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HOW-TO: SC300/SC400 Install Aftermarket Head Unit, OEM Speakers and Sub Working!
08-04-12, 04:05 PM
#361
Hey raine. It's been a minute. So I got the sub figured out. But I have yet another question. The sub volume on my head unit doesn't actually change the sub output volume. The sub rises with bass along with the speakers, not independent of itself. Would removing the OEM amp using your most recent update fix this? Or if not, what is going on? Again, everything works. I just want independent control of the sub.
08-04-12, 05:18 PM
#363
Hey raine. It's been a minute. So I got the sub figured out. But I have yet another question. The sub volume on my head unit doesn't actually change the sub output volume. The sub rises with bass along with the speakers, not independent of itself. Would removing the OEM amp using your most recent update fix this? Or if not, what is going on? Again, everything works. I just want independent control of the sub.
1. "The sub volume on my head unit doesn't actually change the sub output volume. "
It should. It may not make the subwoofer get louder (that's dependent on sub amp/speaker) but check if it makes the subwoofer get quieter.
2. "The sub rises with bass along with the speakers, not independent of itself."
If you mean to say that the subwoofer output gets louder when you adjust the "Bass Level" control on the head unit (not the "Sub-W Level" but the "Bass Level") then it sounds like you may have the
built-in crossover filters set to full/full. From what the manual shows me, your particular model of head unit has a single pair of RCA outputs in the back of the unit marked "REAR/SW" - to which i am guessing that's where you plugged the RCA to Speaker wire for the sub connection. That means:
A. If the RCA output is set to "REAR" it's meant for sending FULL frequencies to an aftermarket amplifier to power full-range rear speakers. Subwoofer level control will NOT affect the output.
B. If the RCA output is set to "SW" it's meant for sending sub/low frequencies to an aftermarket amplifier to power a subwoofer. Subwoofer level control should affect the output in this mode.
It seems like your head unit is running with the RCA outputs at the "A" option. To change this, Try going into the FUNCTION > AUDIO CTRL mode and setting "HPF" at 120HZ, then set "LPF SUB-W" at 120HZ. This should tell the head unit that you're trying to use the REAR/SW RCA outputs for a subwoofer only, not full range.
See what happens from there.
Keep in mind that swapping to an aftermarket head unit will NOT make the OEM subwoofer put out more bass; that's because you're still using the OEM sub amp. If anything, your subwoofer output will seem weak compared to when you had the OEM head unit; this is because the aftermarket head unit will be able to drive the main speakers with more power than OEM, and your main speakers mid-bass/bass might actually sound louder than sub-bass coming out of the OEM sub/OEM sub amp.
08-04-12, 07:42 PM
#364
Wait -going back to your original post...
1. "The sub volume on my head unit doesn't actually change the sub output volume. "
It should. It may not make the subwoofer get louder (that's dependent on sub amp/speaker) but check if it makes the subwoofer get quieter.
2. "The sub rises with bass along with the speakers, not independent of itself."
If you mean to say that the subwoofer output gets louder when you adjust the "Bass Level" control on the head unit (not the "Sub-W Level" but the "Bass Level") then it sounds like you may have the
built-in crossover filters set to full/full. From what the manual shows me, your particular model of head unit has a single pair of RCA outputs in the back of the unit marked "REAR/SW" - to which i am guessing that's where you plugged the RCA to Speaker wire for the sub connection. That means:
A. If the RCA output is set to "REAR" it's meant for sending FULL frequencies to an aftermarket amplifier to power full-range rear speakers. Subwoofer level control will NOT affect the output.
B. If the RCA output is set to "SW" it's meant for sending sub/low frequencies to an aftermarket amplifier to power a subwoofer. Subwoofer level control should affect the output in this mode.
It seems like your head unit is running with the RCA outputs at the "A" option. To change this, Try going into the FUNCTION > AUDIO CTRL mode and setting "HPF" at 120HZ, then set "LPF SUB-W" at 120HZ. This should tell the head unit that you're trying to use the REAR/SW RCA outputs for a subwoofer only, not full range.
See what happens from there.
Keep in mind that swapping to an aftermarket head unit will NOT make the OEM subwoofer put out more bass; that's because you're still using the OEM sub amp. If anything, your subwoofer output will seem weak compared to when you had the OEM head unit; this is because the aftermarket head unit will be able to drive the main speakers with more power than OEM, and your main speakers mid-bass/bass might actually sound louder than sub-bass coming out of the OEM sub/OEM sub amp.
1. "The sub volume on my head unit doesn't actually change the sub output volume. "
It should. It may not make the subwoofer get louder (that's dependent on sub amp/speaker) but check if it makes the subwoofer get quieter.
2. "The sub rises with bass along with the speakers, not independent of itself."
If you mean to say that the subwoofer output gets louder when you adjust the "Bass Level" control on the head unit (not the "Sub-W Level" but the "Bass Level") then it sounds like you may have the
built-in crossover filters set to full/full. From what the manual shows me, your particular model of head unit has a single pair of RCA outputs in the back of the unit marked "REAR/SW" - to which i am guessing that's where you plugged the RCA to Speaker wire for the sub connection. That means:
A. If the RCA output is set to "REAR" it's meant for sending FULL frequencies to an aftermarket amplifier to power full-range rear speakers. Subwoofer level control will NOT affect the output.
B. If the RCA output is set to "SW" it's meant for sending sub/low frequencies to an aftermarket amplifier to power a subwoofer. Subwoofer level control should affect the output in this mode.
It seems like your head unit is running with the RCA outputs at the "A" option. To change this, Try going into the FUNCTION > AUDIO CTRL mode and setting "HPF" at 120HZ, then set "LPF SUB-W" at 120HZ. This should tell the head unit that you're trying to use the REAR/SW RCA outputs for a subwoofer only, not full range.
