P500-12P Amplifier and Subwoofer Combination Install

Hello 2nd gen Prius owners. It was my cars birthday today so she got a stereo upgrade. I went with the Rockford Fosgate P500-12P because it had small footprint and speaker level inputs that work with the stock deck. As I continue to test this long term I will update if I encounter problems. For now just wanted to share some pics I took during installation, and briefly explain the process.

1.
Removed the left and right B-pillar panels to expose rear speaker wires. Pull the panel starting from the top. Two attachment points at the top (easy), and two at the bottom (more difficult). Used an auto trim tool kit for the bottom ones, but it's not absolutely necessary.



2.
Tapped into the left rear speaker (black and yellow) and right rear speaker (red and white). I had to remove some stock electrical tape from the harness to easily access the speaker wires. Used Lockitt Posi-Taps. I highly recommend. Finished it up with some zip-ties.


3.
Extended the speaker wires to the rear and spliced them into the P500-12P wiring harness. I push the wires together, twist, add electrical tape, and then heat seal each connection.



4.
Wiring all done. The power and ground was from Rockford Fosgate kit RFK8. Positive to battery, negative grounded to the body (bolt that holds plastic HV exhaust tube near spare tire). Only had to splice four wires to speaker level input plug. It comes with RCA but those were cut off. 8 gauge wire for power plug. I like the plug and play adapters included in this amp/sub kit.



5.
Took the picture before organizing the wires. Hadn't figured out which orientation I wanted the speaker. I actually ended up laying the speaker down so I could hide it under the interior hatch cover. Sub/amp setup has a bass knob that runs to the front of the vehicle, therefore adjustments can be made while driving depending on mood/music. Adds about 40lbs to the rear, so will adjust my headlights to compensate.



I wanted to share this setup because it was simple and sounds good. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Sorry there is no video. Here is a list of tools and materials.

1. P500-P12 sub/amp combo
2. RFK8 amp install kit
3. 50' 16 gauge speaker wire (had plenty left)
4. Heat shrink tubing kit
5. Electrical tape (and lighter for heat)
6. Auto trim removal kit (sunplus trade 11pc)
7. 6" cutting pliers for cutting and stripping wires
8. Lockitt posi-taps

Took 3 hours. I took my time to run wires carefully and not damage my interior. Also installed a new battery during this time because my previous one was 6 years old. Let me know if you have questions. Take care Prius owners.

 

Is there a way to change the title of this thread? It should probably mention sub/amp combo.

Just wanted to add a few images for those interested.

1. Here is where I grounded the amp. Far left bolt.


2. Got the wiring wrapped up. The Alex Tech 1/2 inch cord protector worked well.


3. Final speaker orientation.


4. This setup allows me to protect and hide the equipment. Next I will figure out how to strap it down. It doesn't move, but want it to be more secure.




Hope everyone is doing great out there.

 

Hi dolj, Thank you. And great idea. There is extra speaker wire to play around with, so once I get a solder gun I'll redo the work. That'll be good experience.

Also, I appreciate pointing out the 'report' button.

 

Thanks, Mycaleum. Glad the information might be useful.

I am quite pleased with the equipment so far. I've tested it on 10 short car trips so far and no issues. I'm not an audiophile, so cannot give you an in-depth response regarding sound quality, hertz range, or decibels, but the bass is clean and without distortion. There is no background coming from the sub when the deck is off, and no noises occur when turning on and off the stereo. I've read of some subs doing this, but this setup has been well behaved.

I read on crutchfield that amplifiiers for hybrids should have a max fuse capacity of 30amps, and this setup is at the upper limit at 30amps (2x15amp fuses). So I hope that in the long-term there are no harmful effects to the HV and 12V battery. I did crank the stereo halfway to max while the car was stopped and the engine was NOT running to see if my headlights were dimming when the bass hit, but the car handled the power draw fine. I only have the gain up 1/3, so not trying to really push all components. But at 1/3 gain the bass hits strong and I will keep it at that position.

The one thing I enjoy about the system is the remote bass knob. You can route it to your dash and control the amount of bass boost. It makes tuning the speaker on the fly easy and I find myself using it a lot between different genres and songs. I used to like two 12" subs in my cars back 10 years ago, but now this is filling that void. Obviously not the same pound, but enough to keep a smile on my face while driving.

Let me know what other questions you have.

 

I'm happy my feedback was well received! Just got back from cruising around and doing some errands. The bass massage was fun.

Yes, factory head unit. Am starting to have some issues with some of the buttons, but since I mainly use an ipod at the AUX input I can get around them. Maybe it's time to start looking into some double dins myself. Enjoy the modification research!

 

Thank you frodoz737. Grateful for this website and the moderators. I'm not able to access your link because it states: "This member limits who may view their full profile."

 

Awesome work, frodoz! You truly took the time to properly integrate every single component. Looked great. According to your profile you have a 2015 now. Has that had any stereo upgrades?

Is that factory for the interior door panels, or did you add sound deadening material? Thanks.