OK -

I've been getting millions of questions regarding exactly how I got an aftermarket head unit (HU) to work with the EX factory speaker wiring, amplifier, subwoofer, and AUX jack.

This post will attempt to answer these questions once and for all. I will not go into wire by wire detail - you should be able to figure that stuff out based on other posts below that relate to wiring and also with the help of your aftermarket head unit manual and some basic line testing hardware. If you can't figure the wiring out then you probably shouldn't be attempting this yourself. Print out this post and all related posts and bring them to a qualified car audio installer.

You can find reputable installers here:
http://www.mobiletoys.com/partners/carsound/store_loc.asp

Element general wiring post:
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3065

Aux Jack wiring post:
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7310

OK - Now that we have that stuff out of the way - on to the specifics...

First - to do this right you'll need a head unit that has a few features.

1. Since you'll be using the factory amp there is no need to buy a head unit that also has an amp. However if you...


a. buy a non-powered HU that has RCA pre-outs instead of line level then you need to use 2 RCA to Line level adapters shown below (figure 2) one for the front speakers and one for the rear speakers.



b. buy a powered HU then you'll need 1 PAC sound system interface shown below (figure 1).
2. Non-fading subwoofer control and subwoofer RCA pre-outs. This is so you can control the factory subwoofer gain from the head unit instead of only with the volume which can be difficult to integrate properly. If your head unit only has line level subwoofer wires then youll need an RCA to line level adapter shown below (figure 2) to integrate the sub.

3. Wiring and source button AUX input. This cannot be the jack type that is mounted on the front of some HU's it must provide wiring on the back of the unit. This is so the AUX dash jack can be wired up to the new head unit and an AUX button can be pressed selecting that source.

4. A dash install kit. Shown below (figure 3). This allows a single din radio to be installed in the double din opening of the Element dash. The extra din opening will be filled by a nice looking pocket.

OK - now that you understand the parts you need, here's a bit of info on how it goes together...


1. Connect one end of the PAC OEM-1 to the line level leads on the aftermarket HU and the other side of the OEM-1 to the factory wiring.

2. Connect the subwoofer RCA leads to the aftermarket HU RCA pre-outs.

3. Connect the amp remote turn on lead to the factory amp.

4. Connect the AUX wiring to the HU.

5. Connect the power and antenna leads to the new head unit. Note: the Element has a POWERED antenna - don't forget to give it juice too!

6. Test and adjust PAC line levels if necessary these are the small pot knobs that can be adjusted with a small screwdriver in case you're wondering. Turn these levels down so when you turn the HU volume up, you are not clipping the factory amp. This is less of a concern with non-powered HU's.

7. Install the aftermarket HU in the dash kit and then install the whole unit into the dash. Replace trim bezels and you are done.
Pics in next post below!

Figure 1 - PAC OEM-1 Factory Sound System Interface:
http://home.comcast.net/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/pac.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/pac.jpg

Figure 2 - PAC RCA to Line Level Adapter:
http://home.comcast.net/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/pacrca.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/pacrca.jpg

Figure 3 - Metra Dash Kit for Honda Element:
http://home.comcast.net/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/dashkit.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/dashkit.jpg

Eventually some company will start producting a custom integration harness for the Element but until that time these techniques and universal adapters are pretty much the only way to go.

Don't let your installer tell you this can't be done!

EMass:

Thanks again for the great advice. This really helps out. As you and I have already talked about, my installer and 2 others (all big name brand shops) have said, "nope, can't be done". I agree with what you said that they probably are just too lazy to do something that does not have a pre-made harness. Also, in retro, they probaly just want to sell me a new head unit, amp, sub, etc. and then try and charge me for an install. Armed with your info I went to a local small shop, talked to them about my idea and showed them the info you gave. They feel it should be no problem and are looking forward to getting their hands on an E. This shop has done some work for me (lowering springs, exhausts, indiglo gauges, etc.) in the past, so I know they're not amatuers and they stand behind their work. I'll keep you updated. If it falls through, I may be paying you a visit in August when I come up to Boston for a Red Sox/Yankees game.....

-Scott

EMass, your information has been invaluable. I bought my E just two weeks ago and have been scouring boards for details on adding aftermarket stuff. I'm to the point where I want to install a new HU w/ DVD and Nav and the information from this post as well as one you put up describing the wiring has been so helpful. Because of this I want to say Thank You. I've always been a lurker and not one to post, but after reading your posts, I just had to register so I could send you this note.

Please keep up the excellent work. I know there are many others out there just like me who feel the same way about you. Thanks again.

You're very welcome. :D
Welcome to the board! :D

Thanks Alot EMass, I just printed these up to give to the installer tomorrow, Hopefully all goes well.

Just wanted to post a follow up on this subject. I've successfully installed my own headunit using the items (though not exactly the same brand) that Emass posted. I'm able to control my subwoofer just fine. On the back of the Honda HU, there are three connectors, one for the speakers, one for the AUX port, and the smallest one consists of 3 wires for the subwoofer. The Red/Blue wire is the sub postive (+) and the Red/White is the sub negative (-). All I did was plug my Subwoofer RCA jacks to the line converter, then tied the two + wires together and connect it to the Red/Blue wire. I did the same thing for the - wires and all seems to be working out well.

The subwoofer input on the stock amp, is it a mono or stereo input? I am curious because the guy who installed my new HU set it up as a mono input and I know the sub is actually dual voice coil.

The subuwoofer input on the stock amp, is it a mono or stereo input. I am curious cebause the guy who installed my new HU set it up as a mono input and I know the sub is actuallu dual voice coil.

The Subwoofer input on the stock amp is Mono.

I noticed that there is a third wire in the subwoofer harness, this is a pink wire, is this one just left alone? I noticed this today while wireing up my AUX jack.


Just wanted to post a follow up on this subject. I've successfully installed my own headunit using the items (though not exactly the same brand) that Emass posted. I'm able to control my subwoofer just fine. On the back of the Honda HU, there are three connectors, one for the speakers, one for the AUX port, and the smallest one consists of 3 wires for the subwoofer. The Red/Blue wire is the sub postive (+) and the Red/White is the sub negative (-). All I did was plug my Subwoofer RCA jacks to the line converter, then tied the two + wires together and connect it to the Red/Blue wire. I did the same thing for the - wires and all seems to be working out well.

Note that the message board shows "trimmed" URLs (with "..." in the middle") to prevent them from line wrapping. If you copy and paste the "trimmed" URLs, the resulting URLs will be broken. Clicking on the links in the original message where the URLs were originally posted works though. And once you navigate to the site you can grab the URL from the address bar.

I'm not a big fan of the feature that shows the trimmed URLs because it means that copying the message text outside of the bboard means you don't get the right URLs.

-brendan

Oops: apologies to pdub - erased this message by mistake. He's looking for additional information on adapting 3rd party head units into an EX - brendan

I updated my aux/subwoofer thread to be sticky:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=59502

It discusses the level converter stuff partially on page two, I think. The pictures are still MIA until brendan.org gets back online. Might be helpful.

-brendan

Thanks for the info... it's all made me decide that there is no way I'm going to do this thing myself. :grin:

Does anyone have a suggestion for a retailer to go to get something like this done and/or how to approach a retailer on asking for something like this.

I went to Circuit City and tried to explain what I wanted, and the guy tried to prove to me that my stock HU would not come with an external aux input... That just shows what the professionals know!

