Aftermarket head unit with stock amp/speakers

[HootUSMC]

Hi folks, new poster here with a audio question. The stock radio in my gen2 is the JBL premium sound with cd deck. I have replaced the stock head unit with a Jenson MPX6411 and the radio works fine when I use the amp by-pass harness, but when I try to go into the amp I get nothing. For a little background when I bought the car there was no sub, and no sub amp, just the black JBL amp and the black tranformer(?) in the middle, the stock radio worked but not the cd player (I'm not sure if it was even hooked up, the guy I bought it from had afterrmarket stuff). I have since bought a stock sub, and the amp set (the sub amp, black JBL amp and transformer(?)), and hooked all three up to no sound. Any ideas on how to get the sub to work without having to go aftermarket and losing trunk space? Thanks for any ideas in advance.

 

[Rockledge]

Have you confirmed power to all the components?

FWIW, when I put a Kenwood HU in my '94 w/JBL Premium I ran into an issue with the amp cable:

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=38284

Related thread: http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=38364

 

[SlowHeavyObject]

to get into the amps you need a different harness than the amp bypass. that's where the difference is. did you use a dash harness kit that has a square black and long flat gray connectors with your amp bypass? that headunit will put the stock amps into protect mode if wired to the stock speaker harness. for your missing and replacing amp situation all i can say is double check your connections (does the situation occur with or w/o the amp bypass harness? and which headunit are u using when they make no sound?). if you can give more details on how u plugged them in it would help also. fyi - the "transformer" is called the choke and is the power supply to the sub amp.

 

[SeanMc]

I'm running a Kenwood HU with stock speakers and a 10" polk in the trunk. Does just fine. Why did I do this? Because my CD player went out, and my sub was starting to distort.

 

[HootUSMC]

I'm using the stock dash harness, the sound works with bypass, but no sound when to the amp. I didnt use a dash kit. The jenson is still in it, I just run it without amps/sub. As for the amps/sub I just wired them the way everything fits. Can I use the amp out on the jenson to run the amp? If so what color wires is it? This is the harness that I am using: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-pJoQCHwAumE/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=120705004

should I be using this?:http://www.crutchfield.com/S-pJoQCHwAumE/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=142C4FDK5

 

[traxster]

cut off the dash harness and hard wire it direct to your deck. Then unplug the amp harness your sound will be 10 million times better.

 

[SlowHeavyObject]

I'm using the stock dash harness, the sound works with bypass, but no sound when to the amp. I didnt use a dash kit. The jenson is still in it, I just run it without amps/sub. As for the amps/sub I just wired them the way everything fits. Can I use the amp out on the jenson to run the amp? If so what color wires is it? This is the harness that I am using: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-pJoQCHwAumE/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=120705004

should I be using this?:http://www.crutchfield.com/S-pJoQCHwAumE/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=142C4FDK5

yes, you should be using the second one. the second one is used for when you connect the speaker outs to your amps. the first set is only for bypassing the amps. if you remove the amp bypass harness it sends speaker level signals to your amps as the in dash square harness connects to your jensen's speaker out lines. the second kit with the box on it lets you adjust those signals to clean them up for your stock amps. you can use your rca outs but you need a different set of harness. that set will have the same square black plug but sets of rcas on the other end instead of just wires or the adjusting box. i don't think crutchfield carries that one but the scosche part # is: FDK1B

 

[HootUSMC]

Thanks for all of the advice folks. Should I go with the fdk1b or the fdk5, based on sound quality?

 

[SlowHeavyObject]

the 1b cause cause you'll be using the rca's which have a cleaner and more stable signal/voltage as compared to speaker level.

 

[Kens1992mtxSHO]

I realize that this is an old thread, but it proved to be most helpful in finding which harness to use to keep the stock amp if one desires to do so.

I would like to vote this for a sticky.

 

[boat]

Agreed x2.

Here is something from Crutchfield:

http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?g=103000&i=120705510&tp=2977

this is what I plan on using with my kenwood cd/mp3 player.

:woo-hoo::woo-hoo:

I realize that this is an old thread, but it proved to be most helpful in finding which harness to use to keep the stock amp if one desires to do so.

I would like to vote this for a sticky.