93 RRC LSE Clarion Sub/Power Amp

[JourneyMan]

Hi,

Has anyone had any success removing the Clarion Headunit from their Classic and retaining existing Speaker setup?

I have bought a new unit and would like to retain the existing Door Speakers and Crossovers and the Clarion Sub Woofer in the boot.

I've managed to make a lead from one I bought on eBay to avoid hacking the existing loom, all the new Head Units have 2 x 8 Pin DIN Connectors whereas LR put a Blue 8 Pin and Pink 10 Pin DIN Connector in the RR, so its not as straight forward as I originally thought.

The Speaker Connector (Pink) in the back of the headunit is a screened cable and runs back to the Power Amp on top of the Sub, it has 5 -ve's running down one side and 5 Coloured Wires running down the opposite side of the connector, I've worked out that 4 of them are for the Front and Rear L/R speakers, but the 5th one is Red/Yellow and connects to a small silver box about the size of a fag packet on top of the subwoofer it has a little 7.5 Amp fuse in the box, if that helps to identify it, does anyone know what this box is and what the Red/Yellow is for?

Cheers

Mark

[geoffbeaumont]

The box on top of the sub is it's power amp. You've probably also got a bigger amp on there which is the power amp for the other speakers.

Don't know about the wiring - don't have one I can take a look at any more. It might just be the bass line out, or a switching signal from the head unit (to turn the amp on and off with the head unit).

[JourneyMan]

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for your post.

I'm beginning to think this is pig in a poke, that's why everyone seems to stick with the original setup.

From what I can gather, the original head unit has no internal power amp, so all of the signals coming from Clarion head unit are low level so I think I need a different head unit with more pre outs, my new one only has one, so I need at least 3. I can then frig the old cable to connect to the Pre-Outs from the new head unit, which should drive the original Clarion amp in the boot but the amp doesn't seem to have a remote on from the head unit, which is what I guess the Red/Yellow and Black do.

Knew I should of bought a Toyota

Cheers

Mark

[geoffbeaumont]

Doubt a toyota of the same era would be any better - think ICE wiring has only started to get standardised since then, and the basic systems are designed by the ICE manufacturers (in this case Clarion) anyway.

[teslo]

Good luck...

You're right that Head unit is without amplifier. And signal cables from head unit have same ground.

I've changed head unit for Sony( Original is damaged). I am using existing speaker setup( but also changed for Sony because originals was damaged). Only thing i've used is wiring( not connectors). Now i am fighting with Subwoofer. Sony that i am currently using don't support subwoofer. So i need to buy one with soubwoofer out functionality and amplifier for subwoofer.

Reason of all this is that someone very inteligent was trying to steel audio system from car, but all he did was cutted wires and damaged head unit, CD changer...

[JourneyMan]

Geoff,

You're right of course, but I've got 3 of the Solihull Wonders so I don't dislike them that much and when the used Disco 4's start to appear I might be tempted.

Teslo,

Yep, I've made some headway today, there is no remote on for the amp, the amp power (Purple/Yellow) is wired from the Electric Aerial signal. I've also made the same...yeah..I'll have that..one! error, my intended new head unit has only got one pre-out, so I'm going to have to buy one with 3.

The only other annoying thing with it, when I've put the new unit in to test an individual pair of speakers, everytime I power the unit on I get a click/arcing sound momentarily through the speakers.