So, I think most people who are interested have searched and found the many threads about building an adapter to get AUX-in on a 2002-2004 stock non-CD-changer headunit.

And, if you are like me, you are not able to properly build the adapter.

I tried. I have the tools. I spent the time. But no matter what, the soldering isn't as strong as I'd like. The wiring isn't as good as I'd like. I'm not happy with what I've built, and so I've decided, for the moment, to go with a hard-wired in-line FM modulator.

Is there anyone with the necessary electronics skills who is thinking about making these adapters, for a reasonable price?
Like the Thor mod or the rear-wiper mod, some people might really benefit from someone with the right skills being able to crank these out.

I'm putting my name at the top of the list for one of these.

you can get the plug adapter with wires already molded into it. At most, all you gotta do is twist/crimp wires together after that, pretty easy stuff

If you're having real issues with it though, I can help a brother out

Where?

I have no problem doing the wiring (I think); it's the fine work needed to get the wires onto the pins. I just don't have a deft-enough touch to get that done, successfully.

If I can get the adapter you're talking about, I think I'd be alright.

But I'll let you know if otherwise!

A search of the word "molded" (after 30 mins. of other unsuccessful searches ) found a post by electroken for mouser part number 172-0008

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/624/790.pdf

What about units with the RF CD changer? Is it different for them?

here's one already made up

http://www.virtualo.net/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=57

For $60?!?!?!? you've got to be kidding me, right?

If I remember correctly, you are out of luck if you have an '03 RF...

Ah, here it is!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bwags:
here's one already made up

http://www.virtualo.net/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=57 [/QUOTE

woahhh is this going to work on a regular head unit on an 02?

I've got that (virtualo) thing in my 2002 X. I run audio from an OmniFi Media player (20 Gb hard drive under the seat, controller on the dash) directly into my stock X head unit. Totally plug & play. Er, plug, splice some power, mount a switch, and play. You'll probably need a signal booster, however; depends on your audio source's output power.

And oh yeah-- it works awesome. Thousand times better than the crapola AM-sounding RF modulator I was using.

But keep in mind that (I think) these things are made by one dude. It took him 'bout a month to get mine to me. Worth the wait.

well i want to hardwire my ipod...is this possible with that harness

Yep. Anything with either a miniplug (headphone) or RCA out will work. You won't get the cool features like controlling your iPod from your stereo controls, but the X aint no Benz. Everything you need, nothing you don't, right? I can even play MP3's from my PocketPC through my stereo. This doohickey needs two inputs: audio, and a power source to dupe your head unit into thinking there's a CD changer jacked into it.

Sure it costs (a lot) more than a modulator, but it doesn't suck.

Yeah I sound like I'm queer for it, but I SWEAR I don't work for virtualo.

my is on its way, I picked up a stock Nissan HU from ebay for $60.00 and the adapter should be here tomorrow. I figure the PAC or soundgate adapters cost around $100.00 to do the same thing so...it's still cheaper than buying a decent HU. So rather than keep wishing someone would make an adapter for the RF HU, I'd do something rather than nothing...

wow thats great so from the 8 pin connecter it splits it to the red and white wires...and if i was using my ipod i only have to plug that into the miniplug. (would i need the 3.5 mm connector?)

Now the read wire is just a power source and when your turn it on it will put it into aux mode??

just trying to make sure i got all my information right.

i just found this on ebay...and the picture in the back shows no 8 pin din connector...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NISSAN-CD...sspagenameZWDVW why?

That's odd. That stereo looks EXACTLY (and I mean EXACTLY)like my factory X HU, but shows a big, blank red circle on the bottom right where my 8-pin DIN is... if there's no 8-pin DIN, there's nothing to connect the virtualo to. I don't get it. I'm afraid, yankeefan, that you may be doomed to buying a new double-DIN HU with RCA ins if you want iPod audio in the X. Sorry, bro. You may want ot contact the seller to be fershure.

The standard 2005 HU's do not have the din plug. I don't think the 2004's do either (not 100% sure).
The standard 2000-2003 do have the din plug.

So he's selling a 2005 or maybe 2004 HU.

Guess they found a way to save a few pennies on the HU's by dropping that feature.

As a side note, the stock stereo on my 2005 sounded signifigantly worse than my 2003 X. I couldn't switch out the 05's stereo fast enough.
The 2003's stereo isn't awesome or anything, but it's tollerable to the point that I haven't been itchy to upgrade it.

ahhh alright thanks, i didnt know of that change with the 05's. I got scarred for a secound there.
I got the 02'X so i will be fine
I Cant wait to buy one of these!! No more anouying static from my monster fm transmitter

BTW scotty J your awesome for finding this, or whoever did.

Well, I didn't bring the link into the thread so I can't take the credit. But I was happy to help.

those looking at the virtuoso stuff... you can get a molded DIN plug for about 5$ from mouser... the only difference is that one for 60$ comes with RCA ends.

get the molded plug, hack up a cheap pair of headphones and splice the mini-audio plug to the DIN connector, and there you go, same thing as the expensive unit with a plug you'll end up using instead of converting.

Swell, but you also need a power feed, and how do you know which pin is which?

Read this thread.

Touche. Nicely done.

haha Touche is right, very nice...