Any who, once again, and help is much appreciated.

Thanks,
pdub

Can someone fix the path to the images? I dont think E-Mass has been around in a while, plus his service provider has changed names. For those of you interested in this, here are the pictures:

http://home.comcast.net/~derek-kelly/element/audio/pac.jpg


http://home.comcast.net/~derek-kelly/element/audio/pacrca.jpg


http://home.comcast.net/~derek-kelly/element/audio/dashkit.jpg



My suggestion to someone is this - SAVE THESE PICTURES.

hey guys.. just had the AVN2454 installed in my car. Did any of you have issues with the AUX port after you tapped into it?

My installer used the diagram from EMass' thread but I hear some hissing noise and a lot of distortion whenever I use the AUX port.

Any help or suggestion from you guys would be appreciated.

First - to do this right you'll need a head unit that has a few features.

1. Since you'll be using the factory amp there is no need to buy a head unit that also has an amp. However if you...
a. buy a non-powered HU that has RCA pre-outs instead of line level then you need to use 2 RCA to Line level adapters shown below (figure 2) one for the front speakers and one for the rear speakers.

b. buy a powered HU then you'll need 1 PAC sound system interface shown below (figure 1).
2. Non-fading subwoofer control and subwoofer RCA pre-outs. This is so you can control the factory subwoofer gain from the head unit instead of only with the volume which can be difficult to integrate properly. If your head unit only has line level subwoofer wires then youll need an RCA to line level adapter shown below (figure 2) to integrate the sub.


I'm wondering, if I'm using a head unit that has an amp (Alpine CDA-9830), then is it still wise to use the factory amp? I'm looking to still use the factory sub, but I'm replacing the door speakers and the tweeters. Could someone recommend the correct solution? Also, if I do need the PAC sound system interface, will the PAC OEM-2 unit that Crutchfield sells work? I can't find the OEM-1 shown in the picture.

i wanted to get some advice before i started my upgrade. i have bought the following:

clarion DXZ655MP (http://www.clarion.com/usa/products/source_units/DXZ655MP.html) headunit
jl audio 6" + tweeters [vr600-csi] front
jl audio 6" [vr600-cxi] rear
jl stealthbox 10" [sb-h-elmnt/10w3v2/bk] sub
jl audio 250/1 amp to power the sub.

would it be best for me to power the front and rear speakers using the elements factory amp [using emass's wiring diagram (http://home.comcast.net/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/eaudint.jpg)] or off the headunit [53W x 4]? i have not came a crossed the specs of the factory amp so any help would be appreciated.

thanks in advance,

jay

would it be best for me to power the front and rear speakers using the elements factory amp

After looking at your headunit, I dont see anything about preouts:

http://www.clarion.com/usa/products/source_units/DXZ655MP.html

I see a 6ch RCA Line Level Output, which is a high output. You would want something VERY low if you were going to use your stock amp. In fact, if this headunit doesnt have preouts, you are going to have to use your high-level input on whatever aftermarket amp you purchase, which means more wires to run. Also, this headunit has no sub-out so you wont have any control over the sub volume from the headunit, just the amps/crossovers.

The reason this headunit raises a red flag to me is for one specific reason. The gain on your stock amp is set below 1 volt, and what you would want to ideally do is match that voltage. I believe line-level voltage can get up to 14.4 volts, so that is going to produce lots of distortion if you use the stock amp. I run a high-end Kenwood model that has 5 volt preouts and it pushes my stock sub like its going to blow through the dash. If I were to run my highs through the stock amp as well, the distrtion would be unbearable.

Just wanted to give you a few pointers before you bought anything. To use the stock amp, you are going to want to get a headunit with 3 sets of preouts - one for the sub, one for the front, and one for the rear. And the higher the voltage on the preouts, the better. To use the stock amp to drive your tweets and midrange, the opposite is true (because the gain is set so low and you wouldnt be using the preouts, but the line-level).

So, to recap, you need a headunit with 3 preouts.

If you want to use the stock amp, dont use the line-level outputs. You will get a LOT of distortion. If you plan on running the stock amp to power the highs, just get a headunit with 3 sets of preouts with a voltage of at LEAST 2. 5 is preferrable, but 2 will work.

What I do is run all my highs off my headunit (for now) and run my stock sub off the stock amp. I used to have a good setup until someone stole it, but for now I just run the stock sub and amp with my highs.

sier, thanks for the responce, here is a better description (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-8kHH2k8SIDA/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=300&id=detailed_info&i=020DXZ655) of the headunit

- subwoofer Output: The DXZ655MP is equipped with a non-fading subwoofer preamp output with an adjustable low pass filter and an independent volume control. You can set the low pass filter to 50Hz, 80Hz or 120Hz, and adjust the subwoofer volume from -6 to +6.

Auxiliary Input: This unit features a rear mounted, stereo RCA auxiliary input on a 4" pigtail. The sensitivity of the input can be set (low, mid, or high) to match the output of the auxiliary source to the other sources. [going to hook this up to the e's aux imput till the cnet ipod interface is released in june.]

Amp Canceller: If you choose to connect the receiver to external amplifiers, you can turn off the built-in amplifier for better sound quality.

i plan on powering the stealthbox sub with the jl audio 250/1 amp connected to the subwoofer output. you would recommend i run the [vr600-csi] 6" + tweeters off the factory amp and the 6" rears [vr600-cxi] off the headunit. i have already purchased this headunit.

thanks again for your help.

jay

After see that it does, in fact, have a preout for the sub, this sounds like its right up your alley.

You can hook up a separate amp for the highs if you like. You'll probably get a cleaner sound of out them, but youll have to use a high-level input instead of RCA's to send a signal from the headunit to the amp. If you wanted to keep it simple (and still get a good sound), you can just run the speakers (not the sub) directly off the headunit's internal amplifier and just use the stock amp to power the sub. The separate sub output controls (like the crossover and volume) on the headunit are perfect for that setup.

sier,

thanks for all your help. i am just waiting for all the product to show up at my house. its all been ordered. i plan on powering the sub off the jl 250w amp. i think i am going to take the clean and easy route for now and just power the front and rear speakers via the head unit. if for some reason they seem starved for power i will then look into a separate amp for them.

i think i am going to solder on some rca plugs to the wiring harness so i can take advantage of the aux port in the element until the ipod interface is released.

i think i have it all sorted out now. sorry to hear about your system that just messed up.

thanks again,

jay

Hi Sier,

I have an alpine HU model cda-9830. Following your instruction I hooked up the HU to the OEM Honda amp, aux and sub using the splicing method shown by Emass. For the speakers, I have not bypassed the amp. I will do this later. So right now, the HU is hooked up to the aux, sub, speakers, and amp. I can control the AUX with the HU but somehow I could not get any bass from the subwoofer. By messing around with the knobs on the HU, I know that the sub receives signal from the HU but very weak and distorted. After messing with the HU for a while, I gave up and dont know what went wrong. I used the Alpine KCA-121B adaptor and I don't have an ipod hooked up to the HU. Any help is appreciated. Thank you very much and have a great day!

Here are some pictures of my wiring. I am new to the whole idea of aftermarket HU, subwoofer, and amp so I still have a lot to learn. and by the way, would a line converter fix my sub problem? Thanks!

