Installing active sub with OEM headunit

Installing active sub with OEM headunit, tips?

I won an activ sub
So I am kinda obliged to put it in as my comment winning me the sub included a reference to the Prius

So my questions:
- best place to pick up the speakersignal?
- best place to hide the remote-volume-bass-knob-cabling?
- best place to pick up power (guess simply the battery terminals)
- which signal to use for switching the amp on (so what 'remote' signal to use)?

I have a 2009 European Prius II with the simplest headunit and a Parrot handsfree bluetooth set that also hooks up to the speakerwires. (I think it has its own amp and cuts off the speakerwires coming from the headunit and inserts its own signal for the phone or its inputs (iPod/USB ).
I'll dive into the wiringschematic of this Parrot to see if that gives me a clue for where Parrot spliced into the speakerwiring.

Any comments welcomed.

General info: I have bigger plans for my other car: excellent sound (SQL), multiple amps (8 channels), stealth install as it a family car and I need the space for holidays. I may have bigger plans for the Prius too, but I take my time changing stuff due to (1) lack of confidence, knowledge and skill, (2) changing ideas and (3) lack of time/garage/etc.
So one other question for the future is why bezels/radio-fronts to put a 1 or 2din unit in the stock location are for 2004-2007 Prius' and not for 2009? What changed in 2008 and 2009?

 

Thanks guys!

Where do I find the rear speakerwires? Do they run under the door-sils or can you tap into them in the back somewhere?
And what should I use for turn-on signal? I could devise some turn-on gismo out of the speaker-signal (I'm guessing it is a standard amplifierchip with a bridged output, so sensing 6-7V on one of the speakerwires would mean the sub should turn 'ON'. There are commercially available units, but making it myself would be cheaper ) But if there IS a signal present for e.g. an OEM amplified sub, then tapping into that would be better!

I will probably open up the dash anyway (found the instructions on here somewhere), so will have a browse threw the connection there too (e.g. how the Parrot carkit is wired up).

Any schematics on the OEM radio wiring with wirecolors?

 

Thanks. The sub has its own high-low converter (it has speakerinputs and RCA inputs), but I have not found any reference to it distilling a 'remote' signal from it. Perhaps I should simply await its arrival before proceeding...

As for the RCA: the OEM unit does not have this I assume?

I've asked on the Parrot-site if the line-out on the Parrot also carries the OEM-headunit signal at line level when the headunit is playing, but I guess this is highly unlikely.

I'll report my progress with pics once I actually get it :rockon:

 

The active sub is still not in and I resorted to fitting an old headunit to switch on the amp for the frontspeakers.

But any "accessory" wire would do: that's a wire that gets 12V when the car is switched ON, like e.g. the cigarette lighters. It would still have the amp switched ON when the radio is OFF but the car is ON, but that's only a 2A draw or so.

 

Your amp seems to have the LVT thinghy and the SVEN2 build in!!!

I don't think you need anything else than
- tapping into the speakerwires for both a music signal and a turn-on signal (due to the LVT and SVEN2 being build into the amp)
- powerwiring to the amp
- speakerwiring to the sub

 

Missed your question...

I had a dual 12" Aliante in the back for a while, but it needs to go whenever we go grocery shopping

The amp is there all the time so I always play my fronts full range through the amp (2x65Wrms). The bridged second pair of channels is doing nothing unless I throw the sub in the back. I run it with a 2 ohm load, but so far the amp survives and doesn't get more than luke warm.

If you plan on doing the same: don't put the amp too far forward: the aluminum strips stayed where they are (didn't feel like drilling through the touch Toyota steel again and my thread tapping tool broke during the first three holes...), but I had to move the amp to the rear half an inch because the amp was touching the buldge under the carpet under the front seat.
Secondly: the screws used to attach the aluminum strips came out the other end half a millimeter. No problem I thought, as there is plenty of undisturbed dust there.
But strangely enough, the slidingmechanism does NOT disturbe dust, but DOES take issue with a slightly protruding bolt. After making sure it doesn't protrude at all, it works perfectly and is totally stealthy (if I would have fed the power wire UNDER the carpet instead of on top...)
Third thing is that I had to undo the mounting-thingy under the second transistor of the lower row of four. It put too much stress on the cables when sliding forward, so I undid it.



BTW: the active sub I won fell through. Lets chalk it up to miscommunication...

 

I still throw it in on a regular basis awaiting ideas to make a permanent solution... BTW, to the right is my RV (camper) where I put the enclosure when I need to go groceryshopping. Hauling it inside the house (~25kg?) is way too much of an effort due to an illness.