New to audio. What's needed for just 1 sub - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Explit Player · 01-29-2015, 04:37 PM

Okay, so I have one 500 W sub and a box lying around, and I would like to put it in the Camaro. My problem, is with our head units and factory amp, I am at a new wall. The only thing close to this that I have worked with was when I replaced my factory head unit in my Dodge ram with a Kenwood, and added 2 subs to the truck also, along with a 1000w amp. My question is, what do we need to just add one sub to the vehicle. I have factory stereo and I would like to keep that, and I would like to keep the factory amp in its current location and powering the stock speakers. All I want to change is to have a sub. I know I need a wiring kit, but which one? I also know I will need an amp (duh)

But what pieces well I need to do this? What amp do you recommend that is at least 500 W, but budget pricing.. By budget.. I mean BUDGET...

I am an exterior modification kind of guy. Trying to get into the engine modifications part of the vehicle Hopefully soon. But I just want to get rid of the sub that is sitting in my room and actually put it to use in the car since i have it already.

lownslowss · 01-29-2015, 05:31 PM

the fark kit. 5G-X3 RCA. as far as the amp, what is the brand and model of the sub?

Rainbow1616 · 01-29-2015, 05:49 PM

If you mean BUDGET then don't buy that harness, make your own. I did it is simple.That harness is $69. I made one for free out of parts I had laying around. Just T Tap the wires on your amp in the trunk. You will need 5 T Taps, 2 female rca connectors, 1 piece of 20 awg wire. Then two short rca patch cables to run from your sub amp to your new taps. The pin out for the connectors on the factory amp are on this site somewhere so you know what wires to tap.

Explit Player · 01-30-2015, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainbow1616

If you mean BUDGET then don't buy that harness, make your own. I did it is simple.That harness is $69. I made one for free out of parts I had laying around. Just T Tap the wires on your amp in the trunk. You will need 5 T Taps, 2 female rca connectors, 1 piece of 20 awg wire. Then two short rca patch cables to run from your sub amp to your new taps. The pin out for the connectors on the factory amp are on this site somewhere so you know what wires to tap.

Any way you could make a diagram maybe in like Microsoft paint? That sounds pretty simple but just confusing in word form

Rainbow1616 · 01-30-2015, 12:25 PM

Yep, I'll pm it to you over the weekend.

LS3or1LE · 02-05-2015, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainbow1616

Yep, I'll pm it to you over the weekend.

Could I get a pm of that as well? Thanks!

ChevyCamaroGirl · 02-05-2015, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainbow1616

Yep, I'll pm it to you over the weekend.

Could I please get a copy also? Thank you

Rainbow1616 · 02-05-2015, 06:02 PM

I used 2 of these and 1 piece of 18 gauge white wire.
I also used 5 red T Taps and some black electrical tape to keep it neat

One Rca for the right side went to pins 12 (+) and pin 4 (-) T tap these
The left rca went to pin 13 (+) and pin 5 (-)

The white wire for remote turn on of your new amp t taped into pin 1

This is for the BA system only

LS3or1LE · 02-06-2015, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainbow1616

I used 2 of these and 1 piece of 18 gauge white wire.
I also used 5 red T Taps and some black electrical tape to keep it neat

One Rca for the right side went to pins 12 (+) and pin 4 (-) T tap these
The left rca went to pin 13 (+) and pin 5 (-)

The white wire for remote turn on of your new amp t taped into pin 1

This is for the BA system only

You are awesome thanks!

hazy · 02-06-2015, 10:12 AM

So forgive me for my sheer ignorance. I'm at 0 level experience on car audio stuff, but am not exactly a stranger to wiring things like the above.

Would all I need to get an amp/sub going is to run the wires as stated above, hook the RCA into L/R channel on amp, then wire amp to battery/ground? (of course hook up the sub to amp somewhere in there...)

I presume level controls for the amp can be run separately off the amp, into the cabin for 'remote' control of the sub volume?

This seems quite do-able. Even for a car audio idiot such as myself.

stoopid · 02-06-2015, 01:41 PM

You could just tap into the rear speakers for the audio signal and run power straight off the battery? Is there a reason to run wiring from the front dash all the way to the back?

[it doesn't sound like an upgraded stereo setup with an integrated amp, otherwise they would already have a sub correct? BA systems all have small subs?]

thegreattailz · 02-07-2015, 07:32 PM

You gotta watch it when your dealing with live power. If you do it wrong you can blow the amp, speakers or damage your car. Id recommend a powered bazooka. They're not bad for sound, and you wont have to deal with tweaking the amp. Relatively simple, but i usually just have best buy install the head units or run the wiring. Theres knowledge, and then theres time, tools and hardware. Once the proper wiring is run you can play around with it as you wish at your own risk. You can get dual 6 inch bazookas, an 8 10 or 12 inch. And if you want more just add another one

jeffa · 02-08-2015, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stoopid

You could just tap into the rear speakers for the audio signal and run power straight off the battery? Is there a reason to run wiring from the front dash all the way to the back?

[it doesn't sound like an upgraded stereo setup with an integrated amp, otherwise they would already have a sub correct? BA systems all have small subs?]

