A way to install a HU without running speaker wires?

I have a 1995 Explorer XLT with JBL Audio, I searched the site and and to be honest I am more confused then when I started.

I hope my question is simple, Is there a way to install an aftermarket radio WITHOUT having to run new speaker wires? I read there was ways to bypass the factory amp, or to integrate it. I dont care either way...as long as I dont have to run new speaker wires. Can someone please link me to something that might make this possible?

I understand that I may have to take off the rear kick panel to access the amp and install a harness....i just dont want to tear the truck apart running new wires.

As I am thinking this brings up 2 other questions,

If I DO have to run new wires...will I only have to run them from the Amp to the HU..or will i need to take the door panel off and run wires to them also?

If I do have to run wites...will I also have to run a new antenna wire?

Can someone please help me...I am totally lost!

Thanks

If its the JBL system (and not the MACH system, which is different), you can choose between;

-A harness that bypasses the amp completely and uses the factory signal and speaker wires to power the speakers with the aftermarket radio's amp (sucky setup since the factory signal wires are THIN, also usually results in loss of subwoofer use)

-A harness that uses the preamp outputs of the aftermarket radio to send an audio signal to the factory amp/amps (good idea for stock speakers, keeps the factory sub) No change in wiring except for the harness.

-Scrapping all the factory stuff (radio, amps, etc.) and just throwing in an aftermarket amp or amps for the speakers and sub. (somewhat expensive, but best sound quality with new speakers and sub, and least amount of headache in terms of getting things to work with each other) You can keep the factory speaker wires and use them, simply swapping in the aftermarket amps in the same place as the factory ones.

Running new speaker wire isn't necessary unless you either have damaged factory wiring, or need larger diameter speaker wire for higher power amps and speakers. For four speaker systems without a sub (or when using an aftermarket sub and sub amp), sometimes running new speaker wire from the head unit is less hassle than messing with all the adapters, though.

So where can i find something like this?

-A harness that uses the preamp outputs of the aftermarket radio to send an audio signal to the factory amp/amps (good idea for stockspeakers, keeps the "factory sub) No change in wiring except for the harness."

You can get harnesses online, whether at car audio sites like crutchfield, or even through regular retail sites like amazon. You'll have to price compare with shipping and see what the best deal is.

You can also buy them at your local car audio shop, but they tend to be much higher priced. Walmart sells the basic harneses, but not that type of amplifier integration harness.

The amp harness you need is going to depend on the system you have. If it's a real JBL system like the 91-94's, you just use the same harness as those. If it's the later system like the 96-97's, you'll need to use that. Basically, pull your factory radio and see what the connectors look like before buying.



Metra 70-5510 Amplifier Integration Harness Ford Explorer 91-94, (some 95's), JBL Audio system





Metra 70-5603 Amplifier Integration Harness Ford Explorer 95-97, JBL/Mach Audio system




If you do have the later system with the seperate tuner, it seems they're pushing another harness kit to bypass the rear-mounted tuner. I would think installing an aftermarket radio and unplugging the tuner wires would do it, but the tuner might be integrated into the same power and audio wiring as the amplifier. An antenna extension is also included so perhaps you can get around it if you wire up a different antenna that just goes to the head unit directly like in most other Explorers. If you must use it, the kit is

Metra 70-5061 Rear Tuner Bypass Kit Ford Explorer 95-97





Personally I would just pull the rear panel/door panels and replace the factory amp and sub with a nice 5-channel amp and an aftermarket 8" or 10" in a Q-logic enclosure (or a JL Audio Stealthbox/MTX Thunderform), and new 6x8's (or components) all around. It's more money and hassle than plugging in some wires, but the volume and sound quality are worth it. The factory stuff eventually blows up or falls apart, anyway. An amp integration harness should work if you just want a radio with aftermarket features without bothering with the amp/speakers or sub, though.

I wanted to thank you for a great reply....I learned alot reading what you posted.

Apparently I will need to take out my factory radio to see what harness I need.

I was looking to make the installation fast and easy which is why i wanted a way to use the factory wiring. I would love to install aftermarket speakers and amp but that's just not in the budget. I already have a head unit which i took out of my previously totaled car. It's not a great unit but it has SD card input which i love (no more burning CDs)

I spoke to crutchfield and they said that I must run new wires but I think it's only because they dont sell the harness to integrate the amp.

I also email installer.com and they suggested the Metra 70-5600
http://www.installer.com/item/display_item.php?it=70-5600

I am thinking the only way to be sure is to remove the radio and see what's up.

The 70-5600 is the kit for a Premium Sound/NON JBL unit. installer.com needs to actually read the entire email instead of seeing "I have a 1995 Ford Expl...." and defaulting to the 70-5600 kit. That kit would go in an Ex with a Radio/tape player, CD changer in the armrest, and no subwoofer in the rear panel. JBL's had a sub, Non-JBL's had no sub.

I definitely have the sub....and I can see the little JBL tag on the speaker panel in the back. I didnt think installer.com was giving me the correct harness and from that experience i wont buy from them.

THe first line of the email said "I own a 1995 Ford Explorer XLT with the factory installed JBL audio."

