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Read On!
2007 Style Tray with Stereo Input in your 2005 F150
Wednesday, 06 February 2008

ImageThe 2007 Ford F150 has an aux input jack in the dash tray that allows you to plug in an MP3 player or other device.  You may notice that your earlier F150 has a dash tray that looks otherwise identical, but has no input jack.  Wouldn't it be nice if you could switch trays and get an input for your MP3 player in your earlier model Ford F150?  Thats what I was thinking when I saw the snazzy dash tray in an 07.

As luck would have it, you can - but like anything worth doing, it isn't as easy as it sounds.  We'll need two parts from Ford, one from PIE, and a few other things.  Read on for step by step instructions on how to add this input to YOUR 2004 and up Ford F150.

Compatibility:
This process can be performed on the following vehicles.

  • 2004 - 2008 Ford F150
  • No factory installed Satellite Radio
  • No factory installed Navigation
  • No rear seat entertainment
  • Must have the "AUX" button on the radio, not the CD/Aux button. 

Parts List:
Here are the parts you'll need.

  • Wiring Pigtail Kit Ford Part # 3U2Z-14S411-FAA.  This part is around $13-$17 depending on where you buy it.
  • Dash Tray Ford Part #
  • 3 Foot RCA Cable.  A cheap one is fine, you can get these at Radio Shack.
  • Electrical Tape.  You can get this at Radio Shack as well.
  • P.I.E FRD04-AUX, you can get that here: FRD04-AUX

Process:

Prepare the Tray -
The first thing we need to do is get the tray ready to put into your truck.  Cut one end off of your RCA cable.  Once you do that, the inside of the RCA cable will look something like the image below.

Image

What you want to do is peel back the cover about a half inch so you can access the wire sheath.  You want to grab this sheathing up and twist it together into a wire. Once you have the sheathing pulled back, cut the insulation back about a half inch so you can get to the wire inside.  Do this to both sides of the RCA cable.
 
Now take the wiring pigtail you got from Ford.  The wire functions are as shown in the image below.
 
Image 
What we want to do is connect the appropriate wires from the pigtail into the RCA cable.  On the RCA cable, the red connector will be R, the White connector will be L, and the sheathing from each side will be a G.  Connect the wires in this fashion, as shown in the image below.
Image
Once you have it all connected, tape up the connections so that the sheathing (ground) can't contact the right and left signals.  Wrap it all up nice and secure.
 
Finally, plug the pigtail into the back of the Aux input jack.  Now you could test your wiring by plugging your MP3 player into the input jack and plugging the RCA cables into your stereo or TV.  If all went well, you should be able to hear your MP3 player. 
 
Install the Tray -  
First we have to pull off the HVAC bezel.  It is held in place by about 6 clips.  I found that the easiest way to get this out was to open the ashtray/drink holder and pull from that bottom edge.  You'll have to pull pretty hard.  Once it pops out, pull the top in the same fashion until the bezel comes loose.  Once you have the bezel off, it will look like the image below:
 Image
Now you'll be able to see two small screws in the front of the tray that hold it in place.  Remove those screws.  Next, lift the tray straight up.  There are a couple clips holding it in place that will pop free.  Remove the tray and place it aside.  You won't need it anymore.
 
Then, take your new tray that has your RCA cable hanging off of it.  Put the RCA cable down through the hole where the tray will go and leave them hanging there.
 
Remove the Stereo and install the PIE- 
 Look at the sides of the stereo.  There are 2 bolts on each side of it.  Remove these bolts and pull the radio out.  Take your PIE adapter and plug it into the back of the stereo.  Next, take your RCA cables that should be sitting back there and plug them into the PIE adapter as well.
 
Power to the PIE - 
The PIE adapter requires 12v constant power and ground.  Splice the PIE power wire into the blue/white wire in the cigarette lighter.  Splice the PIE ground wire into the black wire in the cigarette lighter.
 
TEST IT! 
Before you put everything together, you'll want to test everything.  Turn your key to ACC and push "Aux" on your head unit.  Plug something into the AUX jack and play it.  There is a level adjustment on the PIE that I had to turn up a bit to get good volume.  If everything works - proceed.  If it does not work, you'll want to go back and check your RCA cable connections, etc.
 
Back together - 
Replace the stereo and bolt it back in place. 
Pop the new tray down in position and replace the screws. 
Pop the HVAC bezel back into position.
 
Thats it!  You are done!  Enjoy your new factory style AUX input! 
 
 

 

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 10 June 2008 )
 
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