Can't believe I have waited this long to look here and seek help for this one...
Wondered best way to add an AUX. 3.5 mm input to the factory stereos in my 2004 and 2006 Expeditions? ? ?
The '04 had the in dash disc changer.
The '06 has a back seat dvd player.
Figured that there might be a cheap plug in that "tee'd" into the wiring harness or plugs.
Appreciate it if anyone has done it and could share their success

 

If you have a rear DVD, you just need a "Y-adaptor witha 1/8 stereo plug on one side and RCA on the other.
Then you just use the rear DVD player as your input. Just need to press "aux" on your head unit.

 

Thought a pic of the "head unit" might help explain better than I can describe...
It has an AUX button on it, but I am not seeing any input port anywhere besides the RCA plugs on the dvd player.
Hoping I can get some sort of "T" to plug in back and run a 3.5 mm connection out from behind the dash....
Appreciate the help

 

You got me on this one.

 

Yep, those RCA plugs are your input. That's what the AUX button contols

 

Hoping that is not my only option.
I have visions of my young daughter playing jump rope with a cord hanging from the ceiling back there...
Not sure if I would want to get into trying to snake one under the headliner etc. either.
I imagine that those connections end up in the back of the stereo somewhere.
That is what has me thinking that I cannot be the first to want to do this.
Figure someone has a plug/adapter that could jump in between those wires and where they plug into the back of the stereo.

Thanks for the help, if I have to may end up doing that...

 

Oh Oh...
Sounds like I am in trouble....

 

If you have the DVD, then you can tap into it behind the head unit. You just need a wiring diagram or pinout for the connectors with DVD.

For those who do not have the DVD, it's much harder but not impossible. An easier option there would be an aftermarket head unit (which is better anyway...)

 

Not anymore, you see I misread your original post and thought you wanted a 3.5mm jack to plug some headphones into. But after reading a few posts I realize you want a 3.5mm input to pipe your audio through the radio.

TaDa...
AXXESS MOBILITY AXM-DC01 Wired FM Modulator Universal Stereo Audio Input with Smart Connections 30-Pin & 3.5mm

 

FM modulators do work fine yes, but they leave a lot to be desired for sound quality. As you mention you have two Expeditions, one of which has the DVD system, I'd recommend you get the pinout for the rear connectors on the head unit, there are wires here that feed the AUX input from the rear DVD unit.

For the Expedition that does not have the DVD system, you're left with two options. The first is the above FM modulator which Alloro suggested, this is by far the easiest and cheapest, but depending on how picky you are on sound quality it might not satisfy you on that part. The second option is to upgrade the head unit to an aftermarket unit. It's not difficult, there are simple pigtails with instructions available to buy so you don't have to cut and splice into the factory harness, and there are frames for aftermarket units out there. It will obviously cost more...

 

Could always buy one for this vehicle and see how it sounds. If it works out buy the second one and leave the rest of the money that would've gone to two new head units in the bank.

 

I might actually get one of those FM modulators if I find one that ships here.. Planning to replace my head unit, but other things are higher on the list at the moment and I'm tired of the ****ty music on the radio (previous owner broke the CD changer mechanism because he apparently thought it was a 12-CD changer).. LOL

 

I too am pretty interested in this topic. I just picked up a 2003 Expedition XLT with the rear DVD entertainment system. My plan is to install a bluetooth streaming audio/handsfree system that is designed to connect to an AUX input. I am going to install the bluetooth device in the ceiling console between the driver and passenger, I figure it will be pretty easy for me since I can tap into not only the two aux channels from the DVD harness, but can even tap into power there as well. The only thing stopping me is I need to get a diagram for the wires that go into the DVD harness itself in the ceiling. I can figure out the ground and power with a multimeter, but need a way to figure out which wires are for the two audio channels.

After this project I will have a fully working DVD unit, as well as a nicely installed bluetooth option for connecting to my iPhone, with no unsightly wires showing. If anyone can point me in the direction of a color coded diagram I would really appreciate it.

Also a note for anyone else taking on this endeavor. If you plan on installing either an AUX jack or a bluetooth input, you do not want to simply splice directly into the DVD channels as is. Audio inputs should not be just spliced together like that, you need to install resistors within your custom wiring. I recommend 5% resistors that have an ohm rating of no more than 100k (the higher the ohm rating, the lower the sound level). Basically if you are connecting two sources to one input, you can tie the grounds together, but use a resistor for each positive wire going into the amplifier. This means that when I connect the bluetooth device to the DVD audio channels I am going to first disconnect the positive wires from each channel coming from the DVD, then install one resistor per channel inline. Then on the bluetooth device (or if you are putting in an AUX jack) install one resistor per channel inline. Then tie the resistors together going into the amplifier. Be sure to use electrical tape to ensure there are no exposed leads before putting it all together. Using resistors per input source is a cheap way of creating what is known as a passive direct box, basically it's like an audio mixer just without amplification or level adjustment. After connecting everything this way, you will still be able to use your DVD system, use the auxiliary RCA inputs, as well as your AUX jack or bluetooth audio source. Do it right and your friends will think it came that way from the factory.

 

Your reply got me thinking...
An adapter like below could Bluetooth from phone right to the aux inputs (rca's) on the DVD player.
I am guessing that would do what I am after.

 

Yes you can plug that directly into the RCA aux inputs on the DVD system. However, the unit you linked to is only for streaming music, you will not be able to use it for handsfree calls. This is because bluetooth audio devices have specific profiles built into them depending on their ability. Usually they have both the handsfree as well as the streaming audio profile. The one above is only for audio. If you want to have streaming audio and handsfree be sure to find one that offers both. If you find one that utilizes a 3.5mm aux cable instead of RCA plugs, you can just connect it using a 3.5mm stereo female connector to RCA male plugs, which is basically what I am doing in the meantime until I make my installation permanent.