Gen1 1994 Premium System Upgrade Questions

[mikeinri]

Hi guys,

I'm an audio newbie on the site. I've spent several hours searching and reading through the forum, and now I have a bunch of questions. Hope you can help!

Here's my situation (sorry in advance for the long post, just want to get all the info out there):

Stock system, I believe it's Premium, definitely no sub. Head unit is high-end cassette (has Automatic Dynamic Noise Response). Head unit has several buttons that don't work (two presets and the DOWN VOLUME button: oh yeah, that's fun), cassette door doesn't stay closed, eject doesn't work right (I haven't used the cassette in years). Front right speaker is blown.

Truck has 271,000 miles. We also have a baby, so I can't spend much time or money to make this better.

I plan to do the install myself, have done head units on other cars.

After reading through the posts here, I am thinking about going with a new Pioneer head unit (I've had great luck with these in the past) and at least a new set of front speakers (6x8 so I don't have to fabricate anything). My wife bought me an iPod for Christmas, would like to be able to use it in the truck.

Here's what I'm thinking about going with:

Head unit: Pioneer DEH-P3900MP, CD receiver with built-in MOSFET amplifier (22 watts RMS/50 peak x 4 channels), can get cable to drive iPod.

Speakers: Pioneer TS-A6871R, 6x8, 3-way, 2-50 RMS, 240w peak OR:
Pioneer TS-A6881R, 6x8, 4-way, 2-50 RMS, 260w peak

So, I have lots of questions before I start spending money and time on this.

1. Is there much difference between those speakers? The price difference is $20. If I can get away with the less expensive ones, I might replace the rears too.

2. Is there a way to fix the sticking buttons on the Ford head unit? I had the exact same problem on a 1991 Mercury Sable a few years ago, just replaced it. If this can be fixed, that would help me save some cash.

3. If the head unit can be fixed, are there iPod adaptors that I can use to connect the iPod to this system?

4. If we go the route of the new head unit, is it better to bypass the stock amplifier, or to use it? I've seen the instructions for both, but no real guidance on which is better.

5. If I bypass it, will I lose power? Does anyone know how much power the stock amp puts out, especially compared to a new head unit (22 watts RMS/50 peak x 4 channels)?

6. When I replaced the head unit on the Sable, it always sounded like there was less power. The radio was a good one (Pioneer, same power level as this one), but I think I lost something when the amp was bypassed (I had that done by a shop). Will this happen again?

7. If I use the bypass, will I lose signal because of the small wires that are running from the head to the current amp? Will this be significant?

8. If I want to keep the stock amplifier connected, what is the best way to deal with it (in terms of connectors, adjustments, etc.)?

9. Speakers & noise: Why would just one have blown? I was hearing some popping noises when listening to the radio. Haven’t heard that in a while. Could that be the amplifier, or the wiring, or something with the antenna? I saw a noise troubleshooting document on Crutchfield that looked pretty good, I just don’t want to blow the new speakers while trying to figure this out.

10. I see lots of references to making sure the power and ground wires are away from the amplifier and speaker wires. Where are the power and ground wires routed for the stock amplifier?

11. I saw a vague post that said people were having trouble on the early Explorers with heat in the dash with aftermarket amplified head units. Is there anything I should be looking to do about this?

12. I do love bass, so what's the best direction to go for an inexpensive sub and amp setup? Brands, models, etc.

Seems like I had other questions, but that should get me started.

Thanks in advance!

Mike

 

[Jason94sport]

I would shop at www.crutchfield.com
They will give you install docs & all the speaker adapters, HU wire harness, HU removal tools, HU dash kit, & the amp bypass harness, as well as 24/7 tech support.
This really is the easiest way to DIY the 1st time. You may get a tad better price on things locally, but it's worth the extra small $ for the extras you get, & it will be done the right way. No guess work, no cutting wires, & no trouble from a hacked job.(low speaker output, heat, etc)

For the speakers you really don't need anything that great if your using just a HU to power. 4 ways are not needed. I would get whatever is on sale.

Forget the stock HU it's not worth the trouble.

For bass a single small 10" sub in a small box will do the job. But it depends on how much bass you want. A 12" may be better for you.

 

[Anime]

1. There's not a whole lot of difference between the 3-way and 4-ways, at least nothing you'd really notice. You're probably better off with the 3-ways anyway for a budget system. You can get the Pioneer 3-ways at walmart for $50-60/pair.

2. Yes, but you can get a used, good condition factory replacement for $10-20, which is quite a bit less than it would cost for have the unit repaired.

3. Sure, buy any cassette adapter (they sell them at the dollar store), put it into the cassette deck, plug into iPod, play.

4. Definitely bypass the stock amp, and do it by running new speaker wires from the head unit to the speakers. Theres adapters and amp bypass harnesses, but the wires from the stock head unit to the amp are pretty wimpy, so using them as speaker wires isn't such a good idea. It still sounds ok, though.