Well, from looking at your wiring pictures (and thanks for those - that helps a ton) it appears you have everything wired correctly. You have converted your sub inputs to RCA's, used a splitter, and plugged it into your HU - so everything there looks great.

But that doesn't really answer the question of the muddy/quiet bass...hmm.

Just to err on the side of caution, here are the things I would check (and since you said you screwed with things after this and gave up, you might have already checked these):

The adapted sub RCA plug - just make sure you have your positive and negative hooked up to the correct wires on the RCA plug and make sure these aren't touching in any way. It is possible you have one or two stray wires of the shielding wire (the outside wire) touching the positive wire (the inside wire). I had this problem originally and had to really make sure those two sets of wires weren't touching. As you know, the wires in the RCA plug are pretty close and it would be easy for this to happen.

The Splitter - Just make sure the splitter is a mono (not stereo) splitter. After that, try plugging in the adapted sub RCA plug into one of the sub inputs on the headunit without the splitter just to see how it sounds.

You will not need a line convertor since you running this from your sub preouts on your headunit, so I would lean more towards the wiring as the cause of this. If you look at both of the above options and everything checks out, just make sure your sub volume on your alpine is up (this would be different from the "Bass" control on your headunit..it should be listed as Sub).

If none of that works, report back. We'll get it fixed somehow. It just seems like the signal is getting jacked up in between your headunit and amp...

Thanks for your quick reply Sier.

As of Monday I will be on a cross-country drive. I am moving back to California after living in Maryland for 8 months. My element will be hauling a Uhual 8'X4' trailer. This is my first time driving with a trailer so I am a little bit nervous.

I installed the Alpine on Friday and the sound was so crisp. Even with the stock sub, if it worked, the sound would be pretty good. On sunday, i took the alpine out and put the OEM headunit in for the road trip. Eventhough the OEM is not that great but i want the bass. I will have an MP3 player hooked up so i will have plenty of tune :lol: . After getting back to California, I will have more time to reinstall the Alpine and find out what went wrong. I will take your advice to heart when I put the Alpine in again. Here are a few notes I have for now:

"The Splitter - Just make sure the splitter is a mono (not stereo) splitter. After that, try plugging in the adapted sub RCA plug into one of the sub inputs on the headunit without the splitter just to see how it sounds." ---> I got the splitter from Radioshack but it doesnt say stereo or mono on the package. The label reads "Y-adapter audio cable for combining or splitting audio signal between components" . I also plugged the modified RCA into Left and Right sub output separately but got nothing.

"just make sure your sub volume on your alpine is up (this would be different from the "Bass" control on your headunit..it should be listed as Sub)." --> i turned on the sub in the alpine and turned the sub volume to maximum but no bass.


I think the problem may be the Alpine itself but i am not sure. If after everything and it still doesn't work, i will send it back to crutchfield and get a replacement. Thank you for all your help Sier. Thank you and have a great day.

Elemont, i'm trying to use the Alpine KCA-121B adaptor too, and just got my head unit hooked up, but i can't figure out how to get the AUX in to work. when you choose a source did it just show up along with "Tuner" and "Disc"? or did you have to do something else? i'm wondering if mine is broken. any info you can give would be appreciated. also, thanks for your pictures. they helped me out in my install (which didn't end well, as my left front speakers aren't working, but i'll deal with that tomorrow. i think it's a problem with the amp bypass wiring because i checked everything behind the head unit.)

Hi mrfett,

If I remember correctly, you have to switch the AUX on by going into SETUP. Then AUX should appear along with DISC and Tuner . Did you get your sub to work? If it did, did you do anything different? I am in Indiana right now. I will put the Alpine back in when I get to CA so I will need your help then :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin:

Elemont,

yeah i finally figured out where that screen was. i just had a hard time finding it in the manual. lack of sleep i figure.

my sub is working fine. it gets pretty loud and sounds decent. so i'm not sure where you went wrong...

my big problem is that my left front speakers don't work. i've been checking and re-checking my wiring and i can't find any mistakes. i hooked up the right front speakers to the HU's left front outs and they work, so i know the Alpine isn't broken. i'm kinda bummed about the whole thing. i have a road trip tomorrow and daylight is running out on me and i didn't install my speakers yet. i think i'll do the rears now and just deal with not having the front driver's side.

have a safe trip, and i'll be around when you get to Cali, although Sier is gonna be a lot more helpful than me :grin:

kinda odd that we both botched something up after spending so much time being meticulous. not an easy install. i want to just take it to a professional installer, but how could they understand everything i've already done?

I made these graphics to help people out with the RCA adaptation. I know for some of you this seems sort of trivial, but there are quite a few people out there scared to start playing with wires and dont know how to make these..haha.

The first just shows the cross section and how the rca wiring looks when first snipped. The second shows how you can produce two "speaker wires" to connect to things like the AUX port, the SUB, or running your dash/door speakers off your preouts.

http://sier_element.home.comcast.net/rca_cross.jpg

http://sier_element.home.comcast.net/rca_cross2.jpg

Hey Sier and Mrfett

After a week on the road, I put the alpine in again today and still no sub. I used the integration diagram from Emass and stripped the RCA cable as shown by Sier. Like before, the AUX worked fine but no sub. I switched power to POWER OFF in the alpine and this cut off the sound to the speakers but not the sub. After this, I turned the volume up really high and heard the sub loud but distorted. I also got another HU (same model) from the GoodGuys to test if the problem came from the HU. However, I found that the problem did not come from the HU. My wiring was very clean so I don't think that could be the problem. I know that I did something wrong along the way but don't know what. In the Subwoofer OEM plug, do we do anything with the pink wire? Thanks for all the help guys. :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Ok, after reading this entire thread along with the speaker thread, I am terrified of touching anything. I am an electronics junkie but I don't know how to do more than a basic install with wiring harness. Can you gurus tell me if this proposed setup should work?

Head Unit:
Eclipse CD5425
http://www.eclipse-web.com/cd/cd5425.html

Subwoofer Replacement:
JL Audio Stealthbox for the Element
https://www.jlaudio.com/stealthbox/ELMNT.html

Front Speakers:
JL Audio VR600-CSi Component Speakers
https://www.jlaudio.com/evolution/VR600CS.html

Rear Speakers:
JL Audio VR600-CXi 2-Way Speakers
https://www.jlaudio.com/evolution/VR600CX.html

Amplifier:
JL Audio 500/5 Amplifier
https://www.jlaudio.com/amps/5005.html


This is what my installer suggested. Unfortunately I don't have one of those keen money trees in my back yard so I was going to do this in the following order:

1. Head Unit with PAC OEM adapter to allow use of stock amp and aux input
2. StealthBox
3. Speakers front and rear
4. Amplifier with caps if needed

So please if you have any insight on this or can confirm this will work, let me know and I will send you an mp3 recording of my E's stereo when it is done.

