Subwoofer hookup question (1 Viewer)

[Cruiserhead05]

Ok i have a question with my stereo setup, kinda need some help to get it working right.

Here is my current setup. 94 fzj80. Alipne CDA-9825 Headunit, Stock speakers.

I just picked up a small 10 inch pioneer sub today and a 200w amp. Wired everything up except the "remote turnon". Checked all my connections and everything is fine but the sub and amp wont seem to work. I conculted the alpine manual and it says to run an external amp i need to turn off the built it amp. When i do this, i get no sound from sub or speakers. My question is, is it possible to run an external amp for a sub only will still using the internal one for the speakers or would i have to wire up all my speakers to the amp?

IN that case i would need a bigger amp= more money...

Thanks, b

 

[Bear80]

Ok i have a question with my stereo setup, kinda need some help to get it working right.

Here is my current setup. 94 fzj80. Alipne CDA-9825 Headunit, Stock speakers.

I just picked up a small 10 inch pioneer sub today and a 200w amp. Wired everything up except the "remote turnon". Checked all my connections and everything is fine but the sub and amp wont seem to work. I conculted the alpine manual and it says to run an external amp i need to turn off the built it amp. When i do this, i get no sound from sub or speakers. My question is, is it possible to run an external amp for a sub only will still using the internal one for the speakers or would i have to wire up all my speakers to the amp?

IN that case i would need a bigger amp= more money...

Thanks, b

your fist problem is the pioneer sub...but that's another story. Anyway you need to read your head unit's instuctions more. The manual is talking about running an amp for speakers, not sub. The head unit I have in my mini, turns off the rear channels and switches over to the RCA low level with a built in sub crossover. While the front channel is for the speaker high and low levels, I hooked another amp on to the low levels and just split the signal for 4 channels(extra info).

Anyway you can just jumper across the main power of the amp to the remote turn on if you don't have a wire run from the head unit just yet. ALSO check your ground connection for the amp.

 

[Bear80]

I'm looking up the info on your cd player right now because you're too lame to. So far I've found you have 3 RCA (low level) outputs. ONE IS FOR A SUB! READ YOUR CD PLAYERS MANUAL AGAIN!!!!! I don't think you have to turn off the speakers to hook up a sub.

I'll just atribute the lack of reading on your part to the fact that your HS career is about to end and it's been soooooo hard.

P.S. What does this do with the 80?? I'm sure you'd getter better help out in chat.

 

[Cruiserhead05]

Bear, thanks for the info. i am researching it right now while im studying for several final exams....but again, thanks, ill try to find out with output is for the amp...

By the way, get that sand out of there....
joking.

 

[Bear80]

By the way, get that sand out of there....
joking.

yeah I'm just in a bad mood today, found out I have to take some finals I was hoping I didn't have to, couldn't test out of a class, my room mate pissed me off and I missed the LSLC meeting....plus I have a presentation and a test tomrrow

well I couldn't get the alpine site to work so I can't read the owners manual, but I'm sure just some more careful reading and everything should beable to hook up fine.

 

[Cruiserhead05]

Bear, its totally cool. i dont mind at all. i totally understand. well im out...

Gonna go pull the truck in the garage, tear me dash apart and fix it, 10pm at night with exams the next day....what a way to do it.

Thanks though.

 

[Cruiserhead05]

Bear,

A subwoofer amp plugs into the lowest of the three outputs. Mine is plugged into the middle one which is designated for a rear speaker amp. i think if i reconnect this i should have better luck. For what its worth. i like neither the sub or amp, but i got it cheap. i imagine i will eventually upgrade to a larger amp and nicer sub.

 

[Cruiserhead05]

Bear,

im back. and a little frustrated. i just pulled the head unit out and connection the RCA plugs into the outputs where they belong. Tried it and nothing. my ground is connected under one of the main three bolts that holts the 3rd seat bracket on. i realize this isnt great but i figured it would dop the job for now just to see if it all worked. The bolts are pretty heavy duty and go straight into the body.

it could possible just be a faulty amp. its a very cheasy one but still brand new.

Any and all suggestions welcome.

 

[Cruisin'Carolina]

You need 8 ga directly to the battery, and the turn-on hooked to acc power on, and a ground.

