help with audio system

[z28@heart]

hey, i'm new to this forum, and i was wondering if there was a way to run subs and an amp with my stock stereo head unit using like a equalizer or something to that affect.

i have a 2001 bonneville, without bose/onstar

help would be so greatly appreciated. thanks

[grandprix104]

simple. Buy an amplifier with high/speaker-level inputs. Run your power to the battery under the back seat. Run your ground either directly to the battery or a seatbelt bolt(remove any paint first). The remote wire is a little bit trickier. There is a fuse in the box under the back seat that is switched with the ignition. Stick the remote wire in with one of the fuse blades and run an inline fuse on the remote wire. Get your audio signal from the rear speakers in the deck. Use suitcase connectors to avoid cutting the factory wires. Run those new speaker leads to the high-inputs on your amp. You are now up and running. The only downside to this method is that the amp will only turn on when the car is ON. So sitting in the carr with it off you will have music but no subs. Another option is an amp with signal sensing technology. These amps don't require a remote wire, they will sense audio signal whenever the stereo is playing and will turn on automatically. These amps are more rare but a nice option with a technical factory audio system like these bonnevilles have.

[z28@heart]

so i wouldn't even need an equalizer? i could just run my power shut off out of my fuse and the subs will work with the stock head unit ?

[grandprix104]

Absolutley! What I suggested above is what I used to have in my car. I have since upgraded to an aftermarket deck for better sound quality, but my old system worked pretty well for what it was.

BTW Welcome to the forum

[z28@heart]

what would be some of those amps with high/speaker level inputs?

and thank you haha

[z28@heart]

so we use speaker wires instead of audio cables?

[grandprix104]

Most amps have speaker level inputs. Just make sure you check specifically for that feature when you are buying.

You just tap into the factory rear speaker's wires and run them to the amp and to the speakers. Now I will say that this will give you a less than optimal signal, BUT for a sub the difference is not very noticable. This is the best option for bang for the buck. My jeep is hooked up this way and sounds great, and as I mentioned, my previous system in the Bonneville was done this way.

If you want to run RCA cables then you will need a new deck which is a PITA to install in these cars (but well worth it).

I will also mention that there are high-to-low level converters if your amp of choice has no speaker level inputs. I would reccomend finding an amp with this feature on board because, the more components you have in the signal chain, the more chance you have of screwing something up or degrading your signal.

[z28@heart]

yeah i attempted to hook up a new HU, but it was a bit confusing with the wiring.

[grandprix104]

If you haven't already seen it, here is my write-up on the HU install process. It really is a pain compared to most cars.
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=7319

[z28@heart]

yeah i checked that out, but what i couldn't figure out was why to put the orange red together, because the orange controls the lights so if i hook all that up to it, won't it put a bad strain on my lighting fuse?

[grandprix104]

I'm not sure I understand you. The "CDI" and the deck's harnesses will both have orange wires for the illumination of the faceplate which will need to be connected. They also will both have red wires for powering the rest of the deck that need connecting. I don't recall ever connecting an orange wire with a red one. The big change I made to the way it is supposed to be hooked up is I added a direct power line from the battery, and that was completely optional (It didn't make any difference power-wise). Other than that you just match up all the colors on both harnesses.

[z28@heart]

my harness that came with my HU is missing an orange wire then.., because there is none. so i'm not sure. but i will try just using the stock head unit for awhile atleast.

[grandprix104]

They may have made it another color. That happens frequently. Some HU may not even have an illumination lead anymore. They often have a dimming control in the HU settings.

[z28@heart]

well my red wire from my harness isn't hot, orange is hot, which that didn't make sense to me and my father.

[PontiacPrincess]

simple. Buy an amplifier with high/speaker-level inputs. Run your power to the battery under the back seat. Run your ground either directly to the battery or a seatbelt bolt(remove any paint first). The remote wire is a little bit trickier. There is a fuse in the box under the back seat that is switched with the ignition. Stick the remote wire in with one of the fuse blades and run an inline fuse on the remote wire. Get your audio signal from the rear speakers in the deck. Use suitcase connectors to avoid cutting the factory wires. Run those new speaker leads to the high-inputs on your amp. You are now up and running. The only downside to this method is that the amp will only turn on when the car is ON. So sitting in the carr with it off you will have music but no subs. Another option is an amp with signal sensing technology. These amps don't require a remote wire, they will sense audio signal whenever the stereo is playing and will turn on automatically. These amps are more rare but a nice option with a technical factory audio system like these bonnevilles have.

Exactly what I'm planning to do with the my Sony 12" and my Lightning Audio amp out of my VW I sold. The Lightning Audio amp has a hi level input, so it's all good. I wanted to use my Blaupunkt or Phillips Sound Labs amp, but niether of them have hi level inputs.

There is a fuse in the box under the back seat that is switched with the ignition.

I poked around the fuse panel under the seat looking for a switched circuit but couldn't find one. Any Idea which fuse postion?

I thought about putting in a aftermarket stereo, but really I don't want to go through all that trouble. The Bonne is the family car and I just want a little more bottom end out of it. For more boom I go get my Fiero, LOL.

(wifes account. I really need to register here someday)

Edit to add: 2000 Pontiac Bonneville.

[la_dyt]

I have a 2001 Bonneville SE with the Same situation. I just installed an amp last night but left the remote off until I find out the Issue. At first, I plugged the remote into the rr defrost and the thing stayed on all the time. So i can tap into the ignition and It would be fine?

Thanks for the Help!

[kmalinich]

airbag fuse works usually, if its in there.

[lewis26]

You dont need a new head unit to use rca's, but rather a line out converter. Then you could run RCA's.

Additionally, for my sub install, I will be using the 12v cig lighter for my remote turn on lead. I am already going to have to run my remote gain control wire through the car to the dash, so an extra wire wont make much difference. This wire will allow my subs to be on any time the radio is on, and also will stay on 10 minutes after the car is off like the radio does. Should work without issue.

[00Beast]

Won't plugging something in the cig lighter make the sound fuzzy? I thought the cig lighter was a bad place to get switched 12v from? (I could be way off track here).

[kmalinich]

Won't plugging something in the cig lighter make the sound fuzzy? I thought the cig lighter was a bad place to get switched 12v from? (I could be way off track here).

Only if the wire was very, very poor quality, and it would most likely be alternator whine because the remote line from the cig lighter doesn't have a good ground up front to share with the amp in the back.

And if you're running the wire up front anyway, just splice into the switched 12v line in the radio harness.