Installing headunit into stock 8 speaker premium system, You guys tell me one thing. The audio "expert" tells me anothe Options

[Xvani]

Hey guys!

I recently installed a new Pioneer DEH-2200UB head unit into my dash, and I used a Standard wiring harness to hook it up to the stereo. Everything works.

Looking at this guide - it seems I'm not using the amps in the car though.. He states two relevant ways of installing the head unit:

1) Use the existing amps. Purchase the amp integration harness, manufactured by Metra. Part number is 70-8112. This lets you use all 8 speakers without buying a new amp and it is easy to install. The amps expect line-level audio, so you may need to get a converter (do they make speaker-to-linelevel converters?). [snip] otherwise you may get the generic Toyota harness used in option #2 below.

As a test, I have successfully used this Metra connector and gotten a Discman hooked up to the existing 8 speakers. To perform this test, I used a headphone-to-RCA wire to connect to the harness. To turn on the amp I wired the yellow battery lead (from the harness) to a diode to a 1K ohm resistor to the Blue/White Amp TurnOn (from the harness). I accidentally let the yellow battery wire touch ground and ZAP, no sound and a funny smell. I now have 1 dead amp!

2) Bypass the existing amp but use the existing wiring. Purchase the generic 94-99 Toyota wiring harness. Connect it to the 2 blue connectors under the primary amp. This connector goes to the existing speakers, except the front 8" mids.

I realize that I might have needed a Radio wiring harness with RCA outs instead.


As I went down to a local car stereo installer to help install this, (The install kit had to be custom fitted as it didn't fit ) - they said that I had hooked it up correctly and that I now was running the signal from my headunit directly to the amp, and the amp was amplifying the signal and forwarding it to the speakers. This could be correct, as I would be using the same wires anyway? Second, the forumguy states that amps expect line-level audio, as they would get from the current setup.
Third: The guy seemed to know his ****. I asked him specifically about the wiring harness and if I was indeed using the speakers. He said he was positive. I even showed him a picture, and he said that was for the newer models with the JBL sound system. The fact that he knew the newer models had a JBL sound system... Impressive

This lead me to believe the forumguy blew the amp which was hooked up to the 8" speakers, causing this phenomenon.
Edit: Turns out the 8" speakers don't play anyway. Forumguy was right?

My question stands, however. Will I only be using the amps if I buy the Radio wiring harness with RCA outs? What exactly will change if I do so?
How can I make sure my head unit gives out line-level audio through its RCA output?

and how

Also, there is a loose connection in my dash now, which I have no idea what is for. I asked the audio guy and he said it was for remote controlling from steering wheel or something..? He didn't seem certain.

Thank you for your reply!!

Edit: After double-checking: Doesn't seem like I get audio from the 8" front speakers anyway. My bad!

This post has been edited by Xvani: Mar 9, 2010 - 6:23 PM

[D-Man]

when wiring an aftermarket, you wanna bypass that POS factory amp. it's designed to take the low powered stock headunit and blair out a whole 50-65watts of power to the speakers. 8Speaker setup or otherwise.

if you spend more than 50 bucks (brand new) then you're already putting out over 50w. therefore the factory amps are doing nothing but distorting the sound.

spend the 10 bucks at best buy or wherever for the AM harness adapter; wire it to the stereo. Then locate the factory amp; On the "out to speaker" side of the amp, unplug those harnesses and plug them into the AM harness adapter. TADA!! properly functioning stereo.

EDIT: those RCA outs are going to be useful when you purchase a subwoofer setup. however if you wanna make it sound better, then i'd recommend using the RCA out's on your new AM headunit. otherwise, you're just bridging off a speaker. (that's the ghetto mans way of doing it, (iirc my first subwoofer setup was dont that way to keep a factory headunit )

This post has been edited by D-Man: Mar 9, 2010 - 7:46 PM