PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - 2002 E320-Running a cable from trunk to center Armrest...

suginami · #5 03-20-2005, 12:50 PM

O.K., I thought I needed to explain a little bit more to those who haven't tried to hook up an iPod to a Mercedes factory radio.

The best ipod connectins are those that hook up to the CD changer port and the docking station of the ipod. This lets you use the CD changer buttons on your head unit control the ipod. It also charges the iPod at the same time because you are plugged into the docking station port of the iPod.

The problem with this is that by plugging the iPod into the CD changer port, you can no longer use a cd Changer. I have found this will not be a problem with me, as my iPod currently has about 6,000 songs on it, whereas my cd changer only holds 6 cd's. From the day I hooked up my iPod to my 300E, I never once listened to a cd again.

The companies that make these iPod cables that plug into the CD changer port only make them for factory radio's like GM, Ford, etc. as well as popular aftermarket brands like Pioneer, Sony, and Alpine.

As of yet, not one company makes an iPod cable that will plug into a Mercedes factory radio. Dension just announced that they will make a cable that will work on 2006 and newer Mercedes models.

Sooooo, without the ability to buy a cable that will work with your CD changer port, you have to buy a cable that plugs into the RCA jacks of the AUX input jacks of your car stereo, that is if your radio has them.

Many companies make a cable that has RCA jacks on one end that plug into the AUX Input jacks at the back of your car stereo, and on the other end has mini jacks (1/8" ???) that will allow you to plug into the speaker jacks at the top of the ipod. This lets you listen to your Ipod through your car speakers. However, you are using the battery of your iPod, not your car, which is a major drawback.

Dension is the only company that I've discovered after lengthy searching on the World Wide Web that makes an AUX input cable that plugs into the docking port on the bottom of the iPod.

This works great, but you can't control the iPod from the CD changer functions on the head unit.

So, like I posted above, if you buy one of the "CD Changer to AUX input adaptors" from Soundgate or Blitzsafe, you can use the Dension Icelink cable to hook into this adaptor, letting you use your iPod in your car, allowing the batteries to charge at the same time, and also use your CD changer functions to control the music and also read the song info on your head unit, exactly as you would when playing a CD.