modulator approach. That’s great if you want to keep the CD changer/tape deck port freed up, but it comes with some audio quality loss. Even with a direct-modulated signal, FM audio’s bandwidth is roughly equivalent to a 64-96 Kbps MP3 file. Even with a pristine source, you’re still listening to FM radio.
Basically, in terms of potential “best” audio quality (assuming a high-quality source), a direct line-in will be best, followed by a cassette adapter, followed by the FM modulator, followed by “over-the-air” consumer FM transmitters.
Personally, I don’t mind eating up the accessory connector on my head unit – haven’t used a tape since the mid-90s, and all my CDs are on the iPod. YMMV.
April 18th, 2005 at 4:16 pm
I have a 2001 Civic EX Coupe with Manual Transmission. Bought the HON98-AUX from Crutchfield along with the RCA to 3.5mm connector for about $70.00 shipped. Bought it Friday before leaving work and it was here when I got home from work Monday.
Hooked it up as stated. Only took about 15 minutes. I too was able to reach my hand up behind the radio, so I only had to take the panel where the power-adapter is out.
I have it grounded with just the black wire that comes with the HON98-AUX and the sound works perfectly with the iPod. Did not buy that part from Radio Shack as mentioned above. Tried it not grounded, and it did not work at all. I have not tried it while being plugged in to the power outlet.
I do however hear a slight beeping noise. Two beeps right in a row, then a pause, and then one more beep, and then that cycle repeats. I only get this for part of the time. Anyone know what causes this and how to resolve?
Looks like I’m going to Best Buy tonight to return the FM Transmitter. That thing sucked!
April 27th, 2005 at 7:39 pm
So I just recently installed an ipod into my car (civic), by gettin the PIE adapter that converts the cd changer (stock head unit) port into RCA’s. then I got an RCA to male cable, which then plugs into the belkin charger (the one with the female input and built in volume control). Finally, from that belkin charger to the ipod dock input.
so at first i grounded the PIE adapter, but when i connected the ipod, i found that the engine noise was coming through. then i did a little research and found that the belkin acts as a ground, so i removed the PIE ground, and the engine noise disappeared.
however, with that problem easily resolved, i have another one that i cant figure out. when the car is running, the ipod will “skip” during heavier tracks. it doesnt skip when the car is off. its not the ipod, because i tried it in my friends car (who has the same setup in a saturn vue) and it ran smoothly. I figure there’s a jolt of power hitting somewhere between the battery of the car, the head unit, the PIE adapter, and the belkin charger.
does this make any sense? do you think i need to wire a fuse or something?
Good question. There should already be a fuse built into the cigarette lighter plug on the Belkin charger already. There might be something else causing distortion – make sure the volume dial on the Belkin is set so that comfortable listening volume is around 3 bars on the head unit.
April 28th, 2005 at 5:55 pm
well, i’ve set the volume on the belkin really low and it still does that ’skip’. is it possible to get a fuse for the cigarette lighter that can handle a bigger load?
You can try, but I don’t think it’s that. The Belkin’s probably got a 1-amp fuse in it, and the iPod is rated for 1 amp, so going lower might result in it tripping. I think the problem may lie elsewhere in your audio system – try plugging a different source into the PIE’s inputs with a line-out level input (not just a headphone jack) in and see what happens. Could be a short elsewhere in your stereo wiring, headunit, etc.
April 30th, 2005 at 1:41 am
well, instead of using the belkin, i opted to try directly into the ipod line out. the ’skip’ was gone, but now the sound quality is terrible. i figure its the “lighter”….and i put that in quotations, cuz its really one of those ‘power adapters’, and i suspect honda may have skimped when it came to installing ‘power adapters’… hence the reason why it costs more to have a smokers package.
but ya, i think i might just replace the ‘lighter’ and see if that works. lemme know what you think.
It definitely sounds like there’s something shady somewhere in your electrical system. I’ve got the stock “power point” there too, and I’ve had no problems. What you’ve got is definitely beond my level of expertise – I’d recommend talking to a car audio professional.
May 3rd, 2005 at 10:25 am
Ben,
I installed an iPod in my 2001 Honda Civic EX this weekend. I used the same equipment that you used and it sounds great. I was also able to reach the back of the stereo without removing the top cover. Thank you!
P.S. Keep making the cream cheese. I make water treatment plants in South Florida.
Tyler Davis, P.E.
BSChE from Ga Tech
May 4th, 2005 at 10:12 pm
hey ben, i figured it out, and im such an idiot… it turns out the y cable i was using was a MONO cable. me = dummy
May 10th, 2005 at 9:38 pm
Wow! Thanks for your Website. I have a 2004 manual Honda Civc LX and I was able to take apart, install and reassemble everything in about 45 minutes.
I used a putty knife to pry at the clips to loosen the lower console. This helped minimize any scruffing that would have occured if I used a flathead screwdriver.
What took the longest was trying to plug the adapter into the cd changer port. Since I decided to leave the radio intact, I had to reach up from underneath through the console. Even with small hands, it was difficult, but I managed to secure it in. I also drilled a hole through one of the empty fog light panels to thread audio cable through. It looks great and now sounds even better! No more fuzzy I-Trips for me!
Thanks Ben!!!
May 27th, 2005 at 10:15 pm
Thanks for the info. It gave me the initial info to get started. I have a 2001 Acura EL (It’s only available in Canada- It’s basically a top of the line Civic)
I used the PIE adapter, a belkin auto kit, and an additional power port. I only needed to remove the panel which housed the power port and was able to reach in behind to plug the PIE into my head unit. I was hooked up in less than 30 minutes, but I spent considerably longer ensuring everything was secured behind the dash. Although I will be using the belkin charger exclusively (not the iPod battery) I still chose to ground the PIE unit. It didn’t seem to make any difference to the sound for me, so I thought I’d play it safe. When on battery power, it was essential to ground the PIE unit as the interference overwhelmed the music without the ground connected. Thanks again.
June 1st, 2005 at 8:52 pm
Installed on a 2001 civic EX with the PIE connector and instead of the Belkin Auto Charger kit… I used the Monster one.
Also was able to just remove the bottom panel and sneak my hands up there.
Works great! Thanks.
June 1st, 2005 at 8:53 pm
oh… I forgot to mention the monster charger does have the line out on the charger.
June 14th, 2005 at 11:43 pm
hey Ben:
Seems everyone had no problem with getting the lower console off, but i can’t get it out. especially the center console trim(the part under the ESCUTCHEON), don’t know what kind of tool to use and always worry about breaking things. what is the structure of the clips anyway? you have a pic? can i just pull it hard to take it out? or i have to press it to release?
June 15th, 2005 at 6:13 pm
got it done!!! sounds very good however the volume is not loud , probably because of my mini disc player. don’t really need to ground the wire tho, without useing the AC from car.
June 21st, 2005 at 2:44 am
thanks so much for the info on your site. helped out a lot with my install. with all the info from this site i was able to do the install in about 1 hour. thanks again.
June 23rd, 2005 at 9:31 pm
I have a 1996 Honda Civic with factory head unit / tape deck. The tape deck has an 8 pin female DIN receptacle on it so I think the HON-AUX piece would work. However, being a poor college student, $50+ seems a bit too high for such a simple adapter. Plus I thought it might be fun/educational to build my own. I called PIE and in my conversation with them they mentioned that their adapters are very simple, as in there are no electronics inside and it’s just a simple adapter mapping pins between connectors. So what I want to do is this:
1. Get a 8 pin DIN male connector (should show up tomorrow).
2. Get a regular 1/8″ panel mount female (already bought at local store).
3. Hack off the ends of an audio cable and solder the two connectors to the ends. This should get me a nice clean female connector without all that RCA crap.
Only question is how do you wire up the DIN connection? I found this page which lists what the pins are for 8 pin DIN (although the diagram is for the head unit I think it applies to the external tapedeck too, which has its own passthrough female DIN connector – PIE themselves told me to plug their 8 pin DIN adapter into the tape deck). I think I have the audio connections figured out. What I don’t know is how do you get the factory head unit to recognize that something is plugged into the CD changer port. I also don’t know how you would address the grounding issues that have been mentioned in previous comments. I’m sure it’s quite easy to fix once you know how.
