Toyota MR2 Message Board - View Single Post - How I hooked my iPod up with a Toyota radio, and kept OEM look

mthreat · 01-25-2008, 01:52 AM

I just finished up this project tonight, and wanted to share my work. My goal was to:

1) inexpensively hook my iPod up to my '95 MR2 stereo directly (no FM transmitters), while

2) retaining the OEM stereo look (no aftermarket stereo).

As a bonus, I can use my stereo's next/previous CD buttons to control the iPod song. Here's how I did it.

The main piece of work was finding a Toyota OEM stereo that would plug directly in to the 15-pin premium sound of my MR2, and also had a CD changer input. My stock MR2 stereo plugged directly into the 15-pin harness, of course, but they didn't start adding CD-changer inputs until around 1998. So I searched on eBay and found an OEM stereo from some other Toyota that had the 15-pin premium connector, and also had a CD changer input. I bought it for $160. Here's a side photo of the stereo I found:

I bought it from a guy named John Nguyen ("factoryradios" on eBay), who was very helpful in finding a radio that fit my requirements. Here's a link to his eBay page - eBay My World - factoryradios - but there are others selling these radios as well, and local stereo shops are likely to have them too.

Keep in mind, this 15-pin connector was used on 94-95 MR2s with premium sound. For older models, I don't know what kind of connector they used, feel free to post your findings in this thread.

The other part you'll need to connect your iPod to the stereo is a USA-Spec PA12-TOY (or find it on google). This runs about $150, and it plugs into the CD-changer input on the back of the car stereo, and emulates a CD changer. It's pretty nifty, and the sound is great, since it's a direct connection.

Once I had the parts, I used this helpful howto to remove the dash and stereo (remember to eject your CD first!):
MKII Toyota MR2 Audio How-To

Then I tested the new stereo to make sure everything worked. The two antenna wires plugged right in to the new stereo, as did the 15-pin connector, and USA-Spec iPod device plug. Here's a photo of the new stereo halfway installed, with the console dash piece off:

Once I was sure it all worked, I moved the mounting brackets from the old stereo to the new one, and put the new stereo in place. I had to put the USA-Spec device somewhere, so I velcroed it kind of behind the stereo, to the right. There's plenty of room for it down there. Alternatively, it comes with 4 screws that you can use to mount it.

It works and sounds excellent. Now I just need to figure out an iPhone mount (it works with either an iPod or iPhone). Here's how it looks finally installed - note the OEM look:

01-25-2008, 01:52 AM	#1 (permalink)
mthreat Cage Fighter Join Date: May 2007 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 269 Thanks: 28 Thanked 20 Times in 14 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (7/100% )	How I hooked my iPod up with a Toyota radio, and kept OEM look I just finished up this project tonight, and wanted to share my work. My goal was to: 1) inexpensively hook my iPod up to my '95 MR2 stereo directly (no FM transmitters), while 2) retaining the OEM stereo look (no aftermarket stereo). As a bonus, I can use my stereo's next/previous CD buttons to control the iPod song. Here's how I did it. The main piece of work was finding a Toyota OEM stereo that would plug directly in to the 15-pin premium sound of my MR2, and also had a CD changer input. My stock MR2 stereo plugged directly into the 15-pin harness, of course, but they didn't start adding CD-changer inputs until around 1998. So I searched on eBay and found an OEM stereo from some other Toyota that had the 15-pin premium connector, and also had a CD changer input. I bought it for $160. Here's a side photo of the stereo I found: I bought it from a guy named John Nguyen ("factoryradios" on eBay), who was very helpful in finding a radio that fit my requirements. Here's a link to his eBay page - eBay My World - factoryradios - but there are others selling these radios as well, and local stereo shops are likely to have them too. Keep in mind, this 15-pin connector was used on 94-95 MR2s with premium sound. For older models, I don't know what kind of connector they used, feel free to post your findings in this thread. The other part you'll need to connect your iPod to the stereo is a USA-Spec PA12-TOY (or find it on google). This runs about $150, and it plugs into the CD-changer input on the back of the car stereo, and emulates a CD changer. It's pretty nifty, and the sound is great, since it's a direct connection. Once I had the parts, I used this helpful howto to remove the dash and stereo (remember to eject your CD first!): MKII Toyota MR2 Audio How-To Then I tested the new stereo to make sure everything worked. The two antenna wires plugged right in to the new stereo, as did the 15-pin connector, and USA-Spec iPod device plug. Here's a photo of the new stereo halfway installed, with the console dash piece off: Once I was sure it all worked, I moved the mounting brackets from the old stereo to the new one, and put the new stereo in place. I had to put the USA-Spec device somewhere, so I velcroed it kind of behind the stereo, to the right. There's plenty of room for it down there. Alternatively, it comes with 4 screws that you can use to mount it. It works and sounds excellent. Now I just need to figure out an iPhone mount (it works with either an iPod or iPhone). Here's how it looks finally installed - note the OEM look: