Cliff notes version:

I have an entire stereo system out of previous vehicle, installation skills, 06 MCS with HK. Looking to completely bypass the H/K system. I need to know what adaptor's I need to buy to allow me to grab power and antenna connections without hacking any of the wires.


Ok I have an 06 MCS with HK and lots of experience installing in other vehicles and still great equipment. Here is what I want to connect: (already have the equipment from my previous vehicles)

Alpine 9831 Deck
Front: MB Quart 6.5" components
Rear: MB Quart 6.5" Components
Rockford Power 400.4

Sub: 2 10" MB Quart subs in sealed boxes
Rockford Power bd500.1

I am looking to overall bypass the entire HK setup. I am fully aware of what is needed as far as battery wiring, install etc.

What I don't know is what I need (or where to get) the adaptor to the mini harness to the Alpine harness. In all my previous cars I just bought the adapator, spliced in the radio and plugged it into the car harness. I will be running my own speaker wiring so I don't even need to worry about the other adaptors...

 

Hey you can get the harness (car side ) at any circuit city it is the same harness as almost all brand new bmw , audi , volkswagen ...... as well as the same harness that the non hk mini used if you have any other question feel free to ask i am a car audio manager at a circuit city and i know the mini in and out as far as car audio goes

 

I too was once a installer and I need this question answered too. Does the adaptor let the controls on the steering wheel still work?

My system is also HK and the reason I'm replacing it all is because the amp just died on me.

 

Cool, thanks for the info, could you tell me the part #'s to ask for? Do they have the fascia kit avaialble as well?

 

Did the car came with the H/K already (From the dealer lot) or did you ordered it from the factory? Seems to me a big waste of $550 wanting to bypass the H/K when it probably would have been cheaper and much easier to by pass the standard stereo setup.

For questions regarding anything related to the H/K, user GBMINI (a.k.a Ian Cull) is the person to talk to as he has loads of experience tinkering with H/K components.

You may want to send him a PM.

 

It came from the factory, I did not order it, so there was no option. I like the HK, but I miss the volume and with all the windows and roof open, you can barely hear it.

I already had the equipment, so I am only out the harness and time to install it.

 

I also just pick up the car off the lot.

 

Ok I just now found out that you can bypass the amp and get sound out of the front door speakers.
Connect the yellow/blue( on black connector) to the yellow/brown (black connector).
Connect the yellow/gray (black connector) to the yellow/red (black connector) That is the left side.
Connect the brown/red (black connector) to the blue/brown (Grey connector).
connect the yellow/red (black connector) to the brown/black(Grey connector) That is the right side.

If you are like me that will help until you can get a replacement amp or new head unit and speakers.

 

the part numbers are as follow:
metra 999302 - dash kit
metra 809003 or 709003 - harness (either model# will work the first # is circuit city only #)
metra 40eu10 - antenna adapter

 

Thank you!

 

I don't know what the harness is that chikmagnet quoted - but I guess it adapts the wiring at the head unit.
Problem with HK is all speaker wires run from HK amp. Only front left/right speaker levels go from head unit to HK amp position.

As Magic MINI discovered, you can link front speakers at HK amp connector (but you are loading HU with 2 ohm impedance which it won't like - also there are separate wires to low and to mid/high in each door; I'm thinking Magic MINI only linked the low speaker each side?)

See here for HK amp connections: http://www.gbmini.net/HKconnections.pdf



Tampastang,
Actually if you want to rip out the HK completely, the wiring is not so bad.
Presumably you will install a new amp in the boot/trunk - so wires from amp to speaker positions are already in correct place.
You don't really want speaker levels from HU to amp (assuming new HU), you want RCA levels - so you have to run new wires from HU to amp position anyway.
The harness adaptor allows you to power the HU without cutting original wiring, but I don't know of another adaptor that allows you to avoid cutting wires at the HK amp connector.

 

Right, I only want the adapators to grab power and antenna so I dont have to cut anything. I am going to run my own speaker wiring to the doors and boot. I am just going to leave the HK amp alone and let it just sit there; if I ever sell the mini, I will just uninstall all of my gear and swap the factory stuff back in, so there will be a clean slate for the next person.

I do this in every vehicle, albeit some are more difficult to pull wire into the doors than others, hopefully the mini will be easier than some.

 

Sadly the MINI is a b*** to get wires through to the door.
There is a plug-socket connector in the door hinge framing - you have to drill through it to give you somewhere to run the wires! Some good details with pics on MikeTheMINIs mirror install details

 

Thanks! Parts have been purchased, will post pics once I get er done in a few weeks.

I may just tap those leads in the back then. You'd be right that would be a pain in the danglers.

 

If you have the HK system you can just run the new wiring back to the amp locals and connect to the factory speaker runs that are going back to the door. That's what I will be doing once I upgrade the head unit.

BTW I'm on day two with the bypass amp thing. I only have the door speakers connected. As a Home Audio Video installer and ex car audio installer I know that I can't keep running them this way because after a short time the HU will die. The funny part to me is that the Mini HK system is a little hard to understand but at the sametime I can install a Whole house audio system with touch screen controls with no problems.

But I understand the Hk system really well now because of the help of GBmini and others on NAM!

 

I know it may be a lot easier to wire it this way. I will try my luck with the door, but if it is too big a pita, I will splice into the wiring by the amp, I just hate doing that!

 

i dont have a hk system in my car but i did replace evrything in my car i ended up using the factory wire from the head unit to the speakers and it sound pretty alright this would be the same as connecting at the output of the hk amp and i am running a descent amount of power (mtx thunder 895).
one of these days i will be running wire back to the amp directly in my gallery you can see that i just connected 16g wire to the factory connectors in the doors with speaker harnesses (metra model # dw9301sh)

 

GBMINI is wired using factory harness too.

Tampastang has an extra benefit if sticking with using the original HK wiring - there are *two* sets of wires to each door, and they are better wires and twisted pair ...

 

yesterday I installed a alpine amp to replace the Hk amp. I also used the HK speakers. I did so by connect them in series to get a 4 ohm load. Connecting the tweeter to the lower speaker in the door and then connect the back dual voice coils in together gave me 4 ohm loads on all the channels.
BTW the speakers have never sounded so good.
Thanks to eveyone for helping me with this problem.
Here is a link with pictures of my amp install.
http://www.magicmini.com/images/ampinstall/

 

Great photo history!
What are you doing on photos 6/7/8? I understand the rest.

I would expect the mid speaker to suffer over time if you are giving it the full range of signal - but I hope I am wrong.


I'd like to repeat some of your photos and put a write-up on GBMINI.net - if that is OK with you?

 

6/7/8 pics are when I removing the star bolts from the bottom of the back part of the seat.

you are welcome to use the pics on Gbmini.net.

I believe you are right about the mid speaker but I think by running it in series it is using the cap from the tweeter so there is no lower bass coming thou. If I could I would replace all the speakers,Head unit and add amp too but just adding a amp was a fast fix.

BTW in the pictures I was thinking I could get the amp to fit back in the OEM local but that was a no go. If you look at the pictures I had a picture where I had it in the Oem locals but the side panel would not go back on with the amp there.