[Squidget Guy]

I have an aftermarket radio problem. In my 04 Titan, I am installing an aftermarket radio. I got the correct adapter cables and soldered all of the wires with shrink wrap to prevent any shorting. After connecting the radio to test it, I have no sound on either tuner or CD. I called the tadio's tech support. After telling them my stock radio had a 6-disk CD changer (that doesn't work) they said I probably had a high wattage amp and that my radio's 4 watt output just wouldn't put sound out of the speakers. The tech said I'd have to run speaker wires directly to the speakers. To test the radio for sound, I put straight pins through two of the speaker wires (to the same speaker). I put on a headset and touched the pins to the headset mini jack and heard music playing. So the radio does output sound.

My radio has a pair of amp outputs but I don't where the cables go to the amp. Has anyone had a similar problem, or successfully installed a low-end (less than $100) radio in a titan replacing a radio with a cd changer? Where is the amp located?

 

[Squidget Guy]

I found the amp, or what I think is the amp, under the drivers seat, but see no way to connect to my radio except to buy a Metra 70-7551 Amplifier Integration Harness. That harness has four male RCA jacks and my radio only has two female RCA jacks. Now I don't know what to connect. Jut use two of the jacks on the harness, or use splitters to put one output signal into two lines to the preamp. The more I think I learn, the more confused I get.

 

[Squidget Guy]

Photo of the Metra 70-7551 Amplifier Integration Harness.

 

[reeakes]

There were/are three options for OEM radio on the 2004 Titan (had one). The only one with an external amp was the Rockford Fosgate radio system. The amp for that system is positioned next to the firewall just above the brake pedal. If you do not have the Rockford Fosgate system, you do not have an external amp.

If you have the Fosgate system then probably the easiest thing to do is bypass the amp, running speaker wires directly to the speaker locations. Back in 2004 I posted on this site a method to bypass the amp using the existing wiring. Search for 'eakes' and you should be able to locate the post.

If you do not have the Fosgate system, then you have a problem with your wiring. Did you use a Metra harness to make what you presently have? Or did you splice into the OEM wiring?

 

[Squidget Guy]

NEVER MIND!!!

In desperation, i checked the blue wire coming out of the aftermarket radio and found that it produced 12V output, even when the CD player was on. I connected the blue wire to the truck harness' blue/white wire and have good sound with plenty of volume. Apparently all of my speaker wires are wired to the amp and it just needed power to turn on. PROBLEM SOLVED!!!

Thanks for the info given. It all helped me go in the right direction.

 

[Indy]

NEVER MIND!!!

In desperation, i checked the blue wire coming out of the aftermarket radio and found that it produced 12V output, even when the CD player was on. I connected the blue wire to the truck harness' blue/white wire and have good sound with plenty of volume. Apparently all of my speaker wires are wired to the amp and it just needed power to turn on. PROBLEM SOLVED!!!

Thanks for the info given. It all helped me go in the right direction.

LMAO!!!

Sorry, but yeah, that is the remote turn on wire for the amp. Aftermarket radio's usually have two, remote turn on and power antenna, the antenna one only powered when on radio. 30 years ago (damn, I'm getting old) I used to do a lot of stereo installs and custom speaker box builds. If I had bought something with an aftermarket setup including amp, I'd be wanting to pull all of it as I wouldn't trust it was done right. In fact, if you are running speaker wire level inputs and not RCA patch cables to an aftermarket external amp, it wasn't done right. You are amplifying the sound at the radio, then the amp has to reduce the power back to signal level and amplify it again so you are getting are adding more distortion.

And most aftermarket radios now have 6 sets of RCA outputs for external amp (Front, Rear, and Sub outputs).

 

[Squidget Guy]

Sounds too complicated for me. All i know is that I have great sound AND sound with both radio and CD player. I haven't checked the USB for sound yet, but see no reason why it wouldn't have sound too. As for an external amp, I don't think there is one. My $50 radio certainly wouldn't have one. The only amp is the factory installed amp that came with the Fosgate 10 speaker system that my truck has. It's obvious that the radio's speaker wires run to the amp as i didn't have any sound until i ran the antenna wire to the truck's amp turn on wire. Yes, i know it was the power antenna wire, not an amp turn on wire, which my radio doesn't have. But, it serves the purpose of sending 12V to the amp so that it operates, sending sound to all of the speakers including the subwoofer under the seat. I read that some radios only send the 12V while in tuner mode, but mine sends the 12V all the time the unit is powered on.

 

[Indy]

Sounds too complicated for me. All i know is that I have great sound AND sound with both radio and CD player. I haven't checked the USB for sound yet, but see no reason why it wouldn't have sound too. As for an external amp, I don't think there is one. My $50 radio certainly wouldn't have one. The only amp is the factory installed amp that came with the Fosgate 10 speaker system that my truck has. It's obvious that the radio's speaker wires run to the amp as i didn't have any sound until i ran the antenna wire to the truck's amp turn on wire. Yes, i know it was the power antenna wire, not an amp turn on wire, which my radio doesn't have. But, it serves the purpose of sending 12V to the amp so that it operates, sending sound to all of the speakers including the subwoofer under the seat. I read that some radios only send the 12V while in tuner mode, but mine sends the 12V all the time the unit is powered on.

