Base Model Amped Components Upgrade?

[randy_tho]

I have a base model with an android head unit. It has RCA preamps. I'm kicking around the idea of doing a component install. This is kind of my plan right now. Since there is no factory amp I'm planning on using the factory wiring as much as possible. I'd like to either pick up a small dimension 2 channel amp. Either a class D like the Sound Ordinance M100-2 or maybe a RF P300x2. I'd put the RF under the seat or if possible maybe put the SO somewhere in the dash. I would then run the speaker out back into the console and harness back into the front speakers. Then I am thinking maybe the Hertz Mille Pro MPK165.3. I would try to fit the crossovers in the door and run new wire up to the tweeters . It would be nice to be able to hook into the factory here too but not sure how these work yet.

1. Any thoughts on selection? How well do the MPKs fit? I saw a really nice install about two years old that replaced some JBLs and had to modify the bracket rings.
   
2. Tweeters and woofers are wired in parallel correct? Would it be possible to adapt a connector from the crossover to feed back into the tweeters from the factory harness?

Conceptually It would be arranged something like this: Android Head unit preamp --> RCA --> Amp --> Spk Out ---> behind HU into the front speaker harness---> factory woofer/tweeter harness into crossover? --- crossover high into factory tweeter wire --- crossover low into woofer with new wire.

I'm not sure about the above bold text. is there a factory crossover? is there any detailed wiring info about the harness and connections in the doors?

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[randy_tho]

I ended up installing new speaker cable. Put the amp under passenger seat, one crossover where the factory amp would be on the premium, and one crossover at the highest point on the carpet to the right of the console foot area. Everything is loomed and wrapped in tessa tape. The Hertz MPK 165.3 tweeters press fit in the pillars with a little dremel work. The mids fit in the factory hole but with very careful positioning. The hole is almost too large. I drilled holes and used rubber stripping.

Getting cable to the door is a pain. In summary: Pull the door panel and pull the grommet on both ends. The harness in the body has two clips on top and one on bottom. With the clips depressed the harness comes out. Disconnect the gray and black connectors. Then pull the door harness down where its more accessible. I read where on some cars you can drill through the molex's. Not doing that. I ended up sacrificing one of the top clips and dremelling out a path in the rear corner of the door molex harness. This made a perfect path for 14 awg speaker cable. I used heat shrink to beef up the insulation on the part that passes between the harness and body. Also be sure to reattach the grommet to the harness while its pulled down and before connecting the gray and black connectors. The first one I spent about 3+ hours trying to figure out what to do and working in the dark made it challenging. The second one I did in about an hour. I work slow.

I'll try to add some pictures of what I have done. Maybe it will help others. I couldn't find much about running cable in these cars.

 

[randy_tho]

Everything installed. I have a faint engine whine. Either coming from the RCA cable or the head unit. Going to look at putting in a shorter Rockford fosgate cable. The one in the amp kit was like 20 ft so I have a ton of it rolled up. Also may add some grounding to the head unit if possible.

 

[5.0_SD]

You don't have your signal cables anywhere near your power do you? That would cause it for sure.

 

[randy_tho]

The power is down the passenger side. RCA is down middle. They do meet at the factory carpet cutout for about an inch but don't cross. They are both loomed and wrapped. So I think it's either that and the rca's aren't that good. I'm probably going to try disconnecting RCA at the head unit and see if noise persists. That should pinpoint where it's introduced?

 

[5.0_SD]

I also should have mentioned the amp ground...make sure it's a really good grounding point on bare metal...hopefully you aren't getting grounding loops. Could be, like you said, crappy rca's as well. Unless you have a speaker going directly to and from the HU, unplugging rca's won't help since your speakers are connected to the amp. But if you could connect a speaker directly from the HU, that would tell you if it's the HU side or the amp side.

 

[randy_tho]

Yeah. I used a dremel to make the metal shiny at the low point across where the seat mounts. My ground cable has two holes and I drilled into that brace just past the carpet before the front outer seat anchor point. After attaching the cable I then coated any exposed metal and the terminal with antiseize. I tested the ground at the amp terminal against the negative battery cable and get 0.1 ohm. Same as any factory ground point.

I'm wondering about the head units grounding or RCA harness introducing engine noise. My thought is if I disconnect RCA from the head unit and noise persists then it's introduced into the RCA patch cable. If not then it's coming from RCA harness or head unit itself. There isnt a lot of room behind the mcu so it could be something like one of the rca connections is too close to something. Thanks for the help.

Also I should mention the engine whine changes with throttle but is very low. Reducing the gain down to last 10 percent or so makes it almost inaudible. I do get some static with gain over half. Also volume doesn't change anything.

I'm going to install the shorter RCA cable and then do some checks while everything is tore down again. Unplugging RCA as discussed, running the new cable loose away from everything and then about same path as current one.

I also should have mentioned the amp ground...make sure it's a really good grounding point on bare metal...hopefully you aren't getting grounding loops. Could be, like you said, crappy rca's as well. Unless you have a speaker going directly to and from the HU, unplugging rca's won't help since your speakers are connected to the amp. But if you could connect a speaker directly from the HU, that would tell you if it's the HU side or the amp side.

 

[5.0_SD]

Ya, swapping rca's will tell you real quick if it's them or not. I'm just trying to remember back 25 years ago when I did this stuff...I recall grounding problems, poor shielding (rca's), power and signal next to each other are the things I remember causing noise.

 

[randy_tho]

Yeah. The last one I did was about 15 years ago. I'm reading stuff on crutchfield and found this: https://knowledge.sonicelectronix.c...d-installation/how-to-eliminate-engine-noise/

Ya, swapping rca's will tell you real quick if it's them or not. I'm just trying to remember back 25 years ago when I did this stuff...I recall grounding problems, poor shielding (rca's), power and signal next to each other are the things I remember causing noise.

 

[5.0_SD]

Those are some good steps to do for sure...you will get to the bottom of it going from that I believe. On another note, I'm saddened that the only "updated" one of the 10.2" droids is directly from Seicane...even with code it's still about $613 shipped (funny how the expedited shipping is a tiny bit less than standard). dvdgps-manufacturer no longer exists on ebay and the other ones are Android 6 with less memory. Not going with phoenixandroidradio since I've sent two messages to them with no reply and have read some recent crappy reviews about them. Same with Beith Performance and the steering wheels...they seem to have vanished.

 

[randy_tho]

I'd keep an eye out. I think I saw the seicane for under 600 no code recently.

 

[5.0_SD]

Where?

 

[randy_tho]

When you say updated, do you mean Android 7? I kind of gather that there isn't always an accurate representation on versions in these.

Those are some good steps to do for sure...you will get to the bottom of it going from that I believe. On another note, I'm saddened that the only "updated" one of the 10.2" droids is directly from Seicane...even with code it's still about $613 shipped (funny how the expedited shipping is a tiny bit less than standard). dvdgps-manufacturer no longer exists on ebay and the other ones are Android 6 with less memory. Not going with phoenixandroidradio since I've sent two messages to them with no reply and have read some recent crappy reviews about them. Same with Beith Performance and the steering wheels...they seem to have vanished.

 

[randy_tho]

Where?

eBay. But there is still these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Ford-M...422929&hash=item26037012fe:g:DyoAAOSwIIxZixLC

 

[5.0_SD]

The way Seicane says it on their website would make one think it is 7 for sure

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