Alright, time for this to go. Does anyone know if you can use the factory wires (the wires that plug into the Bose amp) to plug into an aftermarket amp???

 

No one knows if you can or not???

 

You have not provided nearly enough information. Start with the model and year of your car; tell us whether it is U.S. or European specification (or at least what continent you live on); and tell us whether you are asking about the input connections to the Bose amp, or the output from the amp.

Ask a decent question, you'll probably get a decent answer. None of us likes to guess at what you mean.

And you might also try the search tool. The question you really mean to ask has probably been covered.

 

Well, I guess what I mean is all the wires. The input and output. The wires coming from the HU to the amp, and the speaker wires as well. Can you just cut them off from the amp and plug them into an aftermarket amp? I know that there are input wires from the HU to the amp, then output wires from the amp to the speakers.

What I would like to do is run RCAs from my sub amp to a new, aftermarket amp for the stock speakers. Then, if it's possible, plug the power, ground, remote and speaker wires into the new aftermarket amp without having to tear up the car to run new wires.

This is in a 2000 CLK, USA edition I suppose.


Thanks for at least responding.

 

Getting better, you could have posted (at least) the 6 first digits of your VIN (208xxx). It is not clear to me if this car is using D2B from the HU to the Bose amp, the diagrams indicate D2B as an option but aren't specific. The cabrio CLK 320 is marked to us copper wire from the HU to the amp. Better check if it feeds audio via D2B, if not, then a new amp would be reasonably feasible. You would have to take into account the higher than normal input levels and the low speaker impedance.

 

Look at your amp. If all of the wires going into it from the HU are copper wire, then you can replace it without replacing the HU, as he says. If any are fiber optic (orange insulation, fiber optic connectors, one of which will emit light if the system is on), then you cannot.

The wires coming out of the amp are copper. If you wish you can use a step-down transformer and add amps after the Bose amp. I presume with that kind of approach you're thinking of replacing your speakers as well.

Be aware that your Bose speakers are 2 ohm speakers, while most other car audio uses 4 ohm speakers. If you mismatch the resistance, you may have all kinds of problems - not the least of which are blowing either the speakers or the amp - and if neither of those happens, distortion.

Again, there is a lot of material already posted on the forums concerning any of the the approaches available:

1) replace only amp & speakers if wires from HU to Bose amp are all copper; DO NOT cut any orange-insulated leads to see if they're copper - they're not.
2) keep HU & Bose amp and step down Bose amp line output and add an amp after the Bose; and replace speakers (this can also be done to add or change only a sub, and not changing the power or connections to the remaining speakers)
3) replace your entire HU, amp, and speakers - but be careful of the other equipment you may lose if your HU is fiber optic. See the phone bulletin for your car at http://home.earthlink.net/~phdwebsit..._bulletins.htm for components you may have on the fiber optic ring (and also for the location of your components).

 

you mean you don't cut the orange plastic wires and stick them to the input of the amp? ut oh...

 

that would make more business for you, wouldn't it jbondox?

falls profet, in searching for additional information you might use the name jbondox in the "user name" portion of advanced search. He has posted a great deal of the forum's information on audio system modifications.

 

Skylaw, the credit falls with you and a few others here, You guys are the one that keep it running, I just come in time to time when i have a quick second. Give yourself a lot of credit,it is due... you help a lot of people unbiasly where I am biased as all hell...