Wanting to add a amplifier to non-jbl system

Hey y’all, new member here, long time lurker.

I recently bought a Tacoma (first truck and I’m super excited), I bought the kicker tweeters, front and rear speaker’s to start off the long journey of upgrades to the truck.

Just purchased the Alpine KTA-450 power pack which is a 4 channel amp to power the speaker’s. Also purchased this https://www.crutchfield.com/p_007CK12/Crutchfield-CK12.html

as well as: Nilight - 50004R 120 Pcs/60 Pairs Quick Splice Wire Terminals T-Tap Self-stripping with Nylon Fully Insulated Male Quick Disconnects Kit, 2 Years Warranty

$8 Nilight - 50004R 120 Pcs/60 Pairs Quick Splice Wire Terminals T-Tap Self-stripping with Nylon Fully Insulated Male Quick Disconnects Kit, 2 Years Warranty

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CP987BN?_encoding=UTF8

What I’m confused about it:

1) If I’m not changing the non-jbl HU(HeadUnit), will I require a LOC (line-output converter) to then convert to RCA’s to the amp?

2) will these connectors work with 2019?

- Metra 71-1761 87 - 94 Toyota Vehicle Harness

$12 Metra 71-1761 87 - 94 Toyota Vehicle Harness

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00029X1KA?_encoding=UTF8

- Metra 70-1761 Radio Wiring Harness For Toyota 87-Up Power 4 Speaker

$7 Metra 70-1761 Radio Wiring Harness For Toyota 87-Up Power 4 Speaker

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002BEQJ8?_encoding=UTF8

Sorry if the links didn’t work, but it’s a female and male connection for the factory wiring harness in the Tacoma and some connectors. I’ve read (on here) that these connect to the 2019 factory harness, like a plug and play, even though Amazon didn’t specify that they do.

And 2020 is where the connections are different, again this is just what I’ve read so go easy on me.

3) will I only be tapping into the speakers wires from harness and leave them be? Or do I cut them, cap off wires going to HU and only wire up speaker wires coming from car to amp?

4) Is it recommended just to go straight to the battery for constant or in y’all’s opinion there is plenty of amps/power to power the amp.

I know that’s a lot to ask, but I keep getting different answers and see more of 2nd generation then anything it seems. Nothing for 2019. Also if I’m missing anything please let me know, this will be my first time wiring up a stereo, even though I’m an electrician, it’s like a whole different realm of wiring to me lol.

 

You are going to make one of these. You won’t use T-Taps and you don’t need an LOC.



The Alpine manual explains that you either remove the RCA connectors, or adapt your harness to plug into the RCA connectors on their harness if you are using speaker level inputs.

The manual also states that you need to run minimum 12AWG power and ground, with a 20A fuse on the positive battery connection.

 

Okay, so the metras I bought will or will not work? And that looks to be a 9wire cable, is that correct?

and is that the harness that was originally from the truck? Thanks for the reply btw.

 

@Travisvanh @dolbytone Correct me if I’m wrong, but the picture is an example. You need a kit that has male and female connectors for your HU. From there, you take the amp wiring harness, and using the directions, create a “T-harness”.

The Metra harnesses you’ve ordered should work for you.

This thread is for the Kicker Key amp, but same principles apply
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tpp4s-no-nonsense-guide-to-kicker-key-t-harness-16-19.642415/

 

Yes, this is a harness I made for a 2017 4Runner that I have not had the chance to install yet. The connections on 4Runners and Tacomas are the same generally. Obviously I added quick disconnects on the 9-Wire running to and from the amplifier, just so it would be more easily run, and I haven't cut the wire to length on the amplifier termination side yet. I also added a 12VDC +/- pair to power a DSP which I'm running outside of the 9-Wire.

The pigtails you bought should work but you can't be sure until you have your radio out. Yes, that's 9-Wire, probably the best/easiest solution for running wires to a remote location amplifier while still utilizing the factory harness back to the speakers. None of these components came with the truck originally, it's mostly comprised of a Toyota integration harness I got from Audison for another project.

 

Interesting, well I definitely appreciate you taking the time to explain this to me. In the future I would like to add a sub, depending on if I feel the amp is adequate enough for me or not. But I love bass, so eventually I might go ahead and do so. I should probably just go ahead and get a distribution block for future needs as well by the battery I’m assuming, because I may want to power some lights or something too. Unless I use some other unit. Again, fairly new to how all of this works. That was an excellent post btw about how to wire up the harness and everything. Easy to follow.

