How to use the OEM amp Wiring

[PandaSPUR]

Originally Posted by B-R-Z

I know what you mean.. I re-pinned Metra harnesses on a few occasions and the pins always slide right out. On the Chinese harness, I lifted the little plastic lever but for the reason the pin doesn't want to come out. Out of frustration I ended up pulling so hard that the wire broke. I then took pliers to the pin and yanked it out then soldered the wire back together. But yea, Metra's are cheap to begin with so I'd just order that and call it a day.

Originally Posted by Porcupint

The Metra I got for PandaSpur was $4 and some change shipped. Really doesn't make sense to not get the better quality harness in my opinion.

I just hopped on ebay, sorted by lowest price, and purchased. Pure instinct. Didn't think itd make any difference for a simple harness. ARGHH.

[Porcupint]

Originally Posted by PandaSPUR

I just hopped on ebay, sorted by lowest price, and purchased. Pure instinct. Didn't think itd make any difference for a simple harness. ARGHH.

No worries. We'll get you sorted out.

[jMAT]

Great post. Lots of information here. I am thinking about doing the same setup with an Alpine power pack amp. I am planning on getting a component 2 speaker system like the polk db651. I've had the infinity reference 6030cs and they were great speakers. I thought I'd give polk a try.

I have some doubts about how to do a component setup and would appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction.

If I got component speakers, where would I install the crossovers? From what I've read I know that the factory tweeters are connected to the HU. Should I even install the crossovers or just install the tweeters to the factory wiring?
Or should I just skip the components and go with a 2 way speaker?

[Chimera]

I ran components, I put the crossovers in the back near the amp, used house wiring for the doors and ran new wires to the dash

[SVXdc]

Be careful choosing harnesses on eBay. Some will say "Metra xxx" (or Scosche yyy) but if you read closely they're only telling you those numbers to show comparability and they list some other company and part number as the manufacturer of the one they're actually selling.

I've also noticed that many of the vendors on eBay and Amazon keep showing the same old picture from when they first started selling the part, even though Metra (or whoever) has made changes (switched to a different plastic shell and/or added or deleted some of the wires). Even Crutchfield and Sonic Electronix are guilty of this. Some eBay and Amazon vendors show their old picture of one brand's harness but now are really selling a different brand.

Also, some of the cheapest harnesses (such as those from DB Link) have smaller-gauge wires (20 or even 22 gauge on the Toyota 1761 type harnesses).

Caveat emptor.

Originally Posted by SVXdc

I haven't seen any of them made with glue. It's just that on some companies' shells, the plastic "lance" that locks in a pin can be very difficult to reach and hold with your screwdriver to swing it clear of the terminal.

On a good 70-1761 style shell, the wire will practically fall out from its own weight when you release the lance completely (assuming you're holding the shell with the wire pointed straight down).

Tip: Use a bench vice to hold the shell so you can use one hand to release the lance and the other to tug on the wire. Bright light helps you to see what you're doing. If it takes more than a little force to pull out the wire, you haven't released the lance enough.

Here's a drawing of a similar shell and terminal, showing the kind of thing you're dealing with:

(click to see larger image)

Start by pushing the wire into the shell slightly (to release any tension on the lance by the terminal).

You need the tip of your small screwdriver (or whatever tool) to catch below the tip of the lance (colored blue) and swing it up out of the terminal (gold). The lance will only move about 1 mm.

Keep a little bit of inward pressure with your screwdriver, so that it won't slide off the tip of the lance. But don't jam it in too hard, or you'll damage the lance (and then you really won't be able to extract the terminal without having to cut open the shell).

When you do it right, you should be able to pull the wire (red) out the back without very much force.

BTW, the appropriate color for 6-pin pin #1 would be yellow (+12V Battery = constant on), instead of red.

Anyone who wants one already re-pinned with the proper colors for the BRZ/FR-S amp harness, order the Toyota-style "10+6-pin 'forward' harness" from me and let me know that you want it pinned that way at the time you place your order. See my site for contact info (or if you use PM, include your e-mail).

[jMAT]

Originally Posted by Chimera

I ran components, I put the crossovers in the back near the amp, used house wiring for the doors and ran new wires to the dash

Nice. Thanks for that idea.
I am thinking about getting this 3 way components.
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...PPI-P65c3.html

Was it hard to run wires to the dash? Did you pull wires from two sides or just one side?
Do I just insulate the stock tweeter wires if I run new wires?

Sorry for too many questions. Trying to figure this out.

[SteelFrs]

I have found Pioneer recently released a small new amp which is rated at 15A too
there is the product link: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...eries/GM-D1004

I think I will buy this and used the same wire method as OP, but at same time, I just worried if I only used 2ch and 90 RMS to feed the two door speakers, then the dash and rear speakers won't be power enough for the whole sound stage in car? anyone has any experience about this setup?

Or is it possible to bypass the dash and rear speaker input from HU, so I can wire in parallel then feed dash and rear speakers in 2CH 45w, and the other 2ch 45w goes door speakers.