Now I just have to determine which JBL system I have. Once I pull out the radio...what is the easiest way to tell if it is the 91-94's (some 95) or the 95-97, JBL/Mach Audio system. I read somewhere to look to see if the antenna is plugged into the radio, but dont know if that makes it the 91-94 of it is or the 95-97.

Of course my Explorer is on the "cusp" and its just isnt as easy as looking the the unit lol.

I would just pull the part number off of the head unit...

Not sure on the differences, since the '94 would have been a single-DIN unit, and the '95+ would have been a double DIN. Don't know how you could have a '94 JBL in a '95 factory installed...

I was just going by Anime's post which said that it could be the 91-94 or the 95-97 radio..he suggests that some 95's had the 94 JBL system in it.

The radio is not a single DIN...looks more like a 1.5 DIN to me.

Hey Quxote....

I am in the middle of doing the same thing. Mine is a 94 Eddie Bauer 4x4 with the premium JBL (with sub-woofer).

(waiting for an answer to my questions here http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154055&page=4)

Taking the back panel is't that hard...
1. remove the plastic strip at the back that holds the carpet down... pull the carpet back from the bottom of the panel hiding the amplifier and remove the screws holding it to the floor. Then remove the 9 plastic pins... I had good luck using a pair of scissors to get the pins started until you can grab it with your fingers, then unscrew while pulling...

the hardest part is removing the rear passenger side seatbelt... I didn't have anything to fit the star socket but using a good pair of vice grips around the head worked good for me.

installing the amp bypass is simple, but since the sub gets it's signal from the amp I have no sub.

My new HU has sub preamp outs and that should work, but I haven't figured out the wiring yet. there are only 3 wires going into the subamp from the main amp and from what I have read so far on the forum one of them is probably the turn on signal and the other 2 are the mono audio + - Still need to do some experimenting with those.

The other thing that I had to deal with and you may too... the Ford amp turn on signal wants to be 5Volts, but my Pioneer amp turn on signal is 12volts....

Hope some of that helps..

bob

Thanks for the reply....but why do you have to remove teh passenger side seat belt? To get to the amp?

The Rear passenger seatbelt is attaches thru the panel...it may be possible to work with out removing it but it just makes it so much easier when you can get the whole panel out of the way.

bob

ahhh gotcha.....the more i look into changing this radio the more i see it's a bigger job then i thought

Oh yea... one more thing.. if your new HU has preamp outs.. you can use those and not bypass the amp and everything will work even the sub... But if your HU has subwoofer controls... you know like setting the cut off freqs... you won't be able to use them since the JBL subamp gets it's signal from the main amp. But it will work.

On my Piioneer HU though doing it that way I got loud pops from the speakers whenever I changed sources or even radio stations. I was told that the 12v 5v amp turn on signal was the problem, but it wasn't. Apparently it only causes a problem when you turn the car on and the HU turns on for the first time you can get a speaker pop. The changing sources pop is apparently the factory HU turns off and then on the amp when changing sources, and the aftermarket HU doesn't. At least that is my understanding but I could be wrong.

bob

hmmm..I am not sure what preamp outs are.....what do i look for on my HU?

Instead of using my current HU i was thinking of buying this
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_077ITS301D/Valor-ITS-301D.html?o=p&showAll=N&tp=5684

If you page up and look at Anime's post with the conversion kit photos... see the bundle that has the blue purple black and white plastic connectors... those (well like something that those would plug into). Like on an old stereo or cassete recorder... RCA jacks they're called.

bob

what brand / model HU are you looking to install?

The one I alread have it a Vr3 model VRCD400SDU

http://roadmasterusa.com/product.php?p=VRCD400SDU

I picked it up at Wal-mart because I wanted something that will play CD cards. One problem I had with the unit is the FM or AM never worked but i suspected that was a problem with the car's antenna and not the radio. I looked on the back of the radio and it does have 4 RCA jacks (2 red 2 white)

I was thinking about buying a new HU because crutchfield offer free installation harnesses and kits when purchasing a radio. I figured for a couple extra bucks I can get a new HU that will play DVDs.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_077ITS3...wAll=N&tp=5684

Well.. what you have should work fine.

I got my Pioneer from Crutchfield.. you can buy the harnesses from them.

I don't know which one is for your model, but looking at the photos that Anime posted, assuming it was the first one then you would plug the RCA connectors into you HU preamp outs. The other end (black plastic squareish) mates with the ford cable harness. The Grey plastic adapter handles the power and ground connecions as well as the amp turn on lead. The grey plastic connector mates with the other ford harness.

The benefit is that you don't have to cut off the ford connectors... if you should want to sell the car you could possibly get a factory radio from the junkyard and snap it in.

bob

Crutchfield will give me the harness for free if I buy the new HU....but the one they suggest is the Metra 70-5061, they told me i will have to run the wires to the back of the truck. which puts me back to where i started...having to run the wires...I was hoping that I didnt have to do that. But it all seems to be determined by what radio I have....and now that I look at it...no matter what radio I have it looks like i will still have to run RCA wires to the back to get the amp working