Did a quick search - did not find, so I wanted to ask. Has any one with an '05 EX changed there radio to a Sirius satellite been able to use the factory XM/radio antennae? Also has any one installed a double din radio? (If so what brand)

i wanted to get some advice before i started my upgrade. i have bought the following:

clarion DXZ655MP (http://www.clarion.com/usa/products/source_units/DXZ655MP.html) headunit
jl audio 6" + tweeters [vr600-csi] front
jl audio 6" [vr600-cxi] rear
jl stealthbox 10" [sb-h-elmnt/10w3v2/bk] sub
jl audio 250/1 amp to power the sub.

would it be best for me to power the front and rear speakers using the elements factory amp [using emass's wiring diagram (http://home.comcast.net/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/eaudint.jpg)] or off the headunit [53W x 4]? i have not came a crossed the specs of the factory amp so any help would be appreciated.

thanks in advance,

jay


I'm looking at an almost identical system. I would advise a couple changes if you would indulge me. The EX head unit is pretty nice and full featured already. Instead of replacing it with the Clarion, I would use the JL Audio CLeensweep OEM interface instead. It uses a DSP to clean the output levels of your original EX headunit AND provides a cleaner input for your MP3 player. Then I would either get another amp for your F & R speakers, or trade the amp you have for a multichannel amp. Those front component speakers you have need more power than a headunits amp can provide. The crossover that comes with the component speakers consumes much of the power. JL makes 2 great multichannel amps where 1 amp can run your whole system.

How much did your JL stuff cost you? I haven't priced it all yet. I'm guessing $1000 for the stealthbox and the other speakers. $3 - 400 for that amp? I'm going with either the 500/5 or the e6450 depending on the price difference and install space. I don't want my system seen! (if you know what I mean)

Did a quick search - did not find, so I wanted to ask. Has any one with an '05 EX changed there radio to a Sirius satellite been able to use the factory XM/radio antennae? Also has any one installed a double din radio? (If so what brand)

Well its do-able but not reccomended. When you use an xm antenna to a sirius tuner you lose about 8db of signal loss. So your reception would be really bad.

Ok so I just bought my element today and I know there is a factory sub and from what I can tell here there is a factory amp that powers the stock mids and highs. After reading this thread I am somewhat confused.......are people using there rca outputs to send signal to the factory amp for mids and highs or just using the line level outputs from the new HU?

What also raises a strange question from me is this. Has anyone tried to not use the PAC interface and just cut 6 rca ends off and tie them into the factory E wiring then just simply plug them into the corresponding outputs on the new HU?

I did a similar install in my last vehicle which was a Lexus with a powered sub and it was great beacause I then used the new decks HPF and LPF filters to really control my sound.

Well its do-able but not reccomended. When you use an xm antenna to a sirius tuner you lose about 8db of signal loss. So your reception would be really bad.

Excuse my lack of knowledge, is the sirius antennae that much different. Please explain why you lose the db's

Excuse my lack of knowledge, is the sirius antennae that much different. Please explain why you lose the db's

I am not 100% sure how and or why you lose that signal loss. All I know is that when sat radio first came out I worked for Circuit City and we always were out of the XM antenna. So we tried using the sirius antenna with xm units. And they worked but very poorly. So my boss at the time called and spoke with someone in either XM's or Sirius' technical department and that is how I am familiar with the 8db figure. So all I know is that it doesnt work as well as the product should.

I will ask him tomorrow because he is still my boss we have just both be promoted a few times since then :)

can anyone tell me how to remove my factory EX stereo reciever? i need help ASAP! THANKS!!!

^ Did you check the FAQ (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10833&highlight=removing+headunit)? It's #4 (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10826). :)

i just joined this site today so i had a question but i dont know if it has been answered my question is: i am installing an aftermarket amp and 2 subwoofers to my stock HU and speakers (for now) and i was wondering i know that i need an adapter/converter that connects to my stock HU to be able to connect my aftermarket amp but what i dont know is where do i connect this? i think it has 2 cables that should connect to the stock HU then i would run my audio cable from my amp to this converter but i dont know what the converter connects to. plz help me out

See this thread:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17837

Ok, so let me make sure I understand. I can get the following and it would work:

Pionner DEH6800 HU
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_4109_35681,00.html

2 RCA to line level adapters

That should do it right? I know I have to wire up the auxilary port, pioneer has a module to turn the bus aux port in the rear to RCA in.

Now, If I install new component speakers, would I get more power to them by using the stock amp or the HU amp? (I know that has been asked before). It would be handy to have all information organized in a few setup models (new HU, new HU stock amp, New HU/AMP/Comp, etc)

Good suggestions. I'm working on a new FAQ. :)

Since the Pioneer has front, rear and sub outputs, you can just hook up to the factory amp. The difference between the amp in the head unit and the factory amp is a toss of the coin. They're equivalent for the mains. Using the factory amp will set you up better for adding on bigger amps in the future. You'll already have the RCA outs on your deck ready to plug into that future amp(s).

Use your pre outs and eMass' wiring diagram at the beginning of this thread to hook up your deck. The basic Metra 70-1721 harness will give you your power, ground, power antenna lead (don't forget to hook this up) and main front and rear preamp inputs for the factory amp. You'll just need to solder on male RCA plugs to the Metra harness. The sub is on another plug into the factory head unit. You'll have to cut it off and replace it with another RCA. The AUX input is on a third factory plug. Again, cut off the Honda plug and solder on a RCA connector. The chart shows the wires you want in all cases.

How is that Pioneer iPod adaptor? Are you using an iPod on your AUX input? It might be another way to go.

You don't say the year of your Element but if it is an '05 or '06, you'll also need a Honda antenna adapter (http://www.installer-data.com/item/display_item.php?it=40-hd10). The power antenna lead is on it for these years.

Hi y'all

I have an 2003 SOP. I am trying to connect the AUX port from the stock harness to the HU (Pioneer AVIC-D1) without cutting into the factory wiring. Does anyone know who makes an adapter that would fit the connector on the harness?

Thanks
Pibe1

2003 SOP, runners, keyless entry, alarm, roof rack, seat covers, net, bungees, HAD Pioneer AVIC-N1 (before some A#$#%#LE broke into the E and stole it)

I'm pretty sure nobody makes an adaptor. Cut the sucker off and solder on RCA plugs according to eMass' diagram.

Thanks Outpost4

----------------------------------------------
2003 SOP, runners, keyless entry, alarm, roof rack, seat covers, net, bungees, fog lights, nose bra, HAD Pioneer AVIC-N1 (before some A#$#%#LE broke into the E and stole it)

after connecting my aftermarket JVC radio to the elements wiring I am having touble getting the sub to work. It appears to need a preamp driver from the sub line outs on the radio. connecting them alone does not provide enough drive to the sub amp. Any suggestions? I tested this using a pro audio driver between the jvc and the sub ins and I was able to get it to work. any suggestions on a preamp that is car ready?

Something is goofy in your set-up. If anything, an aftermarket deck should have too much gain, not too little. The EX amp takes just a volt or so to be driven to full output. Most aftermarket decks can put out much more than that. Double check your wiring. I think you have something shorted to ground, or maybe bad soldering on the RCA plug you put on the red/white and red/blue wires. Maybe those two are shorted together.

This might be a silly question but I am new to stereo installations. The new unit I am installing is a double din format. However there is about a 1/4' gap between the HU and the Element's dash trim. What do I use (or what should i use) to bridge the gap.

thanks
pibe1:)

There have been quite a few posts on this. I recommend a Metra kit, 99-9999, that you have to trim down and throw away some pieces but can be used to fill in this gap.

You may also want to make some kind of trim ring yourself. It can involve some other plastic and paint. Here is one solution by hondaguru.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/P5120026.jpg

There is no standard answer for this question. It is a chance for you to use your creativity. :)

Thanks Outpost4

I went and bought the kit today. Wish me luck.

