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newbie audio help

T

theperfectdrugsk

Be Gentle I'm New Here
Joined
May 11, 2004
Messages
3
Location
St. Louis, MO
I am replacing an aftermarket Sony HU that was installed by AudioExpress with a Pioneer DEH-P2900MP. I've run across a few problems though, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

After getting everything connected (at least everything that can be connected...the Pioneer doesn't have wires to connect either the "illumination" or "amp turn on" wires running from the adapter)...I turned on the car, fired up the stereo and...nothing. The head turns on, lights up, and even properly tunes to radio stations...but I get no sound.

this car did have the "Ford Premium Sound" or whatever...I can see the amp behind the glovebox...but I don't think that is the problem, because when the first aftermarket head unit was installed by AudioExpress...shouldn't they have done the amp bypass or whatever?

The speaker cables running from the head to the adapter are hot when the radio is on, so the problem must be in the adapter (its the "L" shaped one, not the flat one). is this a fairly common problem? can i get a replacement somehow?
 
first, check the Hu for proper operation, hook up a loose speaker to it, check all channels.

If they produce sound, most likely the wiring on the amp bypass is incorrect.
 
the head unit is fine...so i suppose it has to be in the bypass.
to be honest though...i cant see where there would be a bypass. it looks to me like the AudioExpress people hooked the sony head directly to the stock amp.

its worth mentioning that the sony head did have a "turn amp on" wire coming out of its harness, while the pioneer does not...so i guess the stock amp doesn't turn on with the pioneer in there, which is why theres no sound. anyway...i can do the amp bypass myself, no problem (i just didnt realize i needed to).

i have a new question though...the pioneer head has 2 outputs for additional amps. one of those will be an amp and sub in the trunk. is it possible, or even worthwhile doing to connect that other output to the stock amp in order to run 2 additional woofers beneath the dash? how much power does the stock amp push, and can i bridge the existing 4 channels into 2?
 
The stock amp doesnt take a RCA in. I think there Hi inputs. and using your Pioneers output to the stock amp is not worthwhile, The pioneer by far will sound a whole lot better with a direct connection to your speaks.

how much power does the stock amp push (probly 20 x 4), and can i bridge the existing 4 channels into 2? I wouldnt do it. Why? to save a buck or two.....weak.

The stock amp is weak as it is. Don't try to rig it.

Are you referring to the rca's? when u say "the pioneer head has 2 outputs for additional amps."

Im sure you are. Then add an amp and go crazy with the sub.

Most remote out wires are blue/white or blue. You should have 2 of em.

One is for power antenna, and the other is the remote wire. usually solid blue. I've never messed with the stock amp as i believe its crap. And removing it will lighten your ride 1/2 lb. lol. Maybe someone will chime in and say you DO need to send the stock amp power but I've never tried the bypass, I just cut n' twisted into the speaker wires. I think the bypass just plugs right in to the SPEAkER OUTS from the stock amp.....basically plug n play I believe.

Usually under the cage there are the wiring diagram for the deck but not always.
 
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fordsvt98 said:
Maybe someone will chime in and say you DO need to send the stock amp power but I've never tried the bypass
Click to expand...

I'll chime in...but in agreement. You do NOT need to send the stock amp power with an aftermarket HU. In fact, you can remove it completely. There's a cable that connects the factory headunit to the factory amp that carries power as well as audio. With the factory HU removed that cable is no longer connected to power. So the amp is just dead weight.
 
sounds fairly unanimous then...do the bypass, toss the stock amp, and get a multichannel amp to run the subs and extra two speaks.

yes, i was talking about the rca jacks as the 'output jacks'...strangely the pioneer has only the one remote wire...blue with white dashes. according to the install manual, it says it should be connected to either the "system control terminal of the power amp (which i dont have just yet, but will), or the auto antenna relay control terminal. i assume that when i get an amp, it will have something i can connect the power antenna to?
 
theperfectdrugsk said:
i assume that when i get an amp, it will have something i can connect the power antenna to?
Click to expand...

Nope, it won't. The amp will have 3 power terminals. B+ (12Vdc from the batter), CNTRL, 12V blue wire from the HU, and G, ground. Most aftermarket radios have 2 blue wires. One controls the Amp turn on, and the other controls the power antenna. The power antenna wire ONLY gets power when the HU is on Tuner. That way, the antenna is only up, when you're listening to the radio, makes sense right? If your radio only has 1 blue wire, then it always has power. I remember my first aftermarket was a pioneer and it only had 1 blue wire. So I had to plug that into the amp AND the power antenna. The disadvantage being the power antenna was up no matter what I was listening to.

So if you only have 1 blue wire, then connect it to the amp, and the antenna.
 
iBrent said:
So I had to plug that into the amp AND the power antenna. The disadvantage being the power antenna was up no matter what I was listening to.

