TL: i got an amp and subs need to know how to hook them up while keeping the stock HU

03blueTLtype-s · 01-18-2010, 10:57 PM

I have a 1000w amp and two subs in a box. so how do i hook them up while still keeping the stock HU. is there a way to use the same wires that go into the stock amp or do i have to get new wires and which ones would i have to get. Thanks in advanced and please im a noob so don't go all technical oh and this is on a 03 tl-s

This ad is not displayed to registered or logged-in members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Acurazine!

mattastick · 01-19-2010, 5:13 AM

Please search around. This topic has been discussed many many many times. It's the same for most cars, so you don't need to find one where someone has done it in your exact car.

rockstar143 · 01-19-2010, 8:37 AM

Remove your factory subwoofer.
Either put in a LOC...or solder the speaker wires from there to an RCA plug and go straight to the amp.
I'm assuming you know how to run and connect your power/ground/remote wire.
Run remote turn on from accessory fuse under driver side.

Then you can turn your sub gain up and down using the factory radio.

Good luck!

03blueTLtype-s · 01-19-2010, 4:49 PM

do i have to connect anything to the radio

rockstar143 · 01-19-2010, 9:22 PM

No.
You are getting signal for the amp to turn on from the remote wire and the your pos and ground have nothing to do with the radio. You are getting signal for the sound from the sub speaker wires.

03blueTLtype-s · 01-20-2010, 8:24 PM

got it thanks for the help im just gonna go let best buy do it for 70 bucks again thanks for your help

on1wheel01 · 01-21-2010, 8:33 AM

That was prob ur best solution if u we're lost on the details.

rockstar143 · 01-21-2010, 9:18 AM

I tend to agree with that comment.
It's money well spent if there's a chance you were going to make a huge mistake. I've been doing this for a while so it's kind of 2nd nature to me.

anionrings · 01-21-2010, 3:02 PM

i Connect My JL 1000/1 Amp and 12w7 into my stock head unit..

1.) all i did was wire tap the step down onto the factory sub
2.) with the RCA wires i connected the STEP down and Amp together for sound
3.) I believe remote wire can be tap in a few different places..but i connected my remote wire to the OEM Head Unit

and last u should know about power and ground

rockstar143 · 01-21-2010, 5:08 PM

Yes,
reworded, but same concept.
A stepdown is also known as an LOC...or can use the solder the two leads to an RCA male end and run to your amp if you know how.

All the rest is the same although I find it almost too complex to have to get behind the headunit just for remote turn on when you can much more easily access the driver side kick panel for an ACC fuse (one that has power when the car is on ACC and NO power when off)

anionrings · 01-21-2010, 5:29 PM

Ooo...i never thought of that...i was going to try my cruise control button so i can turn it on and off as i please...

but ur way seems good also

rockstar143 · 01-21-2010, 5:46 PM

Hmmm...only problem I've found with MOST of the electronics in the car is they all come on once the car is on...which obviously defeats the purpose if you're looking for a system kill switch.

My recommendation is go to the autoparts store and look for a basic disconnect switch that you can wire inline on the remote wire and mount it somewhere easily accessible, like the kick panel or under the driver knees (drill small hole in plastic and mount , just do it low so it's not visible). Voila! Easy!

Anyway...I sound all smarty pants but the first time I did I wired my remote to the factory radio too. lol. That's why I knew this way was much easier.

ALSO...
PS...
I figured this out after buying a new amp thinking my old one was fu*ked. The signal from the OEM remote wire to the oem amp is VERY low voltage so it won't turn on a big strong amp. The amp will light up and get power...it just won't turn on.

Russell The Love Muscle · 01-24-2010, 8:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockstar143

A stepdown is also known as an LOC...or can use the solder the two leads to an RCA male end and run to your amp if you know how.

I am installing a pair of subs into my car and I am going to be using the factory HU.

I am unsure what the stepdown and LOC is...

the previous owner of my car had subs in the trunk and they had a controller to adjust the amp mounted on the driver side kick panel; well the controller is still there and I am wondering if there would be a way to hook that up to the amp, would I need a certain kind of amp?

rockstar143 · 01-25-2010, 9:12 AM

Probably...usually those are remote gain knobs are from a particular amp, or linedriver/crossover. Check the brand. Unless it controlled signal strength.

Honestly though...if you take your signal from the stock sub wires...you can control your bass volume using the headunit. Which is cleaner IMO.

A stepdown/LOC is a line output converter. It allows you to crimp onto stock wires and then has a plug for your RCA's. I recently changed my setup to a set of speaker wires I soldered onto an RCA male end that I ran direct to my sub amp. Perfect.

