I know in the age of MP3 and XM, a large changer in the rear of the car is somewhat passe, but I'm not ready to upgrade to the new generation yet. Does anyone know if it's any more difficult to add an after-market changer (not in-dash) to the Prius than to any other vehicle? Do I need to be careful about what brand I purchase as far as compatibility? Thanks! Alyson '04 White AM on its way!
The factory radio has an available connector on the backside for adding an additional component. This is the connector that the XM radio uses, but may alternatively be used for a second factory CD changer. The connector and interface itself for this dedicated connector would require that you add in a Toyota module if you want to take advantage of the seemless integration with the Multi-Function Display, wheel controls, auto-muting, etc. Accessing the backside of the radio can be done by removing all four A/C vents, the top and bottom dash sections surrounding the steering wheel, the accessory tray under the radio, and the MFD. It sounds overwhelming, but it mostly just tedious. The cabling should be run as Jon (PriusXM) recommends, which is behind the glove box, down the passenger side behind the trim panel and then front to rear in the cable channel under the door thresholds.