I figure the simplist way to find out for sure is if someone could open up their HON-AUX (or similar 8 pin DIN adapter) and take a few pictures and document exactly how the thing is built. Would make things a lot cheaper for everyone since the 8 pin DIN connector cost me $4 (incl. shipping) and the female 1/8″ connector even less.
June 24th, 2005 at 3:04 pm
Purchased the new IPOD-Honda CD Changer input from Logjam Link for 2002 civic ex. This adapter is different since it has an IPOD adapter on the plug, so it charges & is a line level input. No need for a separate charger or RCA plugs!
Installation was a breeze. I think it took me 10 mins. Used a screwdriver to pop out the corners of the piece holding the cigarette lighter. Didn’t have to undue the gear shifter or cup holder. The rest of the unit popped out easily once i pulled where the clips were (5 in total). Reached up in there to attach the adapter to the right side of the stereo (towards the cd eject button). Zip-tied the adapter to a metal bracket and had it all closed up in no time. Thanks for the great site and instructions!
July 10th, 2005 at 10:23 am
I decided to mount RCA jacks to the left of my cigarette lighter port. I see some people have been modifying the fog light blanks by drilling them out and putting in a mini-jack, but I think that is the wrong spot as a) That blank is not held in very firmly and will probably come out every time you jiggle the cable, and b) tall beverages will block the cable (or vice versa).
Pictures and description of Install
This was on a 2003 Civic 4 Door Sedan with the manual transmission.
July 31st, 2005 at 3:47 am
Hey Ben how exactly did you secure the PIE HON98? Did you tape it somewhere or screw it on somewhere? I already have mine installed in my 05 Civic but I haven’t secured the adapter so now I’m worried that a slight tug on the RCA wire might disconnect the adapter. Any suggestions? And thanks for you site.
I didn’t do anything special. You could do electrical tape if you’re paranoid, but my connections have been secure for 2+ years now.
August 1st, 2005 at 10:08 am
Hey Guys,
I am confused after reviewing this site –
is it NOT advisable to install a Creative
Nomad Zen Xtra? and if yes – what exactly
do I need – I am stationed over in the middle
east and am driving a HONDA 2005 – I sure
would like some of my home tunes from NY –
So again:
Can I use this with my Creative
Nomad Zen Xtra?
[I bought mine just before I headed over in 12-04]
What exactly do I need? [all options please]
Will it be noisy/feedback?
ANYONE? HELP!!!
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?
THANK YOU FELLAS!!!
~SweetCat
Should be able to…
August 17th, 2005 at 1:01 pm
Ok,
Here is a tough one, I have bought the Belkin converter and the y stereo splitter from radio shack and everything is hooked up to the auxiliary in on my Pioneer 6600 cd player. However, I have 2 amps running off the full RCA out to power my car stereo. These amps are for the fronts and the sub but I left the rear stock speakers hooked up to the head units wiring. When I choose the auxiliary function on the deck it only plays from the back speakers and does not play through the fronts or sub. It even plays simultaneously when I am playing a CD if I push play on the ipod when the cd deck is not set on auxiliary. Also, the volume is pretty low even when I turn the belkin, cd player and ipod all the way up. WTF. This is frustrating, if anyone knows what I am talking about or can offer some advice, please do!
Collin – that’s beyond my level of expertise, sorry! Maybe someone at a car stereoplace can help out that that. Also, Pioneer has direct link kits for certain head units that can control the iPod themselves. Those might work a little better. –Ben
August 22nd, 2005 at 9:41 pm
Does anyone know of good DIY instructions for hardwiring into the 12V system? [I've actually used the information on this site to connect my phone/PDA/MP3/GPS device to my 2001 Civic's head unit using the HON98-AUX device. Treo 650 + TomTom Navigator 5 + Seidio G2500M car kit.] Would like to be as clean and safe as possible. Thanks!
I’m not aware of any sites off the top of my head, Rob, but I’d try the following:
1) Behind the 12V outlet, splice into that pair of wires (hot/neutral) and fan off as many wires as you need to supply all of your devices, plus the original 12V outlet). This way each device is running in parallel off the circuit.
2) Cut off the cigarette lighter tips from each of your chargers, identify the hot/neutral wires, and hook up accordingly. A lot of cigarette lighter adapters have a low-amperage (1 amp?) fuse built into the tip – you may want to wire in something similar in your setup to protect individual devices from power issues in the car.
3) Route the cables as needed to make it look nice.
I don’t anticipate you’re going to run into amperage issues on the circuit – I believe the Civic’s 12V outlet is rated for 12V/10 amps = 120 watts.
–Ben
August 26th, 2005 at 11:31 am
Dear Ben,
Thanks for posting your detailed information. I can add another success story to this list. I have a 2002 Honda Civic EX, with the factory-installed CD/AM/FM stereo. I bought the Blitzsafe HON/AUX DMX V.1 at enfig, which was $70.25, including shipping. I ordered it Wednesday night and it arrived by Friday. I was also able to reach the input plug behind the stereo after removing the lower center panel without removing the stereo. The panel pried off easily with a thin flathead screwdriver, with no apparent marks or damage to the console. The cavity behind the panel was quite small, so I felt confident with the aux adapter just sitting back there. The fog light punchouts come out very easily, so I pressed one out and left the miniplug hanging out of it with a few feet of slack behind the panel. I don’t want to deal with the extra wires involved to add a power adapter as well.
I’ve tested it with a portable CD player, a Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra, and a 3rd gen iPod. All sounded completely clear. Thanks so much!
jeremy
August 28th, 2005 at 7:46 pm
I’m interested in installing this on my 2005 civic,….but i was wondering how to do one thing…
Some of you mentioned installing a panel mount jack instead of having wires dangling out of your car…how would i go about making this panel mount jack?
Do i just buy the jack…and the y cable…and slice off the 1/8 and solder htat to the jack? help appreciated!
That would work
August 31st, 2005 at 1:06 pm
Hey, this is EXACTLY what I needed to kow! I have a 2001 Civic LX (prob no differnt than yours), but I saw that one guy said to remove another panel, which one would that be, I would prefer not to cut holes in my car! Also, does the music sounds just as good as a CD does? I drive in the city so the stations are constantly changing and getting static and feedback. I want something that will give me consistent playback, no static, no cutting out, same vloume and quality as CD. Does this do the trick? Can you reply to stephondawn@hotmail.com? Thaks a lot!
The direct input will be the highest quality you can get – it should be CD-quality, expecially with high-bitrate files. The place that the other guy is talking about is the place wher the fog-light switch would go – it’s that little knockout on the center console right next to the power outlet. You can remove it by removing the lower center console using the instructions detailed above. However, the drill hole I made to route the cable is actually invisible unless you’re laying on the floor of the car – it’s in the top side of that little pocket
September 26th, 2005 at 4:26 pm
Does anyone know what wires on the 14 pin Aux Connector (Honda 04 Civic) are use to activate the AUX/CD input.
I bought a cheap AB-HON adapter cable form http://www.installer-parts.com. There are only 8 wires. The audio in’s are obvious. THe Ground and 12V are obvious. Getting the radio’s Aux button to fuction is hopeless.
o it cheep and you will weep.
Not sure actually. I think the PIE unit’s little box contains a circuit that tells the head unit there’s a device attached. As to what that circuit consists of, I’m no help. Try digging around Google – if you come across anything, be sure to report back!
October 1st, 2005 at 10:58 am
I’m trying to install my iPod to my head unit in my 99 Civic. It sounds like the blitzsafe unit is the easiest way to go. One question, does the center panel just pop off (the one with the head unit and the A/C controls), or do I have to remove all of the panels under the dash as well to get to it? Thanks for any input.
Nope – it should also be held in by 1 or more bolts which can be accessed from the lower panel like mine is. I think it’s part of the antitheft system so you can’t easily pry the radio out.
October 3rd, 2005 at 3:21 pm
I’m with Von (#144). I have 3 cars (1990 Miata, 2000 Outback, 2001 Civic) and want to use the iPod in all three. I found this site:
I used that guys ideas and bashed together a belkin charger and a Kenwood AUX adapter in the Miata (I had an aftermarket HU already). Works great.
In the Outback, I have a slave CD player and the main HU switches to CD when a disc is in. Here I used the “Silence CD” trick. I tapped into the slave CD players wiring using the belkin charger and connected the power and audio channels. I made a 80 minute disc of silence to switch to HU source to CD. Play the iPod. Works great!
