nthach

I picked up an Eclipse CD3000 deck tonight and installed it to replace a out-of-place Kenwood KDC-X459 that was used to replace a departed OEM Pioneer deck. Now, I'm trying to figure out how to run wires to the trunk for a amp/sub combo and I want to know how some of you guys did it.

Suneet

Run RCA's from your deck to the trunk. Do this by snaking it behind the unit, then underneath the carpet along the edge of the passenger side of the car. You remove the trim pieces on the door jams to access the carpet. Then remove the back seat and peel out one of the metal coverings (you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it), and then push the cable into the trunk.

For your power wire, do the exact same thing, but run your power wire on the driver's side of the car, so you don't get any interference from the power wire in your signal cable.

Now you have both power and signal to your trunk. HOok up your amp.

mobilyte

iTrader: (3)

your car should already have a factory woofer amp. just use the existing wiring unless you need to supply with more power than the existing +B wire can handle. check the sticky topic with the service manual online, it provides almost all of the info the factory service manual gives.

Suneet

But by switching to an aftermarket deck, you lose the function of this amp. THe HU provides a sub signal, which I gues you could splice into to signal for the factory amp, but I think it loses its power.. so you would have to splice those cables as well.

It's much easier, and more fruitful to go with an aftermarket amp. more power, more flexibility to later expand your system.

mobilyte

iTrader: (3)

i understand he wants to add a new amp/woofer setup. what i meant was to suggest using the existing wires for the woofer signal already going from the headunit to the trunk. there are 2 more wires from the factory hu harness going to the trunk mounted woofer amp: mute (for the phone system) and amp (which i assume is a power signal/switch). the remaining wires going into the woofer harness connector are: +B (battery power from the fuse radio #1), ground, and woofer outputs.

i completely agree that if the power drawn by the aftermarket woofer amp exceeds the capacity of the existing +B wire or if the system is high-end, remove all the necessary dash/pillar trim and rear seat, pull up the edge of the carpet, and run new wires.

i always wondered why the harness adapters warned that you'd lose functionality of the sub. looking at the schematic, it makes sense since the woofer amp is powered through a separate wire, independent of the hu harness.

Suneet

The first install I did in my car was to take the signal coming out of the sub amp, and run that to an after market amp that had speaker level inputs. The results were fine, but since I had to run thicker power wire, and later switched to an aftermarket deck, it just made sense to bypass the factory amp and use RCAs for a cleaner signal.

The method you suggested though would definitely work, but I think that any aftermakert sub, and amp, will definitely reqiure atleast 8ga power wire, and I don't think the factory amp wire is that thick.

nthach

Aftermarket decks do not use the 8 or 10 pin sub connector at the factory harness.

nthach

ok, how did you guys snake the power wire? Me and my neighbor had to snake between the plastic plenum for the HVAC and a rounded metal lip which makes me nervous...

Suneet

I ran it underneath the engine bay, into the cabin from right underneat the drivers seat.. there is a factory grommet.. cut a hole in it, and the cable went through it, comes out underneath the carpet by the driver's seat.. then i snaked it along the side of the car, to the back seat, and then into the trunk from there.

nthach

I just did that last night, I used a smaller grommet, but now it's too close for comfort by the cat. I'm debating whether to route the wire behind the cat's heat shield or buy some high-heat wire wrap from a speed shop...