I'm in the process of deciding on the best approach for upgrading the stock stereo in my 06 MCS. The amplifier I'm leaning towards the Alpine MRP-F450 but because this will be the first amp I have ever installed I'm not sure how to connect it to the head unit. Connecting the input to the new amp is easy, but connecting the output from the head unit is where I'm lost.

I've searched the threads but haven't been able to find any information that a novice in this area can understand.

Any help will be much appreciated.

 

Are you sticking with the stock headunit?

 

Yes. I want to keep the factory look.

 

What you will need is called a Line Level Converter. This will take the output from the factory headunit (speaker level) and reduce it to an acceptable level for input to an amplifier. It will also provide RCA connectors which will allow you to run an RCA cable from the converter to the Amplifier.

something like this:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-KzN2LHJ...&i=142SLC4#Tab

 

Thanks ESP. That's just what I was looking for. I now know that I can cut the speaker wires behind the head unit, connect the line level converter to the head unit side of the cut wires and run the RCA cables to the amp. The speaker outputs from the amp can then run back to the head unit and connect to the other end of the cut wires, thus connecting the amp to the speakers.

 

That will work.

You may want to try and locate this as well. Will save you from cutting factory Wires:

For the Metra brand I believe the MINI would require (please check with wherever you source them from, or at metra website):

70-9003 and
71-9003

another manufacturer is Scosche and their parts would be
VW003 and
VW003R (I think, again please please verify)

This would give you one connector that attaches to the factory harness and another that attaches to the stock headunit.

 

well..i have a question and a statement:

is our harness the same as the VW one??
if it is the Scosche; the VW03B and VW03RB

addison

 

That will be really nice; no cut wires. Thanks for all your help.

 

I tried to do some quick research on metra and scosche sites.
Metra shows BMW 3 and 5 series (Latest 3 series E90 and 2 years of the E39) as uising a VW style harness, also the X5 from 2000 on.

Scosche has some conflicting information as they show the (what used to be) standard BW01 Harness for some of the 2002 BMWs.

Regardless the appropriate adaptors they show for MINI 2002-2005 are the VW style.

Wouldn't things be much simpler if they were standardized. (Too boring though).

 

Oops, also forgot, you are correct the VW Part #s from Scosche are indeed VW03B and VW03RB

 

Thanks ESP. I took al look at the VW03B and VW03RB on the Scosche website. I don't really follow how these would work in conjunction with a line level converter. Could you please give me a quick overview of how these connectors will avoid having to cut any wires.

Thanks.

 

Sorry for the slow response, here is a description of what I was thinking.

If you take the 2 Scosche connectors you will find one plugs into the factory wiring harness and the other into the Stock Headunit. You would connect all the wires for Power, Ground, Ignition, Illumination, Remote, between the two Scosche Connectors. Don't connect the speaker wires as these will be used as the substitution for cutting the factory wires.

Hope you are still with me so far. You should now have a single harness with one Scosche on each end. You can now take the speaker wires coming out of the Scosche connector that plugs directly into the headunit and wire these to the Line Level adaptor. Then run your RCAs (And A Remote Turn On) back to the Amplifier. Then run your speaker wires form the Amplifier back up to the other Scosche connector that plugs back into the vehicle wiring system.

That should do it!

If you need any additonal help just let me know, I can throw a quick diagram together if you need one.

 

Wrong. The amp chosen has one built-in. It even comes with a MOLEX plug and pigtail harness to connect.

 

well i made up this diagram....i hope it helps.......the only part i am unsure about is the remote power on for the amp.

 

No idea about these Scosche things ... but another option Keith is to use Mikeys "power take off kit":
http://www.newministuff.com/new/shop...ductshow&id=44

Get the one "boost to bare ends", ignore the power take off bit, and cut into the linked wires in Mikeys kit to produce the wiring that FL Blue shows.

 

Good Catch. I really should have checked.

MisterMINI, if you do go with this amp you can run the speaker level output from the headunit directly to the amplifer. The Line Level component I was referencing is indeed built into the amplifier that you have chosen.

I personally would still prefer to use an adjustable Line Level converter and run RCAs to the Amplifier.

FL_blue_MINI, Nice diagram! for the Remote, I didn't know if the factory antenna was amplified or not, if so you would want the factory wiring to be connected for remote but you would also need a wire running back to the amplifier as well.

 

Wow. I've been travelling today and just logged on at the hotel. You guys have really put together some very useful information. These forums are amazing. The wiring diagram will be a tremendous help.

Thanks ESP, FL_Blue_MINI, GBMINI and Patagonian_GT.

Keith.

 

Just FYI, the factory head unit is a low level signal output into the factory amp. There is no need to use an adapter of any sort. Just identify which wires do what coming out of the head and you can simply buy RCA plugs to create an output using the existing wires out of the head.

 

The factory head unit is a "receiver" with integrated amplifier. It does not have line outs. Even the Harmon Kardon upgrade that includes an separate amplifier uses the head unit's speaker level outputs.

 

it's all just voltage. I've soldered RCA's on the speaker leads of an older stock unit and plugged into my amp - it was a PPI and had a switch to accept more than RCA level inputs.

I've run a line drive pushing so much voltage through RCA's (27 volts), they would actually arc to the amp if you tried to plug in with signal.

 

It's impedance too; very poor matching from speaker level out to RCA in; of course with the noise of our cars, you'd probably never hear any distortion anyway

 

well, yeah. voltage without low impedance means nada.

I need more amp power to overcome the exhaust I installed

 

LOL, with Runflats I would agree. With some traditonal tires and a little Dynamat it would be another story

 

Have you ridden in a GP?

 

Point well Taken

BTW I just realized who you are. I have your weblog as a subscription in my bloglines, good reading.