Mercedes ML320 /w Bose Install - What Converter Do I Need?

[we87 10+ year member]

My brother just got a 2002 Mercedes ML320 with the Bose upgrade and the stock COMMAND Radio. There is a seperate Bose sub underneath the driver seat.

I am going to be putting a subwoofer amp in his truck, but I am not sure where to get the signal from. From what I understand the Bose system in that truck doesnt use a standard wiring like in most cars, it actually uses an optical data cable from Deck to Bose Amp to Bose Speaker. Is that true?

If so, then I would have to imagine they have some sort of a converter or bypass? Then I can use a line converter to get my signal.

Only asking my question on here because I want an expert opinion, and this forum has been great to me so far //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Thanks alot in advance for any help.

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[Horsemanwill 10+ year member]

jbl ms8

JBL MS-8

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

you can also remove the factory sub and intercept the signal there. then feed that to an LOC or an amp with high level inputs. granted, you'll have whatever EQ the factory system puts on the output.

the Bose amplifiers that I encounter from that era typically have a multi-pin wire harness. I haven't ran across a fiber optic cable. the signals are standard low level, similar to what you get out of an RCA. you can usually just grab that low level signal and use it as an RCA input directly (solder an RCA headshell on a twisted pair of wires to extend from the harness). You will also need to snag a turn-on wire if the amp doesn't have an auto turn-on feature. do not just use an ignition wire for turn on.

Simply find the amp and look at it. that will tell you what you're dealing with. the trick will be determining which wires are which. you can probe the harness and use the fader and adjustments to figure out which wires are which. I have a few Bose amps laying in my garage, but mostly from GM vehicles.

Wire schematics on Bose systems are hard to come by. If anyone here has a good resource for them, i'd love to know.

The JBL MS-8 is a nice integration unit, especially if you're upgrading all of the speakers. For just a sub it may be overkill. MTX, Alpine, Audio Control, JL Audio, etc. have integration pieces that can do more than just act as a LOC.