We bought a used 2005 Volvo V70 used from a Volvo dealer; came with CD and radio. We’d like to get an iPod jack. Volvo won’t do it and said they wouldn’t install a new radio with jack. And they said if I went to acar stero place it might screw up our computer or electrical system, help!
Back story: in our old car, we used a crappy $49 gizmo that works via the FM radio. This does not work in Manhattan where we live. So when we bought the Volvo, we paid $500 bucks for an “iPod dock” which turned out to be the same crappy gizmo! (Albeit connected to the electrical system – on the driver’s left! Utterly useless.
Well, you bought a used car, which is the only kind I’ll ever be able to buy. What I’m not buying is the idea that the $49 gizmo doesn’t work in Manhattan. Is Volvo saying they won’t do it, or that they won’t do it for free?
Find a reputable shop where you live and ask them about the stereo system install.
It’s a Volvo, it’ll have it’s electrical systems messed up down the road regardless if you put in a new stereo system or not.
If you were brave and knew what you were doing you could open up the back of your radio and tap into the RF antenna section on the circuit board and solder in a RCA input that way you can pipe in RCA input directly into the receiver/
The wireless FM transmitters stink especially in dense urban areas. I found the best solution for my satellite radio was a direct FM adapter Sirius sells. It goes inline with the antenna and switches between the antenna and radio. Going in direct eliminates all competing signals.
Sirius radio outputs FM modulated signal but your Ipod does not. However they still sell a powered FM modulator switch for the old Starmate radio that even has the right Jack size input as your IPod.
Super easy install. Disconnect radio antenna and plug the antenna into modulator. Plug modulator into radio antenna Jack. You can buy adapter cable if necessary with those micro jacks on some cars. Then plug your IPod into modulator. Plug modulator power Jack into lighter socket and Viola!
Volvo says they won’t do it at all and if we do it, well, god help us. As other poster says, $49 gizmo doesn’t work in urban areas.
This is interesting and we’re willing to pay for Sirius or whatever. So if we do that, will whomever installs the Sirius thingy be able to help us? You can use Sirius with the ipod? Or actually iphone mostly at this point?
Go to Crutchfield.com and pick out a nice after market stereo with the features you want, or have a local shop install one for you. If done right, it will be a vast improvement and will not wreak havoc.
Yea, those devices are fair at best and when in an area with lots of local stations taking up the frequencies, it is difficult to get one to work well. The frequencies are just too busy. I have one, but I don't bother trying to use it in town, but it works OK on the highway.You cannot install an iPod jack to an old radio. If your old radio has an aux in jack, you can plug your iPod into that, but it is an analog input so some of the digital accuracy will be lost. Not that that is a big loss, you won’t be able to hear it in a noisy car environment. Most people wouldn’t hear it in any environment.
For almost every radio (head unit) and almost every car, there is an adapter wiring harness that goes between the two. It’s pretty much foolproof so it will not mess up the computer or electrical system in your car. I can’t see why the dealer is so against this unless they (and Volvo) sell a replacement system with an iPod jack that plugs directly into the Volvo’s wiring harness.
One thing to watch out for is the power out of a new head unit. Most of these will eventually burn out the stock speakers. Some units can be programmed to limit power out when using stock speakers to prevent damage to them.
I am sure that you don’t want to spend a fortune on a new stereo system, but a nice aftermarket system with an ipod jack and adapter can be had for about $500 installed, not counting new speakers. Reasonable quality speakers will run a few hundred more per pair, installed. Going overboard on a car sound system is not a good use of money as a car is a lousy acoustic environment to begin with.
There’s not a dealer in the world that will install an aftermarket sound system. They ALL say that if you install one it may screw up the electronics. And I’ve YET to see it happen. There are MILLIONS of aftermarket sound systems sold every year…so I seriously doubt it’s going to screw up anything…(unless the install is done poorly…which is hard to do these days with the wiring harness kits that come with the new systems).
Go to www.crutchfield.com or to a local shop specializing in car stereo’s. This is NOT rocket science.
My feeling is that you are giving the Volvo Dealer (or perhaps just a few employees of this Dealer) too much credit in regards to what can be done in regards to both getting what you want for a sound system and not interfering with the reliability of the car. The Dealer is going to default to a “self protect” mode and give these kind of answers when they really are not qualified to make any other type of statement.The Dealer sees it this way, if I install or even just recommend such a product and then the customer has some oddball electrical problem then comes to me with a report from another person that said “you know I had a Volvo that quit running every time I drove by the airport and I bet it is that radio that is messing up your car like the airport radar messed up mine”, then I (the Dealer) will be on the hook to prove it is not the radio I installed messing up the car. The Dealer simply says, “I want no involvement with this modification”.
Satellite radio depends on line of sight to the satellite. It is on the equator and 22,000 miles up. Still, hills, bridges, and buildings can get in the way. I would expect that you will have reception problems with Sirius or XM in Manhattan. Find someone with it and see if they have reception problems before buying a receiver. I have XM and I really like it, but there are reception issues.
No, I’m not suggesting you install satellite radio, just use one of their direct FM adapters to interface your mp3 player to your existing radio. Simple to install and no interference issues because it modulates your mp3 output and injects it directly into the radio antenna Jack. Their modulators run about $20 so fairly cheap as well.