Last car: 2001 Civic. Got the cable to go into the slave CD/CD changer port, but I can’t trick it to think there’s something there. I’ve been Googling for hours.
Please, someone pop open there adapter and tell us what’s in there. I know no one actually will, but I can hope, right?
October 3rd, 2005 at 3:24 pm
Sorry. The link didn’t show up the first time.
http://www.mindspring.com/~pmbenn/iPod/index.htm
October 4th, 2005 at 6:55 pm
Thanks, will give it a try.
October 10th, 2005 at 9:20 am
This is a test.
October 25th, 2005 at 5:38 pm
Just wanted to say i used your instructions for my 2003 Civic Hybrid and it worked great. I had a few more dents than you on the dash, but really its not very noticeable. Glad you had all the info up. Time to rock loud with the iPod.
November 5th, 2005 at 6:58 pm
I have a Honda CRV 2002 with a factory 6 disc in dash cd changer, and I would like to connect my Ipot to it, anybody did it or knows how??
Thanks
Maurizio – not sure what kind of options you have – the port that the PIE converter connects to is occupied by the CD changer, I think.
November 25th, 2005 at 11:41 pm
Wow, theres a much easier and cost effective way to do this! Buy an XM fm moduator, plug yer factory antenna into it, then the supplied adapter into the modulator. Run the lead to outside the dash and attach a 3/32 to 1/8 adabter from radioshack to the ipod headphone jack. Full stereo sound, and direct hardwired fm for less then 25$. sweet!
November 26th, 2005 at 1:49 pm
Great site. Very useful…you mention this is for a stock stereo with cd changer output, what if I have a stock stereo that only plays cassette tapes?
….Tired of crappy cassette adapters.
November 27th, 2005 at 12:46 am
Followup to Adio (Comment #152) – True, it’s cheaper, but even the highest quality FM modulator will not give the same audio quality as a direct line-in. FM (whether over the air or via the modulator) simply cannot carry the full audio bandwidth of your files (especially if you use higher bitrates because you have good enough headphones). If you’re using an FM modulator, you might as well downsample all of your MP3 and AAC files to 96 kbps, because that’s the quality you’re getting. Cassette adapters are in the 96-128 kbps range. Direct line-in is limited only by the capability of your sound system.
Followup to David (comment 153): You might be out of luck, unless your head unit has the correct port on the back…it might for an accessory CD player that would go in the pocket space below the headunit. Only way to know is probably to pop out the unit and see.
December 9th, 2005 at 3:26 pm
Hey –
Million $$ question. If I do this, and get one 1/8 cord coming out out my factory 2002 civic EX, can i interchange my ipod and a sirius radio with that cord? Assuming i have an antenna in the car for the sirius?
cant live without Howard.
December 9th, 2005 at 9:35 pm
Brian,
Absolutely. I do this with an XM radio myself.
December 16th, 2005 at 4:23 pm
Great site. Thanks Ben for the blog.
My question is: Will the PIE or Blitzsafe connectors work with the Nano which requires USB and not Firewire connections.
Thanks.
December 17th, 2005 at 3:26 pm
I’ve gotten the cig ligher panel out no problem. I’ve removed the two bolts, but the center console will not pry out. It looks as if all the clips are disattachted, but something is holding it back. Any thoughts?
December 28th, 2005 at 4:32 pm
I bought this unit at Log Jam for my 01 Civic:
http://www.logjamelectronics.com/blitzhonmlink1dmxv1.html
It took about 10 minutes to install and works great!
It plugs into the bottom of the ipod which provides it with power and puts out a clean audio signal that is not affected by the ipod’s volume setting (you can set the volume on the ipod to zero). I only removed lower panel that holds the DC power outlet at was able to plug it in without too much frustration. For now, I removed the blank to the left of the power outlet and have the cable coming out of there.
The price is a little higher than the RCA input style units, but I think it’s worth it due to the simplicity and cost savings of not needing a DC power supply.
January 2nd, 2006 at 11:56 am
Ben,
Just installed the Blitzsafe in the girlfriend’s 01 Civic with cassette deck. Took 5 mins! Excellent write up. Thanks!
January 25th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
A lot of people have mentioned this product:
but my question is that at the bottom of the specs page for it, it says:
“NOT compatible with vehicles that have the standard AM/FM radio with a single disc satellite-mounted CD player.”
I have an ‘03 civic LX with the standard am/fm 1-disc cd player. is this what they are talking about? has anyone tried using this blitzsafe connector with the LX 1-disc cd-player? seems like it would work, but I want to be sure.
Thanks for all of the info. this site is great.
-Mike N.
January 25th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
woops.
well to see the product i am talking about, just click the link that is the entire rest of the post. sorry about that, must have missed a tag somewhere.
January 29th, 2006 at 2:23 am
Thanks! I just installed the Blitzsafe Honda-To-iPod cable in my 2003 Honda Civic EX (entry #159 above). Took much longer than 10 minutes because I have 2003 Civic EX with the cupholder lid. Thankfully my friend works in Honda service and he gave me copies of the diagrams.
In the end, I had to:
1. remove the A/T gear position indicator panel trim (the small ring around the gear labels). This was easy.
2. remove the center console trim (the big piece to the bottom of the cup holder). This was tough… it was clipped in so tight I was afraid of snapping it in half
3. unscrew the two screws holding down the Dashboard Center Lower Cover
4. Remove the entire Dashboard Center Lower Cover including the panel with the power socket and fog light covers
Then pretty much I reached up to the right side, plugged it in, and it was just a matter of putting everything back together.
To answer Mike N., your radio should work just fine. As already mentioned previously, the single-CD integrated factory radio will support the addition of a CD Changer, and this cable goes into the CD Changer port. Pressing CD/Tape will switch between CD and CD-C (Changer).
January 30th, 2006 at 11:22 pm
I just installed a stereo in my 2001 civic and added a line in so I can use my ipod, and I found that you can pop out one of the panels next to the cigarette lighter and wire it through there. it looks nice and provides better access than through the passenger clip. This week I will take that panel i removed, drill a hole in it, install a fancy housing, and wire it through there. Just thought Id share.
February 5th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
Tnx 4 the info. Trying to install my Ham Radio in the cd holder. Good Stuff. 73
February 8th, 2006 at 12:23 pm
Quick question, my borther has Sirius and an Ipod installed in his 2002 Civic. He is using the Hon98-aux part and he has 2 “Y” cables coming out of the box. From there he has two RCA cables, one cable on each of the Y splitters wres, then input into a sirius unit and an Ipod. Last night his plug to conect in his ipod touched the back of his ipod and it sparked and now he is only getting audio from one speaker in his car. I have been researching on the internet and came across this site and must say it is a great place for info. Any ideas or suggestions as to why this happened and ways to avoid it. Both units had been working perfectly for about a week before this happened. I have told him to look at the belkin plug for the ipod instead of using the headphone jack. Thanks for the help
February 9th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
Ben,
I run a Car Audio Store in Arkansas and we use the Hon/Aux for alot of inputs such as the Ipod and Sat Radio and they work great. One thing that I would like to add for the Honda Lovers (Which I am one) is that there is another piece that we use and sell that retails for $199 that will also give you clean and noise free installations but will also give you text and other info directly on your factory radio of the factory unit is capable of doing text and it even keep the battery charged!
Awesome piece from Peripheral Electronics, its called iPod to Car.
Good site!
John
March 12th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
James, do you have the diagrams on how to take the Headunit from the 03 civic? could you share those or perhaps tell us how to take the panels out?
Thanks
March 13th, 2006 at 8:25 am
Ben,
quick question, I run have an 2004 honda civic LX since 2 weeks but the real matter is I don’t have the code radio acces and I cannot found the dealer because am living in SENEGAL the car arrived here without the card, you see if someone can help me!!!
March 13th, 2006 at 7:50 pm
Hey Ben,
Can I use a splitter so I can Have my XM SkyFi2 and my iPod hooked up at the same time? I don’t want to play them at the same time but I don’t want to disconnect them or have any excess wires exposed.
Can I do it with the PIE or do I need the ?
Thanks for the help!
