Non-Yaris Audio install help needed

[Revsson]

Sorry if this is in the wrong section, but I need some audio installation advice.

Over the years, I have installed radios and speakers in my cars and for some
friends and relatives. Nothing fancy, just an aftermarket radio and
sometimes an amp and sub. So, I am not a totally noob to wiring, but I've
come across an install that I need help with.

Before buying my Yaris, I had an amp and sub in my old car (Geo Metro).
I took out the amp and sub when I sold it, and now my niece wants them
both. She has a 2004 Dodge Stratus with a factory radio that has a CD
player. They want to keep the factory radio and not install an aftermarket,
as she likes the current setup, but wants a little more bass.

Here is one problem: The car is about a 2.5 hour drive away, so I can't
just peek under the dash at the wiring. I searched online, and could only
find a wiring listing and no schematics. Not sure if this is from installer.com
or crutchfield.com, but here is what I found:

2004 Dodge Stratus Car Stereo Radio Wiring Diagram

Car Radio Constant 12v+ Wire: Pink
Car Radio Switched 12v+ Wire: Red/White
Car Radio Ground Wire: Black
Car Radio Illumination Wire: Orange/Brown
Car Stereo Dimmer Wire: N/A
Car Stereo Antenna Trigger: N/A
Car Stereo Amp Trigger Wire: N/A
Car Stereo Amplifier Location: N/A
Front Speakers Size: N/A
Front Speakers Location: N/A
Left Front Speaker Positive Wire (+): Dark Green
Left Front Speaker Negative Wire (-): Brown/Red
Right Front Speaker Positive Wire (+): Violet
Right Front Speaker Negative Wire (-): Dark Blue/Red
Rear Speakers Size: N/A
Rear Speakers Location: N/A
Left Rear Speaker Positive Wire (+): Brown/Yellow
Left Rear Speaker Negative Wire (-): Brown/Light Blue
Right Rear Speaker Positive Wire (+): Dark Blue/White
Right Rear Speaker Negative Wire (-): Dark Blue/Orange

Notice that there is no wire for me to hook up to the remote wire on the amp.
Where am I going to get the signal for the remote wire?

Second problem: Adding a volume pot to turn down the sub when necessary.
My brother had someone install an amp and sub in his 2002 Grand Am GT to
the factory stereo. They put in a volume pot so that if there are police
around or just want to have less bass, they can turn it down. He sent me
a pic, and it appears that they are using the RCA inputs on his amp. I'm not
sure if they are taking the speaker outputs and going to the pot and then
the output of the pot going to the RCA inputs on the amp. There is no pic
of the wiring going to the pot, as it's installed in the dash somewhere.
He would like me to install a similar pot when I put the sub in my niece's car.

The amp I will be using is an Eclipse that has what they call the high level
input (from speakers) and also has low level inputs (RCA). I know I can
buy a wiring harness, so that I don't need to splice into the factory speaker
wires. However, if I try and wire up the pot like his is, then I should probably
take say the LR and RR speaker outputs and run that to a stereo pot?
Then take the output of that pot and go to the speaker input or RCA input
on the amp? Or is there some sort of adapter (cheaply I hope) that would
do the same thing I am trying to do? If I am taking part of the speaker
output to feed the rear speakers and then split off to feed the amp, won't
the impedance be thrown off by adding a pot?

Of course, it would all be easier if they would have taken the Eclipse CD radio
that I took out of the Geo and not have that extra pot in there. I'd like to
be able to have most, if not all of the parts and wires in hand so that when
I drive down there some weekend, I can install it with little or no trouble.

Any advice from the audio gurus on this forum?

[earljail]

You could always wire the amp to the cigarette lighter so that it is always on when the car is one.

It's a shame that your Eclipse amp doesn't have an attenuation remote. (sometimes aka bass boost)

Why not just turn the stereo down if she scared of cops?.. that would be simpler...

[Revsson]

I don't want the amp on all the time, but did consider running the remote wire
to accessory power somewhere. I'm about ready to tell them to forget the
volume pot on the amp. Maybe there is a link for better info on the output of the
radio than what I found so far, but I haven't gotten any suggestions from others.

Would like to hear from the audio and electronic gurus such as talnlnky,
CT Scott, and others on this matter.

[sqcomp]

I'm no guru, but I do have a little bit of experience here...

You can use the power antenna lead from the radio as long as your only using one amplifier. If are using more than one amplifier, wire the power antenna lead to turn with a relay.

You have to make sure that the antenna lead turns on and off. It isn't unheard of in some vehicles that when you put in a CD that the antenna turns off, I don't think that the 04 Stratus has this issue though. If this is the case with your CD player, you may have a separate lead coming out for the amp turn-on function. Test the lead with a VOM or test light. When the radio is on, in any function, 12 volts should be present at the amp turn on lead until the radio power is turned off.

You can also use your switched power wire at the back of the radio, NOT the constant wire, it will send the proper signal to the amp. You could also tap into the back of the fuse box and locate a lead that is only hot when the key is turned to ACC and on. You can also tap into your cigarette lighter as well.

[Revsson]

Thanks for the reply sqcomp!
As I understand the wiring diagram above, the N/A means not available.
So, there is no power antenna lead, since this amp would be run from the factory radio.
The wiring diagram was taken from the modifiedlife site:
http://www.modifiedlife.com/2004-dod...iring-diagram/

I do see that there is a Car Radio Switched 12v+ Wire: Red/White.
I assume this would get power when in ACC or running, so I could probably
tap off of that. However, if the radio is shut off, then the amp would still
be on if the car is running or in ACC, right?

If I figure out how to wire up the volume pot for the sub, I could always
put in another switch to provide power to the amp, but was hoping to just
make it like a "normal" power up sequence.

