What can I connect my MP3 to ?

[canoodle]

I purchased the attached pic goodie on Amazon, thinking I could plug my MP3 player into it ( MP3 has USB on it) and play play music through the AUX setting on the dash. I found a lot of wires in the left glovebox. One I inserted into my phone and I could play music from Youtube etc using the AUX setting. Assumed I could plug the same wire into my MP3 and then insert the USB part of my MP3 player into this goodie I just bought. Tried it today-it only charges my MP3 player but does not play music from the MP3 player.
What can I plug the USB part of my MP3 player into, in order to play some of my favourite tunes ?

[tamathumper]

That device looks like a USB power socket, so if hooked up correctly it should power your MP3 player just fine.

If you plugged the bike's 1/8" AUX stereo jack into your phone's headphone jack and it played music through the bike's AUX circuit, then the AUX cord on the bike is working fine.

If your MP3 player has a 1/8" headphone jack, then plugging the bike's AUX cable into it should work exactly the same way as it does with your phone. Use actual headphones to verify the MP3 player is outputting music to that jack.

If your MP3 player somehow has a 1/8" "Line Out" jack, the signal may be much too low to hear on the bike's AUX circuit.

[Andy Cote]

The item you purchased provides power only. It can be used to charge anything with a USB capability (phone, digital camera, etc.). It will not provide data connection.

I believe your bike has a connection in the trunk for a CD player. There are several companies that provide the capability to use a common MP3 player in lieu of the expensive CD player. That would be an easy solution. There are several posts on this board describing these options and how to arrange the music files to perform best with the handlebar controls.

Your bike should also have a connection for an AUX cable under the left side glove box. May already be hooked up with a cable inside the box as you describe plugging your phone in. This cable usually has a male headphone type 2.5mm plug. You can use the headphone jack on your MP3 player but your controls are limited to volume only.

[Andy Cote]

Good morning. You beat me to it!

[Andy Cote]

This is one example: https://jmcorp.com/JM-Digital-Music-Pla ... p_316.html

same unit: https://www.sierra-mc.com/proddetail.as ... JMDM-GL18K

[canoodle]

Thanks as always for the responses-looks like that J+M thingamajiggy is the way to go.

[kwthom]

If your MP3 player somehow has a 1/8" "Line Out" jack, the signal may be much too low to hear on the bike's AUX circuit.

May need to be certain of this by turning up the volume of the MP3 player with it attached to the 3.5mm AUX input.

It worked just fine on my '06, back in the day when I used an MP3 player made by Sandisk (Sansa of some sort...)

[tamathumper]

Sandisk Sansa Fuze, loved those things, still have two, but the rubber coating on them is kinda sticky now.

[kwthom]

It may be helpful for the OP to let us know which MP3 player he's trying to use...

[canoodle]

***SUCCESS !!** love it when a plan comes together. Thought I'd give it another bash today. Turns out I do not need the charger goodie I purchased off Amazon. Just changed the jack size and plugged it into my MP3 ( it's an ancient Sony model BTW) and lo and behold on pressing the AUX button, heard the sweet sounds of my beloved TOTO filling the Covid-19 infused Summer air. Back in business. Thanks to all for the time taken to post here. Be safe and take care.

[kwthom]

Thanks to all for the time taken to post here. Be safe and take care.

Another happy ending!


A nugget of (nearly) useless information...

2001 - 2010: AUX button simply activates the aux input line, as you now have seen.
2012 - 2017: AUX button has a toggle function. It can toggle between the USB port (located in the trunk...the device that took the place of the CD player) and the 3.5mm port that our OP has put to use on his bike.

So, for those reading along...it *does* help if one of the pieces of the puzzle you're trying to get help with is what year your bike is for these types of odd reasons.