-Rob
March 13th, 2006 at 7:51 pm
Opps! Sorry about the bad html above….click the question mark to follow the link. Or
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-ans9RX5uc2s/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?I=581DFHON
March 19th, 2006 at 9:21 pm
Hi,
Thanks to everyone sharing the information. I have a 2 piece radio & single CD stereo system in my ‘99 Honda Civic. Has anyone tried installing the auxilary adapter to this type of unit? I was wondering if my single CD player is not using the CD changer port which I intend to use for the auxilary adapter. I dont want to remove the single CD player for ipod adapter. I have already ordered HON98/AUX, but was curious before finding out myself. Will post my experience once I remove the dash panels to install the auxilary adapter.
Thanks,
Lok
March 25th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
Thanks for the info. I used some of this stuff to help me install a replacement headunit for my 2002 Honda Civic LC (OEM unit w/ CD to replace OEM unit with cassette only).
The advice I would give folks is that you need to be super careful pulling the vent/radio/control unit. The console/dash is very easy to mar. I should have been more careful since I had more than one ding when I was done.
Regarding that screw on the right, you need a true 1/4″ drive socket wrench. A screwdriver or a larger wrench with adapter is probably too big.
Finally, despite what Crutchfield says in their manual, if you have a manual transmission, you do NOT need to remove the tranny trim assembly before pulling the lower accessory console. It’s a tight fit, but it still comes out.
Thanks again!
March 28th, 2006 at 6:04 am
wow…. that’s super helpful, me and my friend tried so hard to remove the clips out~ , we can’t find the bolts! we though its behind the hazard switch and we end up broke the hazard switch~ this info. is real helped, totally show me everthing i want to know i will try to do it again by myself later~ once again thank you so so much~
jimmijo
April 4th, 2006 at 3:32 pm
I’ve got a 2001 Accord with a factory installed 6 disc changer. Anyone know if it is the same kind of install?
April 4th, 2006 at 5:17 pm
THANK YOU!!! I battled trying to install my Ipod into my car. I have a 2003 but everything was exactly yhe same. I was frustrated after trying several times to remove the radio. I did a Google search and found your helpful information. Many thanks for explaining everything! You made the job a sinch.
Thank You!
-Joe
April 11th, 2006 at 12:36 am
I just finished this installation (with the Blitzsafe adapter) on a 2003 2-door LX. I didn’t detach the front panel. Instead I used steps 6 and 7 of manual and then stuck my hand behind the console. To be perfectly honest, it wasn’t easy AT ALL! The little room that’s there is filled with wires and tubes. I had to mess around back there for almost half an hour, contorting my hand in weird shapes.
I prefered this method because I’m a beginner and wanted to keep the number of disassembled components to a minimum.
If you go for this method, don’t give up. At first it’ll seem absolutely impossible, given the little space available. But after feeling around for a while you’ll get a feel for where things are, and eventually that sucker will slip right in. Just make sure it clicks into place before you declare victory.
Also, I suggest using a regular, dull kitchen knife to prop out the retaining tabs. If you use it carefully, you’ll be able to avoid leaving behind scratches and dents.
April 15th, 2006 at 6:55 pm
I have a 2001 Civic LX. From what I can tell in the manual, only the EX has the security code “feature”.
I HAD to remove the upper panel to connect the Aux cord into my aftermarket Pioneer head unit. Prying with a putty knife worked great for the lower panel but was useless for the upper panel. For that, I had to push VERY hard from behind to pop it out.
This page http://www.cheaphondaparts.com/shop/instructions/ has good instructions for various Honda models.
After plugging in and lashing down the aux adaptor, I fished a long audio cord down behind the console on the driver’s side and then under the bottom edge of the center console. The wire emerges from the back end of the console and plugs into my nano’s headphone jack, which rests in that deep narrow storage space alongside the emergency brake. This is a convenient location requiring no special brackets (I lined the compartment with one of those “sticky” pads).
So far no hums or electrical problems, and plenty of volume.
Thank you for this site, it made all the difference!
April 22nd, 2006 at 10:36 pm
hey ben. the hon-aux came with a ground wire. it said to bolt onto the chasis. did you have to do that? and if so where did you ground it too?
April 25th, 2006 at 8:42 am
Just wanted to thank you. Found this page a month or so back. I finally got time to order the adapter and install this past weekend. I’ve very pleased. One of the many reasons the web is great! Thanks again.
April 25th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
Wanted to add my thanks as well — installed the HonAux98 from PIE in my 2001 Civic EX using the instructions on this site, but just removing the lower panel and then blindly fishing through the cables and wire bundles until I found the changer jack by feel. I installed a panel-mount mini-jack into the front of the lower panel, as well as a black rocker switch to open / close the ground connection depending on how I power the iPod. I purchased a SiK imp for power / line out. When running the iPod from battery, there is a _very_ faint beep (in synch with the second indicator on the radio’s clock) even with the ground connection closed, but otherwise the sound is fabulous — way better than my iTrip ever produced, and much better than the cassette adaptor in my wife’s Accord.
May 9th, 2006 at 6:32 pm
i\’m planning on doing the same with my 01 civic. i already ordered the p.i.e converter but was just wondering.. what does security code card/sticker look like? i bought my car used, and i can\’t find that card anywhere. i did however, get a small piece of paper-like card with a barcode and a code on it.. looked something like this..
*####*
is that the code? it\’s only 4 digits so i\’m a little worried about disconnecting the stereo.
Note from Ben: Nope, that\’s the code to get a replacement key made at a dealer. It should be a 5-digit code, only using the numbers 1-6 (since that\’s all the radio\’s got)
May 9th, 2006 at 6:36 pm
Oh, nevermind. Faith Moon said that this security code system is only on EX’s? I have a DX so I guess i’ll take his word for it >.
May 26th, 2006 at 10:33 pm
Yup, I recieved my HON98-AUX today and installed it, and 2001 DX’s don’t require a security code. Sounds awesome.
Thanks for the great tutorial!
June 15th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Wow thanks for all the help. I had all the materials but had no idea how to take apart the dash. My last car was a 89 Audi and was much different to disassemble. I found that using guitar picks as a cushion against the screwdrivers while prying the head unit casing out worked great to avoid indentations. Thanks for the help!!
July 7th, 2006 at 10:36 am
Thanks so much, Ben, for keeping this thread alive!
I just installed this stuff in my Civic 04 EX. I swear I had to re-read this thread a few times to make sure I was getting everything right. I only purchased the PIE HON98-AUX and the PIE female to male audio cords and grounded the wire to some metal object (since I won’t be charging my ipod at the same time). I can’t get over how incredible the sound sounds!!
Fed the wire down by the driver’s side floor, tucked it under the floor mat, and back up to the parking brake where I plan on keeping my ipod/MP3 CD player/cassette player!
I have to say that James L’s post (#163) was incredibly helpful in breaking it down to me simply (although for me #4 was the hardest & I ended up cracking one of the Dashboard Center Lower Cover sides
). Used a printout of the diagrams to guide me along the way, too. (shows you where the clips are, etc.)
As the rest of you daredevils, did it w/o disconnecting the battery and just “felt up” back there instead (it was surprisingly close to the opening!) As with others, that took a bit of maneuvering, but with total installation time at under 30 min (incredible work for someone who failed the physics electrics chapter!) you can do it too!!
Can’t wait to get back on the road! Thanks all!!
July 7th, 2006 at 10:38 am
BTW, I made minimal use of a butter knife for the prying – a (strong) set of nails are a girl’s best friend!
July 11th, 2006 at 1:27 pm
I have a 2002 Honda Civic si with an Alpine 7894 deck, this has been the hardest car to find instructions for however after reading through many of the messages posted here I managed to connect my ipod to my stereo system for around $60.
I bought the PIE adapter for $15 and Belkin makes a charger that has an audio jack on the side for $39, the only thing else you would need is a 3.5 mm (or 1/8″ mini-plug) to rca(male) cable and you can be pumping tunes in no time.
the hardest part was finding any instructions to remove the console, I just went to http://www.crutchfield.com and found a stereo installation guide for my car for $4.99 that they even e-mailed to me and I am now cranking my ipod.
August 17th, 2006 at 12:20 am
It’s amazing how this website has lived on. I’m not even sure if Ben reads these anymore but thanks so much for allowing everyone to post here. I just installed a PIE adapter on my 2000 Honda Accord V6 and am kicking myself for fiddling around with an iTrip all these years. I don’t have a 6-CD changer so I simply used the open 14 pin port.