[Simisimi]

Originally Posted by SteelFrs

I have found Pioneer recently released a small new amp which is rated at 15A too
there is the product link: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...eries/GM-D1004

I think I will buy this and used the same wire method as OP, but at same time, I just worried if I only used 2ch and 90 RMS to feed the two door speakers, then the dash and rear speakers won't be power enough for the whole sound stage in car? anyone has any experience about this setup?

Or is it possible to bypass the dash and rear speaker input from HU, so I can wire in parallel then feed dash and rear speakers in 2CH 45w, and the other 2ch 45w goes door speakers.

I installed Polk DXi6501 component system as follows. The 6.5" speakers went in the door. The crossovers were zip tied into the doors and feed those door speakers but I also ran a wire up to the dash where I installed the tweeters. Factory dash speaker setup has the tweeter and 3.5" in series and I believe there is a crossover on the OEM tweeter. So that required some rewiring and while I was at it, I installed new 3.5" Infinity reference speakers in the dash next to that Polk tweeter. I will be installing the Alpine 445U and sound deadening in the doors next as described in this thread next. My impressions at this point are that sound is clearer but not louder. Since my door speakers are 4 Ohm that is no surprise. I am getting nowhere near enough bass from those 6.5's but the Amp should solve that. What's nice about this arrangement is that the Amp is driving both the 6.5's and dash tweeters through a crossover leaving the new dash 3.5's off the HU. Power rating of the component speakers is 100W so I will bridge the Alpine. Report on how this goes will follow in a few days.

[Simisimi]

My Alpine amp went in pretty easily thanks to the great posts in this thread. I elected to bridge mine since my component speakers (Polk DXi6501) can handle 100 watts. I bought 16 square feet of 50 mil adhesive sound deadening on Amazon where I also sourced the Metra 70-7601. I also used the stuffing from an old seat cushion to fill the area directly behind the door speakers. Thankfully I got the amp from Crutchfield because bridging by the instructions was not within my abilities. Their support rocks and justifies the slightly higher cost for me.

I am impressed. The gain is set to MIN and I am getting volume and clarity and a ton more thump. I am also hearing that background hiss at a very low but noticeable level as has been posted by others. If anyone figures that out I would love to be rid of it. Roughly a $400 upgrade over stock audio and worth every cent. Highly recommended and relatively easy once you wrap your head around the wiring nest.

[Porcupint]

Originally Posted by Simisimi

My Alpine amp went in pretty easily thanks to the great posts in this thread. I elected to bridge mine since my component speakers (Polk DXi6501) can handle 100 watts. I bought 16 square feet of 50 mil adhesive sound deadening on Amazon where I also sourced the Metra 70-7601. I also used the stuffing from an old seat cushion to fill the area directly behind the door speakers. Thankfully I got the amp from Crutchfield because bridging by the instructions was not within my abilities. Their support rocks and justifies the slightly higher cost for me.

I am impressed. The gain is set to MIN and I am getting volume and clarity and a ton more thump. I am also hearing that background hiss at a very low but noticeable level as has been posted by others. If anyone figures that out I would love to be rid of it. Roughly a $400 upgrade over stock audio and worth every cent. Highly recommended and relatively easy once you wrap your head around the wiring nest.

You kept the factory nav headunit?

[Simisimi]

Originally Posted by Porcupint

You kept the factory nav headunit?

Yes I did. Never really crossed my mind to replace it. It's not like I use the nav much, but I figure resale value is better with it left alone.

[CybexBRZ]

I was wondering if those:
Green = Left speaker signal input from HU [PIN 3 and 9]
Purple = Right Speaker signal in from HU [PIN 4 and 10]

Does this signal is the same signal sent to the front dash speaker?

If I could unplug the front signal from the HU and then feed those Green and purple from the back from a 4 chan amp to front dash speaker.

and also use the grey and white for the door as already described.

I already have a RCA going to the back to feed my amp

Thank you

[B-R-Z]

Originally Posted by CybexBRZ

I was wondering if those:
Green = Left speaker signal input from HU [PIN 3 and 9]
Purple = Right Speaker signal in from HU [PIN 4 and 10]

Does this signal is the same signal sent to the front dash speaker?

If I could unplug the front signal from the HU and then feed those Green and purple from the back from a 4 chan amp to front dash speaker.

and also use the grey and white for the door as already described.

I already have a RCA going to the back to feed my amp

Thank you

Yes, you can re-purpose the wires. I just wouldn't run any insane power through them. Use a continuity test on a multi-meter to confirm each wire before using.

[CybexBRZ]

Originally Posted by B-R-Z

Yes, you can re-purpose the wires. I just wouldn't run any insane power through them. Use a continuity test on a multi-meter to confirm each wire before using.

Thank you, I wanted to confirm because I had a doubt.

I will only run a set on tweeter of a component set, it will be plug on a 50 rms amp but should not draw much power.

Yes, after unplug the input from the back of the HU I'll check if there is still power on those wires at the back.