Good luck!

Check this (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=285908#post285908) post to see my solution to the problem.

I'm a little un clear about the PAC-1 or hard wiring RCA's into the metra harness.
My radio has both RCA's and speaker level outputs. I am going to use a Parrot bluetooth kit with the radio, therefor I think I will have to use the speaker level outputs (the parrot unit goes inbetween the radio and the speakers so it can take over the speakers when a call is in progress.

So now for my questions.
Does the EX have a Bose system? I know it has a sub
Are there more than one PAC-1 for the E, if so which one do I need?
I'm planning on dropping the radio in tomorrow, and testing the sterring wheel control interface with the alpine radio.I'm hoping that the PAC-1 that I need, will be available locally.

thanks in advance for the assitance

Mitch

I just completed the installation of my AVIC-Z1 on the E. My intentions where to minimize any tapping into the E's OEM harness and to be able to pull the HU out for any type of service that might be needed in the future. I soldered male RCA connectores to the Metra harness following the E wiring diagram (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3065) post from emass. I am assuming you HUs RCA connectora provide a pre-amp signal. If so them it a matter of matching up the correct speakers (label them on both sides).

I also had a wonderfull alternator humming sound when I was done. Depending on how much power you system pulls, you might want to consider making the ground (thick black wire) shorter and grounding it to the frame of the E close to the HU.

I did have to tap the E's harness to use the sub-woofer and aux connector since at the time I could not find any after connectors.

The E's amp sounds great to me. Some might say it doesn't. But my needs are simple.

Good Luck
pibe1

Boximus Maximus, your car doesn't have a Bose system, but you do have a separate amp that makes the hook-up interesting. Let's update eMass' instructions from years ago for your needs.

EDIT: For the general hook up instructions of an aftermarket deck in an EX, go to the next post down (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=321025#post321025).

I have one question first. What radio are you hooking up? Can I assume it has a subwoofer output? Is it the Alpine you've been trying to sell? I will make these instructions assuming the radio has at least the same features as the Alpine.

[/B] You should be able to get what you need at a local car stereo store or even a well stocked Radio Shack. You only need one major part, a line output converter, often abbreviated as LOC, and pronounced l-o-c, not lock. You want a stereo LOC because we are going to make the Bluetooth output only go through the front speakers. You also want to make sure the LOC has gain pots, little volume controls on it to adjust its output level. These will become important. For his LOC, eMass recommended the PAC version; you can use anybody's as long as it has the gain pots.

In addition to your deck, LOC and Bluetooth adapter, here are your major parts:

5-6 male RCA plugs
Metra 70-1721 wire harness
Metra 40-HD10 antenna adapter
solder and soldering iron
crimp caps
black tape, wire stripper, wire cutter, crimper, wire ties

First, disconnect the ground wire from your battery. You don't want to blow anything up.

Let's prep the Metra harness you have. You'll need the five male RCA plugs for do this project. Buy six so you have a spare. They're cheap. Solder them onto your Metra harness for the front left, front right, rear left and rear right speakers. Use eMass' wiring diagram (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3065) to find the wires for this.

The sub hooks up through a different plug that goes into your factory deck. It has eight connectors, two rows of four, on it although only three wires run into this connector. You'll have to cut the plug off of these wires and solder on a third RCA plug here, again following eMass' color code.

You are actually now three-fifths of the way home. When you install the deck, you'll hook up the left rear and right rear line outputs from your deck into the left rear and right rear plugs you soldered onto the Metra harness. You'll also plug the single RCA plug you soldered onto the subwoofer wires into the deck's left subwoofer output.

[/B] Now lets do the front speakers. Here is the block diagram of what we want to end up with:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/locblockdiagram.jpg.
Use the crimp caps to attach the front left and right speaker wires coming out of your deck into the Bluetooth adapter. Similarly, use crimp caps to attach the left and right speaker level outputs of the Bluetooth adapter into the left and right speaker inputs on the LOC. Finally, plug the remaining RCA plugs you soldered onto your Metra harness, the front left and front right speaker wires, into the output of the LOC. Your signal wiring is done.

I assume the Bluetooth piece is powered. You will need to use the wires on the Metra harness to get power and ground. You'll want the deck's amplifier turn-on wire to turn the Bluetooth adapter on and off. In addition, the deck's amp turn-on wire needs to go to the Metra harness. It also turns on and off the factory amp. Again, use eMass' diagram to find these three wires.

Somewhere along the way you need to connect the power, ground, ignition and amp turn-on wires from the deck's harness to the Metra harness. Don't bypass any the fuses!

Since you have a 2006, you'll also need the Metra 40-HD10 antenna adapter. Hook it up to your deck. Do attach this antenna adapter's blue wire to the power antenna output of your deck. You don't need to attach the deck's power antenna wire to the main Metra harness as shown in eMass' diagram. Skip that.

Reconnect the ground wire to the battery. Now turn everything on. Does it work? It should. You will still have to adjust the gain pots on the LOC to get the front/rear balance right. Set your deck's fader control at its zero point and use the gain pots on the LOC to get the balance correct front to rear.

Use the wire ties to tighten up everything so it doesn't fall apart behind the dash. When tying, long and stringy is better than big and fat. There's not a lot of room back behind the deck and you have to push things out of the way. Us anal folks wrap black tape around the RCA connections to make sure they don't come unplugged.

Put the deck in. You have just a couple of things left. Reset your driver's window up/down switch (hold it all the way up to do this). Make sure the subwoofer is turned on with your deck. Crossover the sub high. 120 is a good place to start. Use the phase switch that is hopefully in your deck to get the maximum bass out of your subwoofer. Switch the phase back and forth, listening to the system for a few minutes each way. The difference will be subtle but you want the way with the most bass.

That should get you done.

These are the instructions for hooking up an aftermarket stereo in an EX.

You need to have a deck with a full set of pre-amp (or line level) outputs. It has to have front, rear and sub pre-amp outputs. This is not expensive. For example, Alpine has it for $200 retail.

Beyond the deck, you'll need:

Metra 99-7863 in-dash kit (http://www.installer.com/item/display_item.php?it=99-7863)
Metra 70-1721 wire harness (http://www.installer.com/item/display_item.php?it=70-1721)
Metra 40-HD10 antenna adapter (2005 and up) (http://www.installer.com/item/display_item.php?it=40-hd10)
5-6 male RCA plugs
solder and soldering iron
crimp caps
black tape, wire stripper, wire cutter, crimper, wire ties

This post will just deal with the electrical connections, not the kit and physical mounting of the deck.

First, disconnect the ground wire from your battery. You don't want to blow anything up.

Let's prep the Metra harness you have. You'll need the five male RCA plugs for do this project. Buy six so you have a spare. They're cheap. Solder them onto your Metra harness for the front left, front right, rear left and rear right speakers. Use eMass' wiring diagram (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3065) to find the wires for this. Don't mix up the positive and negative wires.

The sub hooks up through a different plug that goes into your factory deck. It has eight connectors, two rows of four, on it although only three wires run into this connector. You'll have to cut the plug off of these wires and solder on a third RCA plug here, again following eMass' color code.

You are actually now done. Get your deck's wire harness. Hook up the left front, right front, left rear and right rear line outputs from your deck into the appropriate plugs you soldered onto the Metra harness. Also plug the single RCA plug you soldered onto the subwoofer wires into the deck's left subwoofer output.

