I have a 2006 tj SE with a factory radio. No factory subwoofer. Is there any chance if I take the console out there would be the factory wiring plug already there to hook up an aftermarket sub? Thank you.
Is my TJ pre-wired for a subwoofer?
- Thread starter Yearcher
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Edward Turner
TJ Enthusiast
Maybe. The alternative is to look for a powered sub that can use the L/R speaker leads for input.
No, I don't believe they are pre-wired for the factory sub unless they came with one.
But that's beside the point. The factory subwoofer wring won't work with an aftermarket sub.
But that's beside the point. The factory subwoofer wring won't work with an aftermarket sub.
Edward Turner
TJ Enthusiast
At the risk of issuing a challenge would you think that? Probably not going to be plug and play but that’s not the same as not working.
Well, assuming you were to put in an aftermarket sub and the wiring was already there, what would you do for the amp powering the sub? The factory head unit can't power an aftermarket amp.
If you got the factory amp that comes in the models with a subwoofer, that can technically power an aftermarket sub, but if you read around on this, you'll see that it only powers aftermarket subwoofers in such a way that you don't even get half the power / volume out of them, so it's literally a complete waste of time.
At that point you'd just be better off putting in the factory subwoofer / amp combo (which is lackluster at best).
MountaineerTom
LJ Enthusiast, Retired USAF Weapons Loader
Supporting Member
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My ‘06 Unlimited has a plug under the instrument cluster that wasn’t used. I also don’t have a factory sub. I don’t have a pic of it right now but I think I have one at home. I wrote down some info on a while back ago.
Plug below speedometer and to the right of steering column. 6 pin connector. "AMP E"
Only 4 wires
-white with orange stripe
-black with white stripe
-pink with white stripe
-purple with white stripe
I never did look into it. From my memory, AMP E was molded into the plug. I meant to look it up in the service manual wiring diagram. I always figured it had something to do with the audio system since it had AMP E on the plug.
Plug below speedometer and to the right of steering column. 6 pin connector. "AMP E"
Only 4 wires
-white with orange stripe
-black with white stripe
-pink with white stripe
-purple with white stripe
I never did look into it. From my memory, AMP E was molded into the plug. I meant to look it up in the service manual wiring diagram. I always figured it had something to do with the audio system since it had AMP E on the plug.
Edward Turner
TJ Enthusiast
A few things to unpack here:
A good many aftermarket powered subs allow you to choose speaker level or line level input. If the factory output is speaker level you choose that input on your new amp/speaker. This is the way any head unit can power any amplified subwoofer, factory or not.
Now if the factory output won’t drive an aftermarket speaker that’s a speaker efficiency mismatch so you have to choose a comparable speaker by reading the x dB @ 1 watt spec. Big speakers are notoriously inefficient so it’s totally believable one might only sound half as loud as another.
If the factory output is designed to feed an outboard amp (and isn’t speaker level) you only have to ignore the power leads and just siphon off the audio signal, any voltmeter will find that in a flash.
Without ever seeing the unit in question I can guarantee you it doesn’t have a speaker level output with no speaker attached...small cheap transistor amps burn up with no load over time and that’s a liability no car company would shoulder. It may have a line level output but that implies marrying it to an amplified sub and I’m thinking that probably wasn’t the usual fourteen years ago.
So with a twelve year (or longer) old head unit, a powered sub that’s designed to take speaker level input is the most likely solution. You just pull the audio from the sound bar harness and boom.
I just made it easier. I put in an aftermarket head unit, a mono-channel sub, and powered the sub with the new head unit.
Worked like a charm, sits in the factory location (center console) and sounds truly amazing!
Edward Turner
TJ Enthusiast
This is the best solution, I replaced my head unit with a marine JVC unit and added a powered sub and it’s pretty good but I’m not trying to overcome the wind when the top is down.
MountaineerTom
LJ Enthusiast, Retired USAF Weapons Loader
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
Edward Turner
TJ Enthusiast
MountaineerTom
LJ Enthusiast, Retired USAF Weapons Loader
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
Edward Turner
TJ Enthusiast
My Haynes only goes to 99 and they’re mildly suspect to begin with with their reverse engineering approach. The AMP on the multi pin is the connector brand, AMP is one of the king’s of multi pin connectors. Got cruise control? According to the Book of Lies the white with orange is the speed sensor but since they list the pink with white as the interior lights it seems an unlikely combination in the same plug.
MountaineerTom
LJ Enthusiast, Retired USAF Weapons Loader
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
Edward Turner
TJ Enthusiast
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