Adding an AUX input on NTG4.0 - Do I need an "activator?"




The question up front: Can I just activate the AUX myself via the engineering menu and wire in the left/right/ground - or must I use a "programmer" shown below?
My situation:
I don't have that rectangular MMI (?) port in my glove box that uses cable adapters with stereo aux jacks and USB ports. In my 2010 it would have been in the glove box. Later years put it in the center console. I don't have any of it.
Here's the port I don't have:
I removed the Mercedes iPod dock interface from my NTG4.0, which was simply an inline cable added to the back of the NTG4.0. The NTG and the car are now factory stock.
I have bluetooth audio working well because it came to me that way.

My hopeful solution:
I found the pinout for the AUX, which I pasted below. I can make my own stereo cable in a few minutes. This store sells an "activator" which connects via the OBD2 port and activates the AUX port. for ~$150.
Can't I just activate the AUX myself via the engineering menu?
Here are the pinout and cable:
Last edited by RWagz; May 20, 2022 at 06:22 PM.








I found this cable on ebay. There are plenty, so I will try the 3-wire option in my first post. It looks like that "Programmer" is simply doing what the engineering mode would do anyway.
Would this directly interface with my NTG4 or do I need some kind of intermediate control box? It has three connectors on the NTG side. If this works then I just need the MMI-to-headphone-jack cable. I'm guessing that this would snap into that large cam-lock connector on the ntg4.
Last edited by RWagz; May 22, 2022 at 12:39 PM.