Somewhere along the way you need to connect the power, ground, ignition and amp turn-on wires from the deck's harness to the Metra harness. Don't bypass any the fuses!

If you have a 2005 or later EX, you'll also need the Metra 40-HD10 antenna adapter. Go to the next paragraph if you have a 2003 or 2004. Hook up the antenna adapter to your deck. Attach this antenna adapter's blue (or black) wire to the power antenna output of your deck. You don't need to attach the deck's power antenna wire to the main Metra harness as shown in eMass' diagram. Skip that.

Reconnect the ground wire to the battery. Now turn everything on. Does it work? It should. If you get no sound, first try switching to the radio. Tune it into a station. Does it work now? If it does, then you mixed up the power antenna and amp turn on leads. If you are missing a channel, the first thing to check is your soldered on RCA plugs.

Use the wire ties to tighten up everything so it doesn't fall apart behind the dash. When tying, long and stringy is better than big and fat. There's not a lot of room back behind the deck and you have to push things out of the way. Us anal folks wrap black tape around the RCA connections to make sure they don't come unplugged.

Put the deck in. You have just a couple of things left. Reset your driver's window up/down switch (hold it all the way up to do this). Make sure the subwoofer is turned on with your deck. Crossover the sub high. 120 is a good place to start. Use the phase switch that is hopefully in your deck to get the maximum bass out of your subwoofer. Switch the phase back and forth, listening to the system for a few minutes each way. The difference will be subtle but you want the way with the most bass.

That should get you done.

Outpost,

thanks for the insightful post. You have answered all of my questions.
I've prewired most of the harness, and i'm headed out to pick up a LOC


thanks

Mitch

I have searched and read many of the post on wiring aftermarket HU. In the process of getting my wiring harness prepared to install, I have a few questions. First I noticed as mentioned in other thread that the adapter I have does not have an amp turn on wire, however the adapter does have a power antenna wire. I noticed in other threads it states just to connect the amp wire to this lead, which bring me to my second question. My antenna adapter for a 2005 Element has a black wire in addition to the plug which states to connect to the aftermarket HU's antenna power wire. Is this black wire the power wire, or if not, is this wire supposed to be connect with the blue wires from both harnesses. Thank you for your time.

Red -

Your questions are good and need clarification. Thanks for asking them.

On the main wire harness, yes, you want to hook up your deck's amp turn-on wire to the harness' power antenna lead if the harness doesn't have an amp lead. In an EX, this wire in the harness turns on the factory amp. That's why you use the deck's amp turn-on wire. If you had a 2003 or 2004 EX, this wire would also power up the antenna. The radio antenna is active. It needs juice because it is so short.

But you have a 2005 EX. I used my amazing powers of perception to figure this out even though you haven't filled in your profile; please do so for people less clairvoyant than me. Your antenna is powered though the antenna adapter, not the main harness. As you've figured out, you want to hook up the black wire (on some adapters, this wire is blue) also to power. Yes, you could just hook it up to the amp turn-on wire. That would certainly work. Folks like me who wake up in the middle of the night worrying about these kind of things say hook it up to the deck's power antenna lead instead. That way the antenna will only be powered up when you listen to the radio, not all the time. BTW, the same is true for a 2006 and probably a 2007 EX.

Let's finish this topic up. If you have an LX, you only have to hook up either the deck's power antenna or amp turn-on lead to the main Metra harness. You have no amp or antenna adapters to screw with.

And welcome to the Mobile Electronics forum, Red. My name is Gregg. Stay around. This is my favorite forum on the board but I'm biased. :)

- Gregg

A few months ago I purchased an Alpine IVAW200 in dash DVD and it is awesome! I used these directions and it sounds great. I have the Sirius and the iPod running right through it. I plan on getting the Stealthbox, new speakers, and a 5-channel amp over the winter as well as the sound processor for the Alpine.

A few months ago I purchased an Alpine IVAW200 in dash DVD and it is awesome! I used these directions and it sounds great. I have the Sirius and the iPod running right through it. I plan on getting the Stealthbox, new speakers, and a 5-channel amp over the winter as well as the sound processor for the Alpine.

Hey BMiller,

I'm planning on getting the same head unit with the same accessories next week. Is there anything I should tell my installer before I do this? Which mounting kit did you use to make the IVA-W200 fit?

Thanks,

Ron

Does it have to be a Metra 70-1721 wire harness? I purchased a Scosche HA08B harness (it's labeled "1998-UP Honda") with my head unit through an online retailer (they didn't carry Metra). There is a wire legend on the back of the bag it comes in - I guess I could figure it out, but I'm wondering if this is going to add a lot of extra work.

Shouldn't be a problem. Honda has used the same basic harness for an eternity. I wouldn't be surprised if the Scosche piece used the same color codes as Metra. Metra is just the most popular so they get mentioned.

Just want to say I got my avic Z1 installed with all the goodies /bluetooth/backup cam/sirius tuner/all the bypasses and I used the stock speakers and everything sounds great
the sub I used a phoenix goild line driver to get the signal up and it pounds very nicely for a 6 inch woofer and is very tight way better than when it was stock.

Excellent. http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/fing32.gif

I want to add a new aftermarket head unit and still use the stock sub and amp. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing, but E-Mass's first post in this thread has me a little confused -

1. Since you'll be using the factory amp there is no need to buy a head unit that also has an amp. However if you...

* a. buy a non-powered HU that has RCA pre-outs instead of line level then you need to use 2 RCA to Line level adapters shown below (figure 2) one for the front speakers and one for the rear speakers.
(Pic shows a PAC SNI-35)


Does this mean that I need to use an LOC to go from the RCA preamp outputs on my head unit to the appropriate speaker wires on the Metra wiring harness? I was thinking I could just solder RCA plugs directly to the Metra harness and plug them into my head unit (and not use/cap off the speaker-level outputs from the head unit). Is the input to the Honda factory amp even lower than normal preamp level?

If my thinking is right, then the only non-plug and play part of the install will be making the connectors to hook up the aux input and connecting the RCA sub output from the new head unit to the funky subwoofer plug on the factory harness, correct?

You can get away just soldering the RCA plugs onto the Metra harness. Yes, the factory amp has a low input level - maybe about a volt - but it's not that crazily low. I'd avoid 8 volt out decks but normal decks should be OK.

If you have noise, a LOC might be necessary to reduce the output of the deck and leave its volume control at a normal level but I'd try running it direct first.

He has spoken. Now you must go, and do.

JP. http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/08.gif And on Christmas Eve of all days. http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/angel.gif

Let's finish this topic up. If you have an LX, you only have to hook up either the deck's power antenna or amp turn-on lead to the main Metra harness. You have no amp or antenna adapters to screw with.

And welcome to the Mobile Electronics forum, Red. My name is Gregg. Stay around. This is my favorite forum on the board but I'm biased. :)

- Gregg
So last night I installed this (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-YWOZ91mB3Y0/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?I=257kdg420&search=kdg420)stereo and Ipod adapter in the Element using the standard Metra harness, however, I did not attach the power antenna, I assumed it was not necessary. I noticed that AM stations I got in my factory HU just fine were suddenly inaudible. Did I make a mistake?