Russell The Love Muscle · 01-31-2010, 5:08 PM

would I get poor sound quality if I connect the wires from the OEM sub to the high input on my amplifier?

rockstar143 · 01-31-2010, 6:10 PM

Probably not...give it a whirl. If not, sacrifice 1 run of the mill RCA and solder (or use butt connectors) and onto the speaker leads.

Russell The Love Muscle · 02-01-2010, 10:20 PM

so today I recieved the wiring kit in the mail, so I went and looked in my trunk where I can connect the ground wire, and I notice that the OEM subwoofer wasn't even hooked up, the wires were connected to wires that were probably from the old setup from the p.o. and when it was removed they never hooked the oem sub back up!!

rockstar143 · 02-02-2010, 8:21 AM

Wow...
I thought there was a lack of bass WITH the sub connected...I can only imagine. Did the p.o. bother putting the sub back in at least? If so, connect it and see if you're satisfied (doubtful). But since it's easy you might as well!

When you take out the trunk floor facing the front of the car from the back...to the left right when you get to the seat back you'll see a perfect bolt for grounding.

Ep3moschini · 02-06-2010, 7:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockstar143

Yes,
reworded, but same concept.
A stepdown is also known as an LOC...or can use the solder the two leads to an RCA male end and run to your amp if you know how.

do you have any pictures of this? I looked and could not decided what needs to be cut and soldered

rockstar143 · 02-06-2010, 7:28 PM

Hmm...it was my first attempt and I didn't take pics...
but I CAN tell you it's easy.

Cut one side of an RCA wire off and strip back the shielding...it will reveal the wires on the outside...pull that back and then strip back part of the clear shielding on the indside that will reveal your 2nd set of shielding.

Positive speaker wire gets soldered to the inside and negative to the outside wires.

Ep3moschini · 02-07-2010, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockstar143

Hmm...it was my first attempt and I didn't take pics...
but I CAN tell you it's easy.

Cut one side of an RCA wire off and strip back the shielding...it will reveal the wires on the outside...pull that back and then strip back part of the clear shielding on the indside that will reveal your 2nd set of shielding.

Positive speaker wire gets soldered to the inside and negative to the outside wires.

so I need 2 RCA wires and splice both the inner to the one pos. and both the outside wires to the neg.

Im going to assume the pos. and. neg are the two wires going into the stock sub, so I can use the factory bass knob

MrChanh · 02-08-2010, 1:46 AM

i ended up putting a switch in for remote when i wanted to turn off the amp..

Ep3moschini · 02-08-2010, 7:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrChanh

i ended up putting a switch in for remote when i wanted to turn off the amp..

that looks good

I think I might do the same

rockstar143 · 02-08-2010, 11:51 AM

I'm probably going to rerun one too...I like the idea of being able to kill sound altogether when I want complete silence in the car.

PS...
You need 1 RCA end...just 1.
Cut back the shielding on it and you'll see what I'm talking about...there shielding...then wire...then another shield and an inner wire. Outer one is neg...inner one is positive. And yes, splice onto your subwoofer wires and you can control your amp via the stock headunit!

Ep3moschini · 02-08-2010, 3:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockstar143

I'm probably going to rerun one too...I like the idea of being able to kill sound altogether when I want complete silence in the car.

PS...
You need 1 RCA end...just 1.
Cut back the shielding on it and you'll see what I'm talking about...there shielding...then wire...then another shield and an inner wire. Outer one is neg...inner one is positive. And yes, splice onto your subwoofer wires and you can control your amp via the stock headunit!

you lost me at the 1 RCA part. . .

you need a red RCA and a Black RCA (2 wires) to send signal to the amp

rockstar143 · 02-08-2010, 4:07 PM

no sir...you don't.
Sub signal is mono...not stereo
meaning you can run 1 RCA to either the the Left or Right channel and get full bass.

1 rca needs 2 speaker wires to make it work. so take the 1 red one...and follow the instructions. You'll see what I mean.

theproblemkid21 · 02-08-2010, 5:12 PM

you should go with aftermarket headunit youll get more power from your sub then sticking with factory trust me

Ep3moschini · 02-08-2010, 6:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theproblemkid21

you should go with aftermarket headunit youll get more power from your sub then sticking with factory trust me

thats not true, its all about your amp

rockstar143 · 02-09-2010, 4:56 PM

Trust me...if you read my other threads...that route would have been MUCH easier. You must not have a 3G or you'd know there aren't many viable/easy aftermarket headunit routes to go down. Plus, a line driver will mostly deliver more signal voltage than any aftermarket headunit out there.

rockstar143 · 02-09-2010, 4:57 PM

Oops...just noticed not sure what car the OP has.

laziebun · 02-28-2010, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockstar143

ALSO...
PS...
I figured this out after buying a new amp thinking my old one was fu*ked. The signal from the OEM remote wire to the oem amp is VERY low voltage so it won't turn on a big strong amp. The amp will light up and get power...it just won't turn on.

