[galavizjg]

if this question has been answered I apologize for posting. I couldn't find it.

I have a 2013 3.6 limited with the Harman Kardon stereo without nav. I would like to install a aftermarket headunit and keep using the factory rearview camera amp and sub. Is it possible. Thanks in advance

 

[Budaru]

if this question has been answered I apologize for posting. I couldn't find it.

I have a 2013 3.6 limited with the Harman Kardon stereo without nav. I would like to install a aftermarket headunit and keep using the factory rearview camera amp and sub. Is it possible. Thanks in advance

I don't know the precise answers to your questions, but from what I've seen in the service manual you should be ok. I'm writing because I'm curious about your project, since I'm in the middle of changing out my speakers and probably the amp. I'd like to request that once you work things out, you post here what you did and how it turned out. Thanks.


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[hongthan]

if this question has been answered I apologize for posting. I couldn't find it.

I have a 2013 3.6 limited with the Harman Kardon stereo without nav. I would like to install a aftermarket headunit and keep using the factory rearview camera amp and sub. Is it possible. Thanks in advance

You should be able to do that with proper harness. I did it with my 06 Sienna XLE. I will do the same to my 2011 2.5i limited later.

 

[NinjaTurtle2.5]

I did it in my 2011 Limited with HK sound. BUT, my rearview camera is in my rearview mirror, not my headunit.

The re-wiring of the headunit to use the "sub" and amps is easy. Use a wiring harness with RCAs instead of clipping wires. I ordered mine from Crutchfield, and they can answer questions as well. You will also NEEDto run a wire for an amp remote to turn the amps on, you can find a link it Thaiguy's thread on audio install.

I used the factory Satellite radio antenna as well, they have an adapter on Crutchfield, but you can't use the factory satellite radio brain. Steering wheel controls are also available.

Again though, I am not sure about using the factory rearview camera into your aftermarket headunit. Hopefully someone else can answer that point.

Good luck, good decision, the headunits in these cars deserve the "Office Space" treatment...

 

[GasGuzz]

You’ll be going down a slippery slope, point of no return…<O</O
Why do you want to swap out the HU/brain? Factory (HU, speakers, amp, sub) sound are ‘matched’ FWIW, upgrade is pretty much just speakers. Swap the head, then why keep the amp. Swap the amp, most definitely swap the satellites/speakers.<O</O
The problem with the HK is the amp isn’t accurate. The sub is passive, so that may be serviceable with a sub amp. Swap out the head and you’re looking at (minimum)… 4ch amp + satellite speakers and sub amp (+ replace the driver).

 

[NinjaTurtle2.5]

You’ll be going down a slippery slope, point of no return…<O</O
Why do you want to swap out the HU/brain? Factory (HU, speakers, amp, sub) sound are ‘matched’ FWIW, upgrade is pretty much just speakers. Swap the head, then why keep the amp. Swap the amp, most definitely swap the satellites/speakers.<O</O
The problem with the HK is the amp isn’t accurate. The sub is passive, so that may be serviceable with a sub amp. Swap out the head and you’re looking at… 4ch amp + satellite speakers and sub amp (+ replace the driver).

Actually, when you use the HPF function the factory set-up sounds nice using my headunit and factory speakers/"sub"/amps.

Definitely adding a real separate subwoofer this summer, but the factory amps using the RCA wiring harness doesn't use the subwoofer output.

Installing an aftermarket headunit really does open up the rest of the factory system, though. It does sound much better and is much more easliy controlled and tuned.

 

[GasGuzz]

I haven’t looked too deep.
What drives the sub, separate or built-in amp? Do you have an AM head, and retain BT/steering controls?

 

[NinjaTurtle2.5]

I haven’t looked too deep.
What drives the sub, separate or built-in amp? Do you have an AM head, and retain BT/steering controls?

In the HK system there is an amp under the passengers seat that controls the "regular speakers", I believe there may or may not be another amp to specifically control the "sub". All of these are controlled through my head unit (yes, it's AM) using the 4 RCA-version wiring harness through Crutchfield. Therefore, the real sub-out on my headunit is still availble and ready for use, which I will be taking advantage of shortly as the factory HK "sub" blows bigtime...

Yes, I used the Axxess ASWC to continue using all of my steering wheel controls (except the voice command button, but you can manually program that for any function using the ASWC).

Hope that helps!

 

[galavizjg]

Ninjaturtle, Can you post a link to the sub harness that I will need from crutchfield. I went online and Crufchfiled said I will have to bypass my factory amp and my factory sub would not work with an after market head unit .

 

[Budaru]

In the HK system there is an amp under the passengers seat that controls the "regular speakers", I believe there may or may not be another amp to specifically control the "sub". All of these are controlled through my head unit (yes, it's AM) using the 4 RCA-version wiring harness through Crutchfield. Therefore, the real sub-out on my headunit is still availble and ready for use, which I will be taking advantage of shortly as the factory HK "sub" blows bigtime...

Yes, I used the Axxess ASWC to continue using all of my steering wheel controls (except the voice command button, but you can manually program that for any function using the ASWC).

Hope that helps!

According to what I see in the service manual's electrical diagrams, all four speakers (six if you count the tweeters separately) and the sub are connected to the under-seat amp. There are four wires going to the sub, one pair for each voice coil. It's a two voice coil sub, and Crutchfield told me it's 2 ohms impedance per coil.

In spite of having the service manual, so far it has been all but impossible to get specs on the system, especially the amp. I would love to have all the ports on the amp labeled so I knew what they were for.

 

[NinjaTurtle2.5]

Ninjaturtle, Can you post a link to the sub harness that I will need from crutchfield. I went online and Crufchfiled said I will have to bypass my factory amp and my factory sub would not work with an after market head unit .

Hey there, I sent out a PM as well, but I thought others might be checking out this thread now or in the future. I looked up my past order at Crutchfield and this is the wiring harness that I used:

Metra 70-7553 Receiver Wire Harness For select 2007-up Nissan and Subaru vehicles — adapts new car stereo to factory plug at Crutchfield.com

Also, be sure to use svx's info in Thaiguys audio install thread and run a separate wire to the remote for the factory amp to turn it on. Otherwise nothing will work!

Good luck all

 

[NinjaTurtle2.5]

According to what I see in the service manual's electrical diagrams, all four speakers (six if you count the tweeters separately) and the sub are connected to the under-seat amp. There are four wires going to the sub, one pair for each voice coil. It's a two voice coil sub, and Crutchfield told me it's 2 ohms impedance per coil.

In spite of having the service manual, so far it has been all but impossible to get specs on the system, especially the amp. I would love to have all the ports on the amp labeled so I knew what they were for.

The HK system, while having its negatives, is actually pretty sophisticated. The amp must then convert the audio from 4 RCA's to power all the various speakers, and the factory sub.

This is why I am just adding a real subwoofer to the system and an additional mono amp and by passing messing with the HK factory set-up. I will determine which frequencies the stock system handles best, and use my high pass filter to separate those from my new subwoofer's low pass filter. Should sound awesome, I am excited if you couldn't tell.

I still wonder why Subaru/HK put so much thought into the speakers, layout, and amplifier only to have a terrible subwoofer and a headunit that can't power any of it.