Keeping factory sub when adding aftermarket headunit (99' - 03' TL)

[CJITTY]

Originally Posted by CJITTY From what I hear, you can access the amp wires by removing the plastic kick panel by the front pax door and tap in there instead of taking your seat out and running wires all the way to the back...that's what I plan on doing. A couple folks have done that with success. Folks, learned my lesson on this. If you have a TL Type S, do not mess with the orange wires in the kick panel..there are TWO orange wires in the Type S. One is for the amp and one is for the VSA system..yeah, I tapped the wrong one. Just tap the orange wires to either the eq location or run them to the back seat area where the amp is. Luckily, the short was fixed, but my VSA was out for a couple weeks until I got it fixed. The yaw sensor (below the stock amp), was not getting enough power current and tripped up the VSA system. It's fixed, but damn if I wasn't scared I fried the VSA system!!

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[rtraceski]

Surfing the internet can be infuriating. I just found this which some may find interesting...

It means I still have a problem.

http://www.bcae1.com/

Select item # 22 from the right side slide bar Entitled - Head Unit.


Connecting to Remote or Power Antenna Outputs.

There may be one or more switched 12 volt outputs on your head unit. These outputs are usually called remote outputs. They are used to control power amplifiers or power antennas. If your unit has only one remote output, 12 volts will be sent through it when any audio source is being used (tuner, CD, tape, aux...). It will be 'hot' (have 12 volts on it) when the head unit is on. It will have no voltage when the head unit is off.

If the unit has two remotes, one wire (generally a dark blue wire with a white stripe* for aftermarket radios) will be for your power antenna and will only have 12 volts on it when you are using the tuner.

It will have no voltage on it when the head unit is switched to CD, tape, aux or is switched off. This is so that your power antenna will go down when it is not needed.

The second output (generally a dark blue wire* for aftermarket radios) will be marked amp remote (or amp turn-on) and will have 12 volts switched to it when any source is in use.

There is a diagram on the test light page that shows both types of outputs.

Please note that the remote wires for stock (OEM) radios will be of a different color (probably not blue). You can refer to the following page for the color code for your vehicle.

Street Dreams

*Some radios use blue with a white stripe for the power antenna and others use it for the amp turn on wire. Just keep in mind that if it has 2 dark blue wires and one has a white stripe and the other is solid blue, those wires are for amp/power antenna control. You'll have to refer to the deck's owner's manual for the color code.


This could be one of the reason why some are having issues.

RJay

[ac2003]

I tried wiring the subwofer by connected the remote wire blue with white strip to the orange wire on the facotry wire harness and I connected the rca inner wire (+) to the blue/green wire and the outer rca wire (-) to the orange/ blue wire but all I hear from the subwoofer is a humming sound. Am I connecting something wrong.

Originally Posted by rtraceski

Surfing the internet can be infuriating. I just found this which some may find interesting...

It means I still have a problem.

http://www.bcae1.com/

Select item # 22 from the right side slide bar Entitled - Head Unit.


Connecting to Remote or Power Antenna Outputs.

There may be one or more switched 12 volt outputs on your head unit. These outputs are usually called remote outputs. They are used to control power amplifiers or power antennas. If your unit has only one remote output, 12 volts will be sent through it when any audio source is being used (tuner, CD, tape, aux...). It will be 'hot' (have 12 volts on it) when the head unit is on. It will have no voltage when the head unit is off.

If the unit has two remotes, one wire (generally a dark blue wire with a white stripe* for aftermarket radios) will be for your power antenna and will only have 12 volts on it when you are using the tuner.

It will have no voltage on it when the head unit is switched to CD, tape, aux or is switched off. This is so that your power antenna will go down when it is not needed.

The second output (generally a dark blue wire* for aftermarket radios) will be marked amp remote (or amp turn-on) and will have 12 volts switched to it when any source is in use.

There is a diagram on the test light page that shows both types of outputs.

Please note that the remote wires for stock (OEM) radios will be of a different color (probably not blue). You can refer to the following page for the color code for your vehicle.

Street Dreams

*Some radios use blue with a white stripe for the power antenna and others use it for the amp turn on wire. Just keep in mind that if it has 2 dark blue wires and one has a white stripe and the other is solid blue, those wires are for amp/power antenna control. You'll have to refer to the deck's owner's manual for the color code.


This could be one of the reason why some are having issues.

RJay

[rtraceski]

Go to this link. I found it somewhere on this forum.

http://users.adelphia.net/~krisnlore...o/spkframe.htm

Click the Schematics tab on the left side of page. Print out all four images.

Check your connections against the labeled pinouts for the AMP, EQ, HU connectors.

Did you splice the preamp wires at the HU or at the AMP behind the back seat?

If you are using the existing preamp wiring to the AMP, be sure to ground the grey wire on pin 8 on EQ connector. Pin 8 is identified on the wiring diagram as the noise shield for the existing wiring.

Be sure the orange wire, pin 1 of "A" connector for HU ( check wiring diagram ) is connected to the remote turn-on wire from the HU. (Check HU installation instructions for correct connection.)

