MP3 player hookup in a late C5

[pete_wood_uk]

Hi Chaps

Apologies for what I'm almost certain is a duplicate thread, but a quick search didn't find what I think I remember seeing...

My shiny newish C5 is having to go back to the main dealer next week for what I hope will be a warranty issue - I've just nursed it around a touring holiday in Cornwall with a slipping clutch (18 months, 30k miles!) - so while it's there I asked them if they could hook me up a cable to let me plug my MP3 player in. I know that I can't do it myself 'cos the computer needs reprogramming to use the AUX port.

Their proposed solution (it's a main dealer, not the one I usually use, but the car's under warranty and the clutch will be expensive...) is a multi-function box that apparently gives me USB, iPod and headphone connector functionality. £295 fitted! All I want is a cable....

I seem to remember that this question was raised before, and someone found a Peugeot part number for a headphone-jack to RD4 aux port cable, so then the solution is a much-cheaper cable and an inevitable reprogramming charge.

Does anyone know the answer...?

Thanks!
Pete

[steelcityuk]

Hi Pete,

I found this on the C5-L forums -

MP3 connection for a rd4 radio (blaupunkt) is easy. Visit the dealer
(citroen or peugeot) for a cabling set that connects to the back
plug in the radio and extends in a 3.5 female jack that will accept
audio input. Let the wire enter the dashboard cupboard or you have
it somewhere in the console or near the gear shift coming up. You
will need th ask the dealer to enable the aux input though. From
then on you have under the 'source' button the third posibility
of 'input' or 'aux'. I connectd a mp3 player that way and have
excellent quality.

Don't know if that helps at all?

Steve.

[pete_wood_uk]

Hi Steve

That's exactly what I want. Don't s'pose your source was kind enough to post a part number, was he...?

Cheers
Pete

[wheeler]

I think your looking for a 9706AG

[pete_wood_uk]

Thanks very much for this! I rang up the dealer and he recognises the part number, and indeed has one in stock. He has no idea how I fit it to a C5, and indeed didn't know it existed til I gave him the number, so I guess I'll have to drive down and have a look at it.

What I don't know is how to get the radio out, to get at the AUX port, but hopefully the dealer will be able to tell me...

Cheers
Pete

[wheeler]

The two holes at either side of the radio have torx srews behind them & they are either T20 or T25 but it needs to be a thin bladed screwdriver to fit in the hole.

[pete_wood_uk]

Well I got the dealer to do the whole thing since they were doing a clutch swap under warranty at the same time and I'd anyway have to pay them for reprogramming the car to use the AUX port.

But anyway, in case anyone's interested, 9706.AG is the right part, and you end up with a little connector box in the glove box. Very neat. I hooked it up, via the supplied cable, to the headphone socket of my Sony Walkman MP3 player and it sounds sweet, though I was rather surprised to find that the volume needs to be cranked almost all the way up. I'd have thought that an AUX port was rather more sensitive than that, so I wonder if the little interface box (it has a headphone jack and a pair of RCA phonos on the front) has some padding resistors in it to attenuate the input. In an ideal world I'd take it to bits and look, but it works fine and life's too short.

If you're doing it at a dealer, then FYI installation (and reprogramming) of 9706.AG books at 0.7 hour, and I think that the part itself is 20-odd quid.

Cheers
Pete

[steelcityuk]

Hi Pete,

Sorry only just noticed your question. Good to hear you got it sorted out.

This is how it looks without the radio and trim panel -



Steve.

[myglaren]

Hells Bells that trim hides a whole lot of ugliness!