Car audio question

[Wasatch Rebel]

I have the stock radio in my 2000 4runner. I won't upgrade to an aftermarket stereo because I've had too many vehicles broken into to steal them...well I have installed an aftermarket cassette player in my Accord because I figured if the thieves were paying attention, they wouldn't bother stealing that because no one would buy it from them.

Anyway the one in the 4runner has both a cd and tape built in to it. In the past in my Accord, I've used one of those tape adapters to play mp3s off of a diskman. It went well. But now, in the 4runner, I've tried both a newer MP3 player, my old diskman, and now my laptop hooked up to the tape adapter. With about half of the songs, I get a very bad vibration coming from the rear speakers, so much so that I can't stand listening to the songs--almost like they've been blown out. But when I listen to the radio, AM or FM, that doesn't happen. At first I was thinking it was the speakers and that I need to replace them, but if it were the speakers, wouldn't that sound happen when I'm listening to the radio as well as MP3s? Does anyone know if those tape adapters have been known to have such issues as this? Or do you definitely think it's the speakers?

 

[Coreshot]

I would say that unless its doing it all thetime, your speakers are fine. I've had bad luck with the cassette adapers, always getting some kind of distortion. If your stereo doesn't have an aux port in the front, it may have one in the rear that you could plumb into for an mp3/ipod.

 

[mesha]

^ what he said

get a aux port and wire it in line and then you won't need the cassette adapter and thieves wont see it. nick is the guy.

 

[pfinder]

i used to have after market decks stolen from me before, it sucks i know to come out too see your 200-500 dollar deck gone.. well i will never use a stock CD player. what i do is i go to the pawn shop and buy a CD player that normally is like 250 bucks and i get it for 35 bucks but that's me. plus if you install your CD player or aftermarket deck right they are very hard to steal. all my CD players now are very hard to take out. but i think you can buy a adapter that you can plug into the CD player that will act like a aux port.

 

[bryson]

..plus if you install your CD player or aftermarket deck right they are very hard to steal. all my CD players now are very hard to take out...

In my experience, that just means the jerkoff thief just causes more damage to your dash before he gets it out. Not saying that you have to half-ass the install, I'm just saying they usually get them out anyways regardless of the quality of install.

As far as the original post, I don't like the tape converter idea, as sound quality SUCKS, and they are a pain in the a$$. Your speakers are fine - blame the cassete part of the deck, or the converter itself.

If nobody offers a plug 'n play input, you can hardwire in an auxillary input as long as your factory deck has CD changer control. Not the simplest wiring job (especially if you have and want to keep a CD changer) but it can certainly be done.

 

[Cody]

well I have installed an aftermarket cassette player in my Accord because I figured if the thieves were paying attention, they wouldn't bother stealing

You're saying thieves are paying attention? They will steal a $40 Rampage deck from WalMart if they can get to it. But honestly, the market for aftermarket radios isn't what it used to be. It's become very difficult to swap out stereo's in modern cars, so with fewer people buying there are fewer people stealing and trying to sell.


As Bryson said, if you have a factory CD Changer you can likely convert the DIN style input for that into a plain RCA audio input.

Otherwise just swap out the stereo and be done with it. The audio quality of an aftermarket stereo is so much better and that is an easy vehicle to put one into. If you're parking someplace for a long period of time, take the face off.

 

[mesha]

Or you could do what a guy at Sundance did.


buy a lion and keep it in the back seat chained to the roll bar of your wrangler. The top was off and everything, but his CD player was still there I saw it with my own eyes. I am talking a real freaking african male lion with the mane and everything.

 

[jevyguy]

^
Now thats funny. Is that even Legal?

 

[NoTrax]

They make a in line modulator, installed behind radio, that has a RCA stereo output. You hook up y adapter, two male RCA into the modulator, then you have a 3.5mm input, male. The device has a in line antenna adapter, that you unplug your antenna From factory, plug the factory antenna into the module, then module into your oem radio, fairly easy install. About 35-40 for the unit.

 

[JL Rockies]

If the factory had a CD changer option (My 2000 Celica did) then there are many aux input adaptors that will plug into the port and give you the ability to get a direct signal rather then an assastic cassette or RF adaptor.
I still have my stock deck and use a Peripheral PXDX in conjunction with a JL Audio CL-SES to route signal from my video, iPod, Sirius and CD through the CD changer port.

<----- Master of the 12V Arts

If you have time during the week (after 6PM) let me know, we can bring your car in the shop and see what's doin' behind the radio.

 

[Wasatch Rebel]

If you're parking someplace for a long period of time, take the face off.

One of mine that was stolen, was stolen without the face plate. What the heck they were going to do with that one, I'll never know. I still have the face plate, but not the stereo. I can't win for losing.

buy a lion and keep it in the back seat chained to the roll bar of your wrangler. The top was off and everything, but his CD player was still there I saw it with my own eyes. I am talking a real freaking african male lion with the mane and everything.

I've thought of a leopard or something. I'd like to do that to pay back the thieves. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a thief.

 

[pfinder]

if someone wants my stereo they can have it.. gives me a reason to get a new one.. plus my insurance cover theft. i leave my truck unlocked cause i would rather replace a cd player then a broken window.. cause you know them dumb thieves will break the most expensive window. so far i havnt had anything taken except maybe some change

 

[Wasatch Rebel]

If you have time during the week (after 6PM) let me know, we can bring your car in the shop and see what's doin' behind the radio.

Thanks, JL. I've been out of town, but I'm thinking I need to tear into it myself, just to figure out how to do it. I've never had any reason to get in there before, but this would give me some good experience at doing so. I appreciate the offer though.