Coop's iPod/Aux Input How-To for 03+ XM Capable Trucks

xlcooplx

turning wrenches
Mar 8, 2011
41
0
0
Myrtle Beach, SC
Okay, quite a few of you have asked me to do a write-up on adding an auxiliary input jack to 03+ XM equipped trucks. I did this back in Feb; however, I didn't take photos while I was doing it. For that reason, I don't have any "in-progress" photos.

console.jpg


For starters, you need to decide which jack to use. Some people use the jack from radioshack; however, I only have a soldering iron so I opted to go with a jack that could take the extra heat from my iron while soldering the wires to it. I used the jack pictured below. It is sold HERE on Amazon.

21-WDJOugZL._SL500_AA300_.jpg


Okay, the next thing you will need is three equal-length pieces of wire. I started with each strand being about 3' long so I could mount the jack in the truck wherever I wanted. I had an old LS-x harness laying around so I color-coordinated the wires that I soldered to the audiojack to match the wires that I was tapping into on the XM receiver...I know, OCD.

So once you have the three lengths of wire soldered to your audiojack, go ahead and mount it in the truck. Now you can route the three strands of wire through the dash and down to the XM receiver where you will solder it into the wires. I decided to mount mine in the pocket of my console. This allows me to leave it plugged in and store the cable in the pocket when not in use (hardly ever happens...I'm ALWAYS listening to my iPod now).

jackmount.jpg


I ran the wire behind the console, through the dash, and down by the HVAC wiring over to the XM receiver.
Wires.jpg


The XM receiver is a small metal looking box that is behind your glove box. If you take all of the stuff out of your glove box, on the right side there will be a small tab that keeps the box from folding down any further. If you push it in towards the middle of the truck, you can swing it all of the way down and have better access to the receiver.
XMbox.jpg


So now the fun part...If you look at the XM receiver, you will see that there is a plug with a blue piece on it. This plug is where you will find the wires that you need to tap into in order for this to work. I unplugged the plug from the receiver to give me some slack to work with when I soldered everything together. I remember that blue piece being a bitch to remove but I don't remember exactly how I finagled it out. I'm pretty sure it was just good old-fashioned brute strength. Once you have the plug removed, you're going to be tapping (preferably soldering) into a green/white striped wire, a brown/white striped wire and a black/white striped wire. Be advised that there are two black/white striped wires. You want to tap into the one that is bundled with the other two wires that you are also tapping into. IIRC, it was in a foam wrapping. The receiver and wires are pictured below:

XMwires.jpg


Your 3.5mm jack will have three posts on it. The common audio post is the longest of the three posts. It is silver in color. The other two posts are left and right channels.
Long post: This is the common audio wire. The wire from it should be soldered to the black/white common wire coming off of your XM receiver
Side post #1: It doesn't matter which side post goes to what color wire. For how-to purposes, post one goes to the green/white wire.
Side post #2: Wire from post two goes to the brown/white wire.

Here is a wiring diagram below that I pulled from AllData. As you can see, you are tapping into the left/right signals for remote playback (as if XM is playing).

diagram.jpg


Assuming that you have made good connections with each of your wires, all you need to do now is tune to XM. Once you have XM on, you'll need to tune to channel 0 (Radio ID).

Radio.jpg


This channel has no audio so it is perfect for this. The last thing that you will need is a cable to plug from the jack into your iPod/phone/etc. I bought a 3' cable from Radioshack. It is slightly long but it gives you plenty of room to control the phone while its plugged in.

DSC03830.jpg


Since I didn't do the write-up and install at the same time, I may have left some things out. If anybody has any questions, ask away.
 

2006silvy

New Member
Feb 5, 2013
2
0
0
i did this, used a different input jack. having one issue, it only works with my phone when the charger is plugged in, if not it pops also with my ipod. any suggestions?
 

2006silvy

New Member
Feb 5, 2013
2
0
0
pretty sure yes. like i said it works perfect with my phone plugged into the car charger.
 

RUSHING

New Member
Mar 27, 2012
13
0
0
Any idea how to do this on a truck without XM? Bose radio with just a single disc and no external CD changer.
 
Last edited:

Big Tex

slowly but surely
Jun 25, 2012
7,951
207
63
Dallas, TX
lololol. I just use a good ole cassette to headphone jack adapter. ran it behind dash bezel and out near the cup holder.
:bishplz:


20130421_153401_zpsd23ae931.jpg

20130421_153449_zps6c530618.jpg
 

Fourstar07

Active Member
Jan 23, 2011
1,399
1
38
im gonna do it this weekend, im scared me and wires, get along like me and jared get along
 

dszx13

Well-Known Member
May 28, 2014
5,500
1,610
113
34
minden, la
Considered doing this. Decided to just get a new radio instead

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk