YaMomma

I have a 2006 GS300 with ML and navigation, my wife purchased me a MS8 for Christmas but I had problems finding a wiring diagram for ML systems. I figured it out and installed the system today so I'm listing the information for the next person.

** Before disconnecting any lines from the amp disconnect your battery and let the car sit for a few minutes to ensure that all of the power has discharged **

I found the wiring diagram for a non-ml and a PDF which covered both systems on another post..

1) Front left: green +, blue -
2) Front right: pink +, purple -
3) Center: yellow +, black -
4) Rear left: black +, yellow -
5) Rear right: red+, white -
7) Sub 1: pink +, violet -
8) Sub 2: blue +, green -

I tried to find the original posts where I found the information above and give credit to the original posters but I couldn't replicate my previous search results.

The attached PDF is great but without a diagram of the connectors it's hard to understand. The ML Pin.png is a picture of the connectors and the letters correspond to the connector needed for each wire.

The ML system has an extra connector "D" which connects the door and rear deck speakers. The main connector listed as "A" is the same for both ML and NON-ML systems.

(The numbers are the pin location)

A: Front Dash Left: 8 Pink +, 19 Violet -
D: Front Door Left: 3 White +, 9 Red -
A: Front Dash Right: 9 Light Green +, 20 Blue -
D: Front Door Right: 4 Green +, 10 White -
A: Rear Door Left (w Tweeter): 6 Black +, 17 Yellow -
A: Rear Door Right (w Tweeter): 7 Red +, 18 White -
A: Center: 3 Yellow +, 12 Black -
D: Rear Deck Left Tweeter: 1 Light Green +, 5 Blue -
D: Rear Deck Right Tweeter: 2 Black +, 6 Yellow -
A: Sub 1: 5 Pink +, 14 Violet -
A: Sub 2: 4 Blue +, 13 Light Green -

The MS8 allows you to control 8 sources and there are 11 coming from the stock ML amp. Therefore something has to go when connecting an MS8. Below is how I wired my MS8 using the stock speakers with an aftermarket sub and amp.

1) A: Front Dash Left: 8 Pink +, 19 Violet -
2) A: Front Dash Right: 9 Light Green +, 20 Blue -
3) D: Front Door Left: 3 White +, 9 Red -
4) D: Front Door Right: 4 Green +, 10 White -
5) A: Rear Door Left (w Tweeter): 6 Black +, 17 Yellow -
6) A: Rear Door Right (w Tweeter): 7 Red +, 18 White -
7) A: Center: 3 Yellow +, 12 Black -
8) SUB RCA

(Disconnect) D: Rear Deck Left Tweeter: 1 Light Green +, 5 Blue -
(Disconnect) D: Rear Deck Right Tweeter: 2 Black +, 6 Yellow -

You shouldn't have any speakers connected that aren't controlled by the MS8. Therefore I cut the lines going to the rear deck tweeters.

Connection "A" is NOT the connector coming out of the factory amp. Follow that line coming from the amp and you will see the exact same connector with the corresponding wiring colors. I was going to take a picture but trust me, when you take out the amp you will see what I'm talking about. Connector "D" however IS the line coming out of the amp.

In order for navigation and Bluetooth to work the front speakers must be connected to input 1 and 2. If you don't have an aftermarket sub and amp the factory sub must be connected to 7 or 8. Although the factory NON-ML sub has a dual voice coil the ML sub is a single coil. Therefore you should be able to use the same setup with a factory ML sub by connecting the pink and violet sub lines to 8. I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure that's the color of the connection at the sub.

The MS8 sounds great and I don't have it dialed in yet. I hear sounds with the MS8 that I never heard before even though I've listened to the same CD multiple times. I made a few calls and Bluetooth works just like it did before with no echos or problems on either end. I also have no issues with navigation and can hear directions fine.

I did a lot of research before buying an MS8 and the majority of reviews are good but there are some bad ones out there. If you don't like the sound of your MS8 then its not setup properly. The first time I went through the setup process I used the default settings and wasn't impressed. The 2nd time I used the values recommended in the instruction manual and it sounded great. I went through the process a few more times and it sounds even better now but I know I can get a little bit more out of it.

I'll take some pictures in a few days before I put my truck back together.

XxGoKoUxX

Where you cutting wires from? the amplifier? if so, follow the diagram from the AMPLIFIER, not the speaker. If you're cutting for new speakers, then those will be the colored wires towards the cabin. Hope this helps..... LMK if you're still a bit confused.

YaMomma

I'm cutting the wires from the amplifier and printed the PDF which made it easier to read. I think I have it figured out now, I'll know for sure when start installing it.

XxGoKoUxX

What you can do, is as you cut the wires, keep a battery tender on the battery, and have the audio on, being VERY careful, cut the wires as you go and hook them up to a speaker to see if you get sound out of a small speaker, if you do you know you're cutting right and you can proceed.

LMK how the MS8 sounds, I've been dying for one. Might be on my xmas list next year

minh2015

I am going to do this very soon with my gs350 with Nav+ML. I would really appreciate if you could post the wires diagram. I had installed the ms8 before for non ML version, but I'd heard ms8 doesn't work very well with Nav+ML. Please post your experience.

