Kicker hideaway- final upgrade to the $250(+) 3rd gen premium upgrade (+Kicker Key 180.4 amp)

@destin_meeks I purchased the kicker hideaway today. I already installed the kicker key amp thanks to your help (using metra harness). Question: should I grab the hideaway inputs from front speaker before going to amp or after amp output; does it matter?

 

definitely from BEFORE the Key

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tpp4s-no-nonsense-guide-to-kicker-key-t-harness-16-19.642415/
I have a full write up to help even the technically illiterate through this install. But, if you're really wanting someone else to do it for you, I have heard that TTunes sells a PnP harness.

 

So far, I have completed the CS speaker install, Subaru tweeters, kicker key amp, and sound deadening in the doors. The bass on some songs is great while others it just sounds punchy but lacking in sound if that makes sense. I guess what I'm trying to say is the speaker is moved for that sound, but you don't hear it...idk.

Are we still running the amp at stock settings with all switches up? I have used the auto setup on the amp with the HU eq flat. I tried adjusting the HU eq after for fine tuning, but where it made some songs better others got way worse. I'm not sure if the system just needs more time to break in. I run my HU on a setting of 30-32 as it was suggested that is when the bass frequencies are best, but that may just be an unsupported claim.

I'm contemplating adding the hideaway, but as with all compact subs, many reviews say that they blow or die within the year. Has anyone had issue with their hideaway since installing it?

 

I’ve installed probably 50 at this point (including one in my in-law’s car) and I’ve only seen 1 failure of that lot. It was in a teenagers car and I’m pretty sure they were abusing the crap out of it because when I checked it out, the radio’s bass setting was maxed, the bass knob was maxed, and all the dials on the amp were maxed.

for the money though, the self powered subs aren’t my personal preference. They’re definitely the easiest though

 

I understand that a ported box is definitely the preferred setup. What I really want is just something similar to what I had with my shaker pro system from my mustang. It had a built in factory sub and shook the damn mirrors off. I've had friends with actual boxed installs, and that is way more than I need. I just don't know if I'm going to be happy with a compact though. I would prefer not to lose any of the precious storage options though.

@destin_meeks for the money, what would you do, given the current setup?

 

Kicker 10” compRT loaded enclosure with passive radiator. Will fit behind the passenger back seat if you remove the plastic, or cut some of the front lip of the cubby. Powered by a good 400w rms amp. Or go with the 8” and a 300w amp

 

@tpp4 Look at the Cerwin Vega VPAS10. It's a 200w powered 10" sub that fits perfectly under the drivers seat on Gen 3's and so far I love mine. I have had it in about a month now, and it is nicely broken in. They are about $100.00 less than the Kicker hideaway.

No plastic removal, no cutting, no fuss. Just fantastic low end fill and more than a little bump when you want it.

$160.00 on Amazon right now.

 

Has anyone had an issue with static hiss/white noise coming from all speakers connected to the amp as soon as it is powered? This is while the engine is off, radio is off, and gains at zero. It persists if I disconnect the input cable to the amp. I'm assuming it's an issue with my harness, but I don't know where to start.

 

1st. Check your gain settings. Many people crank them up way too high. Tune the amount of gain to the fronts until you can hear it, then back it off a hair. Repeat for the rears. The rears will take more power before they hiss.

If that didn't fix it, you may have dirty power. That is to say that your solder connections may not be strong. There are a lot of factors that can lead to this such as not getting the solder hot enough, not wicking the solder through the wire, and using too much solder. I'm willing to bet though that it's just the gains set way too high. If neither of these solve your issue idk what to tell you.

 

Thanks tpp4, but the gains are at the lowest level.

I have questioned the joints for power and ground. I wasn’t sure how to solder the two smaller wires to the double pair of pre-soldered wires (one red pair, one black.) In both cases, I stripped back insulation behind the pre-soldered joint, and wrapped one small wire to each side of the v that is made to make a mechanical connection. I then soldered. Is there a better way to join those four wires on the ground and power connections?

 

See if you’re still getting this noise with the amp outside of the dash (hard to do with holding the radio and amp, but can be done.
If your still get it, disconnect your input side of the key. Leave the output side plugged in. If you get hiss with no inputs, it’s either the amp or the wiring after the amp.
My next check would be to start checking speakers for shorts/grounding out (spent hours in my wife’s car trying to troubleshoot noise like this from the amp, then turned out to be a short in the door where wire had broken through the heat shrink and was touching the sheet metal)

 

• Amp location doesn't affect the noise.
• The hiss is the same whether the inputs are plugged into the amp or not.
• Only my front speakers are wired through the amp. I did this by splicing into a tweeter harness from TT. If I unplug the tweeter harness, and just put the plug-and-play tweeter back in, I still get the hiss from the Subaru tweeter and door speaker in parallel.
• If I remove the Metra T-Harness completely and put the stock plugs back into the HU, I still get a hiss from the new tweeter wired with the TT tweeter harness, but it is very faint. I essentially have to put the tweeter up to my ear to hear it. The Subaru tweeter might do the same thing, but there is no way for me to get my ear close enough to hear when it is in the dash.
  • Is it normal for any speaker to have a slight amount of noise just from being connected to power?

 

This is what we needed to know. There is something going on. There is hiss, and the Key is just amplifying it.
As much as it stinks, I would pull the front door panels off. Disconnect both door speakers and see if you still get hiss from tweeters. If it goes away, plug one door back in and try again. repeat with other door. Inspect terminals on speaker and connection to factory wiring.

 

I need to install the new door speakers anyways. I’ll get back to you after I do the testing.

 

Oh are these still factory door speakers? That makes this even more interesting.
The factory radio making a hiss from factory speakers... not super common

 

CS 3-ways in the front. I need to remove the door panel to see if they have any white noise from normal HU power. So far the only hiss I can detect with the HU wired normally is with the KS tweeters connected in with the tweeter harness. It is very, very faint. (tweeter to ear)

 

Doors panels off, but to no effect.

• Same hiss/white noise when the amp is connected regardless of left/right/both/none door woofers connected.
• Same very, very quiet hiss/white noise when amp is NOT connected regardless of left/right/both/none door woofers connected. If this hiss was also coming out of the 3-way speaker, it was too quiet to detect.

Should a tweeter be completely silent when connected to a HU that has the audio off? If it was in the dash, there is no way I would be able to hear the sound.

I also disconnected my remote start unit with cellular receiver, and that had no effect.

The wiring for the Kicker Hideaway (remote turn on and speaker input from harness, battery power and ground not yet connected) is also installed, but I can't see how that would be causing a problem. It has not been connected or powered up.

I'm getting close to pulling all of the T-harness wiring out and redoing it with power directly from the battery. Crutchfield thought that the power was the most likely culprit. Is this the next step? If I'm going to chop into the harness, should I make a chassis ground while I'm at it?

Thanks guys

 

tweeter should be completely silent when audio is off. normally you will get hiss from the amp, not the head unit. but you saying you still got hiss (even faintly) with amp disconnected is strange.
I've done several of these using the metrea harnesses for power with no ill effects, but no two situations (or trucks) are the same. If you're willing to run power to the battery it wont hurt for sure.

and a chassis ground is NEVER a bad idea

 

Any other troubleshooting steps you can think of?