See what happens from there.
Keep in mind that swapping to an aftermarket head unit will NOT make the OEM subwoofer put out more bass; that's because you're still using the OEM sub amp. If anything, your subwoofer output will seem weak compared to when you had the OEM head unit; this is because the aftermarket head unit will be able to drive the main speakers with more power than OEM, and your main speakers mid-bass/bass might actually sound louder than sub-bass coming out of the OEM sub/OEM sub amp.
08-04-12, 11:55 PM
#366
08-05-12, 01:54 PM
#368
That's my next step. Well, besides upgrading the 2 rear speakers, seeing as I'm only running with 1 rear speaker at the moment.
08-12-12, 10:00 PM
#370
It doesn't work with the Nak system, the Nak setup is wired differently. Some of the speaker wire stuff might work (like the harness colors) but in the 3 years that this thread has been up, no one who actually tried got it to work with the Nak setup. Sorry
08-12-12, 10:04 PM
#371
Added 08-12-12
INSTALL TIP: If you have an aftermarket steering wheel installed, then you have no airbag function anymore. If you're installing a double-DIN head unit you can remove the airbag ECU and the junction housing from the car to get more install clearance. The airbag ECU is on the transmission tunnel right behind the head unit location - very easy to see, as shown below:
The airbag ECU is right there, with the huge yellow warning labels. It is held down by a few 10mm(?) bolts. As for the junction housing, it's also in the photo - the big white plastic thing that sits in front of the airbag ECU, behind the ashtray, as shown below:
The junction housing is the white plastic thing shown above; the junction housing holds four electrical harness plugs and sockets. With a small flathead screwdriver and some patience you can pop all of the harness sockets out of this white plastic thing. Then remove the junction housing from the car, reconnect the electrical harness plugs (there's four, and they're color coded so there should be no problem here) and you've cleared more space for your head unit.
I originally dd this to clear room for the numerous head unit connections and wiring harnesses (audio, video, etc. so many wires) and there's also more "clear space" for air to circulate.
Please note that by messing with the airbag components YOU DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
... thus, if you don't know what you're doing, don't try it. Or if you do and something goes wrong, don't blame me.
INSTALL TIP: If you have an aftermarket steering wheel installed, then you have no airbag function anymore. If you're installing a double-DIN head unit you can remove the airbag ECU and the junction housing from the car to get more install clearance. The airbag ECU is on the transmission tunnel right behind the head unit location - very easy to see, as shown below:
The airbag ECU is right there, with the huge yellow warning labels. It is held down by a few 10mm(?) bolts. As for the junction housing, it's also in the photo - the big white plastic thing that sits in front of the airbag ECU, behind the ashtray, as shown below:
The junction housing is the white plastic thing shown above; the junction housing holds four electrical harness plugs and sockets. With a small flathead screwdriver and some patience you can pop all of the harness sockets out of this white plastic thing. Then remove the junction housing from the car, reconnect the electrical harness plugs (there's four, and they're color coded so there should be no problem here) and you've cleared more space for your head unit.
I originally dd this to clear room for the numerous head unit connections and wiring harnesses (audio, video, etc. so many wires) and there's also more "clear space" for air to circulate.
Please note that by messing with the airbag components YOU DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
... thus, if you don't know what you're doing, don't try it. Or if you do and something goes wrong, don't blame me.
08-13-12, 06:16 AM
#372
Pole Position
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i wonder raine if the metra harness would be the same with the two of them. if it is, then the speaker wires would be the same and that is all i would need to re-run to prevent ground noise. as long as the harness gave the radio stuff like power, ant, 12v constant, i could make my own ground and hijack the speaker wires.
08-13-12, 06:28 AM
#373
i wonder raine if the metra harness would be the same with the two of them. if it is, then the speaker wires would be the same and that is all i would need to re-run to prevent ground noise. as long as the harness gave the radio stuff like power, ant, 12v constant, i could make my own ground and hijack the speaker wires.
As for the rest, well let's see...
12v+ / Switched ACC+ / Ground: With some multimeter/test light work I'm pretty sure it would be easy to find these from the OEM Nakamichi harness.
Main Speaker Connections: I'm only assuming that the OEM speaker harness is the same between the Pioneer and Nakamichi; The Pioneer speaker wire colors seem to follow typical Toyota wire color schemes, but I'm not 100% sure... I don't even know if the Nakamichi setup uses a common-ground scheme like the Pioneer, or if the OEM speaker ohms are similar.
Subwoofer Connections: No clue how the Nakamichi sub is powered and/or where the sub amp is, not to mention the wiring scheme for it.
Antenna Connections: My guess would be that the antennas are the same between Pioneer/Nakamichi systems.
08-13-12, 05:19 PM
#374
Driver School Candidate
I have a 99 sc300 and I am trying to install a Pioneer AVIC Z130BT head unit to replace the factory stereo. So far the head unit turns on and I have wired all 4 of speakers straight from the head unit to the trunk as you showed. I am having a real hard time with figuring out how to wire the antenna so it goes down when I switch to sd card, bluetooth audio, or cd mode. My stock harness has 3 antenna wires: ant+ (pink/black), antA (blue/white), antB (yellow/red). My head unit has one blue antenna wire. Please help.
Thanks
Thanks
08-13-12, 06:01 PM
#375
Lead Lap
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Just putting my 2 cents in, but I have a nak in my sc and used the metro harness and it worked, ordered it off amazon. Maybe I got lucky idk but the only thing that does not work is the stock sub****
I wired an aftermarket sub/amp
I wired an aftermarket sub/amp