adding sub and amp to stock

[nathanneil]

hi guys, just joined up here. cool site so far. i was lookin for some help. a girl i work with just got an amp and subs-haven't seen them yet myself. she has a 98 explorer with a stock tape deck and stock cd changer. i'm just wondering how/if possible to hook the system up. i'm sure i sould tap into the rear speakers for the inputs(speakerlevel/rca), run a power and ground, then i'm not sure what to do with the remote wire. i have checked a few threads on this, but need more info. also, would it be easier/better to get an aftermarket deck to hook it up, and could the cd chager be hooked up to the new deck. thanks for any help.

 

[Saleen_SR71]

remote to an ignition wire.

both are just as dificult, thing is one is cheaper than the other... buying a new deck menas she would have to buy a new cd changer which will total an additional $400+, while tapping the remote in to an ignition wire would just cost you the price for the remote wire ($2) and some sorta T-Tap connetors ($3).

If price isnt an issue i suggest going aftermarket, but if it is, just tap in to an ignition wire.

 

[nathanneil]

well, i'm sure she'd rather spend as little as possible. i'd like to tap in for the remote to the deck or something, rather than ign. and i can tap the amp into the rear speakers with no problems?? thanks

 

[Saleen_SR71]

well tapping in to the rear speakers can be a problem... youd have to remove the rear right pannel to get to the speaker wires (closest to the rear without having to run wire from the door pretty much) and even then "i" dont know which wires are for which speakers... im running on a limb here because im not sure if all 2nd gen explorers run off an amp in the rear, but im assuming they do.
there may be an easier way but i dont know it, maybe someone else will help out

and by ignition i didnt mean from under the steering column, but a wire that turns on when the key is turned

 

[nathanneil]

k, so you just meant "hot" for ign wire-i understand. and i've never looked at the wiring in an explorer, but i'd like to do it the easiest way, so we'll see if anyone comes in. thanks for the advice though.

 

[briwayjones]

im running on a limb here because im not sure if all 2nd gen explorers run off an amp in the rear, but im assuming they do.
there may be an easier way but i dont know it, maybe someone else will help out

Starting with some '97s and up didn't have an external amp in the back. The amp is built into the HU.

 

[kert0307]

hey, go'n off the rear speakers works.....i did this same thing with my 00' sport.....it was a litle easier for me to tap into the rear speakers though cause they arn't in a door...what you need to do is get an amp with a built in crossover and line level inputs...or buy them separately. Connect the rear speakers off the speakers...make sure you the the positive and neg right for the speakers or it will be really quiet, the only way to do this is by tril and error because the wires that go to the speaker arn't marked. i ran the remote wire off the ignition wire that goes to the stereo, i also now of people that have run a toggle switch for the remote trun on, so they can turn their amp off. any more questions ask

 

[nathanneil]

k, i still have to look at the setup though(amp) cause i'm not sure if it has speaker level input or not, then i'll see where i have to run wires from the rears. i'll see if i can have a look at thing then ask what i need to know, thanks.

 

[briwayjones]

If the amp doesn't have speaker level inputs you can get a line output converter. It connects to the speaker wires and gives you RCA connects that you plug into the regular inputs on the sub.