Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Audio how do you hook up amp and subs to factory radio

i have a 2003 ranger with the six disc in dash i am gonna hook up a amp and two subs in my truck and i was wondering what i need to hook up. i have rca's and all the wireing. how do i go about hooking up rcas with out them there from factor. i think there is a box you can hookup so you can you rcas.

You have to buy an adaptor (don't know the exact name). It hooks up to the 2 rear channels (through the rear speakers positive and negative) and allows you to run the RCAs. The signal wire from the amp will have to be hooked up to one of the ignition wires (positive) going into the factory radio.

The adapter is called a line level converter (i believe) and Loco is correct, you will install it to your rear speaker channels and run the power from a switched on power wire.(meaning when vehicle is on the amp will get power, when off no power) you can find one going to your radio and possible coming from your radio(you just have to look hard enough and probe the wire)

--Joe

If you have speaker level inputs on your amp you can do it that way as well. What amp do you have?

Hmmm...haven't had a problem in my B-I-L's Concorde

His amp allows you to select low pass or high pass filtering.

Crutchfield

"The value of speaker-level inputs
Factory radios do not have dedicated outputs for amplifiers (preamp outputs). So you'll want an amplifier with speaker-level (often called high-level) inputs; these inputs enable you to tap into the factory speaker wires for a signal flow.

They're called high-level inputs because the voltage level is significantly higher than with a standard preamp output connection. These inputs convert the high voltage to one the amplifier can handle. Once connected, you'll hear clean, well-defined sound (including the lyrics to your favorite song)!

Speaker-level inputs are a standard of many two- and four-channel, and mono subwoofer amplifiers."

well it can be done, but if i were you i would just save up $150 and get an alpine HU. in my experience with rca's connected to line level converters, the sound quality is poop