Normally, since FM is fine, I wouldn't mind, but in Dallas there is an AM station that is indispensible (The Ticket) for morning and afternoon commutes. If I have to take it back out, no problem, and I can post pics of the routing of the IPOD adapter to the Glove box. Got the idea from a thread somewhere on here.:)

I'll post a review of the new HU in a day or two, once I get the hang of it. It was very inexpensive and got solid reviews, so we'll see.

Thanks in advance.

Well - I went ahead and took it out and attahed the power antenna cable wire into the harness. This did the trick. I should have searched a litlle more on her before I posted.:)

just wondering if you were to buy an aftermarket deck that had built-in XM, would it be able to use the factory XM antenna? and how much modification does this require?

Hi all, I'm new here. Just bought an 04 Element EX with the factory subwoofer.

Now I've installed full audio systems in 10 different cars in the past few years but have never done an Element. I'm installing a CD player which will run the factory speakers and an amp which will power an aftermarket sub.

My question is, I don't want the factory sub to work after I put the radio in... can I just buy a honda wiring harness and plug it in? Will that make the aftermarket radio power the factory speakers or is there something else I need to do? Since I have an aftermarket sub I really don't even want the factory sub to work.

Also, how the heck do you get the dash piece off to get to the factory radio??

Thanks for the help in advance!

I need the VSS location and color somebody please help.

Hi all, I'm new here. Just bought an 04 Element EX with the factory subwoofer.

Now I've installed full audio systems in 10 different cars in the past few years but have never done an Element. I'm installing a CD player which will run the factory speakers and an amp which will power an aftermarket sub.

My question is, I don't want the factory sub to work after I put the radio in... can I just buy a honda wiring harness and plug it in? Will that make the aftermarket radio power the factory speakers or is there something else I need to do? Since I have an aftermarket sub I really don't even want the factory sub to work.

Also, how the heck do you get the dash piece off to get to the factory radio??

Thanks for the help in advance!


Ok I followed the diagram at the top of the Tread and didn't connect the sub. Souds great after a changed all the factory speakers..

radio bezel;

Flat screwdriver and a soft rag under the radio above the climate controls. Run your finder along the seam and you know the rest. Be firm but gentle.

Oh.

2 days after my install I had to pull it out and go back to the Factory radio, the new DVD Sucked so bad and controls so hard to use it wasn't worth all the effort. I'm watching the $700 JVC on E-bay now.

OK, I would probably imagine this has been asked before but i'm asking again. what would i have to do to run the factory sub with an aftermarket headunit as well as another aftermarket sub and amp?? could i just use the sub output off the headunit and then run another set of rca's back to the rca to line adapter??? any suggestions would help. i also read this whole post and noticed that someone said that they just used a rca to line to converter to run the factory sub. i don't plan on running the factory amp to any of the door speakers. and by the way the headunit i will be running is a pioneer 980bt. thanx in advance

Now that will work :-D

Figure 1 - PAC OEM-1 Factory Sound System Interface:
http://home.comcast.net/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/pac.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/pac.jpg

Figure 2 - PAC RCA to Line Level Adapter:
http://home.comcast.net/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/pacrca.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/pacrca.jpg

Figure 3 - Metra Dash Kit for Honda Element:
http://home.comcast.net/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/dashkit.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/%7Ederek-kelly/element/audio/dashkit.jpg

Eventually some company will start producting a custom integration harness for the Element but until that time these techniques and universal adapters are pretty much the only way to go.

Don't let your installer tell you this can't be done!


THIS DOESNOT WORK WITH THE SC,

Try the new Scoshe HA-1702B its specifically for the trapezoid radio in the 2007/2008 EX and I assume the SC of the same years. The only thing I don't like is the plastic mounts. Still in the process of installing so no pics as yet.

These are the instructions for hooking up an aftermarket stereo in an EX.

You need to have a deck with a full set of pre-amp (or line level) outputs. It has to have front, rear and sub pre-amp outputs.

<snip>

Let's prep the Metra harness you have. You'll need the five male RCA plugs for do this project. Buy six so you have a spare. They're cheap. Solder them onto your Metra harness for the front left, front right, rear left and rear right speakers.

<snip>

.

Ok, so I should have read this 2 weeks ago... I bought a Pioneer DEH-P7000BT which has both 4 volt RCA outs and a harness for speaker output (4x22W). The nice clear instructions from Crutchfield had me solder the metra (i think it was another another brand, but same thing) harness to the pioneer's harness for the 4 main speaker outputs.

Based on what I see above, this should have been done instead to the RCA outs. On top of that, their instructions completely ignored the sub - i assumed based on their instructions that the honda amp handled the sub without a 5th input.

So here I am with a HU that 'works', but which is wired up horribly. Two questions - is this the cause of the hiss I hear at louder volumes? And will this destroy the honda amp?

Basically, how critical is it that I pull the HU and rewire it asap? I am considering sending the 7000BT back because it screws up my iphone, so if it's not hyper critical I may just wait until HU #2 gets here...

thanks!

Here's some info from another thread awhile back.. hopefully this will help you through getting your sub back and also somewhat addresses why you SHOULD splice in RCA's for your remaining 4 channels. if you've got anymore questions just ask...plenty of people on here willing to help.

http://home.comcast.net/~derek-kelly/element/audio/eaudint.jpg
Also this is a shot of the back of the EX headunit which shows the harnesses that come stock. Forget I ever mentioned the "green" harness as thats the AUX input harness..not the sub. The sub harness (in this pic) is white..again, this may differ for the SC.
http://www.re-vision.com/element-j/images/head_unit/13.jpg

Quote:
I dont really know about it but my friend should know.
Let me break it down a bit more and hopefully you and your friend can figure out why your sub isn't working.

1. You've done the correct thing by splicing RCAs onto the Honda sub wiring.
2. You really should splice RCAs onto the remaining 4 channels.

Let me guess, your stereo is SUPER LOUD at about the half volume mark or lower...right? What's happening is, your new headunit is sending a signal that's strong enough to power the speakers on its own, through the harness through the amplifier. This is "amplifying" that high power signal and drowning out your sub. Your sub works, you just can't hear it.

Splicing RCAs onto the 4 channels (front l/r, rear l/r) and connecting them to your new headunits Pre-Amp outputs (hence the name) will send a low power signal to the amp for amplification, thus powering your speakers properly and allowing your sub to be heard.

Oh...and here's my post(s) concerning the same problem (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34035) I had..maybe this'll help you out as well, especially if you're having the same problems.

You can also just get this Metra 70-1725 harness with the RCA's already attached. You just have to put another male RCA onto the sub harness. This worked wonderfully for me.

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/images//big/bigmet-701725.jpg

In hondas, when the stock stereo is removed the stock security dissables the remote locks, dome lights and constant 12v to the deck.
I install audio systems and found the best way to fix this is to run a wire from your positive battery terminal to the stock decks constant 12v wire coming from the car and the aftermarkets constant 12v that comes from the deck to fix the locks/lights and power the new deck.
I also installed a remote starter if any one needs help
Any questions please ask!

In hondas, when the stock stereo is removed the stock security dissables the remote locks, dome lights and constant 12v to the deck.
I install audio systems and found the best way to fix this is to run a wire from your positive battery terminal to the stock decks constant 12v wire coming from the car and the aftermarkets constant 12v that comes from the deck to fix the locks/lights and power the new deck.
I also installed a remote starter if any one needs help
Any questions please ask!
I've never seen this happen. The only problem with removing the OEM radio is that you have to key in the security code when you reconnect power. I and many others have had no problem hooking up aftermarket radios directly to the stock wiring and everything else works just fine. :neutral:

Off topic...if you have a 2008, it's Nighthawk Black Pearl (NBP)...not CBP.