For anyone else with the same model Honda, the dash cover was really hard to pry off and just like others said, I thought I was going to crack it but it magically pops off before that happens. I spent hours reading these posts as well as a few other sites but from the time I unscrewed the first bolt to closing it up with the iPod playing was under 45 minutes. However, I didn’t do anything fancy with the mini plug. I don’t mind it sticking out under the center dash cover.
Total cost to me was $57 for the PIE and $5 for the Belkin RCA-to-mini adapter cable!
September 14th, 2006 at 4:31 pm
Wow, this is a really huge page. It would be absolutely wonderful if someone could sum all this up.
Basically, all someone with a 2001-2005 civic needs is the BLITZSAFE adapter and their set?
October 26th, 2006 at 11:35 am
I installed the PIE adapter in my 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid a few months ago, right before a 4 week road trip.
The installation was, well, almost great. I guess I didn’t quite get how to get that bottom panel off (the one with the 12v outlet in it). I ended up breaking it a little. It still snaps back in, but not as securely as it used to. I also scratched up the surface next to the panel a little in my efforts. I count this as totally my fault. I know this can be done with no damage to the car. I was able to plug in the adapter by just removing that one panel and reaching up to feel for the plug. I am very small and it was still kinda hard. I followed the same instructions as for the regular civic, and there was no problem with starting the car back up after reconnecting the battery.
So, I had the adapter plugged into the back of the stereo, and then the rca cord going from the adapter to my ipod (via the headphone jack). I didn’t ground it or anything. I did used a power adapter to plug my ipod into the 12v outlet.
On my road trip I used this setup for over 8 hours at a time. We had it on constantly. It worked perfecty… until about the 3rd week. At this point the adapter started randomly failing. It was like it wasn’t connected at all. Sometimes it would come right back, sometimes it would take a few minutes, or hours. The time got longer and longer. After the trip, the adapter only very rarely works. If it does ever show up, it only works for a couple minutes. My ipod was completely unaffected by this problem. It was only the adapter that had difficulties.
It seems like the adapter may have shorted out from such intense use. I have not opened everything up to try to check the connection to the stereo. It seems to me if that was the problem it would not go on and off at such random intervals. Also, that connection seemed pretty solid when I plugged it in (though it was a tough angle).
Should I try to check the adapter/stereo connection? Should I just take it out and call it broken? Any suggestions?
November 8th, 2006 at 8:57 pm
Does anyone know how i can connect my kenwood music keg to my 2003 honda accord factory radio? I really like the head unit and i don’t want to have to replace it with another one.
Thanks
November 14th, 2006 at 11:42 am
Hi, All this info is great, but I didnt see if anyone has had my problem. My problem is that I have a 2001 Honda Civic, with the factory radio, but its a single CD changer. I want to be able to use my ipod 30g, but I dont know if there is an adapter I can install that will allow me to use it from the radio, for example RCA input. Does anyone have any suggestions? I dont want to use the FM transmitters. I bought the Belkin, and lets just say its one step away from being tossed out the window. thanks…
November 14th, 2006 at 5:34 pm
isnt it easier to just buy a radio transmitter for you ipod. set the radio frequency and you done
From Ben: Sure, it’s easy. But, quite honestly, they sound like absolute crap compared to a hard-wired solution, plus if you’re road-tripping, you’ve got to change stations every so often. I’ve been preaching it all along, but in short, here’s how the quality stacks up (from lowest to highest): FM Transmitter, FM Modulator (direct to FM antenna input), Cassette adapter, AUX input. Additionally, the FM broadcast frequencies don’t carry nearly enough bandwidth to carry a full signal. FM radio is like a 96 kbps MP3 file. All my music is encoded as 192 kbps AAC files, and I’ve got the ears to tell the difference.
For single-car installation (especially if you have any other option), I CANNOT advocate an FM transmitter solution. That said, I do have an FM transmitter for when I’m on the road and in a rental car for work. But, tucked in my bag is also a cassette adapter and a 1/8-1/8 patch cable, in case the car has either of those available, because seriously, anything is better than an FM transmitter.
December 8th, 2006 at 5:18 pm
Amazing that this thread is still going strong… Thanks for the help… just ordered a blitzsafe for my ‘03 Civic LX. I was able to feel the connector after removing the lower panel (which was a small challenge for me).
If anyone needs to find there security code, mine was on a sticker in the glove box. It was somewhat obvious since there were 5 numbers all between 1-6.
December 17th, 2006 at 3:50 pm
I have a 2002 honda civic and can’t get the stereo out any advice?
December 28th, 2006 at 1:05 am
Hey Ben,
Your images have disappeared again. I might be buying a 2001 Honda Civic Coupe EX, and I need some way to hook up my iPod, and my cousin suggested this. If you could put those images back up there, I’d really appreciate it.
Seth
Seth, thanks – don’t know what happened there – the URLs got all fouled up. Images should be back now. I’m going to be updating this in the new year – I just got a new integration set (harman kardon’s drive+play system) that I’ll be installing.
December 28th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
Until that happens, the missing pictures can be viewed here:
http://web.archive.org/web/20050206005721/http://www.ben-johnson.org/blog/archives/2003/07/37/
January 2nd, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Hey got a question for you, Where do I find the code for my stereo. I got a new battery put in and when I turned on my stereo it said CODE? Looked in my car manuel, didn’t find anything. Please I need some help
January 2nd, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Hey Ben,great instruction – just what I was looking for – thanks. Great job on the website too.
Be Well,
Tom
January 13th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
Thanks SOOO much, one thing though when putting the wire through you can just remove the little space side the cigarette lighter.. just squeeze in the tabs and it pops out.
January 20th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I have a 2001 LX…it has the factory head unit with cassette, as well as a single disc player beneath it. Has anyone been successful with this configuration? I fear that the disc player is already using my auxiliary port, but don’t want to tear apart the dash to find this out.
January 30th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
Does this particular setup work for a 2005?
February 2nd, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Thanks so much for this description. Just bought a 2001 Civic EX yesterday, and was bummed that I couldn’t use my tape adapter anymore. This is of course the better option, and am excited to get the hardware and do this.
February 14th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Best Solution… DENSION
Controls IPOD with Changer controls and charges… If vehicle has RDS/CD text, ID3 tags will be displayed on factory display.
February 14th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
The above looks like a spammy comment, but it’s marginally on-topic, so I’ve left it and just posted my reply.
I don’t really think that’s the best solution. I don’t want to have to reach over to the head unit to control jumping tracks, and on a Honda Civic (at least the ‘01), I don’t have RDS/CD-Text capability on the stock head unit. My solution charges the iPod, puts the controls at my fingertips (literally, right off the end of my armrest), and can be accomplished for well under $100.
What I think is a far better solution for the “next level” of iPod integration for a car is something more like the harman/kardon drive+play system. You get an iPod styled controller you can mount anywhere, and an auxiliary display that you can mount on the dash, center console, ceiling, whereever’s convenient. Then, you can navigate the system from the display, which can be located in your normal line of sight, so you don’t need to take your eyes off the road *at all* to manage your iPod.
Coincidentally, I got one of these for Christmas, but my car spent January in a body shop thanks to a guy who rear-ended me, so I’m just waiting for a marginally warm day (I’ll settle for 40 degrees, even!) to do the install, and I’ll update this article with new and improved pics…
February 18th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
I just installed an AUX-BOX (Pacific Accessory Corporation) in my 2003 Honda Civic for my IPOD. The dashboard disassembly/AUXBOX hookup went fairly quickly (I’ve completed a similar hookup in a Toyota Prius), but I am having a bit of trouble at the end. When I turn on my IPOD, I only get sound for 1-2 seconds before it cuts out. I turned the car (and the IPOD) on/off several times to no avail. Any suggestions?
Rob
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I used your guide last year to install my head unit and my ipod connector and it was very helpful, I did exactly what you did until I purchased a Pioneer ipod converter which charges and plays my ipod through the head unit. But I have another question, you wouldn’t happen to know how to remove the door panels to install 6 1/2″ speaker would you? If you do that would be great. I am very nervous about removing the door panels on my car. Thanks
March 8th, 2007 at 9:28 am
Thanks for the guide, helped me a lot and I didn’t think I’d be able to do it on my own. This site has the instructions right on one page ipod installation for all Honda models. They also sell the Honda ipod link kit for about $158, of course this is for 2006 models and newer, and apparently not for all versions of the Odyssey.
