Subwoofer Installation

Mitch90BlackSC

Registered User
Anyone know how to hook up and re-wire the OLD JBL sub woofer to a new head unit? I bought a new pioneer cd unit, ran all new wires (had to- old jbl stereo head unit was stolen and all wires/connectors to the head unit were cut) to the speakers. I would like to re-use the jbl sub-woofer and it's amplifier if I could. I can get power to the sub-woofer amp easily enough, but what about the speaker connection?
Anybody ever do this one?
Thanks in advance guys.
 
Hey man this is a tough one. I don't really think that you can do this easily. The reason why is the fact that Ford wired these things in such a way that you almost have to have both amps hooked up and to each other. The big one up in the tray runs all the speakers including the woofer amp. It does not fire it but it does act as a cross-over and a l.o.c.. You may be able to use the pre-outs on your head and then run a cross-over to filter just the bass in. My advise would be to use the woofer if you really like it and then go get small sub woofer amp and replace the factory amp with this one. Other than this, I don't know which wires do what. There are two primary (power) wires on one side and three sound input wires on the other, along with two output wires. Good luck, Biggin'.
 
After installing my head unit with upgrade speakers, you can
just throw the stock amp out the window. The stock head
unit is only a receiver, sends signal to amp then from amp to
speakers. If your head unit has any amp output at all, it's
wasted if you use the stock amp. Unless you know alot
about electronics and such, I would suggest rewiring the whole
thing and allowing the head unit to provide the boost. Maybe
running another amp in the back would be good too, but
the stock amp. is not traditional by the looks of it.

Also, those signal wires at the stock head unit are pretty small.
I ran new wires from the head unit back to all new speakers.
Not that difficult and sounds great. Going to add an amp later.

Hope this helps a little.
j. :eek:
 
If you go to circuit city, like I did, you can get a decent 40 X 4 watts which works perfect with the factory JBL sub amp and installed for about $250....which you'll be really happy with.
They know the car and they know how to do it right.

Otherwise I don't know if the input to the back sub amp is low level or higher levels....haven't tested that.....but you could obviously try going with a low level to the back sub amp (if you're unit has a sub low level out) and try that first.

The stock JBL sub amp and subwoofer is very good in my opinion....even if it is a punny little amp and speaker...they have it coupled directly to the back deck and it actually acts as a sub and bass. If you play the system without the sub you suddently realize that. I've tried driving a separate sub speaker off the stock sub amp directly and it doesn't have the gumption to do the job through the back....not enough power.....

I would hook up the stock sub system and enjoy.....but the speaker is prone to blow out over time....mainly due to age....so get ready to replace that in the plastic box attached with 4 bolts under the rear deck......I'm still trying to figure out how to open that plastic box which appears to be glued shut and find the appropriate 6.5" sub speaker to take it's place.
 
sub-woofer info

To split the subwoofer box, remove the hex head screws and then use a thin knife blade to cut the RTV seal arount the middle of the 2 halves, and gently pull apart. The fiberglass posts may be split, so you can expoxy them back together if you have all the pieces. I have replace the sub speaker with a Kicker 6.5 unit that fits and works well with an all stock system.
 
This is just an idea of what you can do. This is what I done to mine. First, go to a junk yard and get the factory harness and connect all the wires by the colors. In my car I used a Kenwood head unit and connected all of the wires to the adapater plug that I bought from Wal Mart. It is cheaper than circuit shity. I disconnected the amp and installed a bypass harness that came from a local stereo shop. I later hooked the amp back up and it was much louder and sounded more full. My factory sub was shot so I ran, from the pre outs, to the trunk and installed a Rockford Fosgate 150.1 Power amp and two Rockford Fosgate 12's in a box. Had to remove the factory box to do this. But if you want to use the factory equipment then go get the harness out of a doner-car and use an adapter plug to install it. My car stereo has sounded great for over a year this way it is now.

Biggin'
 
i'll tell you what i did, i went out and bought a six hundred dollar flip face kenwood excellon head unit the day it came out, installed new kenwood 5x7 3-ways in all four locations of the car, and put four jl audio w6 subwoofers in the trunk with a 600 hundred watt hifonics amp and it sound way better than that bullshit jbl amp and sub bro.
 
hello

I dont know about replacing the head unit but when my sub went out I put in a JL audio 10 inch sub with the original amps and that sucker kicks major A##. The box that it is in fits perfectly (nice and snug) it is about a 12 inx12inx18in box. I didn't think this would work, and I never saw this done. I am very happy with it. The only down fall is that you loose a little trunk space. Also all the rest of the sound equip is stock.
 
Back
Top