So...apparently my stock stereo has an open recepticle for the Mopar I-Pod cable. I plugged it in...nothing. Originally, I purchased the wire for my wife's 09 charger, since the parts dept. told me it was plug-n-play. Then, after that didn't work, they tried to star scan the SOB. That didn't work, so then they told me it needed the U-connect stereo to work. My question is, if my stock stereo has an unused recepticle that matches the damn I-Pod wire, then why won't this work? Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

Sounds like they are just dicking you around. Didn't work when they starscanned it so instead of fixing it they BS you saying you need a more expensive option. Did they charge you anything yet? I don't have one, but I really get tired of the stealer not just stealing our money, but our time too. That's where all the reject mechanics go when the world hates them.

 

Just throwing this out there, it may or may not be correct in your case...

I have seen a stock radio or two, especially GM/Delco, with extra receptacles for options I knew simply didn't exist on that specific radio...but by all accounts, it streamlined the manufacturing process and cost less to just let them all get punched with many of the same circuits, gadgets, and gizmos. (Probably like why my Dak came pre-wired for cruise control.) But I would guess the U-Connect chip and associated circuitry, as being the more expensive part of the radio, was left out, and it was the part that actually knew how to "talk" to your iPod.

There is a possibility the guy might actually be right.

 

Hmm. Didn't think about that one. That makes sense though. For F*ck's sake, why can't this be easier?

 

I just use the aux input jack on my daK to connect my iPod with the headphone jack on the iPod. Works fine.

 

what?

 

Go aftermarket. If you already have the radio out, 80% of the work is done. Just gotta pick up a mounting bracket, wiring harness matching your desired radio manufacturer to dodge/chrysler, and splice the radio's red wire into the cig lighter's dark blue-pink wire for accessory on/off (truck's computer won't sense the factory radio, so it won't send the on/off signal the normal way). Make sure the cigarette lighter fuse position is aligned to have power "switched with the key", not "on all the time"...apparently not every truck has it positioned the same way from the factory):





At some point the factory radios began including the front aux input jack, but my 2005 didn't, and I'm assuming his 2006 didn't either. The change probably happened in 2008 with the interior/radio shape update.

 

My '06 has the aux input.

 

As does my 06.

 

Well I'll be damed. Then why not just use it for the iPod?? lol