Thread: How to Install a DIY aux Input Jack in a 97-03 Radio

I don't like splicing into ribbon cables. I guess when I'm at the yard I should pull a 7 way EQ radio and check for that.

Good write up. I hope to be able to do this sometime this winter.

Would be a lot harder to make the wires on the AUX jack and run it into the center console? Do you think longer wires would have a negative impact on the sound quality?

Originally Posted by TLSheff

Been done before lots of times... there was an official how to writeup a long time ago. I can't find it, so its likely been lost along the way.

This is a nice mod, I have done this myself. Good pics and information, thanks for doing it!

ONLY 1 THING TO ADD!!! You need to include information regarding the optional ribbon cable that was used in radios. My 7-way EQ Radio in my 99 looks just like yours except I had to splice into a ribbon cable, not easy wires like yours was. Makes it a PITA. Still similar setup, but some people would likely be commenting and questioning where to splice when that connector doesn't exist in theirs.

No problem. Yeah I couldn't find one here either.
I'll look into the ribbon cable version. What scotty said works though. My first time doing this mod something happened to the connector and it had to be soldered straight to the board. Worked just as good. I wonder if they're "swapable" where you could get yourself a wire style and just use it instead. Probably not as every ribbon cable I've ever seen has paper thin contacts at the end.

Originally Posted by Nates94

I don't like splicing into ribbon cables. I guess when I'm at the yard I should pull a 7 way EQ radio and check for that.

Good write up. I hope to be able to do this sometime this winter.

Would be a lot harder to make the wires on the AUX jack and run it into the center console? Do you think longer wires would have a negative impact on the sound quality?

You can always pull your faceplate to check.
It's really not much harder to run it in a different location. It just takes some Ethernet cable and remembering the different wires and where to put them. It also requires an additional hole in the back of the head unit, not hard to do though. Longer wires using Ethernet (which is a low resistance wire), seemed to have no effect on the sound.

Originally Posted by Nates94

Would be a lot harder to make the wires on the AUX jack and run it into the center console? Do you think longer wires would have a negative impact on the sound quality?

Not harder and doesn't affect quality at all. Just use Ethernet cable as ^^^^.

I didn't want to drill the faceplate on mine so I just ran it to the center console and plugged in the cable and left it hidden, plugged into phone as needed and done.