JJGTS08

I can tell you this much. After I gutted my system and installed a JL 10w3v3 (which, according to what you're doing, isn't on a budget minimum) - with the modifications previously listed it (an MDF ring as a small spacer) worked in the original box.

Then I let all of the adhesive sit in ideal conditions for an entire 24 hours before I put it all together.

But then day 3 of loud music came - and my OEM sub box and the ring pretty much committed suicide and literally broke itself apart. The vibrations were great enough it stripped every last one of the bolt threads to hold the sub box together. Right now I have a cheap wal-mart sub box that takes-up a good portion of my trunk to meet the proper 0.75 cu-ft of airspace the sub demands, and I am working on a custom-fit box as I type this.

Keep in mind also that I used the JL clean sweep disc to tune my system, and tuned it according to their specs. Other people that have done this modification without the box tearing itself apart might not have done so, and have their sub level low - or I just had a crap box.

Also keep in mind that you mentioned only swapping out the amp and sub - not the headunit. The OEM amp uses the CAN (Controller Area Network) system to turn on the amp - and I highly doubt your new amp will have a CAN interface. If you're keeping the original headunit, you'll need to find a switched (accesory, iginition, etc) 12V source to turn on the amp. If you're replacing the headunit, it's easy - just run a wire from the "amp turn-on" wire on the harness straight to the amp as I did.

LanceRover

i can only get mines to play correctly when the line-in + &- are paired to the corresponding + & - speakers. How is your crossover set up?

LanceRover

this is what I need to know as well

JJGTS08

I highly don't recommend using the factory power and ground wiring. Considering the small gauge, I don't now how they were able to get any sort of decent sound out of it - aside of it actually being a damn good amp, which they wanted to charge me $800 for a new one. I would highly recommend an amp wiring kit (I used a Monster P300 BAP1000 - 1000W kit) to power my JL Audio XD 700/5 amp. Or, essentially if you're throwing out the same 700 watts I am and want a little overkill space because, you know, "sh*t" happens" - and it's a good policy in life to always have too much than not enough - any good 4 gauge wiring will do. I just simply went with Monster for the name brand - because after all I do notice a tremendous difference with their HDMI cables so I'm willing to pay the premium. After all, if I'm going to go deaf, I'd rather do it with crystal clear good sounds I love.

The trick is finding the "magic hole" in your fender to run the power cable from the battery to the amp under the driver seat, if you choose to mount the new amp in the same location. As for the ground, that's easy, since you have to remove the driver seat to remove the old amp, just get a ring terminal and put the ground around one of your seat bolts.

As for the amp turn on, the cigarette lighter should work fine. In my car, the lighter is an iginition-only voltage source, like the amp turn-on in an aftermarket headunit, so you should be fine. Although I'm not sure what current draw this wire will take. I've never investigated this issue - it might just look for straight voltage and require no current to really turn on, which would leave you free to still plug-in and charge something higher amperage like an iPad. Unless someone has a specific answer, you'd have to experiment with it, or perhaps just use larger fuses.

migs647

iTrader: (19)

It's highly advised to never run a power wire outside in the elements of a car. If something happens to that wire (animal, snag, wear, etc), a fire can start and take your car with it.

I put my new amp under the front driver seat, and ran my line under the interior plastic paneling. There is plenty of space and channels under the plastic door sills, and a perfect access to the back trunk area.

JJGTS08

Nice quote from JL Audio. I laughed when I read the exact same thing in my XD 700/5 amp owner's manual.

Who said anything about out in the elements? The main power cable I ran to my new amp (which is under the driver's seat), the cable goes through a grommet in the front fender - which is the best place I was able to find without having to go all the way around the engine bay to the passenger side behind the cabin air filter, which would add 10 feet of extra power cable - if not more. Aside of the few feet of power cable, the rest is inside the car. And as far as elements are concerned, as long as my fenderwell is still attached, it's out of them. Perhaps people should invest more in the details of their car. I had damn near my entire interior in pieces when I gutted my stereo, and it taught me a lot.

After all, you have to get power - a good deal of it if you want a system worth a damn - straight from the battery. And what I've done is as weatherproof as you'll get.

If you have questions, either explore, or take the easy way out: ask and learn from other people's lessons.

chris the man

so much win in this!

GTOJOE

I tried to do this to a mates car today. I joined an RCA cable to the stock line -in [to the factory amp] and sent it to the new subs. However once it was on I worked out the factory head unit must most change volume but the amp does. So when you turn down the volume the line-in signal does not change and the amp turns down. So when we turned the volume down or off the new sub stayed on.