Only convertibles with the BA system get a small subwoofer, coupes do not....

dontlift19 · 02-13-2015, 01:20 AM

Didn't want to start a new thread for this so I'll just ask it here. I'm wanting to upgrade all the speakers and add a 4 channel amp, and mono amp and sub. Would this be difficult to do without the fark harness? They won't be available till April anyways and that's too long to wait. I have the factory ba system and it seems that 95% of the people with the ba system use the fark harness so there's not really any good write ups on how to do it without it. Thanks!

01-29-2015, 04:37 PM	#1
Explit Player IG @Brian_ _Self Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS M6+17'Tesla Model S Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Bristol, TN : Instagram @Brian_ _Self Posts: 804 View My Garage	New to audio. What's needed for just 1 sub Okay, so I have one 500 W sub and a box lying around, and I would like to put it in the Camaro. My problem, is with our head units and factory amp, I am at a new wall. The only thing close to this that I have worked with was when I replaced my factory head unit in my Dodge ram with a Kenwood, and added 2 subs to the truck also, along with a 1000w amp. My question is, what do we need to just add one sub to the vehicle. I have factory stereo and I would like to keep that, and I would like to keep the factory amp in its current location and powering the stock speakers. All I want to change is to have a sub. I know I need a wiring kit, but which one? I also know I will need an amp (duh) But what pieces well I need to do this? What amp do you recommend that is at least 500 W, but budget pricing.. By budget.. I mean BUDGET... I am an exterior modification kind of guy. Trying to get into the engine modifications part of the vehicle Hopefully soon. But I just want to get rid of the sub that is sitting in my room and actually put it to use in the car since i have it already. __________________

01-29-2015, 05:31 PM	#2
lownslowss PaPa Smurf Drives: 2022 SS 1LE Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: League City Posts: 632 View My Garage	the fark kit. 5G-X3 RCA. as far as the amp, what is the brand and model of the sub? __________________ 2022 Rapid Blue SS 1LE

01-29-2015, 05:49 PM	#3
Rainbow1616 Drives: 2011 Inferno Orange Camaro 2SS/RS Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 1,368	If you mean BUDGET then don't buy that harness, make your own. I did it is simple.That harness is $69. I made one for free out of parts I had laying around. Just T Tap the wires on your amp in the trunk. You will need 5 T Taps, 2 female rca connectors, 1 piece of 20 awg wire. Then two short rca patch cables to run from your sub amp to your new taps. The pin out for the connectors on the factory amp are on this site somewhere so you know what wires to tap.

01-30-2015, 12:25 PM	#5
Rainbow1616 Drives: 2011 Inferno Orange Camaro 2SS/RS Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 1,368	Yep, I'll pm it to you over the weekend.

02-05-2015, 06:02 PM	#8
Rainbow1616 Drives: 2011 Inferno Orange Camaro 2SS/RS Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 1,368	I used 2 of these and 1 piece of 18 gauge white wire. I also used 5 red T Taps and some black electrical tape to keep it neat One Rca for the right side went to pins 12 (+) and pin 4 (-) T tap these The left rca went to pin 13 (+) and pin 5 (-) The white wire for remote turn on of your new amp t taped into pin 1 This is for the BA system only

02-06-2015, 10:12 AM	#10
hazy Drives: 2011 2SS/RS Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: H-Town Posts: 1,037	So forgive me for my sheer ignorance. I'm at 0 level experience on car audio stuff, but am not exactly a stranger to wiring things like the above. Would all I need to get an amp/sub going is to run the wires as stated above, hook the RCA into L/R channel on amp, then wire amp to battery/ground? (of course hook up the sub to amp somewhere in there...) I presume level controls for the amp can be run separately off the amp, into the cabin for 'remote' control of the sub volume? This seems quite do-able. Even for a car audio idiot such as myself.

02-06-2015, 01:41 PM	#11
stoopid Drives: 4 wheels Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: anyplace, USA Posts: 1,177	You could just tap into the rear speakers for the audio signal and run power straight off the battery? Is there a reason to run wiring from the front dash all the way to the back? [it doesn't sound like an upgraded stereo setup with an integrated amp, otherwise they would already have a sub correct? BA systems all have small subs?]

02-07-2015, 07:32 PM	#12
thegreattailz Drives: convertible Join Date: May 2014 Location: Miami Posts: 39	You gotta watch it when your dealing with live power. If you do it wrong you can blow the amp, speakers or damage your car. Id recommend a powered bazooka. They're not bad for sound, and you wont have to deal with tweaking the amp. Relatively simple, but i usually just have best buy install the head units or run the wiring. Theres knowledge, and then theres time, tools and hardware. Once the proper wiring is run you can play around with it as you wish at your own risk. You can get dual 6 inch bazookas, an 8 10 or 12 inch. And if you want more just add another one

02-13-2015, 01:20 AM	#14
dontlift19 Drives: 2012 2SS/RS Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Texas Posts: 120	Didn't want to start a new thread for this so I'll just ask it here. I'm wanting to upgrade all the speakers and add a 4 channel amp, and mono amp and sub. Would this be difficult to do without the fark harness? They won't be available till April anyways and that's too long to wait. I have the factory ba system and it seems that 95% of the people with the ba system use the fark harness so there's not really any good write ups on how to do it without it. Thanks!