low-level output on stock system

[DouglasABaker]

Originally Posted by superior

I haven't ever actually dug into the rear panels and gotten to the amp yet. Is the connection from the head unit to the factory amp via RCA wires already, just perhaps without the male tips on the ends?

So if I wanted to keep the factory amp running my speakers as it is now, but tap into the signal to add a subwoofer amp, would I do the same thing but leave the one set of wires bare to be reinserted to the factory amp? The Kicker amps I have looked at accept speaker wire as high-level inputs, so could I simply tap into the wires and diverge them into two?

Sorry if this doesn't make sense, not sure how to word it.

And thanks again, it is very nice to have such a knowledgeable source on here!

No problem, I gotcha...

Your radio is attached to the amplifier via individual wires that are in harnesses. In other words, you'll find a harness of wires attached to the radio - some of those wires go to the amplifier where they are in another harness.

So... since you are looking to add a sub but keep your existing amplifier you should "tap" into the existing wires and run those directly to the amplifier speaker level inputs.

There is no "good" way to tap the wires, but the best available alternative is probably something called Scotch-loks Tap Connectors. You simply position one of these over the wire you want to tap into and then add your new wire to it before crimping.

You'll want to tap into the Front Left +/- and also the Right Rear +/- (it doesn't matter, but you want a Front and Rear and a Left and Right). Those 4 wires will then run to the speaker level inputs on your amplifier.

d-