Okay, I thought you meant it had an external after market amp. A lot of the OEM systems do use your standard speaker line outputs on your radio. And yes, when it only has one, they are usually always on for dual purpose, otherwise you have to hook to the ignition wire and have the amp power on with the vehicle. That's less than ideal because you can then get a thump when the radio turns on and off.

But sounds like you are good to go then. Just a FYI, if you get an itch to do more, I've read the Fosgate speakers are lower impedance than standard aftermarkets. So changing out other parts of the system can get more difficult to match everything up right. So at that point you are almost looking at a full gut job of the system and starting from scratch.

 

[Squidget Guy]

Just a FYI, if you get an itch to do more, I've read the Fosgate speakers are lower impedance than standard aftermarkets. So changing out other parts of the system can get more difficult to match everything up right. So at that point you are almost looking at a full gut job of the system and starting from scratch.

I seriously doubt i'll want to do anything else to the sound system. I'm happy with the results. I can now play music from the my MP3 disks I make and from a memory stick.

 

[Bobbert9]

Did you lose functionality of the outside temperature/compass gauge up by the garage door controls? I've read where people lose power to that part when installing an aftermarket radio. I want to put a double-din radio in my 2005 Titan but I've been putting it off because I have worried about losing the temp/compass and also the rear secondary radio controls that are in the ceiling at the back seats. I don't hold much hope that those will keep working, but I do want to keep the front ceiling readouts. I have the 10 speaker Rockford Fosgate OEM radio system with the 6-CD changer and I want to put in a Boss double-din touch screen radio (it has pre-amp outs in the back so I might need that integrated amp wiring harness??).

 

[Bobbert9]

Sounds too complicated for me. All i know is that I have great sound AND sound with both radio and CD player. I haven't checked the USB for sound yet, but see no reason why it wouldn't have sound too. As for an external amp, I don't think there is one. My $50 radio certainly wouldn't have one. The only amp is the factory installed amp that came with the Fosgate 10 speaker system that my truck has. It's obvious that the radio's speaker wires run to the amp as i didn't have any sound until i ran the antenna wire to the truck's amp turn on wire. Yes, i know it was the power antenna wire, not an amp turn on wire, which my radio doesn't have. But, it serves the purpose of sending 12V to the amp so that it operates, sending sound to all of the speakers including the subwoofer under the seat. I read that some radios only send the 12V while in tuner mode, but mine sends the 12V all the time the unit is powered on.

Hey there Squidget Guy. I'm where you were. I've got a 2005 Titan Crew Cab LE with the Rockford Fosgate 10 speaker 6-CD changer system. I'm changing out the radio and I got the Metra dash kit and the Metra 7551 amp/rca wire harness. Like you, I know we have an amp with this system. I think the box under the driver's seat is the subwoofer, or subwoofer/amp. Anyway, my radio has a subwoofer RCA out but as far as I can tell on forums, I don't need to use it. I came across your post when looking for information on the blue/white wire on the Metra harness which is labeled Amp Turn-On. There is also a black/white wire next to it labeled Amp Ground. Looking at your post, I need to connect the blue/white wire to the radio's single blue power antenna/amp power wire. Do I need to do anything with the black/white wire on the Metra harness for amp ground?

Thank you for your time!

Rob

 

[Ellis Hap Itson]

I have a 2005 Titan SE king cab with the 6 disc changer system. All stock, haven’t found all the info about what else I have. I bought a new pioneer avh-1440nex stereo unit and the dash adapter and wiring kit. Waiting for it to arrive. I really was impressed with the sound of my stock unit playing my cds but I needed to get apple CarPlay and a rear camera which comes with the new unit. I will have to check to see what my speakers actually are.
Did you get your wiring figured out.

 

[Sgtcantu]

I have a 2005 Titan SE king cab with the 6 disc changer system. All stock, haven’t found all the info about what else I have. I bought a new pioneer avh-1440nex stereo unit and the dash adapter and wiring kit. Waiting for it to arrive. I really was impressed with the sound of my stock unit playing my cds but I needed to get apple CarPlay and a rear camera which comes with the new unit. I will have to check to see what my speakers actually are.
Did you get your wiring figured out.
[/QUO

I have a 2005 Titan SE king cab with the 6 disc changer system. All stock, haven’t found all the info about what else I have. I bought a new pioneer avh-1440nex stereo unit and the dash adapter and wiring kit. Waiting for it to arrive. I really was impressed with the sound of my stock unit playing my cds but I needed to get apple CarPlay and a rear camera which comes with the new unit. I will have to check to see what my speakers actually are.
Did you get your wiring figured out.

I have a 2005 Titan SE king cab with the 6 disc changer system. All stock, haven’t found all the info about what else I have. I bought a new pioneer avh-1440nex stereo unit and the dash adapter and wiring kit. Waiting for it to arrive. I really was impressed with the sound of my stock unit playing my cds but I needed to get apple CarPlay and a rear camera which comes with the new unit. I will have to check to see what my speakers actually are.
Did you get your wiring figured out.

? Did you get it figured out ? I'm stumped
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