DIY: AudioLink USB/MP3 Mod Extension!! & Installation
 

So guys!! I got to thinking and I realized, putting the AudioLink Mp3 mod in the glovebox wouldnt be all that convenient.....

Putting it in that area where i usually jus toss stuff in the center console gets very warm for me and i wasnt too sure about putting it there for its own safety. Additionally, as said before, i put stuff there so it would be kinda messy.

I looked up and saw that area between the Rear View Mirror & The Sunglasses holder, and realized that gap where there is some black area would be perfect to mount it flat but how would the cable run all the way from there to the HU?

Well this is what I did & it involves some Cat-5 Cable :)

1. Cut the black wire from the device and it revealed 8 wires, one which was not within any shielding whatsoever, I assumed this was ground of some sort.

2. Since Cat-5 has 4 pairs of wires and this had 8 wires, I just matched the colors i could find to make the work easy and used what I didnt have and replaced along the line.

3. I then measured of the Cat-5 I needed to run from the area it was being mounted which took the path along the headliner, a-pillar, behind the glovebox and then behind the HU.

4. Having cut the required Cat-5 length, I then proceded to split each wire and solder the wires together to make the necessary junction which meant I had to solder 16 times, 8 times per side to form the bridge of:
AudioLink USB -> AudioLink original wire -> Cat5 -> AudioLink original wire & HU plug

* Since i wanted to maintain the plugs integrity.

Upon completing each solder I wrapped each of the wires in electrical tape and bound each bundle using heatshrink wrap.

5. Removed the side pieces from the AudioLink USB (supplied) so that it would lie flat on the windscreen without shifting.

6. Found some eyeglass screws small enough to secure that front piece of the audiolink to itself so that the front would not come off while inserting or removing a jump drive.

7. After cleaning the area on the windshield I used some two sided tape and secured the AudioLink to the windshield.

8. I then used a box cuter to cut a neat square in the headliner to allow for the cord to neatly enter the headliner and I ran the cable along the path and down and connected to the HU using the guidelines provided by http://www.whatsmyip.org/ipodrx8 to remove the center console, ashtray and HU to get behind and connect the audiolink.

I hope this is straightforward without pics since my camera was on loan this weekend so I have no pics. I have to pull down my console area etc to do some work so I will be able to take what is necessary to help explain further.

I will definitely be taking a pic of the mounted example to show how neat it looks now that it's all done ....

its really difficult to picture without some images. put some up soontime so we can all understand how and what you did. sounds like a good idea though.

No problem I will attempt to do so this weekend, the thought had crossed my mind that I really should go out and find a camera but no worries, i'll fix y'all up.

:)