Interested Buyer, but "Headphone Jack to Aux-In" will "Void your Warranty"?

[JSB]

Hello all,
I have been spending a couple of weeks doing research on the "All-In-One" Navigation solutions from various manufacturers. First I excluded out a Brandmotion/Magellan 760 unit that would have looked awesome on the dash of my new 2007 F-150 truck because it is an older product. Then I took a look at the Garmin Nuvi 750/760/770 series units, and liked them, and they have a line-out function. But when I discovered the TomTom 920 units, and voice input interaction, I decided that voice input interaction is the way to go. I want to use the unit while I drive, and safely, so I can't imagine anyone not needing voice input interaction.

So I decided to ask a pre-sales question of TomTom support. My research so far indicates that the TomTom 920 does not have a line-out connection, but just a headphone out connection. I'm really surprised that my wanting to direct-connect a TomTom 920 from the headphone jack to the aux-in of my car stereo would void my warranty.

The response from TomTom Support is making me have second thoughts about making the purchase. Here's the transcript:
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Hello TomTom Support,

I have a presales question about the TomTom 920 (T). I would like to use a direct connection from the TomTom 920 to my car stereo using my car stereo's aux port instead of using the built-in FM transmitter. Can the headphone jack output all the same audio through the headphone jack that is output through the built-in FM transmitter for all functions and operations?
Thanks,
JSB
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Dear JSB,

Thank you for taking the time to contact TomTom Support regarding hokking the device directly to the Auxillary of your car stereo. My name is Harvey and it is our goal to provide you with an exceptional customer experience. We are always happy to help. We would not suggest that you hard wire your device to your car radio. The unit itself would not have a headphone jack and if we hard wire it to the radio, it would void the warranty of the device.

We hope this information helps! If you have any further questions or comments, please email or call us at 866-486-6866 Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM until 7:00 PM EST. Thanks again for writing. At TomTom we believe in showing you the way the easy way.

With Best Regards,

Harvey,
and
The TomTom Customer Support Team

 

[Three3]

It appears that they very much misread your question. They seem to think that you plan to open up your TomTom and install wiring that connects directly into your radio ("hard wire" "would not have a headphone jack"). That clearly could void anybody's warranty.

But it doesn’t appear to me that you plan anything of the sort. Connecting TomTom's headphone jack to aux-in via a cable with the appropriate connectors on both ends is a very different thing. As long as aux-in is specified to accept a headphone-level output, you should be in fine shape. That's the purpose of aux-in, and it doesn't care what's on the other end as long as it puts out headphone level audio. The biggest mistake people sometimes make in such a situation is to connect a Right and Left output together to plug into a mono input jack, but that would not be the situation here.

And if anything does go wrong, unplugging your cable removes the evidence.

 

[JSB]

Yes, I think you're right

Hello Three3,
Yes, I think you're right. When I re-read their response, and consider the fact that they use the term, "hard wire", they must be thinking that I was thinking of opening the unit. And I don't plan to do anything of the sort. I just wanted to get a stereo 3.5" cable Male to Male, and plug it in from the Headphone jack of the 920 to the Aux-in, and adjust the TomTom 920's volume down to prevent overdriving the Aux-in Line input.

I hadn't thought about the fact that they might be thinking I wanted to open the unit. Yes, of course that would void the warranty.

Thanks,
JSB

 

[Three3]

Go for it!

 

[JSB]

Follow up with TomTom Support

My Follow up question with Support:
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Hello again TomTom Support,
So the TomTom 920 does not have a line-out connection, and using the headphone jack for that would void the warranty? Do I understand that correctly?

Thanks,
JSB
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Dear JSB,

Thank you for taking the time to contact TomTom Support regarding the line-out jack . It is our goal to provide you with an exceptional customer experience. We are always happy to help. I have double checked this information, and upon further review I have found that the device does have an audion out-put on the bottom, and if you were to conect an audio cable from the device to the auxillary of your car stereo it would not void the warranty. Again I do apologize for the inconvenience.

We hope this information helps! If you have any further questions or comments, please email or call us at 866-486-6866 Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM until 7:00 PM EST. Thanks again for writing. At TomTom we believe in showing you the way the easy way.

With Best Regards,

Harvey,
and
The TomTom Customer Support Team