Does the amp have power light on?

 

[Cruiserhead05]

Caroline, it have the 8 ga to the battery and a good ground. I do not have it hooked up to acc. would i really need this to make it work? also, just making sure, to hook up the turn-on, i just connect a small wire from the amp the blue acc wire on the back of the head unit.

The amp has a "power protection" light, which is not lit up.

 

[vbcrush]

The amp will not turn on without the turn on wire hooked up!

 

[Bear80]

Double check the ground. Did you make sure the contact area is bare metal, just because the bolt is and so is the nut doesn't ensure a good ground.

Even if you read a good ground with a meter it may still not be good enough to power on the amp fully.(some amps actually will tell you this with a dim power light)

As I said, to test the amp, jumper across the amp power to the remote turn on. You don't want to leave it this way as the amp will always be on and the remote trun on cirucit is made for a low current 10-12v.

AS I SAID READ YOUR CD PLAYERS OWNERS MANUAL!! You may need to turn a setting on for a sub output.

 

[PKP80]

Amp can run with stock

BEAR,
YOU can DEfinitely run a sub of external and you speakers off the headunit.
make sure the remote going to your external amp is off the headunits remote in a clean fashion. make sure the RCA to the sub amp is the Sub output. and make sure the headunit has all of the proper functions running you should have no problem and it's a simple taste. There is not reason it should not all work. PM me if you have any other questions, I have a lot of audio info , used to have a shop.

-Sam-

 

[Cruiserhead05]

alright,

I have the RCA plugs connected into the correct spots. my ground is good but i will double check it when i get a chance. My ACC/ turnon isnt connected yet but i thought i will be able to power the sub when the car was running. When i get a free hour or so(who know when that will be) i will pull the head unit again and connect the ACC wire, granted the acc is free. i have a curcuit city wiring harness connect the head unit to the stock wiring harness so i dont really remember if it has a free acc wire hanging there. I'll let you guys know. For some reason i dont really feel like the amp is being powered though. going to look into that also.

oh one more thing. i played with the alpine's settings. It has it set with the sub on so its not a problem there. thanks for the help though, please realize im extremely busy with finals and whatnot, dont have time to sit down with the manual at all so your knowledge is very helpful.

 

[Cruiserhead05]

ok, so the only acc wire on the back of the Head unit is the one that goes through the wiring harness into the stock wiring. will i cause any problem by cutting this and running it to the amp. I.E. will my head unit still work on acc?

 

[Critter]

Hook the remote lead on the amp up to any power wire in the truck that comes on when you turn the truck on. If your Cd player doesn't have a dedicated wire for it don't cut one. I had an Alpine in my Tacoma and it had a wire specifically for the remote amp wire.

You can splice into the power wire for the factory sub amp on the back passenger side of the truck. That is what I did and it works fine.

You have to connect that wire though, it functions as a on/off switch for the amplifier.

 

[vbcrush]

Looking at the manual for your head unit, I see you do have a remote turn on wire built into your head unit. It should be blue/white. You must have the reomte turn on wire connected as your amp will not turn on without it. All your other wiring sounds correct. This wire does not have to be thick, just something to let the amp know there is a source hooked up to it.

 

[Bear80]

damn it head boy, don't you even read the posts???

I don't know how many times everyone said you MUST have the "acc" or "remote turn on" hooked up so the amp "knows" when to trun on.

like I said you can just jumper across the power terminal on the amp to the acc terminal to test the amp before you run a wire off the cd players harness.

I'm not sure how crap city hooked your deck up but the factory rear sub/amp has a remote turn on wire. Which would save you running on from the head unit in the dash. Seems to me you have no clue or even a multi meter so you probably won't even try this.

P.S. I slept through my AP test finals, I know your's cant be that hard, and why not just wait till the weekend....like TODAY and put some reading into those manuals for the cd player, amp and sub.

 

[Cruiserhead05]

Bear, i did the crossover thing you suggested and it all worked beautifully. i have had it going for an hour just driving and doing errands just like this. is there any real reason to take it apart. the crossover thing is working and my battery isnt dieing or anything.
B

 

[Cruisin'Carolina]

YOu need to run a switched on power wire. Period. Otherwise your amp will stay on all of the time.