iPod/iPhone Hookup
 

I'm the proud new owner of a 2006 H3, just purchased with only 6k miles! In love with it already.

I knew the first thing I'd do to it is add an iPod/iPhone hookup, since it's the only way I listen to music. I wanted as simple a solution as possible, hopefully something like I had in my Land Rover (simple cord with one end that took place of the CD changer and other end a 1/8" plug for the iPod). Would rather not have radio controls, on-screen info, charging capability etc. Had that in a previous car and found it to be more of a headache than anything.

So I ordered the P.I.E. product from Logjam Electronics (this one). My vehicle has the XM tuner, so I ordered the cord for that hookup and installed it today.

So far so good, and a pretty easy installation - but the instructions that come with the kit are minimal to none, so here's some helpful info (only applies if you have XM tuner):

The XM tuner is located behind and above the glovebox. Remove the 3 screws at the bottom of the glovebox, and then remove the clip from the inside of the glovebox on the right which attaches the dampening cord. The glovebox will then easily slide out. You'll see a black panel above where the glovebox was, with small metal clips on either side. It doesn't look, or feel at first, like this panel opens, but it does. Pull gently but firmly and it will snap free and fold down towards you. It takes some effort, and bravery to not break anything. You'll then see the XM tuner with the plug you want to pull out and plug into the P.I.E. cable.

This is the part that took me AWHILE to figure out, and nobody has mentioned online. The plug that goes into the XM tuner has a little blue bracket with a black clip on the bottom. I fought with this thing for an hour, tearing my fingers up, before I figured it out. Use pliers to pull the blue bracket away from the tuner, and this will allow you to push the black clip up which frees the plug from the tuner.

After that, it's all simple. I used velcro to fasten the P.I.E. module to a piece of hardware by the head unit and fed the wire down through that slot at the bottom of the dash so it ends up by the cupholder, where I'll keep my iPod/iPhone. I used electrical tape to bundle all wires behind the glovebox and velcroed them to panels back there so there would be no rattling around.

Everything is out of sight and factory-quality.:)

To clarify, the blue bracket slides away from the tuner, towards the driver's side (not towards you).

Looks interesting. I've been using a hard wired FM modulator (goes into the radio antenna input) for my MP3 player, and it's worked pretty good, but with this system, I believe I'm sending a true digital signal to the radio instead of an analog one. Did you sacrifice the use of your XM, since you had to plug the ipod interface into the XM module, and unplug the factory harness?

No, the cable is a "Y connector", so at one end a female for the cable to the radio and a male to go into the XM tuner, and the other end goes to the P.I.E. module.

IPOD woes w/ P.I.E. module
 

Hi Beeper - I have the 07 H3 w/XM and tried to install the exact same setup this morning. Everything went as you described until I turned on the car and the radio. Now I don't have XM anymore, just AM/FM when I press band. I unplugged the wire harness from the XM module and plugged in the original cable back in and XM was back. I'm not sure if I got a bad P.I.E. unit, or if something is wrong with the wiring harness. You didn't mention the lone red wire that sticks out from the wire harness that plugs into the P.I.E. harness. Do I need to connect that wire to a 12v power wire from the car? I tested the red wire with a volt meter, and it is not outputting any power. I then (with everything connected), hooked up the red wire to a 12v battery to see if that would work, but no, still had no XM service with the P.I.E. wire harness and unit connected to the XM module. Any additional info you can provide would be appreciated. Thanks. -Jeff

Hey Jeff. Did you piggyback the harness onto the XM tuner so that you still have use of XM? This is something that I originally did (even though I don't subscribe to XM, in case I did in future) - but I had your problem. I tried disconnecting from XM, and it then worked. I didn't troubleshoot it and just left it like that, since I don't use XM. Also, I assume you tried it more than once. For whatever reason, the first time I started the car it didn't recognize the unit, the second time it did.

As far as the red wire, it's my understanding that it's for if you want to set it up so that the module will work after you turn the car off but before you take the keys out, like the radio does (retained accessory power). I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do with it though, so I just wrapped it in electric tape and left it. The instructions do say it's an output wire though, not input, and that supplying 12V may damage it - so depending on when you connected it to a power source, I guess it could have damaged the unit. Sounds like you tested the unit before hooking that up though.

Let me know what happens.

Hi, Ive got an 09 H3, with the standard radio, no cd changer,no XM is there a way to hook up a i-pod to it, or do I need to just use a fm modulator?
thanks

Thanks beeper. I did try multiple times, so maybe I have a bad unit. Will ask them to return it and try again, this time I won't do anything w the London red cable.
Jeff

@Justin67. I bought and installed a isimple iPod interface in my 06. It works great and charges my iPhone at the same time! I bought it at frys for 140 or so! They have it at best buy also and they'll hook it up for you! Did it myself in about 20 min! If ya need help let me know!!

Thanks for the info.