So if I decide to run a separate amp and subwoofer, with my current HU, then I Would need a LOC for that I’m assuming?

 

That depends. Some amps take a speaker level signal, JLAudio as an example. That's sometimes called a "high level" input. There are some companies, some are notorious around here, that have an "add-an-amp" harness that runs in-line with the factory harness, and provides line level signal. Google is your friend here, as typing the name I'm thinking comes up "*******" here, from bad experiences by many members. You could also, since you're making your own harness, run your own wiring for adding an amp.

 

/throws hands up

Bruhhhhhhh, you knew you were going to add a sub but already bought an amplifier with no aux out or pass through.

Send it back, get a 5 channel that takes 4 channel speaker level inputs.

 

Missed it. Point —> @dolbytone

 

Haha I was planning on getting a mono amp separate for sub anyway.

 

So I got the amp installed:

I used the 12 awg ground that came with the car kit from crutchfield. Researched it after problem began, figured you needed at least 10 gauge for ground with 50x4 rms. I had some 6awg copper laying around so just used that, grounded to chassis ran it to the amp and HU. I can literally smell it burning through the amp also. I still have no idea what I’m doing wrong. The wiring should be correct also. I used that 9 speaker wire to run it to the amp from HU. Any ideas? Will leave it disconnected for now, the amp definitely amplified the sound.

And after I turned the truck off it makes a sound coming from rear speakers too, just a constant low pitched noise.

 

@Travisvanh Where did you get power from, and where did you ground to? The factory wiring is not meant to handle that load. I’m hoping you say the amp is powered at the battery, and that you have a ground that you cleared the paint from.

Second, why would you use a thicker gauge wire for ground than for power? The power lead should be, IMO, the 6gauge, matched to the negative.

Overall, it sounds like a short somewhere.

 

@ZMan2k2 I brought power from the battery with the kit from crutchfield. It has a 15amp fuse currently. I ended up grounding with a bolt that was next to the seat underneath the side panels by the seatbelt, I took off the paint as well.

when I wired up the input/outputs for the front speakers I swapped them on accident. I swapped them, and now both the front and back speakers work.

my concerns now are:

1) A every time I turn on the truck, a crackling noise comes on (I’m assuming when the amp powers on?) then it stops, but there’s a very high pitched noise with the volume now. But the speakers work.

2) The amp gets hot and I can touch it, but it’s still pretty hot. Hasn’t smoked however.

3) There is virtually no bass now, and if I turn the gain up even a little, it gets distorted. Im not even a 3rd of the way up on volume either.

I’m honestly thinking about just sending this thing back, if they will even accept it. But there’s been a bunch of people on here that vouch for this amp. Im at a loss here.

 

@Travisvanh

1 - I’m guessing you have a ground-loop. Does the whine change with RPMs? That’s a #1 indicator. Try grounding in another location. Every vehicle is different, so that’s the best advice I’ve got, sorry.

2 - Amps get hot. They’re stepping up voltage, that’s what they do. How hot is hot? Burn your fingers hot or warm but not uncomfortable to hold for 10 seconds?

3 - Gain is NOT a volume knob. That is to adjust signal levels between head unit and amp. Bass will be found with the EQ. Bass is the hardest for an amp to produce, it takes the most power. Set your EQ, then with a multimeter set your gains. Youtube is your friend here, it would take too long to type out.

Don’t give up, anything that takes effort is worth doing.

 

Any luck getting more bass? I'm in the same boat. Plenty of clarity at high volume but it lacks the fat ass I was hoping for.

 

2 things. 1) The factory headunit rolls off the very low end to preserve the craptastic factory speakers. 2 ) If you’re tapping the rear speakers, STOP IT!! They’re rolled off even higher, as well as slightly muted.

 

Gotcha. I upgraded all 6 speakers, tweeters included, to Kicker.

 

That’s good, you’ll have better sound. But in the end, it doesn’t change the roll off of the factory headunit. To get around it, you need a DSP, like the JL FiX or Dayton, or a new headunit.

 

I ended up installing an

$220 Alpine KTA-450 4-Channel Power Pack Amplifier with Dynamic Peak Power 45W RMS x 4, at 2 Or 4 Ohms

Alpine KTA-450 Power Pack. It has helped a lot. Plenty of clarity and volume.

 

Crutchfield ?