Introduction: No Cd Player? Want Music in Your Car? No Problem!
How to use your phone,laptop, tablet, mp3 player or old phone as a music player through you car speakers without a cd player or radio!
If you like it please vote! I could really use the laser cutter for my rocketry! It would help a lot for making pieces of the apogee detector and piston ejection systems.
OR the jury rig contest! I need new glasses! :)
..... If i get accepted into the contest of course. Which will be an instructable! Keep an eye out :)
Step 1: Item Needed
You will need:
12 volt 4 or 2 channel amplifier.. Which you can find on Ebay for around $20. Either a kit or just one assembled. Even parts
on a bread board.
something to strip wire with.
Old phone, laptop, tablet or mp3 player.
Something to mount to like wood, plastic or part of the car.... not metal!!
zip ties or screws to mount the amp.
Male to Male 1/8th inch cable. 2 or 3 if you are using 4 channels. depending on the splitter
Soldering iron, flux and solder if you are going to add a switch.
Drill with Bits.
Velcro dots or something to mount the phone case with.
(Optional) A switch if you feel like being fancy. I used a switch with a key :)
(optional) Phone charger/ usb charger for 12 volt acc. (cigar Lighter) to keep the peripheral charged in car.
Awesome music and a Fm amp on your phone!
(optional) Inverter for laptop and lcd screen or to charge you mp3 or phone.
NOTE! Also do not forget to get the wattage of your speakers as well as the speaker impedance which usually is 4 or 8 Ohms. My cars factory speakers were 40 Watt, and 4 ohm impedance.
Step 2: First Thing First
First off... Disconnect your battery. No need to harm yourself or your car.
You will need to look up the wire harness for you model of car... also how to take off your dash board. mine was held in place by 5 screws which were very easy to see/ access
Strip the wires and label them if you like.
Then put all appropriate wires where they belong. + to +, - to - yadda yadda. Most amps comes with a acc. or a place for a switch/ignition wire ... which your car should have so the cd player does drain the battery. if not then install a switch on the 12 volt + in line on the harness.
You might have a lonely wire left which is for the power antenna. You will not need this since the phone or mp3 player uses the head phone wire as the antenna. just make sure to cover it up with tape or some sort of sealant.
NOTE: If you want four channel sound you will need a 1/8th inch cable splitter. Which are about $4
Step 3: Mounting
Take a scrap piece of wood and plan out where you want the phone and amp to be.
I decided to put the amp directly behind the phone on the back side to hide the zip ties holding it in place.
Add your velcro dots to the wood and phone case.
Drill holes for the zip ties and 1/8th inch cable to go to.
If you are installing a four channel amp. Don't forget to attach the splitter on the back side! It will save you from having to take the dash back off your car.
Step 4: MUSIC TIME!
Once you have added and mounted everything you are ready to rock!
Just replace the dash and hook the battery back up. Turn the ignition on and switch if you installed one and tadaa! You have music! quick easy and awesome :) Hope you enjoy your new play lists/ movies or what ever you come up with! :) Enjoy!!

Participated in the
Epilog Challenge V

Participated in the
Jury Rig It! Contest
16 Comments
9 years ago on Introduction
hey. good idea.
elect a proposal on how to improve it ;)
https://www.instructables.com/id/Install-phone-into-car-dashboard-Subaru-Legacy/
10 years ago on Introduction
I am assuming that this if for a sub since it has such a low impedance? In that case you'll probably be pushing higher wattage speakers and should search for something that can handle it. I would check and see what the wattage of the speakers are and enter that along with the 2 ohms into a ebay search. Along with that i would get a amp that has a larger heatsink. Let me know what the specs are and ill help you find a good amp.
10 years ago on Introduction
Hahah, this is awesome!
10 years ago on Introduction
Hmmm... This might actually solve my problem. I like this idea. Thanks for the instructable!
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
You are very welcome! Just make it look prettier than mine lol I used minimal parts and time. Which I will eventually make it look nice and maybe find a cheap tablet but it was very easy to do! Just need to do some research on your car. Best of luck! An
d keep making!
10 years ago
Haha yes it is actually. 2002 kia spectra. Great eye!
10 years ago on Introduction
the car KIA spectra ?
10 years ago on Introduction
Well thank you very much :) It is rough around the edges and will be a little better with some time. Their might be a couple extra steps but you definitely save some money at least. Well depending on what your junk drawer looker like lol
10 years ago on Introduction
I think installing a new radio would be easier.. but then I'm old and dont have a old phone (or a new phone) I do have an old laptop but I still use it... It is still a well presented "ible" and I enjoyed reading it
10 years ago on Introduction
Im not sure where WIL is based out of but its MKRR here
10 years ago on Introduction
92.3 on the radio. Listening to WIL maybe?
10 years ago
cool!
10 years ago on Introduction
yea another launcher would work too.. my old htc home screen actually doesnt do well in landscape. Mount it would be just as easy if not easier on you motorcycle :) my father in law wants me to do it for his bike
10 years ago on Introduction
You could do something similar on a motorcycle
10 years ago on Introduction
It might also help if you are using a phone to get a app to make your home screen landscape. just type in rotate screen into google play
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
or get another launcher but i think most of them work in landscape