94 Explorer: To Bypass or Not To Bypass

[dgcar]

I have a 94 Ford Explorer that has developed a serious case of volume-itis... buttons no longer work. I am looking at replacing it with a Sony Xplod MEX-BT2700. According to my stereo specs I can use one of two harnesses:

Bypass factory amp
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_120705004/Receiver-Wire-Harness.html?tp=736

Utilize Factory Amp
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_120705510/Ford-Receiver-Wiring-Harness.html?tp=736

From what I understand (novice here) the installation on the second is much easier as you don't need to get into the rear door panel and mess with the amp. Is there a good reason not to use the factory amp? I am not looking at tricking out my car's entire sound system; just want a good working radio and bluetooth is too good to pass up

TIA

 

[Anime]

If you're just going to replace the receiver, and use the factory speakers, then going with the second harness makes more sense, since you will save the hassle of getting behind the rear panel and messing with the amp wiring.

If you were going for higher-end sound with aftermarket speakers, or just wanted higher quality sound, using the internal amp of the receiver by running speaker wire from the receiver to the speakers, or using an aftermarket amp would be better options.

The main reason NOT to use the factory amp (over aftermarket stuff, anyway) is it has higher distortion, on the order of 10%, where most aftermarket stuff is below 1% and typically under 0.1%.

That said, upgrading the receiver (and even the speakers) and still using the factory amp is fine, and makes for a pretty easy install job compared to messing with the amp wiring or trying to bypass it.

You can always upgrade the speakers or amp later when the amp goes out or the speakers start falling apart. Going with the second harness right now to make it a simple matter of removing the old receiver and popping in the new one is a good option.

 

[Danimal86]

i would definitely bypass! i have a 94 xlt, and i was having a problem where the passenger door speaker was crackling, i was hoping that it was just a bad conection on the back of the deck, but after i checked it out and everything was tightly connected, it had to be the amp. i pulled the back panel (not too bad of a job), found the factory amp (a real piece of crap) and bypassed it. i was quite suprised at how much of a difference it made, it was substantially more quiet. i would suggest getting a 4 channel amp to replace it (thats what i ended up doing). its not that big of a project because you have all the speaker wire for the door speakers attached to the factory amp, all you have to do is clip one side (after the amp), extend the wires to the 4 amp, run signal from the deck and power/ground....a good day project

in short, bypass it and spend $60 on a 4 channel amp....better than having the factory one fail on you!