My aftermarket HU (sony MEX-BT5000) will be installed next week and would like to retain the use of the subwoofer once the factory HU is removed. So, in preparation, I'd like to fabricate a connector to plug into the 14-pin equalizer wiring harness (99 3.2TL without NAV) to adapt the subwoofer output from my HU to drive the stock amp and back speaker.

Is there a Metra Turbo Wire part that can be adapted? I'm going to need just pins 3, 8 and 10 and will fabricate the RCA plug to attach to the RCA dongle on the sony. I think this will be easier than running RCA-equipped cables through the length of the interior under the carpet and will save having to take out the seats to accomplish this.

Thanks.

 

Nobody makes a plug for that application. You're going to have to cut the two wires coming from the Bose EQ and solder them to your RCA dongle from the "sub" preout of your Sony.

It will work awesome, as long as you remember to hook up the "amp turn on" wire up from the Metra harness.

Good luck!

 

Thanks again, uncald4, for your response. Awesome!!

I was hoping to avoid that cutting/soldering operation by plugging into the existing connector but it looks like it might be totally unavoidable.

Wait a minute..you said to "remember the amp turn on from the Metra harness". Is that a correct statement? Shouldn't I be supplying that signal from the Sony head unit, not the factory harness??? If so, then I have remembered to wire in the amp turn on signal from the Sony unit. The signal is a blue/white lead from my HU and I'll be routing it to pin A1 (orange) on the 20-pin connector.

I have one more question that I hope you can answer or verify. The Sony RCA dongle terminates in two RCA plugs. The subwoofer amp connection on the factory harness is effectively one RCA plug. So, I guess I can choose either RCA plug on the dongle to feed the factory amp. Is this correct?

 

Ahh, I reviewed your statement again and see what you are talking about. I am going to connect the blu/wht lead from the Sony unit to A1 on the Metra harness, thus supplying the signal to the subwoofer amp, as needed.