I was not trying to give you a "touche" moment.
I more than anyone know how frustrating it is to be so close to a cool mod, but not have the skills/knowledge to get it to work (my electronics skills suck.)

Just trying to nudge y'all along in the right direction with some helpful info I'd already found.

Good luck!

same with the 60$ unit

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you guys need help building it, PM me or something.

that's like half of a mud terrain in money thrown out the window!

if i buy the molded 8 pin din connector from mouser, how will i know what wires to splice with what....for example the power and L and R speakers. Anyone have a color guide for the wires?

Tuff- not so with the $60 unit. I'm telling you, plug and play, brother, plug and play. But if you've got the skills and the time, fab up a whole mess of these and see if xoc will shill 'em for you. $60 is quite a wad for maybe $7 in parts. Personally, I buy the easy way out. A soldering iron is like a wrecking ball in my hands.

Yankee- per Grayham's schematic, pins 4-7 are your audio lines. Chop an RCA cable in half and wire accordingly. The power is pin 1 or 2. Good luck with that one...

"The power is pin 1 or 2"
Specifically - Pin 1
Ignore Pin 2.

yeahhh i think im gonna go the easy route and dish out 60$
Dont wanna do it wrong and send 12 volts to the wrong place or soemthing...could get ugly.

Atta boy.

I'm useless with electronics.

I built an adapter yesterday. This time, I thought I'd try the "cheap headphones" route.

I soldered my power wire to pin #1.

I soldered one headphone wire to pin #4, and the other headphone wire to #5.

I took the dash apart -- again. I crimped a connector on the end of the adapter power wire, and used another wire, also with a crimped-on connector, to pull off the 12V power in the dash. I ran both wires through a swith.

So, I plug the adapter into the back of my headunit. I turn the key to activate power. I turn the headunit on. I throw the switch, and . . .

AUX comes up! Huzzah! It works! Fucking A!

I immediately plug the power wire, antenna wire and now the headphone plug into my satellite radio.

Nothing. No sound.

I turn the volume to max. Nothing.

Fuck.



Well, I'm getting there. I know it works. I wired power through a switch without frying my headunit.

Shit. Maybe I better just order the part from Mouser . . .

if you have a stereo plug, there should be 3 wires... a left, right, and ground.

the ground will be obviously different form the other two, perhaps looking like a shielding material perhaps? Anyways, the ground wire would go to the negative source pins (6 and 7) while the left and right wires would go to the positive source pins (4 and 5, respectively). Instead of soldering, you could just twist the wires together and run some electrical tape over it - certainly easier than fumbling with that branding iron

Yep - tuff is right.

Don't give up yet Gary - you're almost there!!!

GrayHam, you are one brave soul. If I were you, that headunit would be BBQ'd by now.

Find your ground, and rock on.

Well, my wife promised me that if I fried my headunit, I could buy a new one. So I took a shot.

I don't think there was any ground problem. I just didn't wire the headphones up correctly. The wires are very small, and difficult to work with, and I became impatient.

At this point, I am definitely walking away from trying to solder wires onto those little pins. To those of you who can do it: Wow. That takes more concentration and focus and patience than I have.
If I do try to build this adapter in the near future, I'm going with the Mouser unit, and start splicing (think the wire tap-ins I used to splice into the power will work for the sound?):



Oh well. The in-line FM modulator I installed is leaps and bounds ahead of the wireless FM modulator, so at least the sound is better than it was . . . I can live with it.

The Mouser cable has very small wires (24AWG?). If you use an insulation displacement connector like the one in your picture, try to get the red ones intended for smaller wires.

Yup. Got 'em.

I used the blue ones (part #64-3052 at Radio Shack; 18-14 gauge) to tap into the power.

I also bought a pack of the red ones (part #64-3053; 22-18 gauge) before I knew exactly what size the power wires were.

So cool, I can use these to build the adapter.

This is a slow project, huh?

Just one thing-- you said you get a new headunit if you fry your factory one? Talk about a license to kill! What are you waiting for?! Fry that sucker and and get a nice double-din in-dash LCD touchscreen!

grayham, or anyone on here that knows..how do you take the dash apart???
I got the 2 screws after you lift the facia around the shifter, then the 2 screws under the stereo by that compartment....what else is there??

That's it. At least, that's all I have in my 2003. And your X should be identical to mine.

Can't imagine what's holding your dash on . . . unless it's simply pressure from being a tight fit. Have you tried to slowly pull it out towards you?

Oh! Don't forget the wiring plugs for both the hazard lights and the 12V power plug. Don't yank too hard and damage these . . .

hmm alright, i guess ill have to try it again, are there any "snaps" or soemthing in the upper part?

the adapter splits into 2 female RCA connectors, im guessing for left and right? Or does this matter in a car? I want to hook my ipod up to it, and i know i need the 3.5 mm connector, but i can only plug on of the RCA connections into the ipod. Is this all i need to get sound to come from all speakers?

i know its an old post, but i havnt seen an answer to this question. scottyJ where are you!

This is all you need. Plug it into the RCA's from the AUX IN adapter, and the other end into the iPod. Boom. You're all set. Discvered something about the adapter last month: The instructions say grounding isn't necessary-- for me, it was. I was getting engine noise 'til I grounded it.