So if you only have 1 blue wire, then connect it to the amp, and the antenna.
Click to expand...


True, I had to twist antenna and remote together on a old JVC deck.
 
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fordsvt98 said:
The stock amp doesnt take a RCA in. I think there Hi inputs. and using your Pioneers output to the stock amp is not worthwhile, The pioneer by far will sound a whole lot better with a direct connection to your speaks.

how much power does the stock amp push (probly 20 x 4), and can i bridge the existing 4 channels into 2? I wouldnt do it. Why? to save a buck or two.....weak.

The stock amp is weak as it is. Don't try to rig it.

Are you referring to the rca's? when u say "the pioneer head has 2 outputs for additional amps."

Im sure you are. Then add an amp and go crazy with the sub.

Most remote out wires are blue/white or blue. You should have 2 of em.

One is for power antenna, and the other is the remote wire. usually solid blue. I've never messed with the stock amp as i believe its crap. And removing it will lighten your ride 1/2 lb. lol. Maybe someone will chime in and say you DO need to send the stock amp power but I've never tried the bypass, I just cut n' twisted into the speaker wires. I think the bypass just plugs right in to the SPEAkER OUTS from the stock amp.....basically plug n play I believe.

Usually under the cage there are the wiring diagram for the deck but not always.
Click to expand...

Lets stop you right there and correct you... the factory amp takes a LOW input, and outputs a HIGH signal.... That is why integrating with an aftermarket radio and a factory amp is stupid... Your aftermarket radio is outputing HIGH level on the speakers wires which then in turn gets re-amplified by the factory amplifier.... Now if you want to integrate with the factory amp... you should use the rca out's on your HU and then it will sound fine... I would suggest bypassing though...

iBrent said:
I'll chime in...but in agreement. You do NOT need to send the stock amp power with an aftermarket HU. In fact, you can remove it completely. There's a cable that connects the factory headunit to the factory amp that carries power as well as audio. With the factory HU removed that cable is no longer connected to power. So the amp is just dead weight.
Click to expand...

True you do not need to send power to the factory amp... assuming you have bypassed it.... otherwise you need to... The only amplified systems that don't need to be "turned on" are in VW's.... They have signal sensing amplifiers which automatically kick on when they sense signal... as for every other factory and aftermarket amp system.. you have to at least send a +12V amp turn on to get the amps to turn on... Many others you have to make sure amp turn and amp ground are hooked up as well...


If you want to read about bypassing, it was already discussed in depth in another thread, just do a search, also there is a how-to in the old forum as well...
 
99.9% of the amps in the world along with the STOCK CONTOUR AMP take a low level input AKA RCA level.

Just becuase the STOCK ford cd player doesn't have RCA jacks doesn't mean its not a pre-out/RCA/low level signal. by cutting apart a set of interconnect/RCA cables and splicing you can achieve the same affect as the stock deck.

Not sure why you would want to unless you have a High End head unit with pre-out only.
 
fordsvt98 said:
Lets stop you right there and correct you... the factory amp takes a LOW input, and outputs a HIGH signal....

So according to your "low" level the factory amp takes Pre-outs?
Click to expand...

Just because it is low level doesn't mean there are preouts. That is like saying apples are fruit, oranages are fruit, apples are oranges.
 
Okay lets see you splice that fricken wire and send it audio. HELLO ANYBODY HOME????

what a waste of time. I know youre just sayin' "It can be done." Do things the right way the first time, who would really want to use that lil amp anyway........*crickets*

Automobile makers just use the cheapest way out. like health insurance, they just give you Juuuust enough, and not more. And make it so if you wanna send your audio thru thier crap you gotta reinvent the wheel a wee bit. fricken audio wire.
 
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fordsvt98 said:
Okay lets see you splice that fricken wire and send it audio. HELLO ANYBODY HOME????

what a waste of time. I know youre just sayin' "It can be done." Do things the right way the first time, who would really want to use that lil amp anyway........*crickets*
Click to expand...
Well lets see.... you can take this... and splice RCA's onto it...
FD06B.jpg


Or you could use this... which is already put together....
FD03B.jpg


Must be a lot of people doing it if they make a damn harness for it..... Scosche must have some one buying.....

fordsvt98 said:
Automobile makers just use the cheapest way out. like health insurance, they just give you Juuuust enough, and not more. And make it so if you wanna send your audio thru thier crap you gotta reinvent the wheel a wee bit. fricken audio wire.
Click to expand...

Right.... you must be thinking too hard... the only systems that I've seen that are kinda a pain in the ass to work with are MACH systems... Every other amplified system is not a big hassle at all to bypass....

Usually we splice RCA's onto harnesses for factory sub woofer integration. Not too often for factory amp integration....
 
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