How do I Hook Up an MP3 Player in a 2006 Ford F-150?

Playing an MP3 player in a 2006 Ford F-150 lets you haul your music collection anywhere.

With the invention and subsequent mass-use of the portable MP3 player came a revolution in the way we transport, store, use, and listen to music. Where music collections once required large amounts of space and storage devices, one can now fit entire libraries in an electronic device the size of a cell phone. Some new vehicles now come equipped and ready to handle portable MP3 players like iPods, but it is not an industry standard just yet. In 2006, the Ford F150 did not come MP3-ready, but there are many ways to connect one to the car stereo.

Instructions

1. Check to see if there is a tape player in the Ford's stereo. If there is, the cheapest option is purchasing a tape adapter. These handy devices were initially popularized by users desiring to play portable CD players through car stereos that only had tape decks. The adapter consists of a cassette tape wired to an 1/8 inch headphone plug by way of about two feet of audio cable. Insert the cassette into the tape deck and plug the adapter into the headphone jack of the MP3 player, and play the iPod as you normally would. The sound will project through the stereo speakers.

2. Obtain an FM transmitter if the F-150 does not have a tape deck. Belkin and Griffin Technology are the leaders in this type of product. They are typically $30 to $100, depending on the MP3 player they are designed for and the features they have. The objective is to find an empty radio station, which is one without a station broadcasting on it. Plug the transmitter into the MP3 player, and tune the transmitter to the desired station. It will begin to broadcast your music within a very small radius of the vehicle and enable the Ford's antenna to receive it and play the audio over the car stereo.

3. Visit a car stereo specialist and ask them about installing an auxiliary cable or MP3 player port. This is the most expensive option, but it also produces the highest quality sound. An auxiliary cable is a basic audio cable that would be wired into the rear of the stereo and run into the cabin of the truck, enabling the user to plug it directly into the MP3 player's headphone jack. An MP3 player port is typically tailored specifically to iPods and allows full integration between the iPod and the car stereo.

References

• iLoung: Fall 2005 Cassette Tape Adapter Shootout
• cNet: FM Transmitter