Please Help! Installing head unit with infinity system?

[tohighpsi 10+ year member]

Ok I have a 2000 dodge durango with the infinity sound system. Im looking to put a new head unit in it along with many other things. The head unit is what is concerning me though. I called up sound of tristate "my local audio shop" to get a price on the install. I was told that they will have to bypass my amp. If they have to do this is could be an additional 100-200 on top of the intial cost. They said they wont know until they get in there and that every infinity system is different. I dont know if I trust them to keep it truthfull.

I have searched a little bit and from what I have read on the forums you dont have to do this. Something about hooking your blue wire up to your power antena or something will power the amp??? Is this true? Can you guys elaborate on this a little bit. I have installed a head unit be4 and if there isnt anything to complicated I will just do it myself. So can you guys elaborate on this process and the fact how much truth there is behind it. Any help is really appreciated guys thanks

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[KaeZoo 10+ year member]

If you're keeping the factory speakers, you can keep the factory amp by connecting the factory amp turn-on wire to your head unit's amp turn-on. It will work fine. Buy a standard Chrysler wiring harness and connect the blue wire in the harness to the blue/white from the head unit.

Bypassing the amp is a good idea if you replace the factory speakers, but $100 is overcharging for the job. All that's needed is to locate the amplifier, identify the input wires from the head unit, and jump them to the output wires going to the speakers. In that vehicle it's a half-hour job at most.

 

[tohighpsi 10+ year member]

I plan on putting aftermarket speakers in. Is it going to be a waste of time without bypassing the amp? I really dont feel like having it done if I dont have to

 

[KaeZoo 10+ year member]

You can install new speakers and keep the factory amp; it won't hurt anything, but often factory amps have built in EQ and crossovers that are designed to work with the factory speaker system. It's generally better to bypass, but you can always do that after installing the speakers if you're not happy with the sound.

 

[tohighpsi 10+ year member]

Well Im getting aftermarket speaker so I would prob wana bypass the amp. In my durango its under the passanger kick panel. Can you go into a little more detail about bypassing it? Is this something fairly easy to do. Not really trying to spend up to 200 to have it done

 

[KaeZoo 10+ year member]

If you're replacing the speakers and head unit, then bypassing the amp is easy.

The factory has the following wires:

--12v constant power and ground

--a remote turn-on wire that runs from the factory head unit

--signal wires that run from the factory head unit to the amp. There will be (+) and (-) wires for each channel, front left and right and rear left and right. These will be connected to the speaker outputs at your head unit.

--speaker outputs that run from the factory amp to the speakers. There will be outputs for left and right front door speakers, left and right tweeters, and left and right rear door speakers.

What you'll need to do is connect each input wire (from the head unit) to its corresponding output wire (to the speakers).

Here's the step-by-step:

1. Replace the head unit, using a Chrysler wire harness adapter. When you plug the head unit harness into the stock plug, write down the factory wire color for each speaker. You should have eight wires noted when you're done: front left +, front left -, and so on.

2. Replace the front and rear door speakers. When you replace the speakers, note the colors of the speaker wires, the same way you did behind the head unit: front left +, front left -, and so on. If you have time to do this all at once, it may be helpful to leave your door panels off for now, after you put the new speakers in.

3. Take apart the kick panel or glove box assembly until you can get to the factory amp. Unplug both harnesses from the amplifier. Look at the wires and identify the colors you found behind the head unit. Hopefully you'll also see the colors you wrote down at each speaker too.

4. Just connect the front left (+) head unit wire directly to the front left (+) speaker wire, and so on. Cut each wire an inch or two back from the plug, strip them, and connect them together with solder or crimp caps. Don't use wire nuts. Leave enough wire at the plugs so you can re-connect it later if you want to return the vehicle to stock condition.

5. It's possible you won't find the same wire colors at the amplifier that you found at the speakers. Sometimes the wire colors change at the door plugs. If you can't find your speaker wire colors, use a AA battery to identify each speaker. Just get two wires you think go to a speaker, strip each and touch them to opposite poles of the battery. If the speaker moves, you have the right wires. If it moves toward you, you have the positive speaker wire connected to the positive battery terminal. IF YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TESTING, UNPLUG YOUR HEAD UNIT FIRST. Connecting the battery to your head unit's speaker outputs will damage the head unit.

 

[tohighpsi 10+ year member]

Wow man I really appreciate you taking the time and doing that for me. Thanks a ton

 

[tohighpsi 10+ year member]

One more thing...since the crossovers are built into the amp im guessing I will go about setting this on my head unit. Is there a general rule of thumb to follow?

 

[KaeZoo 10+ year member]

If you're not running a subwoofer, I'd just leave the crossover settings in the head unit turned off. Keep in mind that bypassing the amp means you'll lose the factory tweeters (you won't miss them if you have a decent door speaker). Just run all the speakers full range until you add a sub.

If you want to keep the factory tweeters connected, you can do it but you'll need passive crossovers.

 

[tohighpsi 10+ year member]

Yeah im going to be running a sub...the guy at the car audio shop said that the newer head units have built in crossovers that I could tune the tweats with. I guess what im going to do is just install the head unit and leave it out and see how it sounds. If it sounds shitty go ahead and bypass that amp. Now about the crossover settings for the sub? lol