Cant you use a relay?

laziebun · 02-28-2010, 10:11 PM

Also let me get this correct....if i were to only use one lets just say the red plug on the RCA cable, i dont need the black plug at all on either sides meaning that when plugging into the amp i just use the red? the Black plug is out of picture totally?
And on the end of the RCA cable the red plug i would strip the wires and solder the outer wire to the equalizer unit (base -) and the inner wire unit (base +) and that's it?

rockstar143 · 03-01-2010, 11:10 AM

Yes, that's it...it's only 1 channel so you only need 1 rca.

01-19-2010, 5:13 AM	#2
mattastick Registered Member Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Lebanon, Ohio Age: 21 Posts: 1,918	Please search around. This topic has been discussed many many many times. It's the same for most cars, so you don't need to find one where someone has done it in your exact car. __________________ Team CACO, Team Shok Industries, Team XS Power, Team Concepts, Ohio Bass Society

01-21-2010, 8:33 AM	#7
on1wheel01 Registered Member Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: nc Age: 26 Posts: 1,548	That was prob ur best solution if u we're lost on the details. __________________ 97 3.0cl 10k hid's black house headlights, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do-T7nh5UFc

01-21-2010, 3:02 PM	#9
anionrings Registered Member Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Plano, Tx Age: 21 Posts: 182	i Connect My JL 1000/1 Amp and 12w7 into my stock head unit.. 1.) all i did was wire tap the step down onto the factory sub 2.) with the RCA wires i connected the STEP down and Amp together for sound 3.) I believe remote wire can be tap in a few different places..but i connected my remote wire to the OEM Head Unit and last u should know about power and ground __________________ 03 Taffeta White TL-S - SOLD

01-21-2010, 5:29 PM	#11
anionrings Registered Member Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Plano, Tx Age: 21 Posts: 182	Ooo...i never thought of that...i was going to try my cruise control button so i can turn it on and off as i please... but ur way seems good also __________________ 03 Taffeta White TL-S - SOLD

02-08-2010, 1:46 AM	#22
MrChanh Registered Member 2003 Acura TL Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 277	i ended up putting a switch in for remote when i wanted to turn off the amp.. __________________ 03 TL-S Navi - WDP FTW - 20% tint Clarion CZ509 Headunit, Clarion 6.5" 3 ways, Dual 05 CVR 12" 4Ω DVC , Soundstream XTA880.2

01-19-2010, 8:37 AM	#3
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	Remove your factory subwoofer. Either put in a LOC...or solder the speaker wires from there to an RCA plug and go straight to the amp. I'm assuming you know how to run and connect your power/ground/remote wire. Run remote turn on from accessory fuse under driver side. Then you can turn your sub gain up and down using the factory radio. Good luck!

01-19-2010, 4:49 PM	#4
03blueTLtype-s Registered Member Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Jul 2009 Age: 20 Posts: 53	do i have to connect anything to the radio

01-19-2010, 9:22 PM	#5
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	No. You are getting signal for the amp to turn on from the remote wire and the your pos and ground have nothing to do with the radio. You are getting signal for the sound from the sub speaker wires.

01-20-2010, 8:24 PM	#6
03blueTLtype-s Registered Member Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Jul 2009 Age: 20 Posts: 53	got it thanks for the help im just gonna go let best buy do it for 70 bucks again thanks for your help

01-21-2010, 9:18 AM	#8
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	I tend to agree with that comment. It's money well spent if there's a chance you were going to make a huge mistake. I've been doing this for a while so it's kind of 2nd nature to me.

01-21-2010, 5:08 PM	#10
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	Yes, reworded, but same concept. A stepdown is also known as an LOC...or can use the solder the two leads to an RCA male end and run to your amp if you know how. All the rest is the same although I find it almost too complex to have to get behind the headunit just for remote turn on when you can much more easily access the driver side kick panel for an ACC fuse (one that has power when the car is on ACC and NO power when off)

01-21-2010, 5:46 PM	#12
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	Hmmm...only problem I've found with MOST of the electronics in the car is they all come on once the car is on...which obviously defeats the purpose if you're looking for a system kill switch. My recommendation is go to the autoparts store and look for a basic disconnect switch that you can wire inline on the remote wire and mount it somewhere easily accessible, like the kick panel or under the driver knees (drill small hole in plastic and mount , just do it low so it's not visible). Voila! Easy! Anyway...I sound all smarty pants but the first time I did I wired my remote to the factory radio too. lol. That's why I knew this way was much easier. ALSO... PS... I figured this out after buying a new amp thinking my old one was fu*ked. The signal from the OEM remote wire to the oem amp is VERY low voltage so it won't turn on a big strong amp. The amp will light up and get power...it just won't turn on.

