Adding stock sub to 98 Mounty?

[CougarSE]

Adding stock sub to 98 Mounty : I figured it out!!

This new to me truck of mine has the most pitiful excuse for a sound system I've ever listened to! Absolutely no bass! Looking through the owners manual I guess I have the nicest head unit you could get in 98 but other than that I know nothing! I want to keep the stock head unit because of the rear audio controls, but damn I need some bass. I clicked 27 or so pages deep in this audio sub forum but didn't really come across anything that mentioned how to actually add the stock sub to my truck.. Read something about needing the harness that runs up to the kick panel?

I figure I'll replace the stock speakers and try and add a sub of some sorts.. We have plenty of excellent radio stations around here so I'm happy with the stock radio.

 

[toypaseo]

You can add an aftermarket one, in an OEM enclosure, powered by an aftermarket amp, like in my "Budget Bass" project...

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c4/toypaseo/explorer sub/106_0691.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c4/toypaseo/explorer sub/sub_opening.jpg

 

[CougarSE]

I picked up a stock box and amp today for $16 at pick n pull in Columbus Ohio.

I pulled the harness from front to back too.. but my truck doesn't have the connector behind the kick panel that the truck I got this from did.?. Is there a separate harness behind the dash that goes to the radio? Or will this just not work? I know on my Tbird there is a "premium sound" harness that is a modular add on to the stock dash harness. Are these trucks like that? The truck was a burn victim so I couldn't really get further into the dash. The truck this came out of was a full option Explorer I didn't catch the year.

Questions:

1. Did 98 Mounty's come with a factory sub?
2. If so would it have used my head unit? (The nicest unit in the owners manual)


What I'm hoping...

That the section of harness I bought today that runs to the back to the factory sub plugs into another section of harness that runs behind the dash and plugs into the radio..

What I'm hoping not...

That the dash harness is infact different.

 

[CDW6212R]

If you have an OE radio(for your truck), and it has an "RDS" button, then you have the needed main dash harness. The few wires may not be there for the sub in a truck with the Premium HU. There were two Pioneer OE radios, only one of those has sub outputs. Those are known as the Mach and Premium, not to be confused with names given by the manual or other years.

The radio businesses who deal with the HU's name them that way, refer to them for that reason, as either Mach or Premium HU's. Only the Mach has five outputs, even though it is almost identical in appearance to the Premium which you likely have. Only the part numbers and the name "MACH" on the outside of the unit will tell you which you have.

The Premium puts out four full range signals, for only four speakers. The Mach has a crossover internally which limits the bass to the sub only. The Mach needs to be used with a sub.

If you want to keep what you have, or get the other one, know that they both have a display problem. The repair is about $60 total, and is permanent. Most of the best repair shops will replace the display power board for you.

If your truck doesn't have the sub wiring in the dash, it isn't terribly long, it may not be too bad to add those few wires.

FYI, either of those Pioneers has equal quality to any Pioneer radio made then. RCA outputs can be installed, I have five in my Mach. Good luck,

 

[CougarSE]

I do have a radio with an RDS button. Do both radio's you speak of have the RDS button?

Behind the kick panel my truck does not have a connector for the sub.

I'm going to pull the HU out and see if it says mach on it.

I read in another thread that if the mach unit is installed in a non mach truck then there will be no bass. My truck has no bass.

 

[toypaseo]

Good price

It looks like you picked up a MACH enclosure, like this one on Ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford...016QQitemZ260165162992QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes both of the good Pioneer's have the "RDS" button instead of "CLOCK".

At least if the radio there was stock, then you have the proper three dash connectors, which means that all of the needed wires are there for the console. The few wires needed for the OEM subwoofer could be added with little trouble. Those other wires behind the radio would be much harder, my 98 has a radio adapter, plus a console changer adapter. Meaning that the wiring is definitely available, it just takes some deciphering. Regards,

 

[CougarSE]

Ok guys I made some headway on this.

My truck does have a Mach Head unit!!

This is the little section of harness that is all thats needed to add the sub. BUT! It was actually wound inside the dash harness and two wires needed to be cut to get it out. One was a ground wire that shared the eyelet with the amp ground behind the kick panel. The other was the amp power (I think thats what it does) It is a heavier gauge wire that was tapped into (factory tap) into a same color/size wire that ran to the back of the HU.

