Aftermarket Headunit Install?s

[87hurricane]

Ok, I did a few searchs, and I think I found most of the info I need, but I still have a couple of quick ?s for those who know. I have a 92 SHO with Premium sound system, all stock, and I am going to put in a new head unit. It looks like I have a couple of different options for wiring the speakers, use line convertors and the stock amps, get a wiring harness that connects to the stock amp harness and a jumper for the stock amp, or use the other harness under the dash that runs directly to the speakers. I believe I'm going to ditch the stock amp, and I think I'd rather use the "extra" speaker harness that bypasses the amp since it has larger gauge wire that the tiny wires runnning back to the amp. I'm assuming that the extra harness is there for cars that weren't equiped with the premium sound, so can I just get a adpater for a SLO or SHO without premium sound? Finally, I'd like to discconect the amp/amps after I bypass them, I have two little boxes on the rear deck, a silver amp on the right, and a little black box on the left. From what I've read, the black box is a sub amp? I don't have a sub, but if it is an amp I'd like to disconnect it as well. Is the little black box a sub amp, and if so, will I have any problems if I unplug it once I bypass the amps? Thanks in advance guys.

Dave

 

[Sportrods]

Don't use the converter. It works for crap. All you have to do is get the regular premium/JBL harness, and instead of wiring the speaker outputs to the speaker connections on the harness adapter, put RCA ends on the harness adapter and use your line-out from your deck. It's even easier if you have front and rear outputs.

I ran my '92 like this for a quite a few competitions. Works very well. Our factory amps are actually very clean, and with a good set of components it wakes right up.

Also, if memory serves, the silver one goes to the sub. Unless you have taken it out, it is there. It's a black box looking thing bolted underneath the package shelf in the trunk. You'd never know it was a sub as quiet as it is though..lol.

 

[only1me]

The black jbl amp is the speaker amp, the silver amp beside it is the subwoofer amp.The premium sound only had 1 silver amp for the 4 speakers. I have the jbl in my 91, all I did was use the speaker bypass harness and ditched both amps.I have a pioneer headunit also. Its really simple and quick that way.If you use the speaker bypass harness it bypasses both those amps, because factory the speakers are dual wired, then all you have to do is hook up the power to your headunit, and unplug both amps and your good to go.

Here ya go, I found this here. Just use the plug labeled 3 for your speakers, that bypasses the amp/amps altogether. Then you can just tuck the number 1 plug under the dash and unplug your amps, and you will be alright.

 

[Ediottada]

My girlfriend got me a new headunit for christmas so i've been researching what is necessary for the install this past week.

A guy at my local car audio place told me i had to rewire all of my speakers and completely remove both of the amps in the trunk. I dont really care that i have to remove the amps but rewiring all of the speakers is a pain in the pass.

I found this kit to bypass the amps. I don't know how necessary it is after reading only1me's post. I'll probably ask around a little more at another local shop.

http://www.bestkits.com/SearchResults.aspx?mk=Ford&mkid=9&md=Taurus&mdid=336&yrg=1990 - 1995

 

[Ediottada]

And is this what you guys were saying works poorly? Would this allow me to use my stock amps and subwoofer with my new headunit?

http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?g=751&i=142C4FDK5&tp=3486


Also in a different thread on here someone said that the amp bypass kit only bypasses the amp for the speakers but it still integrates the amp and stock subwoofer. Does anyone know if there's any truth to this?

 

[only1me]

If you by pass the amps they are bypassed there are 2 ways to bypass them, the easy way I posted above, or the this way.The way posted above is the quick and easier way if you choose to bypass your amps.

http://www.scosche.com/products/productID/251

If you want to keep your amps with your new stereo the best way to do it, is to use your new head units preouts in the rear. You would need the Scosche FDK1B kit, which lets you use your head units preouts to send a signal to your factory amps.

http://www.scosche.com/products/productID/250

That will make it quick and easy and you wont need any line output converter for your speaker wires. Just plug the FDK1B kit in to your preouts and to the factory amp cable and hook up your head units power,ground, etc, and your good to go.

 

[only1me]

Also if you chose to bypass your amps, then you would lose the sub amp as well as it gets its signal from the factory speakers amp. There is still a way though to bypass the speaker amp and keep the sub amp if you wanted to do that. You could use your head units internal amp for the speakers, and still be able to use the sub amp for the sub. I figured it out, as have others.I could tell you how if you wanted to know.

