I recently ordered this device from Crutchfield. I was tired of using an FM modulater — the sound was not that great and I’d have to switch channels every now and then, and sometimes quite often. I was a bit worried about doing the install myself. Taking apart dashes can be tricky, but I decided to give it a shot. I found a web site that actually sells instructions, with photos, for removing car stereos from just about every car for $5.99, and I thought that was deal. (www.carstereohelp.com) The instructions worked like a charm and getting the radio out was not as hard as I thought it might be.

Installing the USA Spec to the car stereo was very easy. I just had to remove the factory wiring harness, and plug that into the usa spec, and then the usa spec into the stereo. Then had to flip a few dip switches on the usa spec to set the play mode, which input on the car stereo it would show up as, etc. All in all very easy.

This device allows me to control the iPod using my factory stereo system. There are two modes, direct and playback. I chose direct mode, which means to access the music, you actually use the iPod’s click wheel. From the stereo and/or steering wheel, I can move tracks forward and backward and adjust the volume. All other control is via the iPod. Also, you don’t see artist info on the radio this way. Supposedly that is possible in playlist mode, but I didn’t like other aspects of playlist mode so I chose this route.

I love this thing – it sounds so much better than the FM modulater. If our other car had a factory stereo that would work with one of these, I’d install it in a minute.