01-25-2010, 9:12 AM	#14
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	Probably...usually those are remote gain knobs are from a particular amp, or linedriver/crossover. Check the brand. Unless it controlled signal strength. Honestly though...if you take your signal from the stock sub wires...you can control your bass volume using the headunit. Which is cleaner IMO. A stepdown/LOC is a line output converter. It allows you to crimp onto stock wires and then has a plug for your RCA's. I recently changed my setup to a set of speaker wires I soldered onto an RCA male end that I ran direct to my sub amp. Perfect.

01-31-2010, 5:08 PM	#15
Russell The Love Muscle Registered Member 2002 Acura TL TYPE-S My Garage Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Wisconsin Age: 25 Posts: 224	would I get poor sound quality if I connect the wires from the OEM sub to the high input on my amplifier?

01-31-2010, 6:10 PM	#16
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	Probably not...give it a whirl. If not, sacrifice 1 run of the mill RCA and solder (or use butt connectors) and onto the speaker leads.

02-01-2010, 10:20 PM	#17
Russell The Love Muscle Registered Member 2002 Acura TL TYPE-S My Garage Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Wisconsin Age: 25 Posts: 224	so today I recieved the wiring kit in the mail, so I went and looked in my trunk where I can connect the ground wire, and I notice that the OEM subwoofer wasn't even hooked up, the wires were connected to wires that were probably from the old setup from the p.o. and when it was removed they never hooked the oem sub back up!!

02-02-2010, 8:21 AM	#18
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	Wow... I thought there was a lack of bass WITH the sub connected...I can only imagine. Did the p.o. bother putting the sub back in at least? If so, connect it and see if you're satisfied (doubtful). But since it's easy you might as well! When you take out the trunk floor facing the front of the car from the back...to the left right when you get to the seat back you'll see a perfect bolt for grounding.

02-06-2010, 7:28 PM	#20
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	Hmm...it was my first attempt and I didn't take pics... but I CAN tell you it's easy. Cut one side of an RCA wire off and strip back the shielding...it will reveal the wires on the outside...pull that back and then strip back part of the clear shielding on the indside that will reveal your 2nd set of shielding. Positive speaker wire gets soldered to the inside and negative to the outside wires.

02-08-2010, 11:51 AM	#24
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	I'm probably going to rerun one too...I like the idea of being able to kill sound altogether when I want complete silence in the car. PS... You need 1 RCA end...just 1. Cut back the shielding on it and you'll see what I'm talking about...there shielding...then wire...then another shield and an inner wire. Outer one is neg...inner one is positive. And yes, splice onto your subwoofer wires and you can control your amp via the stock headunit!

02-08-2010, 4:07 PM	#26
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	no sir...you don't. Sub signal is mono...not stereo meaning you can run 1 RCA to either the the Left or Right channel and get full bass. 1 rca needs 2 speaker wires to make it work. so take the 1 red one...and follow the instructions. You'll see what I mean.

02-08-2010, 5:12 PM	#27
theproblemkid21 TL type dude Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: NoVa Age: 19 Posts: 52	you should go with aftermarket headunit youll get more power from your sub then sticking with factory trust me

02-09-2010, 4:56 PM	#29
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	Trust me...if you read my other threads...that route would have been MUCH easier. You must not have a 3G or you'd know there aren't many viable/easy aftermarket headunit routes to go down. Plus, a line driver will mostly deliver more signal voltage than any aftermarket headunit out there.

02-09-2010, 4:57 PM	#30
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	Oops...just noticed not sure what car the OP has.

02-28-2010, 10:11 PM	#32
laziebun Registered Member Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Nov 2006 Age: 29 Posts: 71	Also let me get this correct....if i were to only use one lets just say the red plug on the RCA cable, i dont need the black plug at all on either sides meaning that when plugging into the amp i just use the red? the Black plug is out of picture totally? And on the end of the RCA cable the red plug i would strip the wires and solder the outer wire to the equalizer unit (base -) and the inner wire unit (base +) and that's it?

03-01-2010, 11:10 AM	#33
rockstar143 Hobbyist MechEng Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Florida Age: 31 Posts: 3,256	Yes, that's it...it's only 1 channel so you only need 1 rca.