If you’ve ever had to deal with a dirty aux port in your car, you know how annoying it can be. Not only does it make it difficult to plug in your phone, but it also affects the sound quality of your music. Fortunately, there are a few simple steps you can take to make sure your aux port stays clean and your music sounds great. Here’s how to clean the aux port in your car.
Getting Supplies
You must first obtain the appropriate supplies before cleaning the port. The following items are required to clean your aux port:
- Using cotton swabs (Q-tip)
- Alcohol for electronic use – It comes in 99% bottles for electronics. To find these check at your local hardware stores, retail stores, cleaning supply stores, and online.
- A spray cleaner for electronics – such as the Opolar Cordless Air Duster.
- A soft cloth
- Compressed Air
How to Clean the Aux Port in Your Car
There are a few things you can do if you’re having problems with your aux port or simply want to keep it clean for good hygiene and basic upkeep.
To begin, wipe the port on your vehicle with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol (try isopropyl). You’ll want to do this frequently so that dirt and grime don’t accumulate inside—this may result in poor sound quality or, worse, damage to your device! Keep in mind that there is a risk of leaving pieces of cotton/lint in the port which will interfere with the jack when plugged in. So take extra care to avoid this happening when you’re cleaning out any dirt with the cotton swab.
Compressed air is up next! You don’t need anything fancy for this; simply disconnect any gadgets and blast away any dust with regular old compressed air from Home Depot.
Finally, when cleaning up your aux port, avoid using sharp items like pencils or markers!
Why Should You Clean the Aux Port in Your Car?
Dirt, debris, and moisture are regularly exposed to the Aux port. This can lead to corrosion and port obstruction due to dust and debris. You may avoid these issues by cleaning your aux port regularly. If you’ve ever tried to use an auxiliary cable with a filthy or corroded port, you know how difficult it can be to get it to work again!
What Is an Aux Port, and Where Can You Find One in a Car?
In your automobile, the aux port serves as the audio input port. It’s also known as the auxiliary input port or AUX port, and it’s placed in your car’s center console.
The Aux port is normally protected from dust and filth by a rubber cover. If you have an older car that does not have a cover, this indicates that any dirt or dust that gets inside will be quite difficult to clean out.
Things to Avoid/ Potential Pitfalls
To clean the aux port, refrain from using your fingers, paper towels, or tissues. This may result in damage to your devices, such as cellphones, MP3 players, and tablets.
When you use alcohol to clean the aux port, you have to be careful to avoid harming the interior of your vehicle as well as any gadgets linked to the port itself (such as an iPod). To avoid this, make sure the cotton swab isn’t saturated with alcohol so that no alcohol seeps inside or is left as residue when you clean out the dirt.
Never use compressed air on anything other than PC components; there’s a chance that it could damage your sensitive electronics and cause potentially fatal injuries if done wrong. If you want to be safe, we strongly advise you to hire a skilled expert instead. They are not cheap, but you will be in good hands.
Tips for Cleaning Your Car’s Auxiliary Port Safely
When using alcohol or isopropyl alcohol, use no more than 70% of each. If you use too much, this could harm the electronics in your car.
Be careful when you use compressed air to clean the aux port. You risk blowing dirt or dust particles into other components of your car’s interior which can cause harm.
FAQ
Q: Can you use a headphone jack as an auxiliary audio out jack?
A: You certainly can. The two are nearly identical and can usually be interchanged. The Aux output may occasionally be high impedance and hence unable to power a pair of headphones, although the opposite way is always good. However, it is not a line-level output. You may be unaware of how much voltage it can produce so you should start with a moderate volume on your playback system and 0 volume on the device. Then, boost the level on the device until the loudness from the playback system sounds proper.
Q: Can I hire someone to clean the aux port in my car?
A: Yes, a skilled auto mechanic can clean the aux port for you. If tackling the task on your own makes you feel overwhelmed, hiring a professional is a wonderful choice.
Conclusion
Cleaning the aux port in your automobile is a straightforward task. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comments section below. Also if you found this post useful, please share it with others who may benefit from it!