 

[Ediottada]

There is still a way though to bypass the speaker amp and keep the sub amp if you wanted to do that. You could use your head units internal amp for the speakers, and still be able to use the sub amp for the sub. I figured it out, as have others.I could tell you how if you wanted to know.

That's exactly what i'd like to do. I'd like to bypass the speaker amp and use the aplifier in my headunit for my speakers and then use my factory subwoofer amp and sub. If you could post directions on how to do that i would greatly appreciate it.

 

[only1me]

Well for the sub amp, you can leave it hooked up, to the main harness, the yellow wire is power, the red ground.You would only need to remove the speaker amp. Then it has 3 wires going into it from the jbl speaker amp,you need those, 1 is a remote wire(black one) and the other 2 positive and negative. You new head unit should have preouts on the back if it has 1 for sub your all set. All you would have to do is what I did. I cut the end off the amp cable and put a rca end on it to plug into the headunit in back and the in the back just cut the other end off the amp cable and tied it in to the wires going to the sub amp. Your headunit will already have a remote wire usually blue with a white stripe, just tie that into the factory ford plug(grey one) and then use the factory blue remote wire to the sub amp, and it will come on when the head unit does.So that way you don't even need the speakers amp, and use only the sub amp. If you need more help I will try and explain it better in detail.

 

[only1me]

This is the harness you need first of all to hook your aftermarket stereo to the factory plugs.

The black one is for the speakers wires coming from your headunit and goes to the number 3 plug in the dash above. The grey one goes to your headunits power, ground, accessory,remote wire, and it connects to the number 2 plug in the dash above. Thats the first thing you need to hook up your stereo ,which you can grab at most any walmart cheap.

 

[Ediottada]

I think i get the gist of what you're saying. I havent really had the time to go outside and dick with it yet as it's been cold here in Michigan.


Correct me if im wrong on anything here.

You're saying hook up the black(3) and grey(2) connectors as i normally would if i didnt have the premium audio package.

In my trunk i unplug and remove the black speaker amp. Cut the end off of the plug and tie the blue and white signal wire into the black wire going into the silver sub amp. Then cut and tie the ends of power and ground into the red and yellow wires going into the subwoofer amp.

Im guessing red is power and the yellow is ground?


Now i'm not sure which plug or wire in the dash that i am supposed to cut off and then add the rca end on.

Also, what do plugs 1 and 4 do in that picture? My guess is 4 is the ground and 1 is the headunit to amplifiers?

 

[only1me]

Yea correct you would use the number 3 and 2 connectors in the dash as like a normal setup.

As far as the amp in back if you have the JBL setup as I did. All you would do is unplug and remove the speaker amp(the connector on each side) but leave the sub amp plugged in and its connectors.

From the speaker amp you will notice a cable goes from it to the sub amp with 3 wires in it, black(remote wire) clear shielded(positive) and bare(negative) you will need that cable so you can cut it to where it goes into the speaker amp or go to a junkyard and get one from another vehicle.

As far as plug 1, that is the speaker amp cable that runs from the factory headunit to the speaker amp, all it has is the speaker input wires in it to run to the speaker amp.You will need this cable as you will use it to convert into a rca cable.

Plug 4 is for the volume controls on the steering wheel ,which you don't really need.

Ok I will try to explain now, if your aftermarket headunit has a sub preout you will be set. You will need to cut the end off plug 1, and you will find 8 speakers wires in it, you will only need 2. You will use those 2 as a positive and negative ,so remember which ones you choose and which is positive and negative. You will need to solder or tie in a rca cable end to those 2 wires and plug it into the sub preout of your after market radio.

Then in the trunk you will find and see the other end of that amp cable you will cut that end off and again find those same 2 wires you used as your positive and negative and tie those into the cable going to the sub amp. Positive wire you chose to the clear shielded wire, and negative wire to the bare one.Then there will be 1 wire left a black wire which is your remote wire to turn the amp on when your radio comes on.

Ok in your factory harness plug 2 you will see it has the wires for the power, ground, etc, but also has a remote wire (dark blue) going into it. You will wire your aftermarket radio harness into the plugs I showed you before, usually the blue/white stripe coming from your aftermarket headunit is the remote wire. So you will wire your aftermarkte radio harness into the speaker and power harness I showed that you need.

Then in your trunk you will see the other plug end that went into the speaker amp, it will have a dark blue wire in it, thats the remote wire you need.You will tie that wire into the black wire(remote wire) going into the sub amp, that is in the cable with the clear and bare wire.