Double check that you spliced the correct preamp wires at EQ connector pins:

( pin 3 BLU/GRN to HU preamp output +) ( pin 10 ORN/BLU to HU preamp output - )

These diagrams were a really big help to me.

Good Luck,

RJay

[rtraceski]

Opps, Let me clear up the confusing line in my prior post.

Be sure the orange wire, pin 1 of "A" connector for OEM HU ( check wiring diagram ) is connected to the remote turn-on wire from the NEW HU. (Check New HU installation instructions for correct connection.)

Sorry about that,

RJay

[ac2003]

Originally Posted by rtraceski

Go to this link. I found it somewhere on this forum.

http://users.adelphia.net/~krisnlore...o/spkframe.htm

Click the Schematics tab on the left side of page. Print out all four images.

Check your connections against the labeled pinouts for the AMP, EQ, HU connectors.

Did you splice the preamp wires at the HU or at the AMP behind the back seat?

If you are using the existing preamp wiring to the AMP, be sure to ground the grey wire on pin 8 on EQ connector. Pin 8 is identified on the wiring diagram as the noise shield for the existing wiring.

Be sure the orange wire, pin 1 of "A" connector for HU ( check wiring diagram ) is connected to the remote turn-on wire from the HU. (Check HU installation instructions for correct connection.)

Double check that you spliced the correct preamp wires at EQ connector pins:

( pin 3 BLU/GRN to HU preamp output +) ( pin 10 ORN/BLU to HU preamp output - )

These diagrams were a really big help to me.

Good Luck,

RJay

I cut the blue green wire and the orange blue at the headunit and connected the preamp wires. I spliced into the orange (pin 1) wire using the remote turnon wire that came with the aftermarket harness. The only thing that came out of the sub was a whining noise. I'll take the wires off and try to reconnect the wires. I left the harness at the EQ unconnected is that fine or do i need to reconnect the harness back into the EQ. Thanks.

[dro_15]

Originally Posted by economys

Just went thru this procedure yesterday. Metra harness just provides signal to front and rear speakers. The stock HU sends a line-level signal to the Bose EQ box (up behind the climate controls). The EQ box then returns signal to HU for door speakers, but also is responsible for sending audio to the subwoofer amp. When you replace the stock HU, you don't use the Bose EQ box and therefore you lose the audio signal to the sub amp.

To get access to the Bose EQ wiring harness, you need to disconnect the radio bracket (four screws, two behind climate controls) and rotate the Bose EQ box down and out. Use the pinout diagram (here, under schematics) to find the proper wires to splice into (pins 3+ and 10- IIRC). You also need to remember to hook up the "power antenna/amp remote" lead on the Metra harness in order to signal the sub amp to turn on.

I got a little confused when going through this whole thread but it's not hard at all. Here are some pics I took today when I did it.

I just followed the above insturtions, I think it's from post #6.

This is the Green harness off the EQ.
The Orange/Blue wire goes to the unshielded portion of the RCA cable.
The Blue/Green goes to the shielded portion of the RCA cable.


This is the aftermarket HU (left) and the Metra wire harness (right). Just connect the Remote wire on the HU wire harness to the Antenna wire on the metra harness. Those are the 2 blue wires not connected yet. They could be blue or Blue/White.


That's just 3 wires you need to mess with if you already have an aftermarket HU installed.

I hope this makes it a little easier to understand.

[thescoundrel]

From reading and re-reading the post for installing an aftermarket headunit and keeping the factory sub, the following are needed?:

Green EQ harness behind radio:
1. connect shield RCA lead to B4 (orange with blue)
2. connect signal RCA lead to B9 (blue with green)
3. connect ground wire to B11 (black)
4. connect remote on (from metra) to B12 (white with yellow)

metra kit
1. connect to corresponding signals to aftermarket headunit
2. connect remote/antenna power on to green eq harness power

blue factory harness

1. connect to metra kit

are these correct for those who already have and aftermarket headunit?

[uncald4]

Good questions fella's.

The factory speakers in the TL are 4 ohm which is a perfect match for any aftermarket deck. The factory BOSE EQ is attached to the deck via the BLACK harness that you had to unplug when you removed the factory deck. You would not have used that harness on your new deck. That EQ sits right above your OEM deck behind your climate controls and is the size of a box of cigs. Because the original BOSE system does not have any tweeters the EQ made the sounds very treble heavy. Now that you're not using that EQ you'll notice that your sound is very bass heavy and missing all the vocals and other midrange sound. The factory subwoofer runs at about 60hz and below. However, now that you have a new deck with adjustable sub outputs set that sucker at 80hz. You'll get quite a bit more out of it.

My advice is to replace those front speakers with a good pair of coaxial 6.5". Nothing fancy as anything with a tweeter will improve your sound tremendously. Good luck!

[uncald4]

Originally Posted by illmat1k

I still don't get how you guys got the factory speakers to run with the aftermarket HU built in amp. I have an Alpine CDA9835 and I got the sub and all running, but no sound out my door speakers. I've been on this all day since 3pm and I'm super frustrated. Can someone please please please help me??

