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After market box and amp install

3K views 23 replies 2 participants last post by  plano-doug 
#1 ·
I want to keep my factory deck. Have a 14 impala ltz limited. Old body style. I want to install box amd amp without changing factory deck. Can it be done?
 
#2 ·
I've done that on two of my Impalas. You can pick the signals off the rear 6x9's. Most amps can accept the high level (speaker) signals as inputs without need for a line-out converter. Furthermore, most amps are capable of mixing the LEFT and RIGHT signals into a mono output to the sub.

That leaves you with needing to run a fused +12V line to the trunk. 10 gauge should be sufficient, altho some guys run fatter gauge, but I'm not convinced most folks can hear the difference :) Keep in mind, while the electric code specifies 30A max for 10 gauge, that's for long runs, on the order of 100+ feet. For the 20' run in a car, you can pull more current without over-heating the wire. At 40A, a 10-gauge wire will be dissipating 50mW, a negligible amount.

For GND, there are a couple of factory GNDs you can tap in the trunk.

Last is a speaker. Most folks will install a speaker mounted in a cabinet. But I like to mount them in the rear deck between the 6x9's, where the factory amp is located. There is enough slack in the factory amp wiring harness to relocated it elsewhere in the trunk without any splicing or rewiring required.

With a jigsaw and some 3/4" plywood, an adapter can be made which mates a 10" sub below the opening in the rear deck. You get a lot more sound into the cab that way.

HTH.
Doug

163336


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#3 ·
That's pretty cool bud. But is there a way to keep the factory amp and an after market at the same? Is that what you were explaining? So run power and and ground to my amp and use speaker feeds to stock speakers? What about a remote source for amp? I want to be minimally invasive to stock set up? I have 2 jl in a sealed box with Kenwood amp
 
#4 ·
That's pretty cool bud. But is there a way to keep the factory amp and an after market at the same? Is that what you were explaining?
Yes. That's what I did with my 2002 Impala and my 2007 SS. Both times I kept the factory head units and amps and hence, kept the chimes and the user/configuration interface in the head units. (Conversely, on my son's 2002 Impala, we used an aftermarket head unit.) For the subs, I just grabbed the rear speaker signals off the factory amps and fed them to my sub amps.

So run power and and ground to my amp and use speaker feeds to stock speakers?
Yes.

What about a remote source for amp?
Glad you asked that. I meant to address it earlier. You can pick that off from the factory amp, too. Let me double check that for your 2014 LTZ, and I'll post back the connector and pin info. Aftermarket amps typically offer an auto-on option, but I prefer to wire it up. That way, we don't get the auto-dead-battery experience :)

I want to be minimally invasive to stock set up? I have 2 jl in a sealed box with Kenwood amp
Post your amp info (model no.) , and I'll look up the hookup info to very the requirements.

Keep in mind, when tapping the rear speakers for signal, virtually no power is pulled. 99.9999999% of the factory amp power still goes to the rear 6x9 speakers. The sub amp is not invasive other than taking up space in the trunk.

I need to run. When I get back, I'll post the remote signal info.

Doug

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#8 ·
The speaker level inputs are on there. That's the grey thing next to the RCA inputs.

I had no luck finding the cable. I got hits at pacparts.com , but they show no stock. You might poke around some more looking for "kac-9103d speaker input cable". Maybe give Crutchfield a call. I think they carry the amp, so maybe they can supply replacement cables. Sometimes a call works better than banging on their website.

Otherwise, before you spin your wheels too much, get a line out converter.

I've attached the 9103d hookup info I culled. It discusses the cable, but I didn't see any mention of replacement.

Doug

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#14 ·
Just in case, open the door to kill the radio.

Looking at the drawings, I don't see any other pink wire. To be sure, look closely at the connector into the amp. You should be able to see the connector marking (X1) and the pin number scheme. For example, pin 1 is typically marked, so count up from there to get to pin 8.

Looking at the drawings more, it surely appears that the head unit pulls that pink wire to +12V to enable the amp, and cuts it off to turn the amp off.

Also, I found this in the Chilton's manual description:
Amplifier Interface
A fused battery voltage circuit provides the main amplifier power. A switched 12-volt output from the radio is used to control the power-state of the amplifier. To respond quickly to audio input and control signals, the amplifier is ON in all vehicle power modes except OFF and CRANK Request.​

HTH.

Doug

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#17 ·
In your earlier pic, with the amp alongside the LOC, it appeared to be one of the Axxess brand LOCs.

In the last pic, I see the Metra AAPAJLO . On the AdvanceAuto site, it got some bad reviews, including the complaint of no hookup info. Perhaps there's a drawing on the unit's backside, or maybe on the box?

Wish I could be more help.

Doug

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#20 ·
In its simplest form, a line out converter is a simple voltage divider - a pair of resistors (x2 for L and R). But I could see more sophisticated units having active chips needing GND, PWR and remote enable.

I'm thinking, just mount it near the factory amp and tap those 3 wires when you tap the speaker wires. Or look around for a different LOC.

Doug

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#22 ·
When you measure that, is it connected to the amp? There's a resistor shown in the drawing which will pull that low until it is actively driven high by the head unit. Without that resistor - ie, without the cable connected - that wire might have a weak pull-up on it pulling it high. Can you measure the voltage with it connected? Try probing from the back of the connector. Or maybe scrape some insulation off the pink wire for probing, but be sure to wrap it with good electrical tape (eg, Scotch 33+).

HTH.
Doug
 
#24 ·
Glad it's working.

If the pink wire isn't cutting off when the door opens, the only other thing I know to do is find a switched +12V and run a wire from it to the trunk.

The brown wire on pin 3 of the ignition switch is on for ACC and RUN, so that's what you need. It goes to X1-pin21 on the BCM. It also goes to pin 2 on the Theft Deterrent Module - not sure where that is.

If you can tap that wire and run it to the trunk for remote enable, that should shut off the amp when the car is off.

HTH.

Doug

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