March 24th, 2007 at 7:20 am
Just installed the aux adapter in my wife’s ‘01 Civic. This site and the photos were extremely helpful. Thanks for providing it!! One tip: I was able to do it without removing the upper panel (step d). Using a mirror and a flashlight, I was able to locate the socket on the back of the radio. It wasn’t too difficult to plug in the adapter just reaching up in there.
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:59 am
I just bought a 2007 Civic EX. It already has the Aux input but I don’t have an IPod I have an IRiver and when I hooked it up to the Aux input, the IRiver wouldn’t play thru the car’s speakers. Is the Aux input only compatible with an IPod?
THanks
April 10th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
I have a 2004 Honda Civic LX… I want to hookup up some mp3 players. I have a Napster mp3 player and I have a Pocket PC. What do I need to hook either one of these up. I was reading about a grounding problem and I noticed if you use the blitzsafe with and IPOD because it charges it it doesn’t make that noise… but I don’t have an IPOD. Any sugestions?
April 10th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
An update to my cassette + single disc quandry:
In the end I decided to install a Pioneer head unit that has an auxiliary port on the front. I’ll probably drive this vehicle into the ground, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get a digital IPOD connection and make CD’s sound better at the same time.
Anyway, I did notice what looked to be 1 or 2 additional ports on the back of the cassette receiver when I was uninstalling the factory unit. I have no idea if they would work or not, but it may be worth testing if anyone else has the same setup and is considering the HON-AUX solution.
Ben, thanks for the instructions and photos; they were very helpful.
April 20th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
Hey- just wanted to add some input in case anyone might find it useful. I picked up a Mio c310x navigation unit (highly hackable and awesome toy). I wanted to use this as an mp3 player in my 2004 civic lx (MT) because I have never had an mp3 player before. I purchased the hon98-aux on enfig.com and added in a y-splitter to bump me just past $50 for free shipping. This shipped in just a day! I asked a friend if he’d like to help over the weekend and instead he just went into my car and ripped some stuff out and hooked it up in only about a half hour. We grounded the cable and it worked! However, there were a couple drawbacks. The first is that the sound will not be nearly as loud as a cd or radio. I was able to compensate for this by adjusting equalizer controls on the mp3 player and it sounded a lot better. I will only occasionally max out the volume now (on the highway, windows open). The other drawback was the ground loop. When the unit was not plugged in/or not playing a file, there is a very small beep that can be heard. this is not a big deal because it completely disappears when it recognizes an mp3/video. The real problem was plugging in the car charger at the same time. This would create an incredibly loud humming or buzzing or beeping or feedback or whatever you want to call it. I read that this might be due to the grounding on the hon98-aux. Apparently grounding + unit not plugged to charger = ok AND not grounding + unit plugged to charger = ok. This may be fixed with a switch for the ground. I also read that problems like this can be fixed with a ground loop isolator. I picked one up at radio shack for about $18. It is basically a 2 rca to 2 rca wire: the 2 male rca ends linked to the isolator linked to another 2 male rca. It doesn’t make sense to me to have 2 male rca on each side, but it also comes with a y-splitter(2 female rca to 1 3.5 male). I hooked this up instead of my other wire and it completely solved the problem. I can now charge or not charge. All in all, this project was only about $70 and is well worth it. I now have up to 4 gb (depending on my sd card) of music, videos, and gps navigation through my car speakers. If anyone wants pics I suppose I could post some in the future. Hope this helps.
April 30th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
@ Jamie -> some pics of your install would be great
April 30th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
I just installed the Blitzsafe aux adapter in my 2001 Civic. The information in this site is very helpful. Thanks to everyone sharing their experience.
I had cassette and single disk player and I did like the OEM look of dash and I really do not want put any aftermarket stereo, so got new cd player and tray off the eBay. Here are some pictures of my installation.
I have weird issue if I plug-in sandisk sansa/Samsung yepp devices I can’t increase the volume all the way up, if I do that I music will be on and off… I have to reduce player volume and increase the stereo volume. I do not have this issue with notebooks and pocket pc. Anyone has same issue?
I called Blitzsafe folks they say the aux is not meant for dynamic volume, still if am not satisfied suggested to get replacement.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Somehow the pictures didn’t showup in my post
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/hanchan/04-30-07_1426.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/hanchan/04-30-07_1425.jpg
May 16th, 2007 at 4:40 am
thanks
May 28th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
thanks, usefull
June 14th, 2007 at 7:33 am
You guys rock! I thought connecting my satellite radio to my honda was never going to happen… until google stubled upon this gem of a page!
My equipment: 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid, Sirius Stiletto 100, Blitzsafe HON/AUX DMX V.1 adapter from enfig stereo ($60)
Got the panel popped out (where the cigarette lighter is – like in Ben’s picture), and my wife was able to get her hand up inside the console and plug the blitzsafe adapter into the radio… literally took about 15 minutes… (the most time fishing for the picture that you can only ‘picture’ what it looks and feels like.
I was glad when I found this, because, although I absolutely love my Stiletto, the FM transmitter that comes with the car dock sucks. This site and cable was the ticket and it sounds awesome!
Thanks Ben and everyone else here!
– Mike in Delaware
June 14th, 2007 at 7:34 am
You guys rock! I thought connecting my satellite radio to my honda was never going to happen… until google stubled upon this gem of a page!
My equipment: 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid, Sirius Stiletto 100, Blitzsafe HON/AUX DMX V.1 adapter from enfig stereo ($60)
Got the panel popped out (where the cigarette lighter is – like in Ben’s picture), and my wife was able to get her hand up inside the console and plug the blitzsafe adapter into the radio… literally took about 15 minutes… (the most time was spent fishing for the plug that you can only ‘picture’ what it looks and feels like.
I was glad when I found this, because, although I absolutely love my Stiletto, the FM transmitter that comes with the car dock sucks. This site and cable was the ticket and it sounds awesome!
Thanks Ben and everyone else here!
– Mike in Delaware
June 20th, 2007 at 7:30 am
Possibly stupid question: Does installing the HON98-AUX or the Harman-Kardon unit disable the CD player? Or do you just push the CD button twice to get it working? Great walkthrough. Thanks!
July 5th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Thanks for the guide! I have a question: I’m doing this on my Civic 04 EX, and although slightly different, I am at the part where I have access to the two 8mm bolts under the radio assembly. I have tried on both of these for at least an hour… niether bolt will budge at all. They seem to be torqued down from the factory. Any helpful advice you can give me? Keep in mind I don’t have access to an impact wrench.
July 6th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Thanks Ben! You rock.
Check your radio before you install… my 2001 Civic EX had a 14-pin connector so I had to buy HON98-AUX.
Also bought the Scosche DCAXU, which is an RCA to 1/8-inch adaptor, and mounted it directly in the center console (to the right of the rear defrost). It looks great and sounds fantastic too!
July 6th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
I bought the SCOSCHE FMMOD01 Universal FM Modulator, I was wondering where, in my honda civic EX (just like the one in the pictures above) I can find the male and female antenna connectors and the 12V conector that’s required to install this puppy in my car. Thanks!!
August 25th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
I’m having the same problem as Alex. Am able to remove the lower panel, but the center panel is very difficult. I am not able to locate the bolt though.
Anyone have any info/diagrams that would help me locate this? I was able to find all the clips and loosen them all, but the panel will still not come loose.
Any help much appreciated!
September 10th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
I installed the Grom audio iPod adapter in my 2003 Honda Civic EX with manual transmission this morning. I hope these notes may help someone else.
The Grom is the least expensive adapter that I found which can control basic functions from the car stereo. With shipping, it was about $75. You’ll find them at eBay. Like several of these units, the iPod cable that came with it plugs into the Grom adapter box, so it can be updated in the future if need be. The sound is great. Clear, no hums, no need for separate grounding. This unit charges the iPod, too. One wire that does it all. Easy and clean install.
