For our third and final iPod interface install, we teamed with Neo Car Audio for its Neo Pro Link unit. Neo's iPod interface incorporates many of the features of other units with unique flexibility not found on competitors units. Our test vehicle was an '04 Honda Pilot with rear DVD player. No other iPod interface manufacturer listed a unit for this application, however, Neo stated its Pro Link unit would work simply by disconnecting the rear DVD player's input from the back of the head unit. The SUV owner made a quick and easy decision and gave the Neo interface the green light. Available for many hard-to-find makes and models, Neo may be the hidden link to getting an iPod into your truck or SUV.
We began the install by scrapping...
We began the install by scrapping the old FM transmitter. Whereas the transmitter did allow us to play our iPod, the sound quality was horrible and if the radio dropped a signal, we had no tunes.
Using a plastic panel tool,...
Using a plastic panel tool, the radio center surround was gently pried free.
With the plastic pieces out...
With the plastic pieces out of the way, we had access to the four Philips screws securing the radio to the dash.
After pulling out the radio,...
After pulling out the radio, we located the correct harness for the rear DVD player and disconnected it. We then inserted the new Neo harness in the CD changer location.
It was then just a matter...
It was then just a matter of securing the new cable into the New Pro Link interface box. The cable from the radio to the interface was the longest and most convenient in the group we tested.
We drilled a small hole in...
We drilled a small hole in the back of the glovebox, which allowed us to insert the cables from the radio to the Neo Pro Link that we mounted using double-sided tape inside the glovebox.