i use a generic audio/cassette adapter. you can buy them at best buy or radio shack for under $20.
prefer it to the wireless/FM thingys.

What kind of deck? Have to provide more info for a viable answer.

well i'm planning on buying an apple 'dock' and i was hoping i could just plug the dock line out directly into a small sony 2 channel car amplifier. but the amp obviously has no volume control, so will the ipod wheel still work to control volume? i only ask because i was playing with a friends JBL home ipod speaker system and you can't use the ipod to control volume when it is connected to this unit.... make sense? or no?

This is my preferred means of connecting to the car stereo. It provides real line level output from the iPod and adds charging capability.

thanks! line out issues understood.

so this is line level, and allows you to adjust the volume with the ipod wheel?

This is the slickest thing I have seen. The I.C.E. Link+ works seemlessly with your car's factory or aftermarket stereo system. It is available for a limited number of OEM car radios and a few after market ones. Not inexpensive, but few good things in life are.

http://support.dension.com/dension/icelink_info.htm

Another option is the monster product - the iCruze

http://www.monstercable.com/icruze/

Good Luck!

I installed an Alpine radio in my BMW, better than anything for ipod, the alpine media expander technology does wonders to mp3s, its awesome.

Cassette adapters are a last resort only, and so are the FM devices like the iTrip (which are practically useless in areas with a crowded FM band anyway). You definitely want something that lets you control the iPod through your head unit.

I've got an '01 Celica, and I used to use a PIE adapter to connect to the stock head unit's unused CD changer port, a minijack-to-RCA-L and RCA-R cable, and an RF RemoteRemote from Engineered Audio. It worked okay for the most part, but the output from the iPod wasn't line-level and the remote had terrible tactile feedback-- lots of times I'd either skip more than one track, or just get the iPod scanning through a track. VERY annoying.

Now I've got the original Ice Link in the Celica, connected to the CD changer port, and it works very well. I keep the iPod stashed away in the center console storage compartment and control it via the Track+/Track- buttons on the head unit-- no unsightly cables hanging around, and nothing to take apart and hide when I get out of the car (lest I return to find a broken window and no iPod). Dension USA for some reason does not currently offer the Ice Link for Toyota/Scion vehicles, or I'd buy another one for my Scion xA. My #1 candidate for hooking up my Scion with similar iPod capabilities is currently mp3yourcar.com, who sells an Ice Link-like kit. Does anyone have any experience dealing with those guys?

~Philly

I've heard from numerous people, on this forum and on others, that Alpine's iPod interface goes to hell if you have more than 255 songs on your iPod. I don't know how true that is, but if more than one person is saying it then it makes me wonder how worth-while it is. I prefer Alpine gear over Pioneer by far, but they're the only two options I'm looking at now for my Jeep, and if Alpine's doesn't work over any amount of songs, I won't be getting it..

EDIT: I like that Monster solution, thanks for posting that cgkaide!

I've had an Alpine to CD changer adapter to RCA cable on my manufacturer stereo for 9 months now, and the audio has faded in and out at random. Sometimes it goes to mono, and twice in a row now was so faint I could barely hear it with the iPod at full volume. At this point, I've given up on it. I'm getting an Aux input on front JVC stereo installed monday with the hope it works better than a behind the dash adapter which can easily get loose or lots of condensation moisture on the connector.

I have two solutions that have worked wonderfully for my vehicles.

For my Buick, I have an AuxPod adapter made by PAC Audio. I've also seen the same device called the iPod2Car or the Neo iON (both are more expensive, however). I believe all are made by Perhipheral Electronics.

The AuxPod plugs in to the CD changer cable in my trunk, using the specific adapter for my Buick. It then has a standard iPod dock connector to hook up to the iPod. My stock head unit sees it as a changer, and therefore it can change tracks by using the buttons on my head unit, and my steering wheel controls, which was very important to me. It also recharges my iPod, and turns the iPod on and off whenever I turn on and off my head unit (or the ignition). Sound quality is as clear as a CD in my head unit.

I paid about $180, plus $10 for the vehicle specific cable at SoundDomain.com, though I have seen it for about $30 less at other sites.

My girlfriend recently got an iPod Mini, so I decided to set her Saturn up with a similar unit. Since her Saturn doesn't have steering wheel controls, I opted for the AuxBox (also made by PAC) which is a similar device, but only with RCA inputs, not an iPod dock connector. Setup was much the same, but just an RCA to 1/8th inch Y-adapter to hook it all up. Sound quality is great, and she's very happy with it.

The best part, is that it was cheap. I paid $50, plus $10 shipping on ebay for the AuxBox, and a $10 vehicle-specific cable. For $70, it's a fantastic setup.