The removal of the center console lower panel to get in back of the radio has some quirks in the manual transmission model that were different than the diagrams. Mainly, DO NOT remove the silver trim ring around the stick shift. There is a screw that comes up from below into this trim ring, and trying to pry off this ring results in breaking it. (Yep, you can guess how I know.) The good news is that there is no reason to remove the ring: when the black plastic piece to which it is mounted is pried up, the ring can just stay mounted right to that.
Next, remove the colored plastic piece that has two arms coming back toward the emergency brake. This is the piece into which the lower console cover with the power socket is attached, which is the one that you really need to remove to get at the stereo from behind. On this model, the lower console cover is screwed in to the colored/armed piece from behind. Once you get the colored/armed piece free, the lower console cover will just lift off with it. On the other hand, if you just try to pry it off, it will break.
Once the deconstruction is done, it is just a matter of reaching behind and plugging in. It seems impossible, until it just goes in! It was helpful to me to have folks point out that the socket is on the right rear of the radio, with “right” meaning on the side closest to the glovebox.
Thanks for keeping this thread up!
-Sherri
September 25th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
None of the previous tags addressed the newer hondas. I have a 2006 Honda Civic that has the aux button on the radio face plate but does not have the single female aux jack for MP3/1st generation IPODs. Is there a Honda harness available for a quick and simple solution.
September 27th, 2007 at 1:57 am
I have a 2001 Honda Civic Ex. I bought the Hon98-Aux from logjamelectronics.com No problems with that transaction. Then I did purchase the instructions from carstereohelp.com for $4.99. I did this thinking there would be helpful advice on how to pop the clips without denting or breaking anything. Don’t waste your money as I did. The pics on this site are about the same as the pics you’ll spend $4.99 to get from that site. Bottom line…they had nothing else to offer besides similar pics that Ben has. On the 2001 Civic, the portion of the dash with the cigarette lighter is easy to remove. I did it with a small screw driver with no marks. Then I tried to remove the upper part containing the stereo. This was not quite as easy. So here is where I would differ in the install instructions. Rather than spend 20 minutes or so figuring out how to get the upper (stereo part) clips to release without damaging anything I spent that same amount of time figuring out how to plug the Hon98 Aux in without removing that section. This can be done by most people as I have rather large hands. I felt up to the back of the stereo to see where the input needed to go. (The side with the push release goes up.) Then I felt my way through it, and kept at it until I was able to plug the input into the stereo. It was a pain in a.. at times because it felt like my hand was too big to get the right angle. I got it after about 15 minutes and it seemed easier than removing the whole thing. Not only that, but I didn’t disconnect the power and have to worry about getting the security code for the stereo to work again.
To conclude… it can be done by only removing the lower portion where the power supply is located. It just takes some feeling around and a red bull and vodka.
October 11th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
I have a 2004 Civic Hybrid and an iPhone that I’d like to connect inline. I use a Monster iCarplay charger/FM transmitter now which works OK(typical FM audio quality) but of course if you leave the iPhone in non-airplane mode(GSM Edge and WiFi enabled) you get the buzzing and beeping through the dock connector. I know this doesn’t come through the headphone connector of the iPhone since I can wear the earbuds and listen to music buzz free while the iPhone checks email. What are folks opinions of using a PIE Hon-Aux and then running the audio out of the headphone connector of the iphone and let the Monster just charge the iPhone?
Timbrewer
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:55 am
Any chance of posting the HON98-AUX converter wiring harness/pin connection? (Based on the diagrams included with the converter). I would like to install a MP3 player that’s not an iPod on a 2005 Civic.
December 23rd, 2007 at 12:34 pm
I used the iPod2Car made by Peripheral Electronics for my 2001 Honda Civic 2 door LX. I bought it from Crutchfield.com for about $100. It’s nice because you connect it to the CD Changer slot, you can use the RW/FF buttons to seek or skip ahead or back, and your iPod still functions normally.
I used a slim kitchen knife to pop the cigarette lighter panel off. I had to put some significant work into slipping the knife into the slit on the sides; trying to pry the bottom of the panel was worthless. After quite a lot of prying and thinking I was going to break the panel or the knife through the side, it popped off. I have some minor scratches from that but it’s fine since it’s low down. After pulling the cigarette lighter connector off, I just reached up behind the dashboard without doing the A/C and radio disconnect bit. The CD changer plug is on the right side (i.e. passenger side) of the radio, just to the side of what felt like a parallel/IDE cable sized plug on the back of the radio. I’m routing the iPod dock cable out a gap near the floor towards the rear of the space where the ashtray panel area goes. It’s nice and neat, and didn’t require any other damage. The iPod2Car pack came with a holder that I’m fixing to the spot just under the radio and to the right of the rear defogger button. The hardest part was getting over the anticipation of doing some damage to my car!
December 26th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Ben,
Can you use one of the FM transmitter/car charger docks that insert into the car lighter/power supply as the power supply for this installation? I have one, and figure that would also serve as a holder for the iPod as well.
January 24th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
This set up is just an aux jack for your radio. You need not go purchase an Ipod to use this, any mp3 player will work. Try a Zune, better mp3 decoder = better sound quality and truer high and low end sounds. The ipod is kleenex, just the brand, and nowhere near the best sounding mp3 player on the market.
Ben’s note: Sure, it’s basically just providing an aux input into the stock head unit. You couldn’t pay me enough money to use a Zune. I don’t give a flying you-know-what about the MP3 decoder, because nearly all of my music (aside from the stuff I get from iTunes) is in >192 kbps AAC format. Since AAC gives higher quality at equivalent bitrates, a better MP3 decoder is a non-starter. When I’m not in the car, my iPod’s hooked to Shure SE530s or Sennheiser HD600s (via a dedicated headphone amp I built), so I’m quite aware of how good music sounds. The Civic is not an audiophile’s car anyhow, so the quality of the Zune’s decoder is completely irrelevant to our discussion.
That, and who the hell actually owns a Zune? Their market share’s what, 5%?
Since this article, I’ve upgraded to the Harman/Kardon drive+play kit for better iPod integration. Now, my iPod’s stashed in the center console, display next to the A-pillar, controller where my iPod used to be. Can’t do that with a Zune, because there are barely any 3rd party accessories for it!
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:25 pm
hey man , i dont know how much you check this and i have a cpl Qs for you about doing this to my 02 EX..
can you add me on facebook?
lol sorry wierd request
figured you were the best person to ask though, looks like youre a genius on this stuff…:)
Leah Bauer
Indiana
April 10th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Thanks so much for sharing.
June 15th, 2008 at 2:18 am
I installed over the weekend but every so often there is a split second where the music stops..as if it’s skipping (but it’s not a CD). Maybe it is shorting out? What would cause this split second stoppage to occur and what can I do?
I installed the converter that circuit city sells…its not the P.I.E or the Blitzsafe..just a general adapter that includes an Ipod connection instead of RCA.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Thanks for the help, had to get the serial number off the radio to aquire the code to reset radio as I bought vehicle used. Your diagram and directions were perfect.
MMC
June 24th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
I have a 2003 honda civic and an iphone. I was wondering if this would work for me? Just now sure if it would be different to do with iphone instead of an ipod? Thank you
July 18th, 2008 at 10:59 am
CAR: ‘01 Civic w/factory radio
Convertor: HON 98 AUX PIE from Logjam
This setup pleases me thoroughly. My PIE came with a grounding wire. If you have the ipod volume down, you must crank the head unit vol. This introduces a soft hiss. So go the other way and run with the ipod vol high and keep the head unit vol down. The sound is awesome! Also, as stated earlier you don’t have to pull the whole stereo unit out to reach the back of the stereo. You can remove it, however, without using prying tools by simply tilting the ac vents down and opening the flip lid below the stereo. Use both hands to firmly pull the console out – the securing clips will give way with enough effort. By removing the unit, I was able to run the 3.5 mm (1/8″) cable over towards the glove compartment. I then routed the cord between the plastic and the carpet back towards the hand brake. (No cutting and wire is out of sight.) One last thing – logjam charges $15 for the RCA-3.5mm. You can get the same cable from Radio Shack for $5. Please note that 3.5 mm and 1/8″ is the same.
Thanks Ben for the blog..
September 11th, 2008 at 8:27 am
seems like a lot of trouble for a iPod car connection??
