Wiring Headunit into factory amps (w/ picture/diagram)

[40BelowSummer]

I am in the middle of installing a head-unit
I DO NOT want to buy the adapter (long story)

I want to use the factory/amps speakers and subs

I have connector #1 wired perfectly
What is #2 for? (subs mabe?)
And #3 (I am guessing High-level outputs)
#4 is the on dash remote right?

So for now can I splice the high level signal outputs of my headunit to connector #3?

What about #2?

THANKS!

 

[pathogenic]

Just a bit of info... most head units these days put out 20-30 watts RMS...the factory amps on the jbl system do 15w RMS...just curious as to why you'd want to run less wattage...plus with that much input the factory amps will eventually burn out.

What I would do is the following. Leave the factory amps in there, but cut the wires going to the speakers and splice in the high levels from the head unit directly to your speakers. Leave the factory four channel amp wires connected to nothing, but its necessary to keep this amp as the sub amp is connected to it.

Some of the higher end decks will also come with sub channels to push up to about 70-80W RMS, which is almost as much as the stock sub amp.

 

[40BelowSummer]

Ok, I will use the speakers w/ the decks internal amp but how should I hook up the sub amp?

 

[twr]

I know you don't want to buy any adapters - but you should. Crutchfield sells a very nice adapter to bypass the stock amp in the trunk for everything but the Sub. I haven't figured how to wire the factory sub to an after market system yet. If I do, I'll post it here.

 

[shoRunner]

pathogenic:
Just a bit of info... most head units these days put out 20-30 watts RMS...the factory amps on the jbl system do 15w RMS...just curious as to why you'd want to run less wattage...plus with that much input the factory amps will eventually burn out.

What I would do is the following. Leave the factory amps in there, but cut the wires going to the speakers and splice in the high levels from the head unit directly to your speakers. Leave the factory four channel amp wires connected to nothing, but its necessary to keep this amp as the sub amp is connected to it.

Some of the higher end decks will also come with sub channels to push up to about 70-80W RMS, which is almost as much as the stock sub amp.

Actually the most any head unit will output is 27 wats RMS (the alpine 9515, i have it). What the manufacture's list on the box is gonna be the max watts. Most headunits will be at about 15 watts rms which is nothing much...but agreed the stock amps are not very good. And no head unit has anything but a sub preout, not anything that can give 70-80 watts Rms...

 

[40BelowSummer]

Ok, after checking it out a while I decided Ill buy and adapter madflame I already bought one but its the wrong one. So what is a model number of a cheap but right one?

I bought the JBL 16 pin one?

 

[pathogenic]

shoRunner
Actually the most any head unit will output is 27 wats RMS (the alpine 9515, i have it). What the manufacture's list on the box is gonna be the max watts. Most headunits will be at about 15 watts rms which is nothing much...but agreed the stock amps are not very good. And no head unit has anything but a sub preout, not anything that can give 70-80 watts Rms...

I had an old Pioneer deck which did 20x4 + 70x1 sub channel. It was a really neat deck, but unfortunately it died on me...the internal amp burned out (I wonder why LOL).

 

[40BelowSummer]

is there a harness to bypass the speakers amp except the sub amp?

 

[twr]

guitar333:
is there a harness to bypass the speakers amp except the sub amp?

Nope.. Like I said I'm gonna try to figure out how to wire it to work.

 

[40BelowSummer]

soon? or in a few weeks or so?

because i would love to figure that out also.

Do you (or anyone) know why there are 2 pairs of wires going to the speakers instead of one pair?

 

[pathogenic]

I believe the JBL speakers have electronic crossovers on them, so it could be one pair for the woofer and one for the tweeter, but I could be wrong.

 

[yamahaSHO]

shoRunner:

pathogenic:
Just a bit of info... most head units these days put out 20-30 watts RMS...the factory amps on the jbl system do 15w RMS...just curious as to why you'd want to run less wattage...plus with that much input the factory amps will eventually burn out.

What I would do is the following. Leave the factory amps in there, but cut the wires going to the speakers and splice in the high levels from the head unit directly to your speakers. Leave the factory four channel amp wires connected to nothing, but its necessary to keep this amp as the sub amp is connected to it.

Some of the higher end decks will also come with sub channels to push up to about 70-80W RMS, which is almost as much as the stock sub amp.

Actually the most any head unit will output is 27 wats RMS (the alpine 9515, i have it). What the manufacture's list on the box is gonna be the max watts. Most headunits will be at about 15 watts rms which is nothing much...but agreed the stock amps are not very good. And no head unit has anything but a sub preout, not anything that can give 70-80 watts Rms...

Actually, most CD HU's put out 22-25rms... My Pioneer puts out 22 rms and 50 pk. You have to get a really cheap HU to only have 15 watts rms.

 

[40BelowSummer]

mine is 25x4 RMS and 60x4 peak, so Ill use that for the fronts and rears

 

[pathogenic]

Some high end units don't put out a lot of power (i.e. Clarion) because most people buying them are running everything off an amplifier anyway. So it won't make the head unit bad or anything, just not good if you plan to run everything off the head.

 

[yamahaSHO]

pathogenic:
Some high end units don't put out a lot of power (i.e. Clarion) because most people buying them are running everything off an amplifier anyway. So it won't make the head unit bad or anything, just not good if you plan to run everything off the head.

The Clarion's that put out little power actually put out NO power... They have NO internal amps. You must use external amps for this.

 

[93medusa]

In my opinion, you are better off with the JBL system powering the speakers than using your head unit's power. Even the most powerful head units start distorting at about 10-15 watts of power, anything beyond that and it is distortion city. although the stock system may sound weak when hooked up to the factory head unit, if you were to run the preamp outputs (front and rear) into the stock amp and speaker system, I guarantee you will be suprised at how good the JBL system really is. This is what I did. I have an alpine CDA-7995, it is an all preamp output high end head unit. The high voltage (4volt) preamp outputs make the factory amps very happy. It's as easy to hook up as buying the aftermarket harness for the JBL system, and 4 RCA connectors. Solder the connectors to the wires for the amp input(gray wire in back, connector #3 on your diagram), and then hook the RCA connectors up to the respective output connectors on the head unit. Then you are running your JBL system the same way it was running from the factory, only with a better, higher voltage source signal. If you are sticking with stock speakers, this is the best way to go. Since you will still be able to take advantage of the stock electronic crossover system built into the JBL amps. Also, you still get the use of the stock sub.

<small>[ February 19, 2004, 09:20 AM: Message edited by: 93medusa ]</small>

 

[40BelowSummer]

where did you get the adapter? This sounds good too, because I have Front, Rear, and Sub 5v preamp RCA outs.

you have the stock sub goin too?