With this set up, when you have the audio input on aux input and the iPod playing & you turn off the car, the iPod pauses and shuts itself off after a few minutes. Griffin AirClick remote control for iPod-$40 at Apple Store:ġ8 gauge wire-you?ll need about a foot-I bought 4 feet to have extra ($0.12 per foot) Monster MP3 MusicConnect shielded cable with mini-stereo connectors (1/8' mini jack on each end)-$20 from BestBuy: Here's a list of parts you'll need-on a difficulty scale of 1 - 5 with 1 being the easiest, I'd say this DIY is a 3-once I had all the parts, it took me half an afternoon to complete:

The bottom dock connector (which transfers audio out of the iCarCharger's 3.5mm port) generates pure, unfiltered sound.

The headphone jack sound quality and bass levels are greatly reduced. You definitely don't want to use the headphone jack, since it is filtered and tailored toward headphone use and the quality & volume level of a headphone simply cannot compete with your car stereo. I decided to have the iPod in the center arm rest (to be out of sight, and also have easy access).įor a power source, I went with the Monster iCarCharger, since it has a direct line out (not through an amplifier like the Belkin adapter, so you have a clean output), which I hardwired to the switched power lines of one of the power outlets in the rear center console (below the A/C vents). I wanted to connect an iPod to my car and decided that waiting for the BMW iPod connector might take a while.or never happen, so I got the aux input installed ($64 part + $140 install).

The Front for ipod instal