I got one from http://www.ipodcarkitdirect.co.uk that i think is excellent, its exactly what i wanted and i installed it my self (with ease) and there are others available i think dension and dice?. i’d definately recommend geing a dension any day
September 12th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
hello, thanks for providing the info on this page! I just wanted to clarify something – I just bought the drive and play as well. Do I need to follow the steps for the HON-AUX first before I follow the steps for the d + p? Thank you!
October 21st, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Hi,can you sent me few pictures to take out center console and remove stereo?
Thanks!
Wen
November 8th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Hi Ben,
Thanks much for providing these details. I installed the ipod on my car, it was as smooth as butter.
Thanks
Deepak
November 19th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Thanks for your informative site. After reading it I had the courage to buy the harman/kardon drive+play (Amazon $29 inc tax & shipping)and the input converter (Ebay $49 inc shipping). I was able the get the input converter plugged into the radio without pulling the radio panel out (just the cigarette lighter panel). It’s a bit tight back there but with a little patience it went in. I mounted the drive+play display to the left of the cigarette lighter without the base so it’s somewhat flush. The control knob thingy is mounted on the center console near the cup holders. I put the Ipod connector in the little slide door (lined with foam)near the emergency brake. The “brain” of the unit, along with all the wires are under the center console (lots of room under there). I have a 2001 Civic EX with automatic. Not sure if the other models or years are the same. It looks like the harmon/kardon unit has been upgraded (better display as well as some add’l features) which is why the the older model was so cheap. Again thanks.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:50 am
After reading your site and the many comments left here I managed to install an aux input into my 2001 Honda Civic LX last night without a hitch! I got the HON98-AUX adapter from crutchfieldcanada.com and bought a panel mount 3.5mm input from a local surplus store for a buck. Then I used one of the many RCA wires lying around my house to solder that to the 3.5mm input, at which point I was ready to get to dismantling the car.
I managed to get the panel where the 12-volt power socket resides off fairly easily, though a little piece of plastic from the panel did break off. It was ok since it’s a piece in behind and not visible at all. I then took the plastic cover from where the fog lights would be and installed the aux inoput into that just like Raj did (see his comment somewhere way above, and thanks for the idea!). I couldn’t get my big hand up under the climate control panel and so decided to take it out as well since I wanted to make sure I attached the grounding wire from the HON98-AUX unit somewhere securely, and this wire isn’t very long. I disconnected the battery first, of course, to avoid getting zapped. Taking the climate control and radio panel out was not super easy, but I didn’t need any tools either. I started from the top left and worked my way around to the right. One metal clip broke as it released, but I think that had nothing to do with what I was doing and simply was a matter of the metal being brittle. Once I had the thing removed it was easy as pie to hook everything up, secure the grounding wire to an existing screw in behind the dash, secure the HON98-AUX unit with a tie, and put everything back together.
It works like a charm! The next thing I want to do is to split the 12-volt socket in behind the dash and plug in the power adapter for my satellite radio behind the panel so it is nice and neat and so that I still have the socket in the front available for other things. I just have to decide where I’m going to mount the satellite radio so that I know where I need to run the power cord.
Thanks for the site and all the useful comments! This is a great little project that keeps the stock radio in your car and maintains the original look.
January 31st, 2009 at 1:40 pm
I just installed the Blitzsafe HON/AUX DMX V.1 from Enfig Car Stereo in NJ.
http://enfigcarstereo.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/HON_AUX_DMX_V1.html
My vehicle is a 2004 Honda 2-Door Civic VP with automatic transmission, center console/armrest & no cigarette lighter/ashtray with a single CD player AM/FM radio.
I printed and followed the installation instructions here:
http://limulus.net/files/misc/04cdcass.pdf
Note that it was NOT necessary to remove the center console (Step 8).
While I could feel the opening for the connector I was not able to reach up and plug the connector into the back of the radio, so I had to pull out the center panel. I used a putty knife to pry out the retaining clips while pushing from the rear of the center panel. Take your time, go for one clip at a time and you won’t damage anything.
I secured the adapter to the steel cross brace behind the dashboard center lower cover using some heavy duty plastic hook/loop tape (similar to Velcro) from Radio Shack.
I mounted a 1/8″ panel mount stereo jack in the dashboard center lower cover just to the right of the accessory power socket connector. I soldered pigtails from RCA male cables to the stereo jack so that I could easily unplug the connectors from the adapter if necessary.
I secured all the cables with tie wraps so that they won’t rattle around.
Everything in the console went back together smoothly and securely.
To operate the aux input, I push the CD/Tape button, the radio briefly displays CD1-99 then goes back to displaying the time of day. Push the CD/Tape button again to play a CD. Push the AM/FM button to listen to the radio.
Everything looks and sounds terrific. I only regret not doing this YEARS ago instead of compromising with the poor sound quality and interference problems of the FM radio transmitter I’ve been using.
Total installation time was ~1 hour.
Thanks to everyone in this forum for the tips and confidence building advice. I was hesitant to tear apart my console, but it was not nearly as challenging as I thought it would be. Just take your time, don’t force anything, be gentle and patient and you too will be enjoying your favorite tunes in you Civic!
alBERT in Orlando
February 15th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Great article and the posts are equally impressive because it tells about lots of models so it helps very much
I got a 2003 Honda Civic LX Automatic recently from a private seller. I was initially disappointed that no AUX input exists but the deal was awesome so could not resist it.
I googled and found this article but found that the article photos did not match mine but gave an attempt at opening the lower console but it did not work. Spent more than 20 minutes and was afraid I might break it. One of the articles above that hinted and pointed me to http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/AI/AII24165.pdf. It provided how to install the lighter but as mentioned above by someone I did Step 7 only to remove the panel. This time it took about 10 minutes and was pretty confident.
Then I took the battery negative terminal off and then took the wire behind the 12V plug.
I bought the blitsafe from http://enfigcarstereo.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/HON_AUX_DMX_V1.html which was going at $43 and the PIE 3.5-RCA6MM adapter from http://enfigcarstereo.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/PIE_35RCA6MM.html. Ordered together and saved a bit.
I did not remove the top stereo part though I initially thought might have to. I pried around a little bit with my hand to feel the 14-pin and then plugged the blitzsafe adapter in 5 minutes. Thankfully the lower center console had a couple of opening that I could remove and passed the wire through it. Put everything back in 2 minutes and switched it on and boom it started working.
Thanks for everyone who helped with inputs. I have never done a fitting on the car all by myself as I am not a car techie. I never think that I would have done without seeing this post and all in all I would say it was impressive. Thank you so much.
March 13th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Hi,
Good job! Nice and clear instructions. Reading it through I was wondering if you would be interested in to see our iPod car tray concept called MediaBridge and share with us your opinion. You can find our blog about the MediaBridge concept at http://plds-mediabridge.blogspot.com/. We have prepared an in-vehicle demo of our concept and would love to hear back from guys like you who are looking for alternative solutions to connect and iPod to the car radio.
March 16th, 2009 at 8:41 am
PLDS – my opinion? I’m not interested. What it looks like you’re doing is providing an automated drawer to stash the iPod in the center console and using someone else’s 3rd party head unit. To me, that’s not really a significant value-add. A motorized drawer is unnecessary “bling”, like spinner rims. Further, I don’t want to control the iPod/iPhone from the head unit for a couple of reasons:
1) Takes my eyes off the road
2) It’s a reach
3) I haven’t seen a headunit that gives you full “just like the device” level of control. You can change tracks, turn shuffle on/off, etc, but you don’t get the full functionality in most 3rd party units.
The harman/kardon drive+play setup is really the ideal solution to me in terms of car integrations for a few reasons:
1) Provides hidden install options with *full* device control
2) Has a display that shows useful info and can be remotely mounted in a driver-preferred location for viewing (ie, the dashboard right next to the A pillar)
3) The controller provides full access to the device and mimics the iPod interface, and can be mounted in a driver-friendly location (center console by where the hand naturally falls off the armrest)
It does have a couple of downfalls that have led to me no longer using it:
1) Not compatible with 3G iPhone. Showstopper bug.
2) Twitchy voltage requirements – it wants a 12V feed, but on a cold day, the power system’s voltage drops just enough under load (blower running on HI + defroster on) that it flickers on and off
Short answer? I’m not biting.
November 13th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Just got a 09 civic ex in the family. Wife loves the IPOD but can’t listen in the car, i’ll have to try this out.