By Bulldog: Installed my Ipod mini in the 2003 4Runner today and connected it with the JBL 6 Disc HU, using a Neo iON unit. You can find the unit for sale here http://www.carplayer.com/

Remember to order the 20001 - Toyota Harness Converter as well. Below a picture of what the NEOunit looks like, mine was white.

Before I start, here is an excellent write up of how to remove all the panels and to get to the factory HU.

Once you know how to get to the HU, it is pretty easy. I removed my HU and installed the harness converter, it was interesting to note that there were a few wires connected to the specific plug on the HU, so the splitter worked perfect. I have a 6 Disc changer in the HU, so I have no idea what the wires were doing as no external CD changer is needed.

After installing the harness converter, note that I routed the cable, going to the Neo converter, past the steel bracket towards the bottom. This will make it easier to mount the Neo unit in the dash area. Below is the Neo unit next to the HU, it is bigger than I expected. The picture next to it shows where I was going to mount it with some double sided pads.

Neo unit “glued” out of the way below. It fitted really well there and was completely out of the way of the climate control panel.

Now just install the HU back in place and bolt down the retention bolts. Next find a place to put the 2 million yards of extra cable the unit came with. I tied most of the excess cable in a small bundle with a cable tie, and stored it out of the way by some other cables see below.

Next I cut a small incision into the climate control panel to allow the cable to pass to the little storage bin below the climate panel, you always thought it was useless, right?? Well now it will house the Ipod. On the left below is the incision, on the right the cable after installing the climate control panel.

Now just put storage bin and all the other panels back. Plug the iPod in and place in the storage bin. I left some cable slack to allow iPod to be taken out while connected. This will allow the use of the iPod interface while playing through the factory stereo. One of the features I like about the Neo unit. Pics below of Ipod installed and what it looks like while playing your favorite playlist.

I have not used it a lot, but so far I have noticed a number of things about the Neo iON iPod converter. The sound quality is excellent, but I found it to be slightly softer than the in dash CDs (maybe just a MP3 thing). The other thing is that you can only go between playlists by using the iPod interface itself, trying to change “discs” on the HU or steering wheel control just goes to the next song on the playlist. When initially starting to play songs on a playlist you have to use the next track or next disc button on the HU before the steering wheel controls will allow you to change songs. The HU display a higher or lower song count, but the iPod doesn’t change to the next song. Another hidden feature of the iPod becomes very obvious as well, once you reach the end of the playlist you go back to menu. This means you have to use the iPod itself to get to the next playlist you can’t do anything with the controls on the HU or steering wheel. The same goes when you try to go back a track on the first song of a playlist.

So not perfect but it really works well, hope at some date in the future they can come up with a better mechanism for playing MP3 on a factory stereo. Specifically iPods, how about a docking station in the HU, which then displays the full features of the iPod interface itself. Until then the Neo iON unit seems to be working well enough. I could get a mounting unit for the iPod so it is within easy reach in the future. But I first need to mount a number of other accessories in the 4Runner including CB, so it will have to wait till later.

Update: I have since bought a Proclip to mount the iPod in sight. It helps to be able to control the playlists and when the player gets stuck in pause mode. Proclips can be bought from http://www.proclipusa.com/default.asp Below is a pic of the final install.