As far as the wires going in and out of the sub amp,like I said you leave them all connected don't need to dissconnect anything. Just so you know though the yellow wire is power, the red is ground, then of course you have your sub output wires going from the sub amp to your sub. All you will need to connect up though is the input wires I told you, positive,negative and remote.

I will put some pictures up in the next post to help explain.

 

[only1me]

Ok first off this is how you will need to wire your aftermarket headunit to the plugs that I showed you.Now as I said before there is a dark blue wire in your factory 2 plug that is the remote wire, and it should be wired to the blue/wht stripe wire coming from your new headunit.

Depending on your new radio you will have a harness that came with it ,which you will wire to the plugs I showed you, that can be bought at most any walmart.Your new harness coming from your radio should have these wires below.

Standard Car Stereo Wire Harness Color Codes

12V Battery, Memory/Constant wire Yellow
12V Accessory Wire Red
Ground/Chassis Wire Black
Left Front Speaker, Positive (+) White
Left Front Speaker, Negative (-) White w/Black Stripe
Right Front Speaker, Positive (+) Grey
Right Front Speaker, Negative (-) Grey w/Black Stripe
Left Rear Speaker, Positive (+) Green
Left Rear Speaker, Negative (-) Green w/Black Stripe
Right Rear Speaker, Positive (+) Purple
Right Rear Speaker, Negative (-) Purple w/Black Stripe
Remote Out, Power Antenna Blue
Remote Out, Power Amplifier Blue w/White Stripe

Now here is a picture, you see the cable coming out of the black JBL speaker amp that goes into the subamp and has the positive,negative and remote wire for the subamp. You will need that cable so you will either need to cut it off to where it goes into the speaker amp or get one at a junkyard.

As you can see here the subamp gets its positive,negative and remote power signals from the speaker amp, which you will not need or be using.

And lastly you will see you will be using plug 3 for your speakers, plug 2, for your power,acc,ground,remote wire to your radio,plug 1 you will convert into the rca cable to send your positive and negative signal to your sub amp ,and plug 4 you will not need.

 

[only1me]

What brand and model number aftermarket headunit do you have?

 

[Ediottada]

It's an XO Vision XOD1740BT. I know i'm going to have to cut the plastic bar in the dash for this to fit in correctly.

I understand everything now. I should be able to get this done within the next week sometime.

Thanks for all of your help seriously.

 

[only1me]

wow that is a nice one, if you need any more help feel free to ask.

 

[CPUNeck]

Trying to install MDX-8500 Sony

I could use some help (besides the fact my posts are being delayed and not posting at all)

The harness in my SHO is not the same as the one you pictured. I don't have my Helm manuals yet and cant get my head unit to play.

TIA

 

[only1me]

What year is your taurus and did it have premium sound? Did yours have a factory cd player?

 

[only1me]

Alright I fixed your pic a bit labeled the connectors to what they look like.

1. appears like the amp cable or the cable coming from the radio to cd player
2. appears to be the power connector
3. appears to be for the steering wheel volume controls
4. appears also to be the amp cable or radio to cd cable

Look inside your dash where you removed your factory radio you might need a flashlight, look to the left side and see if you see a black connector somewhat like the grey one.

Your power connector (grey number 2 plug) should have 8 wires in it for jbl/preimum sound.

1. lt grn/yell - battery
2. black - ground
3. yell/blk - ignition
4. lt blue/red - illumination
5. orn/blk - lcd dimming
6. red - ground
7. orn/lt blue - radio on
8. dk blue - logic mute(remote power)

For factory non jbl/premium it would be.

1. lt grn/yell - battery
2. black - ground
3. yell/blk - ignition
4. lt blu/red - illumination
5. orn/blk - lcd illumination
6. red - ground

There should be a connector though to the left tucked inside the dash black, it contains the speakers wires .

 

[CPUNeck]

Thanks, here's an update... there was no CD player, and it was the JBL Premium system. I did find the black connector toward the driver side clipped into a holding connector.

As for the 8-pin connectors (1 and 4) seems at some point in the past there may have been a problem with the OEM cable, and Ford ran a new one. There are two connectors in the trunk also. I'm in the process of soldering RCA's to the SCOSCHE FDK106 that was suppose to be the correct harness for the car... NOT.

What is the difference between LCD dimmer and illumination?

Hey how'd you shrink that ridiculous sized pic?