In installing a new Kenwood into my w163 Bose equipped ML, I used the usual VW9000 adapter wired according to Crutchfield instructions. In turning the unit on, I found it had power but no sound. The instructions say to plug one of the two wire blocks removed from the back of the old ML MCS into one side of the adapter and abandoned the other one. In doing that though, it leaves the other side of the adapter, the one housing the Kenwood stereo speakers out wires, empty with no existing ML speaker wire harness bloc to plug into it. Anyone know what’s going on here?

 

Welcome jlames,

Not going to work. You will have to bypass your FO (fibre optic) bose amp system, presumng yours operates using FO.
What year is this w163?

Read here

 

Yep. I pulled the amp all together and figure I’ll just run speaker wires between the appropriate adapter pins which I’ll add and the sockets in the block that was connected to the Bose amp.

 

Gutted the old amp and re-purposed the connectors on the shell with a new double din. Placed her back in adding the additional bells and whistles.

 

Well, if that last part was directed at me, I can assure you that I had spent a fair amount of time looking for answers to my question figuring that it may have already been answered before seeking your collective advice. I’ve seen what a hot-button issue this is with many people but I failed to find what I considered a satisfactory, complete answer to my question which was electrical in nature and by definition a question that needed a thorough answer before risking doing significant damage. To the other, more patient posters, thank you again for your help, on this and the many other issues that I’ve had.

 

I'm sure you have....

That's my signature.
And I'm sticking to it....
Typically applies to whomever thinks it applies to them.

 

All you have to do is cut the wire harness on your amp and connect speaker wires from your new Kenwoord to the cut wires of the amp. plus you need to connect to power and ground and radio antenna amp on the headunit plug.