YaMomma

I've had a few days to play with the settings and it still isn't dialed in as much as I want. CD's sound great but Sirius needs some work. I realize that satellite radio can't compare to the quality of a CD but the MS8 seems to amplify any imperfections. Therefore I'm trying to find a balance that will sound good with satellite and CD's. So far I've only played with the adjustments related to speaker frequency's now I need to get the 31 band equalizer dialed in.

I'm also having a problem with distortion if the radio is turned up past 41 regardless of the volume coming out of the speakers. Meaning if i turn the MS8 down and the radio past 41 it starts clicking and popping even though the overall volume is low. If I turn the radio to 39 and turn up the volume on the MS8 it can be three times as loud with no distortion. I haven't figured out if its a problem with the MS8 or ML amplifier. Personally I think its the ML amp but at the same time before hooking up the MS8 I could turn the radio to MAX without any distortion.

It's not a huge problem because the MS8 has more power then the ML amp. Therefore I have the MS8 turned up which makes the system louder at 32 then it was at MAX. But I wanted to find a balance so that you can't turn the radio up higher than what the speakers can handle. The last thing I need is some young mechanic test driving my car after performing regular maintenance and blowing the speakers because they wanted to see how loud it would get.

Either way I'm going to call JBL in a few days to see what they have to say after I play around with the settings some more.

XxGoKoUxX

Very strange, and GL! Get back to us soon, as I'm looking to do something similar to my vehicle also

IXI187IXI

iTrader: (3)

let me know if this helps

YaMomma

That's the same diagram I found on another post and I'm pretty sure your the one that posted it lol. However that diagram also has the connecters at the bottom which is needed to understand what lines need to be cut.

I also solved my problem with CD's and Satellite radio. When I setup the MS8 I turned off surround sound and ASL per the instructions. The car however turned surround sound back on after it sat for what appears to be 12 hours. The reason why it sounded jacked up is because when I switched to satellite a day later it also turned on surround sound which changed the sound stage inside of the car.

When I noticed this I turned off surround sound and everything sounded like it should. Of course it doesn't sound like a CD but the MS8 does a good job of cleaning the signal and making the best out of the audio source.

Shibumi1

its in the ML amp itself.. it has a protection circuit setup that reads the resistance of each speaker in the car...(especially the sub) the issue lies with amp seeing the proper ohm load (that the MS8 or any other processor that i have tried to date cant duplicate including 360.3,LCQ1,clean sweep..an so on) believe it or not a simple SNI-35 hi/lo has worked better than any high end processor..i have 6 in my car and it sounds AWESOME... i did wire an LCQ1 in on the sub (too take advantage of the accubass and the bass ****) but i needed to put a 100w 12ohm resistor in line across the speaker leads to trick the ML amp into thinking there is still a sub connected...i only have issues at 50+ in the volume but thats now a voltage issue (adding a 2nd batt soon) with the sub turned down i can play at max indefinitely without any issues..when i turn the sub gain up the voltage dips causing audible noise...

seeing as i didnt want too lose the 7.1 built in to the ML in my LS i'm not going to add any crazy dsp's (why would i add 1 when the dolby dts sounds incredible) i'm looking at the audio control EQS bcuz i can add them after the sni35's but I may just leave well enough alone...

AudioBob

Man that stinks as I am using a 360.3 on my stock system and I can turn it up to the max with zero distortion. However, it is so loud that it will run you out of the car.

minh2015

I thought it would make more sense to skip the ML amp since you are using the MS8.
I would run it from HU to MS8 to Aftermarket Amp to Speakers
Also what do you use for Amp Turn On trigger ? Last time I use the cigarette fuse and didn't like it at all because it turns on my amps and ms8 every time the car start.

YaMomma

I haven't had good experiences with PAC SNI-35 hi/lo, I started with that and melted two of them. It literally burned to the ground and I think damaged the ML amp in the process. I say this because the amp never sounded the same after the fire.

I ended up purchasing another type of hi/lo convertor that had a higher power rating which kept it from melting. It worked fine but I tapped into the existing sub line which isn't a full signal. Because of this the base didn't sound right, it wouldn't hit on every low note and the sound wasn't balanced which is why I got the MS8.

The distortion above 41 is only an inconvenience, it sounds great under 41 and is loud enough for me with the ms8 turned all the way up. If I didn't have distortion I would turn the ms8 down and have the same volume output at MAX. It's not going to get any louder with stock speakers so my next step is to purchase two more amps and replace the interior speakers. But I'm happy for now so I'll look into new speakers in the summer time.

I can't skip the ML amp because I'll loose Bluetooth and navigation directions. I use a line coming off the cigarette lighter and haven't had any problems. I already spliced into that line for my radar detector so I cut the line again for remote turn on. It can be done at the ML amp but I've had an aftermarket amp and subs in the car for a while so I used the line already in the trunk. If I'm in the car the radio is on so it doesn't bother me to have the amp on while the car is running.

XxGoKoUxX

Isn't that what you wanted?

What you can do if it bothers you, is to solder a switch together, so that way in the line if you don't want it when the car starts up you simply flip the switch to the "off" position.

minh2015

When the system turn on without music playing, I can hear a very low buzzing sound. Some people can not hear it but I hear every time. What I like to do is using the remote wire of the ML amp. That way the MS8 and the aftermarket amps only turn on when the HU is on. And I believe that's the correct way to install it. The problem is I don't know which wire is remote turn on for the ML amp. Also If we can indentify that remote wire, using that wire will make installation easier too (without hacking into your fuse box and running long wire..ect)