New Head Unit and wiring issue

[beach]

I know this is the wrong spot to put this but the Audio section looks completely dead or questions going weeks or months without answers. Fig might get more traction here, plus searching that board turned up nothing for what I was looking for.

Have the Premium sound with sub, just no cd changer. Got the Metra 70-5517 harness that others on here said to get if you want to keep your factory amp/sub. Got it wired up, however only the door speakers work.

My issue seems to be the sub part of the harness has a blue wire labeled amp on, but theres no where for that wire to go to?!? Also there's a black wire with white stripe that isn't labeled and have no idea what it is.

 

[hlg99]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...-in-factory-sub-to-aftermarket-stereo.154055/
I'm not a stereo guy, but most of the issues I had changing the headunit in my last Mountie I resolved going through this thread.
I ended up using an RCA Y connector to get the speakers going and wired in a harness to get the amp going through the blue wires.

 

[beach]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...-in-factory-sub-to-aftermarket-stereo.154055/
I'm not a stereo guy, but most of the issues I had changing the headunit in my last Mountie I resolved going through this thread.
I ended up using an RCA Y connector to get the speakers going and wired in a harness to get the amp going through the blue wires.

Yeah I read through that thread and another that was posted in it except pics were gone. But seems Ford used completely different wiring through the years. Even in the other thread he mentioned colors that aren't on mine. The bottom of my factory head unit was labeled Mach, but no cd changer, so peeps on here and amazon said you just need the metra 70-5517 harness and that's it. I'm reading reviews where people are like yup plug and play and factory sub works with new head unit. Meanwhile I have a blue amp on wire that has no where to go or can find searching online, and a black wire with white stripe that nobody seems to know lol.

My door speakers work, but thr sub harness has two wires with no where to go, or at least I don't know where or if they have to be wired into other wires already wired?

I can't believe how confusing and complicated a HU swap is lol. I've done other vehicles no problem, everything was labeled, but no not with Ford.

 

[beach]

Here's the harness. I called a shop to ask and they said you can't do that on the old Explorers and that the whole system has to be rewired with the factory amp to work, hey bring it in and we'll do it. Hung up, I know that's bs lol. Obviously plenty of people on here and Amazon etc say this is the only harness you need to connect an aftermarket HU and keep the factory amp/sub.

But have no clue where the amp on wire goes as there's no other amp wire to connect it to like normal other cars nor if that black wire with stripe is an actual ground and should be connected the ground wires on the other harness.

I'm wondering if amp on should be wired to the red on other harness which is a switched on wire as thr yellow is constant. Just wish someone has mentioned that online, don't want to try it and somehow short it out or worse

 

[hlg99]

http://www.the12volt.com/
A lot of good resources in this site also. after I take my kid back to campus today I'll look for the links I used to fix the blue amp wire. I did it a few years ago, I do remember it took some research before I got it right.

 

[Spuddy]

What year is your truck?

Here's the instructions from Metra for the 70-5517
http://www.metraonline.com/files/products/INST70-5516_17_18_19_web.pdf

It sez your black w/white is a ground wire.

And, there is no amp-on wire on the Ford head units, and the sub-amp's power is wired to 'Hot at all times' thru I/P fuse panel #29: wire is LG/P and should already be wired up by the factory (on a '98 anyways)...

I think I would try grounding your black with white wire and seeing if you're all good then.

That blue amp-on wire may be redundant?
-OR- perhaps needs to go to 'Hot at all times'?

 

[beach]

I rewired it so amp on is connected to red accessory wire since that's a switch not constant, and wrapped ground to the other grounds. Didn't install yet as not home, I'll check later. It def has to be hooked up somewhere as the amp won't turn on other wise. Door speakers work, just not sub.

It's a 2000

 

[Spuddy]

My set of manuals only goes through 99. The 99 is the same as the 98 however.

2000.

 

[beach]

Got it working, had to wire amp on to accessory wire. Wasn't working at first, but didn't realize the sub out connector on HU, you have to scroll through the menus and turn it on, completely stupid to me but oh well lol. Didn't even mention that anywhere and I wouldn't have known till I was scrolling through and saw "sub out off". The sound difference is huge, didn't think it'd make a difference considering I thought the amp controlled everything, but even the factory sub sounds way better.

 

[Spuddy]

Sweet. Glad you got her going and sounding good.

 

[hlg99]

Good deal man, Now enjoy your sounds.

 

[beach]

Good deal man, Now enjoy your sounds.

Actually don't drive it much, just a beater I keep around, had since new, and in fine shape and lifted etc, just keep it around as selling/trading it in they aren't worth squat lol. 150k miles now.

But the radio lost its lighting which is normal, finally opened it up and was just going to add and aux line out but Ford changed this board as well vs previous ones from seeing pics of them so I said f' it and just bought a head unit that already has Bluetooth and Aux line ready.

Still surprised at how much better the door speakers and sub sound, I didn't think HU would make a difference as on the Mach I though the amp controlled output regardless.

I do have to cut and trim though as the deck isn't remotely close to fitting in the factory spot