5. It won't "lose" power, but the thin wires from the head unit to the amp won't give as clean a signal as 16-18 ga. speaker wire. Stock amp is sometehing like 20W x 4, but with about 10% distortion, compared to 20-22W with something like 1% or even 0.1% on most aftermarket decks. That's 100 times less distortion. Much clearer and cleaner sound.

6. More distortion makes a system sound louder. Using speakers with higher power ratings than the amp thats pushing them can also make it sound wimpy compared to using an amp with the right ratings for the speakers. The 3-way Pioneers are pretty efficient, though, and should do ok with the head unit.

7. I used the amp bypass for awhile and even with the thin wires the sound was ok, but it was just for a temporary setup. I would definitely suggest using speaker wire for a permanent connection.

8. If you get a repaired factory head unit, then use the stock amp. Otherwise, it gets to be a mess of adapters trying to use an aftermarket head unit with a factory amp, and it simply isn't worth it. The harnesses and adapters will cost much more than a spool of top quality speaker wires.

9. It's common for the 91-94 head units to start popping, which means they're on their way out. Speakers blowing is usually from distortion, the factory system isn't really made to be driven hard. Aftermarket is definitely the ticket when this stuff starts happening.

10. Stock power and ground for the amp come through the firewall, to the fuse panel above the drivers side kick panel, over to the passenger side, and along the side up to the amp.

11. You'll get into trouble if you start stuffing a mess of wires behind the head unit, with adapters and harnesses and extra wire. Just use a harness for the main connections, speaker wires, and unplug any excess (unused RCA outputs, extra wires, etc.) and it should have plenty of room for amp heat to vent.

12. JL stealthboxes are a few hundred $$, but you can sometimes get them used for cheap. MTX thunderforms are $200. You can also get Q-forms premade boxes and stuff you own choice of a 8" or 10" in. For a budget, something like a 10" Q-forms box with a 10" Pioneer sub ($40-50) and a 100-150W Pioneer amp ($100) might be what you want.

 

[Jason94sport]

Sorry I have to disagree with a lot of that. There is no reason to run speaker wire around from a aftermarket deck. That's just useless & un-needed. A bypass harness will work just fine. And they are not expensive parts. Crutchfield will give them to you if you buy the parts.
The wires in the X are fine to 50W or so RMS. There are no HU's with built in amps that are going to push 50W-75W RMS into each each channel.(4)
Only reason to run speaker cable is if your adding a amp to drive the door speakers.
Also if you like your sound forget the wimpy tape adapters. Get a HU with an aux input. Many new ones come this way.

This is from real world 1st gen X experience. I've had 2 of them & installed full setups in a few others. Each had not 1 problem.

 

[mikeinri]

Thanks guys.

Everyone has different opinions, which is one of the strengths of this site.

So far, it seems like I should go with the 3-way speakers, an aftermarket head unit, and don't use the stock amp.

I did see a post that says the stock system is running 4x20W, so I shouldn't lose any power by cutting out the stock amp.

As for wiring, I'll try the bypass setup, harness, etc. If I don't like the sound, I can always run new speaker wire afterwards.

Crutchfield sounds like the way to go.

I wouldn't use a cassette adapter. I used to do that for a CD Walkman, but the noise that thing created was nuts (unless they've gotten better over the years). Lots of hissing between songs with the volume up.

We have an RV with an Alpine CD changer that has a wireless radio interface (yes, these toys were pre-baby purchases...). I have to tune to an FM station to hear the CD player, and it works beautifully. I thought there were some of these for iPods, but I've heard they're not as good as a direct-wire setup. Any comments on that?

Just one question about the stock amp power routing. Sounds like they are running adjacent to the amp feed and speaker wires? Isn't that "forbidden?"

Thanks again!

Mike

 

[Jason94sport]

You want a direct wire setup for the Ipod. I have 1 connected to the Aux input on my HU, & I have a factory interface for my Acura that charges the Ipod & I get track/playlist control from my stock HU.
The basic rule of thumb is to run the signal cables(RCA, speaker) down 1 side & the power cables down the other side. But if your not adding an amp there's no need to worry about it.
Most stock setups run it all together just cause it's easier. Stock systems are such low power, any chance of any RFI interference is minimal.
I have never had any RFI problems with Explorers as long as the connectors & power wires are sized correctly.

 

[EMG7895]

You want a direct wire setup for the Ipod. I have 1 connected to the Aux input on my HU, & I have a factory interface for my Acura that charges the Ipod & I get track/playlist control from my stock HU.
The basic rule of thumb is to run the signal cables(RCA, speaker) down 1 side & the power cables down the other side. But if your not adding an amp there's no need to worry about it.
Most stock setups run it all together just cause it's easier. Stock systems are such low power, any chance of any RFI interference is minimal.
I have never had any RFI problems with Explorers as long as the connectors & power wires are sized correctly.

My acura has that too, very nice feature.

If you can solder I recommend bypassing the amp yourself, all you need to do is splice the wires.
Another thing is do not hook up the blue turn on wire when you install the new stereo.