So now I'm stuck. Do I need to buy an Lc2i as per this thread?

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/la...te-system.html

Also what would happen if I did what this guy did? He connected the stock sub wires to his new amp as the hi input. But this doesn't sound very good to me.


Cheers,

Joe

Edit: it looks like this is a similar thing to the LC2i but nowhere near the quality. But it's cheap and available locally.

http://jaycar.com.au/productView.asp...UBCATID=1029#4

GTOJOE

Anyone? Also the unit in this car is the 6 stacker in dash unit. Not the NAV.

GTOJOE

OK never got a reply to this but I have found a cheap solution. I used the Jaycar unit posted above. Tapped into the 2 lines going to the stock sub and then ran the RCAs to the amp. This way he can still run the system in stock config and remove the box with 2x 12" subs. Or he can have ridiculously stupid loud bass if he wants to. Personally I think the thing sounds like **** with 2 12" subs but that's what he wants LOL.

Jaycar hi to low converter.

phunternj

The factory amp connector shows 3 black (ground) and 3 red (12V). In your installation, did you combine all 3 black and all three red wires in the butt connectors to the larger gauge wire you connected to the new power amp?

SHIINOBI-X

I just went through this install using the great instructions presented here and in a few other posts. Overall, really great information is presented here.

I am running into an issue with this install and I am hoping someone here can assist?

I have a 2008 X MR with the RF NAV setup. I have kept the stock head nav unit and swapped out the factory RF amp for a nicer RF P1000x5 (1000watt 5 channel amp) using the wiring diagrams provided here.

I ran 4AWG power and ground, installed a new Optima yellow top battery, 1F cap, installed all new RF speakers front and rear with separates running 12AWG wire to the doors, replaced the stock sub in the factory box with a new RF sub, installed full sound matting, etc…

The issue I am having is with the "Line level inputs" from the factory nav unit. It seems as if the signal that is being output is not really “low level output” as is labeled in the diagram shared here early in this post.

Let me try to explain what I am finding in more detail:

My RF P1000x5 amplifier has the capability to accept both high and low-level speaker inputs via the RCA connectors. With this amp if you use high-level inputs you do NOT need a remote wire.

Anticipating “low level inputs” from the factory connector, I soldered RCA leads to the specified wires in the harness and connected the remote amp wire to the lighter accessory circuit.

What I learned really quickly is that my amp was seeing about 12volts and treating the connection as high-level input from the factory nav head-unit. I had to remove the remote wire and try to adjust the amp’s input to match the proper input voltage…

I am having huge issues here with clipping and am unable to get a clean signal that my amp can properly handle with out clipping issues. At lower volumes sounds decent, all speakers work properly, etc.

I am not convinced that it’s a good idea to take the CANBUS between the factory head unit and the OEM RF AMP and treat that as a low-level input as has been described.

Seems that this is some sort of proprietary connection between the DSPs on the factory amp (as has been discussed in a number of threads) and the HU and not really a clean signal output that can be used with an aftermarket amp.

I have tried to use a converter to convert the signal from high-level to low-level and it sounded HORRIBLE.

I am really trying to avoid re-installing the factory amp and using a converter on the speaker outputs. I really like the idea of swapping the factory amp under the seat.

In reading many posts here, sounds like many of you have had good success with this swap?

Does anyone have any ideas why I am seeing what I am seeing? Any ideas what I can do to resolve this without using the factory amp?

Thanks in advance!!!

----

UPDATE:

I contacted Rockford Fosgate and learned some good information. Here are a few links.

http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/rftec..._RFI2SW-PA.pdf (this seems important for anyone trying this install no matter the AMP used)
http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/rnt/r...GNAL_HowTo.pdf (discusses the type of signal we are likely seeing from the Stock HU to the OEM RF AMP)
http://rftech.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/46 (good data on input gain)

Other helpful Links on RF/Mitsu systems:

http://rftech.custhelp.com/app/answe.../927/related/1 (stock subs)
http://rftech.custhelp.com/app/answe.../925/related/1 (stock speakers)
http://rftech.custhelp.com/app/answe.../931/related/1 (contact for OEM RF systems)

B.Pertl

awesome info! thank you!

casanova136

Do you know if the front left and right speaker wires are the same color up at the deck?

apparittion

I'm completely surprised at the fact that no one here has posted anything about putting a three.2 so that they maintain there nav,Bluetooth controls with also having the capability of full control of their sound . I had it on my 2008 mr and will be installing it to my 2015 gsr. And overtime you don't have to wear out your buttons.And since no one has posted anything of the sort I will be posting a how to for all the newbies like me 😅