Amp Installation Help

[Dregun]

Hello,

First I would just like to point out that if someone was asking for my advice I would already tell them to replace their headunit..however its my vehicle and I don't want to

Heres the deal, I have a 2005 chevy Malibu that has a factory radio that I want to hook up my old (but I love it still) MTX 2300x amplifier to. Normally I would replace the headunit with a proper one, however the factory headunit has a lot of controls/features I do not want to lose by replacing it. (MPG, Fuel Range, Oil Status, Keyless entry and remote start settings, etc etc)

I actually have 2 amplifiers (a 2 channel and a 4 channel) but I'm only considering hooking up my 2 channel. My 2300x has a set of high level inputs that I would obviously have to use or purchase a High Level to Low Level converter to supply it with the signal.

Here is my dilema, if I hook up my high level inputs that means I will lose my rear speakers, since my amp is much stronger then my factory radio I could easily create a situtation where I have way too much bass...the rear speakers are needed. I also don't feel like digging through my dash to find my ACC wire to splice into it for my remote turn on. (I know, I know..remove the factory radio and these problems don't exist)

I know Ohms law and realize that if I ran my high level inputs in series I could still keep my rear speakers (parra would possibly be too much for the factory headunit) but am wondering how I could possibly solve the remote turn on issue. The remote turn on lead I think only requires 1-2v constant volts and the new MTX amps I know have a feature where it can use the highlevel inputs to work in this fashion but I don't think my old school amp can.

So does anyone have a solution? I know the second easist thing for me to do is hook up my 4channel amp through high level inputs and use the pass through port to feed my 2 channel but that is going to be waaaay too much draw on my factory electrical system.

I stopped pushing my amp to its limit a long time ago when I was blowing some fosgate power 12's from the baskets and since then have settled using Alpine Type R's and only feeding them 1/2 - 2/3 my amps power. I'm not looking for earth moving bass yet I can't handle this factory radio now that I sold my other car.

I'm tapping the firewall this weekend and am looking for some suggestions or ideas on what I could do. (I also know I could install a seperate HU in my glovebox or someplace else but that would be a large hassel as well)

Thanks in advance...


Dregun

 

[Dregun]

I've come to realize after browsing through many posts on this forum that I have come to the wrong place. This is simply not the venue for such trivial issues (that is not a sarcastic comment) as the stuff being worked on and questioned here is far above simple installation advice.

I'm sorry if I wasted anyones time, your guys's knowledge and experience far exceeds what I know and can comprehend.

Dregun

 

[Perry Babin]

You may have to wait for some of the guys who are/were installers to show up to get some help. I would have suggested using LOCs (Line Output Converters) to tap off of the front and rear speakers to drive the signal to the amps but I'm sure there's a better way to do it. I stopped installing before cars had airbags so I don't generally offer suggestions for installs.

 

[PedroDaGr8]

I think I can help with the ACC wire problem. Use an Add-A-Tap and tap a location in the fuse box that turns on and off with the ACC. Much easier than digging through the dash.

 

[ppia600]

In your car you need to tap into the thick brown wire coming off the ignition harness, that's the best/easiest location unfortunately. You can easily get to it by:
-pulling your factory radio out
-breaking some of the plastic in the area to the left of the radio that seperates it from the ignition switch area. Its easy, that stuff is almost always brittle.
-tapping into the thick brown wire coming off the ignition switch

= cake, I had to do this regularly with so many customers just wanting to keep their factory deck and run subs.

I would connect a quality line out converter (pac for example) with a built in ground loop isolator to keep the amp and stereo from seeing a direct connection. To avoid any feedback use some high pass capacitors inline with the + leads of the rear speakers. You will need to tie the line out converter in front of the caps to be sure it gets the full range of low frequency signal.

 

[Brian Oshman]

In your car you need to tap into the thick brown wire coming off the ignition harness, that's the best/easiest location unfortunately. You can easily get to it by:
-pulling your factory radio out
-breaking some of the plastic in the area to the left of the radio that seperates it from the ignition switch area. Its easy, that stuff is almost always brittle.
-tapping into the thick brown wire coming off the ignition switch

= cake, I had to do this regularly with so many customers just wanting to keep their factory deck and run subs.

I would connect a quality line out converter (pac for example) with a built in ground loop isolator to keep the amp and stereo from seeing a direct connection. To avoid any feedback use some high pass capacitors inline with the + leads of the rear speakers. You will need to tie the line out converter in front of the caps to be sure it gets the full range of low frequency signal.

What is the point of tapping the ACC wire at the ignition switch? I wouldn't tap that for any reason. You can just get that at the radio for turn on. in GM at the radio Yellow is 12+ switched from the key and orange is 12+ constant. Pink would be 12+ switched at the radio for remote turn on of power antenna or outboard amps. Some of those stock setups had amps downstream.

You could either use a line output converter which will degrade sound quality and a ground loop isolator will further degrade signal quality but will work or you could stuff the stock radio in the dash to retain the keyless functions and install a better head unit.

There were also boxes available that you would install in place of the stock radio to allow for keyless entry functions and then would allow you to install an aftermarket head unit. I think DEI put one out some time ago, possibly Scosche did too. It has been awhile and don't remember anymore.

Stupid GM building those functions into the radio. To me sound quality is number one and I would either stash the radio or get a breakout box or just install an aftermarket keyless entry or security system and add remote start to that to solve that problem. Who needs MPG info? Gas it up and go. When it runs out, refuel.