Audio Systems: 97 Blazer, rca jacks, rear doors

Question
QUESTION: Need to know if its possible to get my amp and subs to work with the stock deck in my 97 Blazer. I have general knowledge, and Ive heard of people simply tapping into the wiring that goes to the rear doors (because the stock deck has no rca jacks) Should I run those wires straight into my amp? Any tips on how to get it all going? Thanks
ANSWER: There are several alternatives.  Tapping off the rear doors will work but you probably need an amp with level input switch so as not to end up overdriving the amp due to the high ac voltage that is fed to the speakers.  (As opposed to the line level out from rca type outputs.)

If you have the skill and know-how this is a viable solution.

Better is to obtain the proper adapter kit and install with the added rca jacks.  Go to this site and see if you can find one that will work for your vehicle.

http://www.installer.com/aux/

If you don't find the right one, call them and give them your requirement and they may have it on the shelf.

Also, try www.crutchfield.com which carries all the schoshe products for adapting, similar to above.

Hope this helps you find the best solution.

C.

PS:  You can find more wiring information at www.installdr.com for your vehicle, if that will help.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ok so I think Im going to go with the first option and just run it off the rears. Any kown webiste where Im going to hok up my remote wire from the amp to the factory wiring off the deck?
BTW The amp im using Kenwood KAC-8101D has input sensitivity settings and it also has a port labeled speaker level input. Im guessing the sensitivity setting may be what I need to make sure nothing gets harmed with the higher volts? or whatever that port is? Also in the meantime Ive heard from a friend that a radio shack has a harness for the factory deck that I may be able to use as well? Thanks for the help~ systems are alot easier with aftermarket headunits Im lost in the factory world...
ANSWER: Yes, Radio Shack has some wiring harnesses.  However, there is no substitute for tracing down the wires so you know exactly where they are or should be going.

Yes, if the Kenwood has input senstivity controls, start with it down to minimum and work it up slowly after you get the amp working.


There are two 12 v lines to connect to the KAC.  One comes directly - through a fuse - from the battery.  The other comes from the head unit which is the turn-on control voltage that fires up the amp.

Good Luck,
C


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: K- 3rd and hopefully last question cuz Im sure they are getting annoying haha. I got it wired up and my amped turned on which means everything is good because it has some safety stuff that wont let it stay on if something is bad, anyway and I used the wires going to the rear door speakers and wired them into my amp as the rca plugs. Turned it on amp turned on but no sound at all from my subs... Any idea what went wrong I basically made the rca's come in with music but they didnt transfer to my subs...  

Answer
Are you sure you wired it correctly?  If, for example, you reversed polarity from the door speakers you may have the ground signal wire going to the amp.

Here is what I recommend you to do:  First, try just reversing the polarity of the wires connecting to the rca leads to the kenwood.  

Secondly, put a 1K ohm  (1,000 ohms) in series with each line going to the amp.  (That is four resistors in all; two in each channel.  Nothing fancy, but that will limit the speaker power into the amp and provide isolation for the grounds, etc.  In this case you will have to increase sensitivity due to the audio voltage drop across the 1k ohm resistors.

Good luck,
C