 

[Anime]

Like I said, using an adapter with a bypass harness gives ok sound, but after I went through the hassle of installing the bypass harness and head unit adapter, which involved yanking the rear panel to get to the amp wiring, it was obvious that just running new speaker wire from the head unit to each speaker would have been cheaper, easier, and better. I switched to using an amp, but would definitely have run new wire were I using the head unit to power the speakers.

As for the iPod setup, just get a Pioneer deck with a AUX input. It makes it incredibly easy to just use a plug-in audio cable to play from just about any audio source. FM modulators are old-school, and while they do work, its simpler and easier to just get the HU with the AUX, especially if you're planning on plugging it in quite a bit.

The wires on most vehicles are just run together since they're usually low-power high-distortion anyway.

 

[EMG7895]

running new speaker wires cleanly is a complete pita compared to pulling the panel off and plugging in a harness/splicing.

 

[Jason94sport]

Not to say you can't do it that way. I just don't see it. Your not going to hear anything different from 20G wire to 16G wire.

 

[mikeinri]

Thanks guys, this is very helpful. I'll let you know how it goes.

On the other hand, our 2-year old hot water tank just started leaking in the basement, this radio project might be on hold for fundage...

Mike

 

[Anime]

running new speaker wires cleanly is a complete pita compared to pulling the panel off and plugging in a harness/splicing.

Maybe on a empty 4 door. On a loaded up sport, it's more hassle pulling everything to get to the panel, removing the whole thing, etc. Pulling the kick panels and trim to snake wires from the dash to the door and rear panels after removing the speakers would have been easier for me.

 

[shootthemoon]

small amp to fit?

Hey guys- u sound like just the folks who could help me. I put in a new head unit and speakers- and had to bypass the amp cause it had a bad channel putting out DC and blowing my speaker. I removed the rear panel and just spliced the wires together (not soder). It sounds ok- not super loud or anything. But here is my question- i dont want to have to deal with this in the near future. I was told my speakers (Infinity Reference) would be underpowered by head unit (25 RMS) and prolly wear out sooner rather than later. I would be ok with sound quality now- but dont want to have to take panels off soon and replace speakers etc. 1. Do i need a new amp to help my speakers? 2. Are there any that fit back in the rear panel? I REALLY dont want to have to stick an amp somewhere else like strapped behind the seat. i want it out of sight and not taking space. Can i fit one back in that panel? 3. If i do get an new amp - do i really have to run new wires? Can i just use the factory wires though small? I dont want to mess with running wires. I am surprised u say it is easier to run wires into 4 doors instead of take off rear panel? that took 20 minutes- running new wires would take several hours!! thanks so much for ur advice!

 

[mikeinri]

Help!!!

Does anyone know the pin sequence on the black connector (Premium system, speaker/amp outputs)???

I bought the radio, iPod device, and new speakers. I was impulsive and bought it locally, not on Crutchfield (didn't want to wait for shipping)...

I've bypassed the amp (cut and spliced the wires). I have everything connected for the HU and iPod, but I am having lots of trouble with the speakers. I think the harness that I bought was mis-pinned, or at the very least, they aren't connecting well.

I pulled the pins out, and verified that the HU is working correctly (using fade/balance to determine speaker vs. wire colors). I figured out which sets of inputs to use for each speaker on the black connector. What I can't figure out is, which ones need to be positive vs. negative???

I plug in say the green and green/black, and can get a speaker to work. I reverse them, and the speaker still works. What is the point of the positive vs. negative?

I haven't put the new speakers in yet, and I don't want to blow them. Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!

Mike

 

[toypaseo]

Dead Link Removed

 

[mikeinri]

Thanks toypaseo. The link you gave seems to be missing the letter-to-wire information for the premium setup. I have the small black connector shown on page 2, but my wiring doesn't match up to that.

I got it all working now, took an DVM set to Ohms and ran from the black connector to each speaker lead in the doors (I had already done that for the HU connector just to check my work). Wasn't as bad as I thought, and gave great peace of mind. I can post the results of how that connector is wiried if anyone wants them.

The real problem ended up being that stupid Scoche connector that I used. The pins didn't quite line up correctly, and they would actually cross-connect inside and power the wrong speaker (and not connect two of them). I was ready to return the HU at one point, I was so aggravated. Eventually, I ripped all the pins out of the connector, and replaced them two at a time as I worked my way around the truck (got the new speakers installed while I was at it).

In hindsight, it would have been MUCH easier just to cut off the black connector on the truck and splice the Pioneer harness right in (like the good old days before these "easy" adapters).

Anyway, ran out of time to really test the new setup beyond simple radio operation. I need to try the CD player and iPod adapter. Sounds great so far though!

Mike

 

[mikeinri]

OK, gave it a test drive this morning. Major issue: the radio reception was awful!!! Granted, it was very cloudy, on the verge of raining, but the reception of the Ford HU was much, much better than this Pioneer (with "Supertuner").

Has anyone come across this, and how do I make it better? Are there inexpensive antenna boosters that would improve this, or are they gimmicks?

Mike