2000 Explorer - Installing Aftermarket HU

[Friborage]

I had an aftermarket head unit in my car for a few years and decided to trade up to a better aftermarket unit. My explorer is my beater vehicle so I decided I would take the old aftermarket unit from my car and stick it in my Explorer.

I expected it to be a quick, splice the harness (5-6 wires), slap it in and be done.

The packet Crutchfield sent me, though, is a little confusing to me. It talks about a factory amp and having to run wires to the back and connect multiple harnesses, etc. They gave me a small harness like I expected, and then this gigantic 5-6ft thing. I did some research on the forum here, but it's a little foggy, still.

I have 4 speakers (one in each door) and no sub or anything. Im pretty sure I have a basic sound system.

Do all Explorers have a factory amp somewhere? I pulled off the back passenger side panel in the cargo area (the panel is just a little plastic cubby hole storage pocket) and there's nothing behind there.

If I dont have an external factory amp, what wires am I going to have to hook up? Just what's behind the HU in the dash?

 

[drdoom]

Yes that is a bit of a job. The amp is forward of where you are looking, closer to the rear passenger door. You need to pull the rear seatbelt, large rear quarter panel trim, door thresholds, kick panel, glove box, etc.

 

[Friborage]

This is what Im dealing with:

So you're 100% sure that all Explorers of my year and all audio packages have an amp behind that paneling? I read in a few places that after 98 the amp becomes internal to the head unit.

I just have a really hard time believing that this system is externally amplified... and I reaaaaaaaally dont want to take all that apart to find an empty space!

 

[drdoom]

No not 100% sure.

 

[drdoom]

Any updates?

 

[Stic-o]

Not all of them had a amp. My '99 didn't .

The wiring is really simple. The 4 speakers, constant, switched, negative, dimmer.

I normally do the full wiring before I even touch the truck. Then just plug and play. Much easier to do the wiring a table too.

 

[chefduane]

In my '98 with the Mach system the amp is, in fact, just ahead of the sub enclosure on the passenger side in the rear storage area. Yes, just aft of the rear passenger door. Interesting that my factory head unit looked exactly like the one in your pic #3 but it had an additional hookup for the amp. It looks like yours has a physical location for an amp hookup (the PBT-GF30 recess) but not the electronix connector. If your rear cargo area has the cubbyhole with the net across it then you do not have the Mach system and as such, would not have an amp and sub. The sub enclosure is where the cubbyhole is located. I believe that the Mach Premium Sound System only came with Preferred Option Package 945a. (At least, it did on my '98 XLT 4x). You might check your original sticker if you have it. I'm pretty sure I'm right on all of the above, but if I'm wrong someone check me.
Hope this helps!

 

[Friborage]

Alrighty guys, I got this figured out. I want to post it for future use because this was a ***** of a question, and nobody seemed to be really sure.

So, going back to this picture:

I've got a 2000 Explorer 4-door XLT. Base Audio package with AM/FM/CD/Cassette. There is no amp... I repeat, no amp. There is also no subwoofer.

The picture above, the connector to the right (the more rectangular one) is the audio hookup. It contains the constant and switched power, as well as all of the speaker wires. You need ONLY a harness to connect that up to get full audio function. I used Metra pn: 70-1771. That's all you need, it's like 12 wires, easy peasy.

So, once I figured that out, what in the holy hell is that other square connector on the left for? Well, after some thinking I came to the answer. That left square harness in the picture only serves as the connection for the rear passenger audio control panel seen here:

So, all that second harness does is provide function to the rear passenger audio controls in the center console. That console becomes non-functional if that harness is disconnected, but in my situation I dont give a crap.

All is well now, thanks for all your help. Hopefully this info can help someone else in the future. Crutchfield's catalog is definitely wrong on this, and Im going to try working with them to clarify it.

 

[drdoom]

Excellent update, thank you for posting the resolution.

 

[Dono]

Thanks for this.
I was always wondering If I could keep my rear audio controls if I replaced my head unit.

It looks like you answered my question.