The radio had been cut out of the junkyard truck so the end that plugged into the radio from this small sub section of harness was missing. I grabbed two. One is out of the fire victim I got my sub box from (for color code/pin out). The one I will be using (after repining) is out of a Taurus but the same connector.

Here is the Taurus plug in the back of my HU.

Here is the radio without the connector showing the empty plug my truck currently has.

So basically we have this.

The plug for the sub attached to the radio. Runs behind the dash over to the kick panel. The wire you see going up to the corner of my couch needs spliced into the same color/size wire running to the back of the HU.

This is the connector behind the kick panel. One end comes from the dash behind the HU. The other is what goes back to the amp.

This long wire is what runs to the rear of the truck under the sill plates too the amp on the box.

 

[CougarSE]

Now I just need to get a replacement sub and get to work tearing my new (to me) truck apart! I had a very fun day at the junkyard learning about these trucks!

 

[Gay-briel]

looks good man


you might actually inspire me to finally wire in my tremor radio in the trac

 

[toypaseo]

Nice job

Nice find on the Taurus harness

Keep posting

 

[CougarSE]

I'm grinning ear to ear right now!

I just need to find out what kind of sub will work with this amplifier and I'll be golden.

 

[CDW6212R]

Well done, salvage yards can be good teachers. I think that you are looking at an 8" woofer as stock, and others have bolted in 10" speakers. Either way they should cost no more than say $50 or so new. My JL 10" is high at almost $100,. but that's nothing for one part. Try a quality 8" and see if it's enough for you. If you like a lot of bass you should hunt a 10" woofer and find the threads where others fit them in. Regards,

 

[CougarSE]

So this box is supposed to hold an 8" woofer stock? Also what Ohm speaker am I looking to get as to not kill this little amp?

 

[CDW6212R]

I think so, the early trucks had 5" or 6" subs. I never measured my stock 98 model, it sets in a corner, etc.

 

[CougarSE]

Any idea on the ohm? Or could you measure that too

 

[CougarSE]

Well I tore into it tonight and realized I left some key parts on the junk truck

What I'm missing are these little blind hole clips. I think I can pick them up at autozone. Probably do that tomorrow considering its like 5 minutes from my house.

They go here.

 

[CDW6212R]

Clip nuts, very handy to use, add threads in many places. The speaker resistance should be the average 4 ohms I'd bet. Night,

 

[CougarSE]

Thanks! I think I might just pick up a cheapy 10" sub at Meijer or Wal-Mart. Does anyone know the wattage of this stock amp?

 

[foxy]

People , I am going through the same process at the but mine is a little different .I started with a 9/99 that was equipped with a premium cassette radio . I bought all OE Mach speakers and sub but it took me a little while to work out what is a premium and a Mach .I realized there is a difference as the last letters of the model number should start with a C or an A ie 868-CA or AB and have RDS buttons and if the numbers start with a X or a Y it means the Y is the newer model .
Anyway I bought the harness a P100-T100 which allowed use a lot of OE wiring as with my old radio it had a AMP in the back where the sub woofer went before I bought the Mach .I put the old amp under the rear seat but by using the harness the old amp is disconnected as the Mach has it's own. also I had to make up a harness to go from the HU to the RHdoor and plugged it in and every thing works except the sub because it turns out the hu number even though it's a Mach is not suitable for the sub .My cd changer and the rear consoul and the radio is fine . It was then I realized that there is a cross over because the power to the amp is there and the LB/BK has 5volts and the LG/VT has 12 volts but it's the RD/BK and the TN/OR that is the key so my question is . Is there some way I can overcome this cross over ??? To make my sub work
I bought a 05 sub speaker from a forum member, it is a dual sub with 8 ohms where as the single amp sub has 4 ohms .Should I get a proper Mach model radio with sub function then all I have to do is plug it in. Another thing is when you look at the photo's published on E bay even though that the 8 pins for the sub are visible,The sub only needs 4 also doesn't mean that the HU is sub woofer compliant .