...and welcome to the loony bin :cool:

In hondas, when the stock stereo is removed the stock security dissables the remote locks, dome lights and constant 12v to the deck.
I install audio systems and found the best way to fix this is to run a wire from your positive battery terminal to the stock decks constant 12v wire coming from the car and the aftermarkets constant 12v that comes from the deck to fix the locks/lights and power the new deck.
I also installed a remote starter if any one needs help
Any questions please ask!

Only Honda I have ever seen this in is the 96-98 Civics. The keyless entry was part of the head unit. If you unplugged it, it would stop working. Also, unplugging the head unit would cause the interior light to go out. The easiest method is to build a t-harness that would supply constant, ignition and ground to the head unit and relocate it lower in the dash, out of sight. There were also two wires in another plug, these were jumpered together to make the domelight come back on. No other Honda's that I know of are like this.

Looking to buy my first E 06 EXP I am getting very excited about having a new platform to mod. My question is could I just bypass all the stock amps and run the speaker wires to an aftermarket amp then to the HU and the same to the sub?

Yes you can, that's what I did. Drew:)

Looking to buy my first E 06 EXP I am getting very excited about having a new platform to mod. My question is could I just bypass all the stock amps and run the speaker wires to an aftermarket amp then to the HU and the same to the sub?

Just to clarify...your running RCA's from the HU to the amp, not speakers wires, correct?? Speaker wires just from the amp out to the speakers.

My friend got my steering wheel buttons working with my Avic, best birthday present I can get for my E.

I purchased and Eclipse AVN 4430. When I pulled out the factory radio I noticed extra wiring harnesess besdies the main blue connector and antenna. I need to now what wires on the other connectors are for.

The other harnesses are for your sub and AUX input. The large for the AUX, and the small for the sub. Follow the diagram at the top of page 9 for an in-depth look at which wires are what. Keep in mind, colors may have changed over the years.

Only thing i needed was a wiring harness. Used bracket off factory deck.

Okay;

So I have a mounting kit and a HA08b wiring harness en route from the good people at ebay, and I'm looking for a head unit. Reading through the posts it seems some of he info is dated, and the technology is changing a bit. I'm looking at THIS as my new head unit

http://www.quadratec.com/products/96082_413.htm

and I noticed the RCA front/rear sub outs on the back (pic attached).

Does this mean that along with an antenna adapter, I can install this in to my 2003 EX by simply adapting the sub harness to an to plug in to the back of the HU? (Like the attached schematic?)

I am thinking I just match up the colors on the the HA08b harness and plug it in to the oem harness, run the RCA in to one of those sub outputs (would I have to use a Y splitter, or just run it mono off either of those sub outputs?)?

I know that my dash board aux input won't work, but that's fine.

Am I missing something?

Thanks!

I think what confuses me, is the set of RCA pre outs on the back (which seem to be able to be toggled from HBF to LBF will go straight to the sub, but won't I get distortion if I then run the speaker signal through the harness? What happens when amplified sources hit the amp?

And what is "Bus in"?

Okay;

So I have a mounting kit and a HA08b wiring harness en route from the good people at ebay, and I'm looking for a head unit. Reading through the posts it seems some of he info is dated, and the technology is changing a bit. I'm looking at THIS as my new head unit

http://www.quadratec.com/products/96082_413.htm

and I noticed the RCA front/rear sub outs on the back (pic attached).

Does this mean that along with an antenna adapter, I can install this in to my 2003 EX by simply adapting the sub harness to an to plug in to the back of the HU? (Like the attached schematic?)

I am thinking I just match up the colors on the the HA08b harness and plug it in to the oem harness, run the RCA in to one of those sub outputs (would I have to use a Y splitter, or just run it mono off either of those sub outputs?)?

I know that my dash board aux input won't work, but that's fine.

Am I missing something?

Thanks!

OK I'll try to help.:-) First off you're not going to want to use that aftermarket head units speaker leads.Since your head unit has pre outputs,you're definitely going to want to use those.That harness you ordered will work,but you'll need to add your own rcas to the front and rear channels.You really should of spent a couple more bucks and purchased the Metra 70-1725 which has front and rear rcas already attached.Also,I noticed that head unit only has a front pre out and a rear/sub pre out.:? So for this to work you're going to need to use the rear/sub pre out for the sub woofer only and since you will just have the front pre out open for use,and to have front and rear signals going to your factory amp,you're going to need to attach a pair of Y rca splitters(two female ends on one side and a single male on the opposite end) to send a signal from head unit to those front and rear rcas going to the factory amp.Unfortunately by making your rca connections in this manner,you won't be able to fade from front to rear.You would of been much better off with a head unit that had all three pre outputs separate.

I think what confuses me, is the set of RCA pre outs on the back (which seem to be able to be toggled from HBF to LBF will go straight to the sub, but won't I get distortion if I then run the speaker signal through the harness? What happens when amplified sources hit the amp?
And what is "Bus in"?

Since you will be using the sub woofer off that rear/sub pre out,you'll need to set/switch the rear pre output to the sub woofer on setting,then you can use the controls on the head unit to adjust the lo pass frequency settings.Oh and it looks like that Bus input is actually just an auxiliary input.:-)

This is THE best diagram out there. I found this wiring schematic and information to be the easiest to understand and follow to effectively accomplish what I wanted, which was to retain my factory subwoofer. I don't need to have people here me coming 4-5 blocks away...I just want decent full end bass fequencies to supplement the speakers. I may get new speakers to go in the doors, but for the most part it sounds pretty good.

Usefull info, will be using soon.....thanks

this (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67403) thread shows the metra harness (70-7863) that fully integrates with the element and does what is described at the begining of this thread. some people are having issue finding their answer apparently, so here it is in a stickied thread...

I believe I used this post last year to help me install my Kenwood HU. When I pulled it out to re-install the OEM HU, I disconnected from the blue harness and the antenna, and took the splice from the sub harness. I have the PAC unit that was recommended, but didn't end up using it. I can't remember if I clipped the wires to the OEM amp or somehow disabled it allowing me to skip the PAC or what I did honestly. The Kenwood could have allowed me to bypass the other amp too.

When I went to re-install the factory HU only the sub is producing sound. I had already installed the Kenwood in my new vehicle, but I had an old Alpine around that I used to test the OEM harness wires and they worked with it. I can't even remember where the factory amp is. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The stock amp is in the passenger kick panel. It sounds like you bypassed it, or someone did...

Since the subwoofer is working, wouldn't that mean that the amp is still connected? I dropped the glove box down and nothing there has been disconnected or cut and I have absolutely no recollection of being in there. Something tells me I just turned the Kenwood's(KDC-X993) amp off and used the factory one, but that doesn't explain why it won't work now.

Took it to the local radio shop and they checked the OEM head unit and determined that it was not functioning properly. I have an old Alpine w/o pre-amp outputs that I would like to install. Any suggestions on whether this is possible? They seem to think it is, but don't seem to have the time to actually do it. I don't care about controlling the subwoofer level, I would like for it to work though.