Finally ready to add subwoofers

[TrailBlazn420]

I have the factory BOSE system in my '02 TB LTZ and I have had an amp and subs for a while, but never had the stuff to hook them up. I am looking for the easiest possible install. Low wattage amp and relatively low wattage subs (they're Dual's so nothing great, but they will do to add a little thump). I am looking to pull the power from the red post in the rear fuse block, and I would like to keep my factory head unit. I just want to add subs and an amp to the factory system. where do I pull the signal from? I know there is a Bose amp in the rear behind a panel, but does anyone know what colors the wires are that I need to tap into? I tried searching on here and couldn't find anything, so I apologize if I am posting a question that has already been answered. I know I haven't been on here in a while, and I'm glad to see so many new members!!! Once I get some more loot, I will go back to being a 'premium member'. :o) Thanks for the help in advance guys!

 

[tblazerdude]

I would not pull power from the rear fuse block. Go to the battery. I would also recommend buying a factory integration adapter; do a google search for GMOS and find the appropriate adapter for your vehicle. It will be a no splice solution for RCA outputs to your sub-woofer amplifier. Crutchfield.com also provides information that will help you, for free.

 

[Boricua SS]

i wouldnt say dont pull power from the rear fuse block.. you can..plenty of members have done it... but just limit what you hook up... for amps, i wouldnt go above a 200W to a 500W... anything over that, and your asking for trouble...

as for your amp hook up... look into LOC (line out converters).. but being BOSE, im sure there's another way, im just not familiar enough to recommend something along those lines... any "factory" stereo amp install I've worked on used a LOC and the vehicle didnt have BOSE... and i've only used the GMOS adapters for aftermarket HU, not stock ones... but others will chime in...

 

[kardain]

Im using this LOC:

SPEAKER WIRE TO RCA HI/LOW ADAPTER CONVERTER LINE OUT. | eBay

and have it tied to the factory bose amp on the output side for the front speakers. IIRC, the outputs are different in 02 than 06, so hopefully someone has the proper wire colors. Just need to make sure this particular LOC is grounded well.

I have a Rockford Fosgate P300-1 (fosgate rated it at 415w RMS) tied to the rear fuse block... on hard bass hits the interior lights dim a bit... otherwise, it works fine.

 

[TrailBlazn420]

I got everything hooked up last night and it bangs! I figured out how to do what I wanted to do. It sounds great and I didn't have to do anything too crazy. I appreciate everyone's quick responses! Time to go bump!

"This should be played at high volume, preferably in a residential area."

:wootwoot:

 

[Blckshdw]

Check this thread for the wiring colors, should be helpful. Keep in mind you want to tap the front door speakers, not the rears.

http://gmtnation.com/f35/2004-bose-amp-wiring-diagram-needed-1120/

I've been running my 200W Alpine amp off the rear block for years now with no issues. Roadie posted what the max wattage was that you could pull from the rear fuse block stud before having some problems, but I forget what it was exactly. I think it was somewhere around the 500W mark as previously posted.

If you don't want to run your remote wire all the way up to the HU, you can tap it into one of the HVAC fuses in the rear block so it will turn on/off with the key instead of the radio. (kinda sucks if you listen to your radio through RAP though )

 

[TrailBlazn420]

If you don't want to run your remote wire all the way up to the HU, you can tap it into one of the HVAC fuses in the rear block so it will turn on/off with the key instead of the radio. (kinda sucks if you listen to your radio through RAP though )

That's exactly what I ended up doing. I actually ended up doing things a bit... different... than normal. All of my music is on my iPad, which is mounted to my dash with a ProClips mount. What I had been doing is using a tape adapter to play my iPad's music through the stereo system since I have the Bose system with the tape deck. That was the easiest way for me to get it to work, and required little effort on my part. Well, I have had these subs and this amp for a long time, and I am taking a road trip back up to NE Ohio (where I am from originally), and I wanted to make sure that I had my system set up for my 21 hour journey. Once I got the amp's power, ground and remote sorted out, I realized that I would need all of these crazy adapters in order to get the sound from the iPad to the stereo to the sub amp. That wasn't going to work for me at the moment, because I wanted to get everything hooked up NOW and not have to wait for stuff to come in the mail. So what I did, was I took a 3.5mm stereo to stereo splitter (y-cable) that was male on one end and dual female on the other end. The male end goes into the iPad's headphone jack, and the tape adapter gets plugged into one of the female ends. Then, a long cable that is 3.5mm male headphone jack on one end and L & R RCA's on the other end gets plugged into the other female 3.5mm opening on the splitter. The L & R RCA's get plugged into the sub amp. The only problem with that setup is that I have to control the volume of the subs through the iPad, and the volume of the speakers through the volume knob. Ideally I would be using an adapter that gives me Line Out from the iPad, but then I would have no subwoofer volume control whatsoever. It's not the ideal setup, but I am not trying to win any competitions or anything like that. As of right now, I have an iPad mounted to my dash that holds most of my music (it's a 64 GB model, but I've got over 100 gigs of music on my external hard drive), works through my car's stereo (now complete with subwoofers), and can play Pandora, XM/Sirius and iRadioNow apps (with 3G) as well as YouTube and GPS navigation with turn-by-turn directions.:wootwoot: I am probably getting close to that 500w threshold though. I have 2 Dual subs in a light-up bandpass box and a Kenwood KAC-9103D which is 500w RMS @ 4 ohms.

Sub lights on, dome lights on, amp covered up
View attachment 21584
Sub lights on, dome lights on, amp uncovered and on
View attachment 21585
Amp
View attachment 21586
Close up of amp and subs
View attachment 21587
Sub lights on, dome lights off, amp uncovered and on
View attachment 21588

 

[Blckshdw]

That's a pretty unique and resourceful way to get them hooked up. As long as you get the sound you want, then it's all good.

Now... If there was only a big meet being planned where you could come up and show off those lighted subs....

 

[Boricua SS]

heyyyy... im in Northern Ohio.. im in Lorain county... where about in NEO are you headed?

 

[TrailBlazn420]

That's a pretty unique and resourceful way to get them hooked up. As long as you get the sound you want, then it's all good.

Now... If there was only a big meet being planned where you could come up and show off those lighted subs....

hahahahahahaha! you really put the 'b' in 'subtle' Carlton... Looks like I will have to make an appearance!

As for the sound, it honestly sounds awesome. It thumps when I want it to, and the mids and highs are still nice and crisp. I have noticed that I get the best sound out of the iPad when it is about 3/4 of the way turned up. My neighbors had better start liking Meek Mills, Wiz Khalifa, and Rick Ross...

 

[TrailBlazn420]

heyyyy... im in Northern Ohio.. im in Lorain county... where about in NEO are you headed?

I will be in the Medina County area... specifically, Medina. I grew up there, basically spent my whole life there and then moved down here to Florida after I graduated high school. I've got my 10 year HS reunion (Highland High School) this year, so I thought I would make the trip.