madsteez

Does anyone know if the factory radio on a 08 Rabbit has RCA outputs to run a subwoofer/amp? If not what do I need to get to run a sub and amp?


It has this radio in it

EH3_SOHC

ur a fucking tard, you need a hi-lo converter and you gotta run it to the speaker wires b4 the amp

madsteez

I love and miss you too.


Where can I get the converter locally? Does this mean that the RCA cable wouldnt run from the back of the headunit they would just be spliced off one of the rear speakers?

and I know how to wire up a amp you dick!

Fabrik8

Yes, the converter would mean you would be tapping off of the speaker leads.

Was there a factory amp option for that car? Some OEM radios have an external connection for an OEM amp, so you may be able to use that. You might need an interface to do that, depending on the signal type, etc. This all assumes that you actually have that capability on that stock radio, which you might not...

madsteez

It has the factory amp and there was a plug on VWvortex that would piggy back off the factory wiring plug and run RCA outputs but I do believe the business went under.


The converter sounds easier to use and install without damaging anything else.


But let me get it straight.
The converter will require one:
Consistent power lead and then just splice into any of the speaker wires coming out of the radio and it will turn it into a RCA cable output for lows?

Fabrik8

A line level converter like that is usually just a transformer, and if it is then there isn't any power and ground required. Depends on the unit though, some of them have active electronics or other stuff in them.

I would really tap off the input wiring to the factory amp if you can, the signal will be much cleaner than using a line level converter. You should be able to replicate whatever it is that you saw on VWVortex, at least in function. That would be ideal.

madsteez

Ill take a look at the amp when I start taking stuff apart. Doing that was never mentioned at vw vortex. I would psot the link but now I cant find it,it was about a year old.


found it.http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3688498

Fabrik8

Well, that adapter on VWvortex is just a line output converter. Disregard what I said earlier. I was making wrong assumptions about the factory system I guess.
If you look at that adapter, it's just a male/female harness that plugs inline with the OEM harness, and it taps off the stock wiring to go to the line output converter. You can tap off of the stock wiring yourself, so all you need is a line output converter. The blue wire is just a lead for the remote turn-on for the amp, and I'm assuming that it connects to the power antenna enable wire (which is a very common thing to use for an amp turn-on. The wire colors in that harness are the standard 4 colors of speaker wire that all the aftermarket companies use for their harnesses.

madsteez

Exactly what I was thinking I just didnt want to cross some shit and blow the factory amp. Ive never installed a hi-lo converter and I do very much appreciate the help you have given in this thread.



+rep

Fabrik8

Well, I would say the easiest thing to do would be to buy a Metra (or some other aftermarket) harness that plugs into the stock radio, and use that to get the pinout so you can tap off the correct wires with easy color codes. Then you can return the harness to the store unused. Or, you could buy a line output converter and both genders of harness and make your own version of that VWvortex adapter harness.

Either way, an aftermarket harness will have the same color coding as the line output converter so that's a perfect thing to look at. You don't even have to take it out of the bag.

Oh, and make sure that if you get stuff to make your own passthrough harness (like the VWvortex one) that you get something that has any additional wires for navigation, security functions, etc., that may be built into the stock radio. That may or may not apply, but keep it in mind. There are often more than just speaker and power wires running into the back of the OEM radio.