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

Yes, just match the colors up

as for running the harness, you can run it down the dash and under the center console then under a seat pretty easily. It just takes a little disassembly, but nothing bad

 

Ok right on, just wanted to make sure. Appreciate it!

 

Can I ground the hideaway to this bolt inside the kick panel?
I'm reading conflicting things about the ground being a specific length away from the amp itself. So if I go into the engine bay and just ground off the same bolt as the batteries negative that would be too far away. I can't use the seat bolt because the connector that came with the hideaway is too small for the bolt and I'm not putting everything back together to just go get that...

 

If you can reach that bolt, use it.

Also, there’s no such thing as a ground being “too far away” as long as the ground wire is at least the same gauge as the power wire

 

Well it was the first article when I googled "where to ground an amp" to weigh my options, said it should be no more than 18 inches away.
Ended up using that bolt.
Never done any car audio in my life or any soldering and between yesterday doing all the soldering and today the install. All set! Powered on and working first shot, woohoo. So if anybody is worried about taking this on, if I can do it, you can do it. Lol.
Now I'm just not sure where to put the settings on the hideaway, but I just played with it til it sounded OK for now.

Thanks

 

I mean, in ideal situations, your power and ground runs are as short as possible. But the amp is getting connected to the battery’s negative terminal one way or another. That can be through the sheet metal of the vehicle, or through a dedicated wire.

now you DO need a fuse on your positive wire as close to the battery as possible

 

You guys are draining my pockets, Again. I have on hand to install, sound deadening, speakers, tweeters, and hideaway sub, and had been convinced that I would not need a 4 channel amp. Now you have me convinced that I will just be adding the amp later, so might as well install it now, and just ordered a Key 200.4. Not exactly the amp you all talk about, but this one has the protection from clipping, LED for set-up to identify clipping; plus a neat optional feature where it comes with software and a Mic. to do its own calibration and equalization. Seems it will be interesting and simple to set up.

This should be it for the stereo upgrades; though I see I am a few pages behind in my reading here.

Thanks for saving me any disappointment, by adding an amp now.

 

The key is extremely popular on the forum and you’ll be happy with it. Several threads if you need install advice

 

Just finished reading all 37 pages,. and this one raises questions for me. I did purchase component front speakers, planning on installing the tweeter in the dash. Will I need to run new wires between the doors and dash, or is the existing wiring fine, just will need cut into the factory wires for the new speakers, unless I buy adapters?

Great thread, wish I had come across this one before buying the expensive PNP adapter; but once I cam across the fact that toyota is using aluminum wire; YIKES!!!, splicing becomes a delicate process.

 

I’m 7 years in on factory wiring with no issues

 

I have not found a solution, while searching; so I post a related question here, where there is some TW traffic that might steer me to an answer. Hope OP does not mind.

I am looking for a method or mod, so that I can sit in the truck and listen to the radio. I have the push button proximity ignition, so o press the button once without applying the brake, to get to accessory mode. Problem is that this turns itself off in about 10 minutes, with screen notice "...save battery". Is there a method or mod to allow me to listen to the radio, without the engine running, and not keep turning off? Is there a setting that can be done by a dealer, to extend this feature to stay in accessory longer?

I work construction, and am parked and on my computer in the truck, often, really appreciate any help.

 

The problem you run into is the battery draining relatively fast. The Tacoma has a tiny battery compared to the typically full-size work trucks.

try setting the e-brake and putting the truck in neutral. It might not shut off while in gear

 

It appears the battery is hearty enough, I have on occasion run the radio for more than an hour; just with the added pain and frustration of having to keep restarting the accessory mode.

Thanks, I will see if that works.

 

Are you listening to the actual radio, or a cd, or your phone?

 

Typically, actual radio, occasionally my phone. But with regard to battery longevity, This is with only the stock radio system, though my phone is always plugged in while working in the truck, and the phone is providing my laptop with Hotspot -Wifi, so the phone is charging the whole time also.

I do not discount your concern though, I keep a boost jumper pack in the glove box, to make sure I can get started; just have never had to use the jumper.

There may well be dual batteries in my future though, with adding the amplifiers. Just now beginning the install. At this point, i have double sound deadened the rear access cab doors, with new rockford-fosgate speakers. Sound deadening appears to make a huge difference, At least when tapping my hand on the sheet-metal, or after only finishing one side; closing the doors with the radion on and comparing the exiting volume of each side, from outside the vehicle. Though the speakers, on the stock head alone, do not appear to add volume. They do appear to add depth to the quality of sound.

 

if it was mostly your phone, I was going to suggest a Bluetooth speaker to keep in the console.

 

Good advice, I just discovered from a different forum, that for using radio at a drive-in, the trick is exactly that. Set the parking brake, and turn the truck off in neutral (or go to IGn mode, shift to neutral). They claim, the timer is not activated until you put the truck in park. I will tried this, and sure enough, no brake, I hit the button twice to get to Ign Mode, put it in neutral, then hit the button again and instead of turning off, it went to Accessory mode, and stayed running non stop for more than an hour (with battery charger on it) and stayed on till I put in park and pushed the button again.

 

It’s going to keep a lot of the systems turned on so just keep an eye on the battery. A jump box helps the confidence. And I’m sure being on a jobsite has plenty of options for getting back running.

you can also try wiring a basic switch between the radio’s accessory wire and the constant. You’d need a diode in place so it doesn’t backfeed and turn other systems on

 

I hope this is not already clarified in these posts, cause I have read this whole thing twice, with taking notes, and now that I have the dash apart, I cannot seem to rectify my notes to what I am seeing behind my radio. I have a 2020 non-jbl, and I cannot find the radio output for "power antenna" to use for turning on the amps. On this radio, all the speaker outputs are in a single connector, so what I find in these pages to locate the power antenna wire, does not make sense.

Can anyone tell me what connector and pin, is the head unit output for power antenna? I work from inside my truck a lot, and would like to know that my amps are off if I turn off the head unit power button.

Edit: further research outside TW appears to indicate there there is not a "power antenna" output on this head unit, though I would love for someone here to inform me otherwise.

Thanks in advance!

 

What do you need the antenna power for, exactly?