When you pulled your factory deck out there was a black harness and a blue harness that you had to unplug. You'll not use the back harness anymore because it goes to the factory BOSE EQ. The blue harness has you power, ground and speaker wires in it. Those speaker wires go directly to your 4 door speakers. As long as you have the speaker wires from your Alpine harness matched color for color to your blue Metra harness everything should work. Then you should be using an RCA output for the subwoofer.

[Vim0314]

nope. no own amp for each speaker...

[gilgameshx]

How exactly do you connect the subwoofer jack to the aftermarket HU after splicing it? Say if my HU has a preout for a subwoofer that supposed to go to the amplifier, how do you connect it? Also do you need an RCA jack that it is 1 to 2 R&L jacks?

[toby goodbar]

Originally Posted by illmat1k

I still can't figure out whats wrong with my setup. The harness is properly built and everything. Still no sound out of my mains.

disconnect (unsplice or uncrimp) 2 matching color leads from your alpine harness and touch them directly to a speaker. if you still have no sound, then your HUs amp is fried. if you HAVE sound, then recnnect the speaker in the door, and take the two leads from the mmetra harness (factory side) and touch them to a AA battery. you should hear a pop and the cone should visibly move in or out. if it don't, then you probably have broken wires.... theres also the possiblity of a short. in most amps (external) if theres a short the amps will go into circuit protect mode and stop functioning until the problem is corrected. i'm not sure HUs have that feature but its possible, and the next most likely possibilty, provided you aint mess up the crimp portion of matching the alpine harness to the metra. i assume your radio powers up fine? mute is off? volume is up? everything worked normal while your factory radio was sitll connected?

[taintedplay]

ok i attached the rca to thier wires off the green eq plug, and i did the remote on (from the new hu) to the blue power antenna off the metra harness. didnt work. do i need to connect something to turn the amp on to the green eq connector?

[ThaTRUF]

I don't think these directions are as easy for those of you with factory nav's, as far as splicing into the factory eq harness. I cannot get that radio bracket out, and removing the nav is not an option. Sux cuz I am taking a road trip in less than an hour with the kids and I want the DVD to give them something to focus on and allow me to retain my sanity!

=[

[ThaTRUF]

For those of you with nav's, there will be a total of 8 (eight) screws to remove to get to this EQ. I just spent a half pulling and yanking until I figured out why after 6 screws the thing wouldnt separate. After that, all the directions are exactly the same. I used a Y connector because I have two sub outs. I guess I just got lucky, because there were no two colors of sheathing inside my RCA cables.

Good Luck

[dssking]

Success! Can't say it was VERY easy, but after 15+ years of not playing with car stereos, it's done.

Here's the scoop : It's a 2002 TL Type-S without Navi (Canadian Car - It's my winter car). I've leased a 99 TL and an 03 TL in the past, which is why I wanted this as my winter car. I put in a Clarion VX409. After being told that there's no way to retain the factory sub, fine. I was planning on putting a small amp and box later (only had the car for a month).

After reading here, the project began. I didn't think the car would ever go back together...but it did. After some fussing around and figuring out how to get the various panels, console apart, I tapped into the green harness off of the Bose EQ as posted here, and connect the sub out on the HU. Then, used the power antenna trigger to connect to the orange wire on the factory harness. Viola, it worked. Polarity is key....tried it both ways...while it does work, you'll hear more bass following the first post on here.

Anyway, it's done. Next is to hardwire in my nav unit....small enough to fit right over the stock clock and hide all wires........

Thanks guys! The power of the forums!!

Vijay
Markham, Ontario
Canada

[AATSX]

me and my buddy were changing his deck from stock to some alpine one, and we were following the instructions from the very first post of this thread, and what happen was we get a trick everytime he puts the deck on just some of the people, but there is no movement or anything its like its not connected, after reading this i realized there is a way to this with the "EQ" harness, or the 2nd harness which at the moment is not used or anything, what do we do with the rca cable and this harness and how many rca do we need just one? male to plug into deck? and what bout the remote turn on ? thx guys im trying to understand from pictures but they are bit confusing.

[AATSX]

Originally Posted by dro_15

I got a little confused when going through this whole thread but it's not hard at all. Here are some pics I took today when I did it.

I just followed the above insturtions, I think it's from post #6.

This is the Green harness off the EQ.
The Orange/Blue wire goes to the unshielded portion of the RCA cable.
The Blue/Green goes to the shielded portion of the RCA cable.


This is the aftermarket HU (left) and the Metra wire harness (right). Just connect the Remote wire on the HU wire harness to the Antenna wire on the metra harness. Those are the 2 blue wires not connected yet. They could be blue or Blue/White.


That's just 3 wires you need to mess with if you already have an aftermarket HU installed.

I hope this makes it a little easier to understand.

What do mean by shielded part of rca and unshielded we have just installed deck its beuatiful we just need to play with this second harness "eq" harness and tap into rca and plug and play?