 

[chefduane]

You know, I've had my Kenwood unit it for about 1.5 years and I don't really know if my passenger controls work! I >think< I hooked them up but I can't really remember... I'll have to check tomorrow. I am the only driver and I never carry passengers so it doesn't really matter, but it would be nice to know that everything is functional.

Thanks for the update!!

 

[DjDom]

1991 to 1997 had an external amp for the speakers (Rear right quarter panel).
If equipped with a factory subwoofer, there was a second amp there for the sub.

1998+ had the amp built into the head unit.
Vehicles without a subwoofer would NOT have any amps there. If the vehicle came factory equipped with a subwoofer, it would have a sub amp attached to the box.

 

[BB2]

To just keep this info all in one thread. Say you do have a sub, amp, steering wheel and rear controls. (Like my 98 EB) Would the harness from crutch field be what is needed to make all of these work with an after market head unit? I actually just picked up a double din for mine and need to find this info.

 

[shadowless127]

To just keep this info all in one thread. Say you do have a sub, amp, steering wheel and rear controls. (Like my 98 EB) Would the harness from crutch field be what is needed to make all of these work with an after market head unit? I actually just picked up a double din for mine and need to find this info.

Can't speak for 98, but I know on my 01 with the Mach system the Metra wiring kit comes with an adapter specifically for the sub/amp that converts the factory plug into a single RCA that you plug into your HU's sub preamp. Ran this setup on some crappy Kenwood HU that my 01 came with. You will have to buy a HU that supports steering wheel controls, and one of the PAC or Axxess units that interface with the steering wheel controls. One of those is about $50. To my knowledge, you cannot interface the rear controls to an aftermarket HU.

 

[chefduane]

Can't speak for 98, but I know on my 01 with the Mach system the Metra wiring kit comes with an adapter specifically for the sub/amp that converts the factory plug into a single RCA that you plug into your HU's sub preamp. Ran this setup on some crappy Kenwood HU that my 01 came with. You will have to buy a HU that supports steering wheel controls, and one of the PAC or Axxess units that interface with the steering wheel controls. One of those is about $50. To my knowledge, you cannot interface the rear controls to an aftermarket HU.

I can confirm this on my '98 with the Mach system. At least, what used to be a Mach system. I have swapped out the h/u, the 4 door speakers, and the sub in the rear (see components in sig file.) The factory amp remains. Everything is matched spec-wise so it sounds great. But, my rear controls >do not< function with my existing h/u. I used the Metra wiring kit to connect everything. I cannot comment on steering wheel controls as I do not have them and I did not buy a h/u that supports them.

 

[shadowless127]

Well, I may have misspoke.

You can use a PAC SWI-PC or SWI-RC to retain your rear controls. However, if you have steering wheel controls you can only have either or, not both.

 

[Dono]

I've been doing some reading on the PAC controllers, and it does look like one controller can work for both rear and front controls.
If you look at this pdf of the pac controller
http://www.pac-audio.com/PACProductData/SWI-RC/1_Instructions/swi-rc_viig_32514.pdf
, you see there is one wire for rear controls, and another for front controls.

 

[bubba_gump]

I can confirm this on my '98 with the Mach system. At least, what used to be a Mach system. I have swapped out the h/u, the 4 door speakers, and the sub in the rear (see components in sig file.) The factory amp remains. Everything is matched spec-wise so it sounds great. But, my rear controls >do not< function with my existing h/u. I used the Metra wiring kit to connect everything. I cannot comment on steering wheel controls as I do not have them and I did not buy a h/u that supports them.

can you tell me the specs of the aftermarket sub you bought

 

[chefduane]

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Bjm2RRWEFzb/p_113XW800F/Kenwood-Excelon-KFC-XW800F.html

..although I would not buy it from Crutchfield. You can find it much cheaper if you just look around the net a bit.

 

[bubba_gump]

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Bjm2RRWEFzb/p_113XW800F/Kenwood-Excelon-KFC-XW800F.html

..although I would not buy it from Crutchfield. You can find it much cheaper if you just look around the net a bit.

ok thanks man.... thats with the stock amp right?