Bypass factory amp?

I am in the middle of installing a new Pioneer deck in my 97 with the factory Infinity amp setup. Do I have to somehow bypass the factory amplifier? I believe if I hook it up like I almost did then the factory amp is going to get way too many watts sent to it. Does this make sense?

I'm not familar with the infinity amp, but can you get to it and if so find the wires that go directly to the speakers and hook them up to the pioneer deck. Otherwise your going to have to try to run a line level to the infinity amp., like the RCA's coming off the pioneer deck for an external amp.

ChuckD said:

I'm not familar with the infinity amp, but can you get to it and if so find the wires that go directly to the speakers and hook them up to the pioneer deck. Otherwise your going to have to try to run a line level to the infinity amp., like the RCA's coming off the pioneer deck for an external amp.

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Yes I can get to it easy enough... it's under the rear seat. There are 2 plugs that go into it. One of them has all of the speaker wires. The other has a bunch of misc wires I don't know what they're for. I don't want to use the factory amp (I want to use the deck's internal amp) and the Infinity amp is not connected by RCA's.

When I put a new head unit in my '01 (with the infinity system), I just kept the line-level inputs into the infinity amp as they were. Sounded great (till some ass stole my stereo). If not, you need to re-run wires from the head unit to the individual speakers (cause your wiring kit goes from head to amp to speakers) or cut/splice the original line-in's to the line-out's of the infinity amp. For the time being though, just plug it in and give her a run. The worst thing that can happen is you blow your factory speakers and need to get new ones... oh darn.

TheNerd said:

When I put a new head unit in my '01 (with the infinity system), I just kept the line-level inputs into the infinity amp as they were.

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Well the factory Infinity amp is 100 watts... but the new Pioneer is like 200 watts. I hate to not get to use the extra power. My factory speakers have already been replaced.

i was just researching how to fix-up the factory infinity system, and came across this thread.
apparently i'm not the only that thinks the factory set-up kinda blows.
anyway, here's my idea/question, is there a way to use the factory amp to power only the fronts and use a new head unit to power only the rears?
like you said "i'd hate not to use the extra power."

I am not sure how the factory system is set up bc ihavnt seen it but i reccommend that you disconnect it and rewire the system yourself. Some of the speaker wires on the XJs seem to die anyway ie door. I would install the deck and using a descent quality of wire run new wire all around, should not be that bad and you will be happy at what some nice wire can do to a descent system.

pete

just got my 01 XJ recently and the first thing i had to fix was the broken wire going to the drivers door speaker. sad thing is the factory front speakers/amp sound great, but the 5 1/4"s in back bite. replaced them with a set of pioneers that were rated for a good freq. response. they sound the same! almost seems like infinity used a crossover to them or my amp is bad. going to clip the wires going to the amp for the rear speaker feed and put in one of my amps. also going to wire in my powered bazooka bass tube. will post some pics and the results when i get it done. i'd replace the head unit, but i like having the CD and cassette combo.

metalgearxj said:

but i like having the CD and cassette combo.

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Here lies your problem. The factory deck is worthless IMHO. Replaceing it will greatly improve you systems sound.

IdeaMan said:

I am in the middle of installing a new Pioneer deck in my 97 with the factory Infinity amp setup. Do I have to somehow bypass the factory amplifier? I believe if I hook it up like I almost did then the factory amp is going to get way too many watts sent to it. Does this make sense?

Click to expand...

Yes it does make sense, and no you dont have to bypass the factory amp it will work just fine.

IdeaMan said:

Yes I can get to it easy enough... it's under the rear seat. There are 2 plugs that go into it. One of them has all of the speaker wires. The other has a bunch of misc wires I don't know what they're for. I don't want to use the factory amp (I want to use the deck's internal amp) and the Infinity amp is not connected by RCA's.

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This is easy enough to do The absolute cleenist way to do it would be to go to the junkyard get another Infinity amp dissect the plugges off it to make an adapter.

These are from a 2000 FSM but it will be the same, or close to you 97.
Front
Radio.........Amp
L+DG.........LG/VT
L-BR/RD.....BR/RD
R+VT........LB/RD
R-DB/RD....LB/BK


Rear
Radio........Amp
L+BR/YL...WT/RD
L-BR/LB....WT/BK
R+DB/WT..TN/RD
R-DB/OR...TN/BK


The other wires are for power, ground, and the remote turn on

The wiring color is the same as my 99 and I have a blown rear channel in my infinity amp, or at least I think I do. I was trying to test it out. I was trying to bypass the amp for the rear speakers and connect them so they dont run through the amp. But when doing that nothing comes out of the rear speakers anymore not even the side that was working. I took a speaker and tryed jumping it right off the harness and nothing still. How Come?

nevermind, I took the infinity cd player out, looks like the previous owner was screwing around with the back of it and cut a couple wire in the harness and didnt crimp them back together tight enough so they were just dangling there.