[Island E]

Finding tons of info on adding an aftermarket head unit to the stock amp and speakers. I can't seem to be able to find anything about using the OEM head unit to power an aftermarket amp and all aftermarket speakers.

Basically here's what I want to do
factory stereo feeds my Alpine PDX-5 5 channel amp, which runs my infinity components in the front and rear and my Kicker sub that will be replacing the wimpy stock sub.

I assume I somehow need to have the output of the factory amp turn into 5 sets of RCAs. How do I make RCA outs out of the output of my OEM stereo?

If somebody could supply me with links, or part numbers I need to be shopping for, I'd appreciate it.

 

[BigAl205]

Check out this thread and see if it helps...
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56823
You will probably need something like this...
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item...oogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=froogle

 

[Island E]

I found that thing on a few sites now. This is fine with the 4 channels for the doors. But what do I do about the sub? I want to be able to use the sub output from the OEM radio to feed the 5th channel on my amp.

 

[BigAl205]

Hmmm...I didn't realize it was only 4-channel. You could get a couple of these but you will have to tap into each of the radio output connections. http://www.crutchfield.com/p_142SLC4/Scosche-SLC4.html?search=loc&ssi=0&tp=2001 You might want to PM NismoGriff or Yoda...I think they've actually used them.

 

[Stoph]

When my stereo was hooked up that way I ran an Audio Control EQX to get the signals from the factory Amp since the EQX can accept speaker level inputs it was pretty easy to just tap into the wires after the factory amp.

 

[Island E]

I'll be eliminating the factory amp completely. Just using the factory deck. Are the levels coming out of the deck really line levels or are they low level but just lacking the RCA plugs. Just thought I'd ask since they're feeding into an amp.

Because if they're not really line level coming out of the head unit, I can just solder on RCA plugs to the wires.

 

[BigAl205]

I'll be eliminating the factory amp completely. Just using the factory deck. Are the levels coming out of the deck really line levels or are they low level but just lacking the RCA plugs. Just thought I'd ask since they're feeding into an amp.

Because if they're not really line level coming out of the head unit, I can just solder on RCA plugs to the wires.

Like I said in the other thread, the radio is putting out a balanced line which is a higher voltage than the standard RCA. Simply splicing an end onto the wires could burn up the input of the amp. It's not quite as high as speaker level...it's somewhere in between.

 

[Yoda E SC]

Like I said in the other thread, the radio is putting out a balanced line which is a higher voltage than the standard RCA. Simply splicing an end onto the wires could burn up the input of the amp. It's not quite as high as speaker level...it's somewhere in between.

al is dead on about that. you will damage your amp if you try to hook the deck output right to the amp. use two of those adaptors he linked you to (the blue scosche ones) and your local walmart should have them for like 18 or 19 bucks in their "car audio department"

 

[rotomoto]

http://www.pac-audio.com/productDetails.aspx?ProductId=561&CategoryID=28

That ought to take care of your little dilemma.

Your Alpine amp should have a provision for getting the 5th channel signal from the four channel input.
The main (blue) connector houses the main 4 ch's. The sub output is on a separate connector(black). The red/bl wire is (sub+), the red/wh wire is (sub-).

I would just get a y-connector to split the front channels from the pac-audio unit into the sub input of your alpine.

 

[Island E]

Nice ninja edit on the "your head unit doesn't have a sub output" thing. Went to quote you and it wasn't there any more. Had me going

 

[rotomoto]

Nice ninja edit on the "your head unit doesn't have a sub output" thing. Went to quote you and it wasn't there any more. Had me going

i whipped out my schematic faster than you can blink an eye

 

[Island E]

Which one of these adapter things would the EX need?
PAC AOEM-HON20
or
PAC AOEM-HON17

Gonna guess it needs the 20, right?

 

[rotomoto]

Which one of these adapter things would the EX need?
PAC AOEM-HON20
or
PAC AOEM-HON17

Go to pac-audio.com. It let's you input your exact vehicle. the hon20 should be your part.

 

[Yoda E SC]

http://www.pac-audio.com/productDetails.aspx?ProductId=561&CategoryID=28

That ought to take care of your little dilemma.

Your Alpine amp should have a provision for getting the 5th channel signal from the four channel input.
The main (blue) connector houses the main 4 ch's. The sub output is on a separate connector(black). The red/bl wire is (sub+), the red/wh wire is (sub-).

I would just get a y-connector to split the front channels from the pac-audio unit into the sub input of your alpine.

i thought that he wanted control of the sublevel from the factory radio and that was the whole reason behind doing it the other way. most amp now have an input selector of some sort, the 700.5 in my truck is auto sensing where you dont even have to flip a selector switch, not sure how the alpine one is on that particular one.

Which one of these adapter things would the EX need?
PAC AOEM-HON20
or
PAC AOEM-HON17

Gonna guess it needs the 20, right?

you need the 20 if that is the route you are looking to go plus another LOC like we mentioned earlier if you want sub controls from the deck, but why keep the factory deck? it will definitely be the weakest link in your audio chain without something like the JL cleansweep, rockford 360, or similar device. and those would go after the factory amp like was mentioned before.

 

[Island E]

I'm keeping the factory deck because I have the sat radio through it, and I like the steering wheel controls.

 

[Yoda E SC]

I'm keeping the factory deck because I have the sat radio through it, and I like the steering wheel controls.

you know that they make interfaces that allow aftermarket radios to work with the factory steering wheel controls right? in fact i have 3 of them that i was thinking of posting up for sale either here or on ebay. also, you can use the factory sat radio antenna on an aftermarket tuner. just trying to give you some options you may not have known about.

 

[Island E]

Well, got everything in. Door speakers work great.
Having a problem with my sub though. I'm using a PAC SNI-35 to try to take the sub output from the factory deck to feed the 5th channel on my amp.

The non striped wires from the module I have going to the red/blue wire on the OEM plug
The striped wires I have hooked to the red/white wire.

The brown wires aren't hooked up, and the bare shielding wire out of the OEM plug isn't hooked up to anything either.

Problem is that I don't seem to get anything out of the module. I can crank the gain on my amp up all the way and I barely get any speaker movement at all.

Sub setting on the deck is to MAX, and output levels on the module are maxed out as well. Anybody know what may be going on here? Is the output from the sub channel just that small that there's almost no signal? Maybe I need to hook the sub channel back up to the factory amp and tap off the output coming off that?

Any help here would be appreciated.

 

[Yoda E SC]

the 35's max level may be too much "cut down" compared to that of the other 4 channels. try just hooking those wires up directly to a cut off female rca, then thru a 1 male 2 female rca y to the sub rca. or if the stock amp connectors are still hooed up and you have just cut the 4 speaker wires loose from it then you could catch it after the stock amp and use the sni35. really need to know how you did all that to tell you which way is best.

 

[Island E]

Here you go. This is how it's hooked up. Both striped together and both solids together. Browns not hooked to anything, shield wire going to nothing.

Got RCAs coming right off that interface going to channel 5 left and right of my Alpine PDX-5.

 

[Yoda E SC]

Here you go. This is how it's hooked up. Both striped together and both solids together. Browns not hooked to anything, shield wire going to nothing.

Got RCAs coming right off that interface going to channel 5 left and right of my Alpine PDX-5.

i got that part, i ment the output side of the amp and the factory amp. how is it, if at all, hooked up?