AUX Input

"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
02/28/2016 at 17:51 • Filed to: None

I want to have this radio modified to include a pigtail for a 1/8" AUX input. YES, we’ve used a number of cassette adapters, and they work great, but the cassette player is no longer functional in this radio. YES, I can buy another radio on Ebay, but this is the second one.

Does anybody know where I might get such a surgery performed on this radio?

DISCUSSION (25)

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2016 at 17:58

That looks like a double DIN deck, If you aren’t attached to the OEM unit just buy a decent deck from crutchfield. They come with the wiring kit for your car and a plastic cubby to take up the vacant space.

Scott > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2016 at 18:04

If you can’t do it yourself, my guess would be that you will not be able to get it done at a cost that makes it worth doing. These days electronic repair shops that could do such a job are pretty rare. Also the schematics for that radio are probably even harder to find than a place that can do such a job.

vdub_nut: scooter snob > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/28/2016 at 18:12

It sounds like OP wants to keep the stock “too shitty to be worth breaking into” look, while adding functionality. An aux cord can be routed quite stealthily to the center console, and only the owner would even know.

JGrabowMSt > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2016 at 18:13

U Pull a replacement?

vdub_nut: scooter snob > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2016 at 18:14

FWIW, I’ve heard about people doing this, but I believe they had deep deep understanding of electronics. I once accidentally back-fed ipod audio into a stereo deck, but I was informed (after like 2 day sof doing it) that it was just a matter of time until doing so fried the deck, the ipod, or both.

I think there’s a way to replace either the AM or FM antenna with a line in, but I can’t remember where i even saw it.

DrJohannVegas > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2016 at 18:17

Can you take a photo of the OEM label on the casing? If I can find a schematic, we might be able to get you rolling.

PowderHound > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2016 at 18:27

I've seen stuff about wiring one in to the system and using a blank cd to make it all work. If you aren't going to use the tape player ever you could find the audio output cables and tap on to them maybe?

MM54 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2016 at 18:27

I opened up the AM radio in my chevelle and wired in an ‘aux’ jack on a switch, so one position it was AM radio, the other it feeds the signal from the jack into the power amp. It wasn’t hard to do (just took a little while to figure out where I could interrupt the signal.

With a stereo like this (i.e. not a 45+ year old AM radio circuit with mechanical presets) I would imagine that it’s a lot tougher to figure out an appropriate injection point.

I can’t imagine that you will be able to find a shop to do this that won’t cost you more than it’s worth. Your best bet may be to try to interrupt the cassette signal into the power amp (especially since the deck doesn’t work already).

dogisbadob > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2016 at 18:29

You could probably find the instructions on a forum like ToyotaNation.

Paying someone else to do it would probably cost almost as much as just buying on on eBay with the mod already done.

You could also buy a Scion radio. Still the standard double-DIN size, should be easy to find with an AUX input already in, and will fit fine since Toyota uses the same connectors for most non-premium radios (think the Mark Levinson system used in some Lexus models).

I installed a newer Toyota radio in the ES250 I used to have, and your radio looks to be from the same time period or not much newer.

Urambo Tauro > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2016 at 18:32

You know, I was going to look into doing the same thing to my truck. It has that goofy non-DIN sizing, and that sweet Delco SCV feature, so I don’t want to replace the whole thing if I don’t have to.

I know there are Instructables out there on how to do it, but honestly, it’s pretty far down the priority list of things I’m doing on this truck...

But it can be done!

DrJohannVegas > PowderHound
02/28/2016 at 18:54

Yea, most of the modified ones (largely GM Delcos) you see on eBay have had the jack wired right to the preamp input normally used by the tape deck. Same logic would apply here.

Eggplant > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2016 at 20:22

Can you get into the deck? A lot of OEMs will have just enough leads labelled on the boards to be able to tap into them.

When you say the tape deck isn’t functional, what exactly do you mean by that? Does it not accept tapes? Do they go in but the motor doesn’t go? Do you just get no sound?

RazoE > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2016 at 20:23

Supra? I had the exact same one in my 92 Supra. I’ve seen some already converted on eBay.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/28/2016 at 21:47

Right, be we’re afraid of the car getting broken into.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > vdub_nut: scooter snob
02/28/2016 at 21:48

Called it.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > DrJohannVegas
02/28/2016 at 21:49

Dr. V, have you ever dabbled with such a thing? I had one of the Delco radios you mention in a Lumina a few years back. This is exactly what I want to do.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > MM54
02/28/2016 at 21:50

Yes, my thinking as well.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > dogisbadob
02/28/2016 at 21:50

Brilliant! I’ll take a look. Thanks for the tip.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > vdub_nut: scooter snob
02/28/2016 at 21:52

Yeah, I’ve dabbled with the FM input, but it sounded crappy and there was radio interference in major cities with lots of FM radio stations. Dogisbadob mentions above that he saw other radios from other Toyota products that might work. I’m going to look.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > JGrabowMSt
02/28/2016 at 21:53

Not yet. That one is out of the car. Takes about 120 seconds to pull.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > DrJohannVegas
02/28/2016 at 22:00

Kinja'd!!!

JGrabowMSt > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2016 at 22:54

Kinja'd!!!

DrJohannVegas > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/29/2016 at 02:00

Ok, it’s a Panasonic (kinda). I’ll see what I can find. To answer your other comment: I’ve done plenty of component-level modification on stereo stuff, although I haven’t done this particular mod. I’ll get back to you on this thread soon.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > DrJohannVegas
02/29/2016 at 15:27

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/monster-radio-…

Thoughts?

Kinja'd!!!

DrJohannVegas > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/29/2016 at 16:18

Quick, easy, transferable, but you sacrifice sound quality.