Both were easy to set up, and it was simple to route the cabling under the carpet for an überclean install. I also like the fact that they use the stock deck, because it keeps the clean sleeper look on my Buick, and keeps my girlfriend's Saturn to not be a target of theft.

:-)

I use the Dension ice>LINK and I LOVE it. I bought my first car (a 2005 Mazda 3) and installed this product on the second day I had the car. It has been a wonderful experience thus far (almost 6 months).

Haven't found a good solution yet.. No dension for me, not compatible... I've tried the iTrip, but the quality was awful, I'm now stuck with a cassette adapter, a pity...especially with the fantastic Mark Levinson I have in my car!

My iPod Mini has over 400 songs and i have an Alpine CDA-9851. It handles the mini just fine. Though this is a real expensive way to get it working. Between the stereo, ipod adapter kit, and installation it cost me about 350 bucks!

I'm not too worried about money, the head unit I'm looking at is $450 on its own. I'm an audiophile and I'm used to spending rediculous amounts of money on music related trash Plus, the fact that it actually interfaces and tells you what's playing makes the option seem a lot better than buying the Monster iCruz for 250, and throwing another 100 into the screen so you know what's on. I guess it's all relative, I'm just thankful Alpine has various models of head units so I can choose just how rich i want to feel

I have an Alpine and the interface for my iPod photo... WHile I love the stereo system I've got, the Alpine's interface is not the slickest even though it was the first. Try using your scroll wheel to scroll quickly to another song or alphabetically from A to M... It takes a super long time as you can only scroll one title at a time versus a quick spin to get several dozen songs out of the way in one shot. No biggie though, just not how I would have designed it. Also the song number limit is true. You have to break up your artists/playlists to avoid the 255 limit. Lastly on RARE occasions the iPod charge function doesn't work as well as it should and I'll come out to a dead iPod even though the charge is supposed to be a gimme from this product.

My favorite was a Pac interface with my 00 Vette which allowed me to simply add aux input to the factory stereo using a line in type method vs. fm modulated. To get the charge, wired a switched source to a car charger (Vette has in glovebox charger so tapped into that) and then ran a wired remote to the little cubby in the Vette and just used that to hit play when it was time to hit the road. Not the most beautiful integration (whereas the Alpine is close) but I NEVER had charging issues and never had to worry about playlist/artist number on my Pod and on top of that since the list would start and stop where I started/stopped it, I truly had an almost unlimited playlist for months on end.

Rey

P.S. Where I've disagreed with Randman in the past (on one occasion, sorry Rand), I HIGHLY agree in regards to us needing to know more about the system in order to give you some type of realistic solution.

So the limit on it is simply a matter of scrolling? I can understand that growing to be a pain, but as long as I can search by playlist I'll be pleased, I usually just let it shuffle my music anyway...

I've been looking for a solution for my 2005 Honda Accord. The only thing I'd found until now was that iPod2Car, and its site didn't exactly include or exclude firmly, my car. I'm amazed at the number of devices that are out there. Now I have some options (2, actually, and one maybe), thanks.

I have a 2004 Honda Civic Coupe VP. I'm about to try to sell the Alpine Blitzsafe CD Changer to RCA cable adapter. Not sure if it will fit your car, but if you find it does, and you are interested, send me an e-mail. I bought it from http://www.logjamelectronics.com/ and had Circuit City install it in my car before. For my purposes though it seems the install Circuit City wasn't good enough, and since it has to go to the reader of the stereo having someone go in there to fix that install is going to take time. If you get mine, hopefully you'll get a better installation.

I realize my option was one of the cheapest available but:

The kenwood decks that support a cd changer (I got mine for ~140 from Crutchfield) also support the changer to RCA adapter ($20- cheapest of those that I have found). I plugged that in and have had absolutely no issues with it- the sound is excellent. However, I also went this route because after having read about the issues with the Alpine and similar issues with the Pioneer set up I decided I should have an inexpensive "out" (using the rca adapter). Kenwood also sells a $100 ipod adapter now (it wasn't out when I was purchasing a stereo) so you could spend 250 and have a reasonable setup- upgrade the deck if you want to get something with better sound or more features. I'm not an audiophile (and spend so much time driving on noisy city roads that it isn't a high priority for me) so maybe kenwood wouldn't be good for those that are.

I happen to like the rear, cd changer adapters- I can run the cable through my dash, and when I want to pull the faceplate off I just do that- and the cables are out of the way.

If the kenwood cable proves usable, then I will probably get a cupholder ipod holder and run the cable up through the bottom of the cupholder and into place (I have a 97 accord so I even can just close the cup holder lid and keep all the setup hidden).

Just another option.