Radio Wiring and Amp Bypass

[StereoInstaller1]

OK, first, cut all your wires off that fader plug and buy a blank pate, it is gone forever.

Second, unwrap the harness (I think you already did!) to the point where all the wires are the same length and one at a time, cut them all the same.

Now, use blue/red and blue/black, yellow/red and yellow/black as speaker positives, connect them to the decks speaker positives...DO NOT CONNECT THE DECKS NEGATIVES AT ALL...just tape up the ends of the 4 x/black wires.

Soon as you connect the rest of the deck including the white wires, you should be up and running

[Jsahmad]

I just registered to thank you for this thread!

It helped me out tremendously. Although, I ended up with 1 issue. Now every time I unlock my doors, my hazards go off for about a couple minutes. I believe it is the factory radio alarm going off. But I am not sure.

[dogsbark26]

Ha ha ha Jsahmad! I'm sorry to laugh but it must be funny waiting for the flashing to stop.
Welcome to the forum.

[Jsahmad]

Ha ha ha Jsahmad! I'm sorry to laugh but it must be funny waiting for the flashing to stop.
Welcome to the forum.

It is a little funny, but now I just leave my headlights on so the flashing doesn't show.

[6670charger]

OK, first, cut all your wires off that fader plug and buy a blank pate, it is gone forever.

Second, unwrap the harness (I think you already did!) to the point where all the wires are the same length and one at a time, cut them all the same.

Now, use blue/red and blue/black, yellow/red and yellow/black as speaker positives, connect them to the decks speaker positives...DO NOT CONNECT THE DECKS NEGATIVES AT ALL...just tape up the ends of the 4 x/black wires.

Soon as you connect the rest of the deck including the white wires, you should be up and running

Sounds great! I hope to get to this tomorrow, and will let you know how things went.

[StereoInstaller1]

I just registered to thank you for this thread!

It helped me out tremendously. Although, I ended up with 1 issue. Now every time I unlock my doors, my hazards go off for about a couple minutes. I believe it is the factory radio alarm going off. But I am not sure.

You are in some kind of lockout mode from your OBC, I would read the manual on it.

[6670charger]

Soon as you connect the rest of the deck including the white wires, you should be up and running

Connected everything up today and it works great! Thanks for the great instructions. Took me about 20 min once I finally worked up the nerve to start cutting the factory wires. Only issue I had for a few minutes initially was that I didn't have any sound. I wasn't exactly sure how to connect both the white wires as one was amp and the other the antenna. I had connected the antenna wire, and decided to try touching the other white wire to the screw top on the connector; that kicked in the factory amp and also the sound. Balance and fader all work fine, and a lot better sound quality with the EQ settings on the new deck.

Thanks again everyone!

[6670charger]

Yes, you can do that, but if you are going to bypass, it is easier in your case to run new wires to the front speakers and "re-purpose" the wires to the rear, using all 4 positive amp input wires to run the rear speakers.

That way you only have to take apart your kickpanels, no seat pulling required.

Is it not possible to use the existing speaker wiring from the amp to the speakers? I need to bypass my amp also to eliminate crackling and spitting at higher volumes, but I don't have the time to do all this re-wiring. Can't you simply unplug the incoming and outgoing amp wiring and connect the incoming speaker wiring (to the amp) to the wires going out to the speakers (from the amp)? Unless I missed something, the only instructions I've seen in this thread with regard to bypassing the amp have involved running new wires to the front speakers. Can't believe the existing front speaker wiring can't be used on an unhacked harness.

[agent]

I
Unless I missed something, the only instructions I've seen in this thread with regard to bypassing the amp have involved running new wires to the front speakers.

I don't believe that's the case. The factory amp has speaker level inputs. What most folks are doing (and what I did) is replacing the factory amp with an aftermarket amp and running RCAs from the deck to the aftermarket amp. The speaker-level inputs to the factory amp are not used, though the speaker wires from the (factory) amp are.

[6670charger]

The speaker-level inputs to the factory amp are not used, though the speaker wires from the (factory) amp are.

OK, so if I understand you correctly, after I disconnect all the wiring from the amp, and probably remove the amp itself, I should just be able to locate/identify the speaker wires coming from the amp, and connect them to the speaker wires coming from the dash?

[naomiswanson]

I already had an experience regarding this matter actually I am using z3/318ti this stuff is very easy to use and it is also provides for improving your car. However, thank you for your great information about E30 wire maybe next time I try to use it.

[agent]

OK, so if I understand you correctly, after I disconnect all the wiring from the amp, and probably remove the amp itself, I should just be able to locate/identify the speaker wires coming from the amp, and connect them to the speaker wires coming from the dash?

Yes, though since your plans are now to bypass the factory amp, you're really going to want to put an aftermarket amp back there. In addition to greatly improving the sound, it makes the installation exponentially easier.

[6670charger]

Anyone have any information with regard to which wires go to which speakers from the amp to the speakers? I'm sure I can probably figure it out on my own, but, if someone else has already created this wheel, there's no sense in me trying to re-create it. I've been doing some looking on-line and haven't found anything that I understand yet.

[StereoInstaller1]

Is it not possible to use the existing speaker wiring from the amp to the speakers? Can't believe the existing front speaker wiring can't be used on an unhacked harness.

Here is the story, which has been covered about 1100 times: there are only 5 wires from the deck to the amp in a fader equipped Premium Sound car.

Let me say this again: THERE ARE ONLY 5 WIRES, YOU NEED 8!

So IF you plan on bypassing your factory amp AND your car came with a fader, you have 2 choices: Run 4 pairs of wires from the deck to the trunk OR re-purpose the 4 input wires as rears and run new wire to the front speakers.

NO MATTER WHAT, IF YOU BYPASS THE AMP, YOU NEED TO RUN WIRES.

So, what this means is a you need to make a choice. If you KNOW you are gonna do a real stereo SOON and not just deck power, don't bother bypassing, just deal with the shitty stock amp until you finally get the time/money/balls to upgrade.

If you have a properly functioning stock amp, you will not have crackles and noises. You may have a little "hiss", but no bad/shitty noises. Assuming, of course, that you followed my wiring instructions properly.

I hope it is obvious that it is easiest to work with the stock amp/speaker wiring intact when installing an amp, right? It means that all 4 corners of speaker wires are already in one place, so it is as simple as running RCAs and power wires at that point.

Hope this helps, man...hard to watch some obviously intelligent people struggle with what is a fairly simple job. I know it is only a case of overthinking, just relax and understand what the electronics want to see.

Luke

[StereoInstaller1]

Anyone have any information with regard to which wires go to which speakers from the amp to the speakers? I'm sure I can probably figure it out on my own, but, if someone else has already created this wheel, there's no sense in me trying to re-create it. I've been doing some looking on-line and haven't found anything that I understand yet.

Yes, there are charts and diagrams and all sorts of documentation, plus you can download the BMW Factory Electrical Technical Manual (ETM) at www.wedophones.com.

Dig through the threads in my sig, either the amp bypass or the $500 killer stereo should have the chart.