TJ speaker install help

[britkilian]

Hey Jeepers,

So I’m installing all new speakers in my 97 TJ and I have come across some issues. The old front speakers in the dash rattled and the ones in the sound bar were cracked. I bought the Kickers with the sound pods for the dash. When I plugged both of the dash speakers in to test them, it made the sound system sound worse and just completely off. The higher I turn the volume up the worse the sound gets. Static, buzzing etc. Before all this I installed a new Pioneer single din radio and it works correctly. However there was an extra black wire that i did nothing with because it was not attached to the old radio. I believe it is another ground wire? I have been at it all day trying to figure out what the issue is. I know there have been some similar threads addressing speaker installs and static but they did not really help with the issues I am having


Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[SubLime]

Did you ground the stereo. My 2001 did not have a ground wire in the install harness. You had to install a ground to a screw in the head unit.

 

[Rooscooter]

Did you check the sound with the original speakers after you put the new head unit in?

Static or other sounds are typically a grounding or shielding issue. In looking at the wiring set up you have I'm not seeing the same connectors. Did you re-wire to the speakers or are you using the factory wiring?

If the speakers just sound like crap with no or very little static then you might have the polarity (wires) reversed.

 

[britkilian]

Did you ground the stereo. My 2001 did not have a ground wire in the install harness. You had to install a ground to a screw in the head unit.

No I did not. I just wired my new radio how the old one was wired. I was confused because there’s 2 black wires that I’m assuming are ground behind the radio. One is wired and the other one was not being used when I took out the old radio

 

[britkilian]

Did you check the sound with the original speakers after you put the new head unit in?

Static or other sounds are typically a grounding or shielding issue. In looking at the wiring set up you have I'm not seeing the same connectors. Did you re-wire to the speakers or are you using the factory wiring?

If the speakers just sound like crap with no or very little static then you might have the polarity (wires) reversed.

Yes I checked the sound with the new radio and original speakers. They sounded fine but when I got to a volume of 30 and higher they started to sound cracked. On the new speakers I can’t get past volume 25 without the speakers acting up. I have a feeling it’s a ground wire that is not doing anything behind my radio.

No I did not touch the wiring. Not sure why the old owner took out the factory wiring. So it looks like I need to buy a plug to connect into the speakers in the pods.

 

[skrelnik]

No I did not touch the wiring. Not sure why the old owner took out the factory wiring. So it looks like I need to buy a plug to connect into the speakers in the pods.

It looks like you have a bridge wire, the black one. You should eliminate those and connect the speaker pod pigtails to the wire that leads to the head unit (or amp). You could buy a matching connecting, the opposite of the one you currently, have, meaning you need a male and female connector. You could also cut the existing connector and wire directly using some heat shrink and/or butt connectors.

No I did not. I just wired my new radio how the old one was wired. I was confused because there’s 2 black wires that I’m assuming are ground behind the radio. One is wired and the other one was not being used when I took out the old radio

What model of Alpine head unit do you have?

 

[SubLime]

No I did not. I just wired my new radio how the old one was wired. I was confused because there’s 2 black wires that I’m assuming are ground behind the radio. One is wired and the other one was not being used when I took out the old radio

not sure about your year, but on a 2001 there is a ground wire separate from the harness which is connected to the back of the radio through the security bar. When I installed a double din into my 2001, I had to connect that ground to the back of the radio chassis.

 

[britkilian]

not sure about your year, but on a 2001 there is a ground wire separate from the harness which is connected to the back of the radio through the security bar. When I installed a double din into my 2001, I had to connect that ground to the back of the radio chassis.

Mine is a 1997. There was a wire grounded to the back of the old radio. I definitely think it’s a ground issue. On the wiring harness that came with the new radio there is a black wire that I connected to the factory black wire behind the radio. There is another black wire not being used. Should I try grounding it to the back of the radio?

 

[britkilian]

It looks like you have a bridge wire, the black one. You should eliminate those and connect the speaker pod pigtails to the wire that leads to the head unit (or amp). You could buy a matching connecting, the opposite of the one you currently, have, meaning you need a male and female connector. You could also cut the existing connector and wire directly using some heat shrink and/or butt connectors.



What model of Alpine head unit do you have?

Okay are you referring to the black wire that gets connected to the speaker? I’m definitely going to get the female connector. Any idea where I can find that kind of part?

I installed the Pioneer MVH-S310BT. My Jeep does not have an amp. Do you think that might be part of the problem?

 

[skrelnik]

Okay are you referring to the black wire that gets connected to the speaker? I’m definitely going to get the female connector. Any idea where I can find that kind of part?

Yes, that black wire. What is the purpose of it?

Where did your harness come from? You will need to search for speaker wire quick disconnect, look on your current harness for a brand or marking to identify the matching piece.

This is an example of one if you wanted to cut off your existing harness and use a new one.

https://www.scosche.com/wpah110b

I installed the Pioneer MVH-S310BT. My Jeep does not have an amp. Do you think that might be part of the problem?

Unfortunately the operating manual does not include a wiring diagram so I cannot be of further assistance. This is very odd as I have never seen an OM not list the wiring diagram.

One other things to try is the reset button and updating the firmware.



https://www.pioneer-car.eu/eur/products/mvh-s310bt/support

 

[britkilian]

Yes, that black wire. What is the purpose of it?

Where did your harness come from? You will need to search for speaker wire quick disconnect, look on your current harness for a brand or marking to identify the matching piece.

This is an example of one if you wanted to cut off your existing harness and use a new one.

https://www.scosche.com/wpah110b


Unfortunately the operating manual does not include a wiring diagram so I cannot be of further assistance. This is very odd as I have never seen an OM not list the wiring diagram.

One other things to try is the reset button and updating the firmware.

View attachment 182414View attachment 182415

https://www.pioneer-car.eu/eur/products/mvh-s310bt/support

It’s from inside the dash and is connects to the speaker.

The harness came with the radio. Okay good to know I will do that.

No worries. Because the radio is brand new I don’t see a reason to reset it. The wiring is my Jeep is so janky that I think it is affecting the sound quality.

 

[SubLime]

Mine is a 1997. There was a wire grounded to the back of the old radio. I definitely think it’s a ground issue. On the wiring harness that came with the new radio there is a black wire that I connected to the factory black wire behind the radio. There is another black wire not being used. Should I try grounding it to the back of the radio?

The double DIN I bought came with a harness and it has two black wires. The docs show one is a ground and the other is something for steering wheel controls. I ignored both black wireS on the harness And grounded straight to the radio chassis.

 

[Jackjack97]

You might be able to email Crutchfield and ask for install instructions for your stereo. I recently got an alpine from them and it came with adaptors and everything I needed as well as install instructions and wiring diagrams