Ipod install in ashtray - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

I was thrilled to find out that Becker Radio will supply a cable ( http://www.beckerautosound.com ) that will allow a direct wire hook-up to an Ipod. I've tried the FM ipod adapters and in my city and they suck. Becker will sell you a cable that plugs into the back of the CDR 220 head unit and terminates in two female RCA jacks (I do not thave the 6 cd changer in my boxster). There are many "Mini to RCA" cables available that you can then plug into the headphone jack of your ipod. This gives you really great sound, I think as least as good as a CD plus you get all your EQ settings from your IPOD. The radio head unit displays a "AUX" when you press the "S" button and that will be your ipod. I got the cable from Becker for around $20. it comes with fairly good instructions ( http://www.beckerautosound.com/pdf_guides/Phone%20%20or%20Aux%201%20audio%20input%20directio ns.pdf ) and the special keys you need to pull the radio out. The cable hook up is fairly easy, the re-install of the radio can be tricky, take your time. My next issue was where to put the ipod? I didn't want it sliding around in the tray below the CD drawers. I also didn't want to shell out anouth $50. for a clip on mount or velcro etc... so I don't smoke and I saw this picture online and got inspired... ( http://tunertricks.com/blog/gallery/?album=boxster ) to use the dead space in my ashtray.. I had an Ipod dock adapter that I was able to cut down from "sonic Impact" speaker sales ( http://www.si5.com/products.php?cID=40 ). You can see it in my picture, it's white, you could probably order a couple from Sonic Impact over the phone. I ran a Mini to RCA cable from the radio up the center console and drilled a small hole in the base of the Ashtray, the switch holder and the base it sits in to get the cable up and out of the ashtray. Be careful drilling through the ash tray, its fairly brittle, use a high speed drill if possible. I removed the little metal ledge in the ashtray that covers the small orange light. I then cut down my white (wish I had a black one) ipod dock adapter from sonic impact to fit inside the ashtray. I drilled two small holes and rivited it in place. (I tried double sided tape first but that didn't hold). So now I just open the ashtray, drop my ipod into the dock adapter from sonic and plug in my Mini to RCA cable and set my radio to "AUX" and I have all my ipod music in the car. I can still close the ashtray when it's not in use and no one will know it's wired. The only real effect on the car is a hole in the ashtray and it's holder for the the cable but if you really wanted to restore the car to stock you could buy another ashtray. Here are the pictures. Really easy, effective and it's easy to hit the skip button on the ipod while driving.

Very creative! One thing sticks out though,how in the world do you use it while your driving? It looks like that thing would be a pain to navigate through do to it's placement in the ashtray.

Yeah, no matter where you put the ipod you risk serious injury trying to scroll around songs and artists. The best controls would be on the steering wheel I think. I tend to create long play lists that I load up once, it's easy to skip songs and with your thumb while driving without looking at the device but yeah it's important to resist the urge to look at it while driving. My thinking is that it would be even more of a temptation to look at if it had been mounted forward beside the radio but at least your head would be facing forward and not side ways. I also tend to put it on shuffle a lot and just hit the skip button with my thumb if I need to. (I did leave enough cable that my passenger can pull it out and play with it or watch a video while we drive).

Congrats, nice job! Does the cable from Becker charge your Ipod while connected?

Good question, no, the becker cable is just a line out but I have seen cables that plug into the bottom of the ipod that include a 12 volt car plug as well as the RCA jacks. For now I just cary a seperate car jack to charge it if I get caught out. I think I get like 4 - 6 hours on my ipod battery.

As far as having a black dock adapter instead of a white one... I used the spray stuff for painting plastic patio furniture and blacked out my ipod adapter and the red clip. Worked pretty well and was cheap.

Good Job! But how do you shift?

It doesn't seem to get in the way for me.

Try this if you want to add power: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=5190

Hey that's awesome, thanks. I think we have the exact same car minus the white gauges and hard top. I put the PNP speakers in the week, they sound fantastic. Have you tried the cable you linked me too?

I have a friend with a Boxster, so together we built two of the cables. They work well, but my friend has noticed a bit of noise in his. I'm planning to add a ground loop isolator to see if that help. I agree that the PNP speakers are a great addition. The person who sells them lives in this area, so I was able to pick mine up from him in person and save shipping costs. I also added gauge trim rings and a colored Porsche crest to the steering wheel. I think it dresses up the interior a bit on the 2000's. Good luck with your projects. You can check out my car here: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?&autocom=registry&cmd=view_item&CID=496