Maybe I should e-mail the techs at Installer.com for their opinions, too?
From the pic my brother sent me of the front of the radio, it looks like the
pic on the installer site. I'm wondering if the rear is like the pic on that
site, too. There seems to be a connection on the left of the second pic
that might be an output to an amp?, but no mention of it in the wiring
diagram.
http://www.installer.com/cars/by_car.php?carid=1904

Pic titled Dodge XMS


Pic titled Chrysler back


Still welcoming any suggestions regarding the volume pot going to the amp.

Thanks.

[sqcomp]

The big question I have is, what Eclipse amplifier is it? This will help a bit.

Do you have any way to measure power, like a DMM?

[Revsson]

Originally Posted by sqcomp

The big question I have is, what Eclipse amplifier is it? This will help a bit.

Do you have any way to measure power, like a DMM?

Sorry I didn't put that in there. The amp is an Eclipse model EA3422.
The amp and installation instructions are down at my brother's place,
which is 2.5 hours drive, so I can't look at them right now.
Unfortunately, the Eclipse site is rather lacking on documentation on older
equipment.

Yes, I do have access to DMMs.

[sqcomp]

Give me until tomorrow...I may have an Eclipse similar to this at the shop. I'm going to see what we can do to help you. Do you already have a bass knob?

*snicker*

You know, the ultimate bass knowb is that volume knob on the radio or a mute button on a remote for the deck...

I never had a problem with even having to look to turn my radio down on my old 7909 with the three Kicker ZR amplifiers. Never did use the bass knob option.

...I'll hit you up tomorrow to see what we can come up with.

[Revsson]

Thank you again sqcomp!
Here are two pics my brother sent me of the radio front.
If you look at the pic of the radio, there are two slider pots on the lower left.
One is bass and the other treble.

Hope this helps.

Thanks.

[sqcomp]

..oh yes. My mom has an 04 Stratus. I haven't been inspired enough to do anything with her car. I haven't seen a 4 disc changer yet...interesting. I've always seen the 6 disk changer.

It's pretty quaint to think how different parts of the country have different options for the vehicles.

I'm several hours away from being in the shop to find out about the amplifier and the rest of your options. I may have more questions for you...

[CTScott]

How about wiring the amp remote turn on to the switched 12V (red/white wire) through a dash mounted switch? Then, she can choose whether to fire the amp or not...

[GnomeBody]

How about wiring the amp remote turn on to the switched 12V (red/white wire) through a dash mounted switch? Then, she can choose whether to fire the amp or not...

+1

this is how I have mine setup (mainly so I can turn it of when the babys in the car). I ran the remote wire straight from the battery to a dash mounted switch I picked up from autozone and then on to the amp.

the only real flaw in the setup is the fact that if I forget to turn it off than it will drain my battery if it left overnight.

[Revsson]

Originally Posted by CTScott

How about wiring the amp remote turn on to the switched 12V (red/white wire) through a dash mounted switch? Then, she can choose whether to fire the amp or not...

That's a good idea CTScott. I suppose that if I mount a pot for volume,
(if I ever figure that out ), that I could always mount a switch
as well.

[Revsson]

Still hoping for more answers, so bumping this post.

[battleversiontc]

if there is a lt green wire thats the factory amp turn on sometimes they have it sometimes they dont ive seen them on most of the dodges worked on that didnt have a factory amp but if you turn the radio off that wire goes dead

[Revsson]

Originally Posted by sqcomp

..oh yes. My mom has an 04 Stratus. I haven't been inspired enough to do anything with her car. I haven't seen a 4 disc changer yet...interesting. I've always seen the 6 disk changer.

It's pretty quaint to think how different parts of the country have different options for the vehicles.

I'm several hours away from being in the shop to find out about the amplifier and the rest of your options. I may have more questions for you...

Sorry to drudge up an old post, but I need to try and get this done this summer.
Since there is no line out of the factory radio, (at least not that I know of),
I assume I need to tie into the speaker outputs and feed the amp's speaker
inputs. Isn't there a chance of having more noise picked up by running
the wires back to the amp in the trunk? Should I try and get some shielded
wires to run back there to the input to the amp?

I might suggest that amp power on/off switch to my niece, but I could hook
up the amp and try and work on the volume pot at another time later this
summer.

sqcomp, did you get any information off of your mom's Stratus?

Any other comments welcomed.

[goku87]

Originally Posted by Revsson

Any other comments welcomed.

Honestly I would try to convince the third party to get an aftermarket head unit. They usually have better functionality and better sound quality, and it's just SO much easier to do installs, but thats just my opinion.

- If the amp you are using has the hifi inputs (not phono) then you can tap the speaker wires and run a few wires to the amp wherever it is.
- If the amp only has phono inputs, you'll ned a line-out converter to convert the tapped speaker wires to phono with minimal noise.
- Run the remote wire to the switched +12 on the radio and stick a switch somewhere in the middle if she really wants to turn it off.
- Forget the volume pot. It's not worth it. Might as well just have the switch and be done with it. But if you really want one, you'll need a stereo pot, I think I've seen them at mouser for $3 or so.
- And a side note, gold plated connections are overrated, just FYI, so don't waste the extra money. <-- opinion, not fact

[Revsson]

I guess you are right. I had an aftermarket CD player that went with the amp and sub
which I could have easily put in. The volume pot could have been going from the
line out to the line in of the amp. I still can't convince her to swap out the factory
radio, so was hoping that sqcomp had some more information from his mom's car.
If the factory radio had line outs, this would not be an issue for me. LOL.

Now comes the task of trying to schedule a weekend when all can get together.
They are busy most of the weekends I am free, and vice versa. Right now, it looks
like August before it will get done. If they didn't live 2.5 hours away, I could just
stop over. Such is life.