2000 Exploder Should I bypass factory amp?

[Jerzey]

I wanted to upgrade my factory radio in my 2000 Explorer sport AWD. I don't use CDs anymore and the tape deck to cell phone headphone jack is blaaa.

Anyhow, after talking with a crutchfield associated and explaining what I wanted out of a headunit, they offered up the Pioneer DEH-X6600BT. Which offers bluetooth, and plug and play to my android.

Now, they are offering up a harness to integrate the factory amp (which I think is in the rear drivers fender?). Should I just bypass it with the free harness, or integrate it with the paid for harness? And how do I know for sure that I have a factory amp. I don't have "Mach" sound.....

 

[Anime]

If you don't listen to CDs anymore, why bother buying a CD player?

Pioneer, and several other manufacturers, offer digital media receivers that play audio files, and are designed to play music from sources such as smartphones.

That said, the DEH-X6600BT isn't a bad choice for the price if you wanted a CD player along with digital media features.


As for the harness, the factory radio that has a CD player and cassette player usually has an amplifier in the head unit, so you hopefully won't need the bypass or integration harness. There are factory head units that just had CD players, those were usually the ones with a seperate amplifier. To check visually, you can usually look through the hole that the seatbelt goes into on the rear passenger side with a flashlight, and see if there is an amplifier or just an empty space.

If there is an amplifier, I'd say which harness to get depends on how it connects to the aftermarket unit. A harness that integrates the factory amplifier and plugs into the RCA outputs of the head unit might be good, but one that simply feeds the speaker outputs into the factory amp inputs is not so good, and bypassing the amplifier would probably be better. The best thing to do in these cases is often to just buy speaker wire and run wire from the new head unit to the speakers, since the factory wires can be pretty thin, since they are just sending a non-amplified signal to the amp.

Hopefully you won't need to do any of that though, and if you have the factory CD/cassette, can just get a free adapter that lets you plug the new unit right into the factory speaker wires behind the head unit.

Crutchfield is usually pretty good about sending more parts/adapters if it turns out you picked the wrong one, which they sometimes need to do since their system isn't perfect, sometimes it shows a customer needs an amp integration/bypass harness even through there is also a factory option for a radio without a seperate amp. There are also reps who just don't know how to navigate the system or simply don't understand that sometimes the higher-end factory options (like the CD/cassette unit) have an integrated amp rather than a seperate one.

 

[Jerzey]

Thanks for the response.
I do have the Single CD/ Cassette deck, with the 6 disc in the console.

In the passenger rear seat belt area, I didn't see anything. On the driver's side, (where the jack access is) there is a white box that contains the factory door keyless code on it. Is that the amp? Or is that something else.

And, the only reason I looked at the CD players, is because they were inexpensive and I'm looking to upgrade trucks in the near future.

Is there any other way of knowing if I have the factory amp?

The harness they were suggesting was this one..
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-S1Y188otELl/p_142C4FDK6/Scosche-CFDK6-Factory-Integration-Adapter.html

 

[DjDom]

There's no factory external amp in a 2000 Sport.
The amp is built into the head unit. It's as simple as putting the new headunit in with a wiring harness. Nothing to bypass.

If you had a factory subwoofer, that's different.
Crutchfield should provide you with the direct harness for free. They're messing up pre 97 Explorers with 98+.

 

[Jerzey]

Thanks! Wouldn't happen to know the factory RMS would ya?

 

[DjDom]

Thanks! Wouldn't happen to know the factory RMS would ya?

Which head unit you got?

 

[Jerzey]

Which head unit you got?

I'm speaking of the factory head unit. I'll have to snap a photo of it. Single CD up top, cassette below. Got a nice green hue to the button colors. Haha

 

[Anime]

If it's the CD & cassette unit, there shouldn't be an external amp. The stuff on the driver's side is the 4WD/AWD electronics and apparently the keyless entry module. If there's nothing behind the passenger side rear panel, theres no external amp.

There isn't a factory Sport / 2-door with AWD, so that might also be messing them up if you're giving them that info and they are just looking at the 4-door AWD models and radio options.

I mention the digital media receivers since they cost less than the CD-player equipped models, though if you'll be changing vehicles in the near future, you might want to just hold off and keep the factory radio installed and get the new unit for your next vehicle.

Factory RMS is nearly a meaningless spec. It's probably rated at something like 20w x 4 or 25w x 4, but in reality it's probably only putting out 10-15 watts per channel, and at something like 5-10% THD. This is why aftermarket head units and amps are such an improvement, although you really need to also get aftermarket speakers to get the full benefit.

 

[Jerzey]

It was just out of curiosity. I've already upgraded the speakers long ago in the truck. I used to be deep into the radio scene when I was in high school, but haven't dabbled in it in a long time.

I was just tired of the cord to plug in and charge the phone, plus the wire connected into the headphone jack. Then having to lightly jam the cassette adapter into the deck every now and then to improve audio quality. Then on top of that, wear a bluetooth piece because driving with a phone in your hand is illegal around here.

And for $150 for everything needed, I'm not loosing out here. Figured I'd pass the truck onto my 17 year old son down the road anyhow. I don't think he even knows what a cassette tape is. Haha

 

[drdoom]

I use a digital head unit. Haven't used CDs in years. The digital has Bluetooth, Pandora, WMA, MP3, hands free, USB, AUX, AM/FM. You can charge your devices with it. Also have CB/WX, all in the DIN slot. Like you, I was done with all the adapters.

 

[Jerzey]

I use a digital head unit. Haven't used CDs in years. The digital has Bluetooth, Pandora, WMA, MP3, hands free, USB, AUX, AM/FM. You can charge your devices with it. Also have CB/WX, all in the DIN slot. Like you, I was done with all the adapters.

What are you using bud? What model is it?

 

[drdoom]

Jerzey I have a JVC KD-X50BT single DIN on top and a Cobra 18 WX ST II on the bottom. Nothing fancy, just a standard digital media receiver. Less than $150 IIRC.

 

[DjDom]

Now a days you get the CD drive for the same price with all the digital receiver features.