Help installing sub in Stratus

I need help installing a subwoofer in my new 2003 Dodge Stratus.  My should be a simple case, but I have no clue what to do.  And am eager to learn and fast to learn.

Equipment:    1  12" subwoofer in enclosed case (in trunk)

                         1 200 watt pioneer amp ( mounted on sub case

                         1 Dodge Stratus 2003

Questions:     Where should  I put the ground wire?

                        Where do I hook into to get an audio signal?

                         How do I hook into radio control (behind dashboard)?

                         What's the best setup for maximizes my equipment?

                         :errr:

The best way to do this is to get a amp kit you will need a 8 gauge kit you can either look on eBay or herehttps://www.knukonceptz.com/detail.asp?product_id=KOLAK8 but don’t pay more than $20  it  will supply you with almost everything you need . The only thing you will need to buy will be a high to low converter like this https://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-ZX4988ox9pJ/ProdGroup.asp?c=11&g=721&s=0&cc=01 now you will need to run the power cable directly from the battery (must be fused within 18 inches of battery) to the amp in the trunk. This will supply you with your + 12 volts. Now your ground must be no longer than 18 long. You will need to ground it to bare metal some were in the trunk. The best thing to do is find a metal spot in the trunk next to the amp and sand it down till you have bare metal. Then with self tapping metal screws screw your ground into the location you have prepared. Now be sure you are clear of the gas tank and make sure you don’t drill thru any external body panels.  You will also need a remote wire this turns your amp on and off with the car. You will need to find a + 12 volt switched ignition source. You will then run that to the remote connection on your amp. Now for the signal you will need to tap into your rear speaker wires. So locate your speaker wires and connect the wires from your high to low converter to them. Make sure you have the polarity correct + to + and - to -. Once you tie that in you will connect your rca cables to the other end of the high to low converter. From there you run them to rca input on your sub amp. You will now have both power and signal going to the amp. Now to connect your sub box just run speaker wire from the signal out to your sub box and you should be up and running.  Here is a link to a good article explaining how to do all this. However it’s a little different than your install since you need to get a signal from a high to low converter on your back speakers rather than having an aftermarket radio with rca connection built in https://www.crutchfield.com/infocenter/S-ZX4988ox9pJ/car/amplifiers_install.html

Holy crap, are you sure that is all necessary?  This equipment was given to me.  My sub has a cross over already in the case, and my amp is a Pioneer GM-222 identical to this one found on ebay (except not broken).  I thought maybe it could be something more simply, like...

ground wire to car, amp power cable to battery, amp speaker out to sub, splice into car speaker wire for amp in, and amp power control from stereo.

won't this work?

how do I get access to the back of the stereo, its a facory cd/radio for the 2003 dodge stratus?

what does the "high to low converter" do? is it necessary or would it just make better sound?

Or you could get one of your electronics friends to just make a voltage divider for you, bringing the cost for the high->low conversion down to the cost of 4 resistors, under $1. But don't try that if you don't have a friend that would just come do it for you. The high to low converter is easier to hook up, surely.

ok i watched my buddy put this system in my truck and it does look easy, but how do i get access to the rear of the in-dash radio/cd player? 

and why convert to rca?  this is my amp

https://cgi.ebay.com/dll?ViewItem&item=3012570780&category=18796

when it was in my truck, we didn't use rca, probably b/c my truck radio didn't have rca plugs.  will the stock stratus have rca?  or will i find that most new stock radios have extra rca plugs for subwoofers now a-days?

Well it looks like that amp has high level inputs. So you can just tap into your rear speakers (with speaker wire) and then connect them to the high level inputs on your amp. However I would still suggest that you use a high low converter and go with the RCA's. And bong some people learn better hands on and enjoy doing their own work. I think it gives you more satisfaction knowing that you installed your setup than paying some one to do it for you.

It has a high level input but it says up to 4V only, that's not very high! and Larkdog, I assume you mean a remote, which tends to be something that mounts someplace seperate as far as I've seen (but I haven't used them myself). That amp doesn't appear to have it. And stock stereos won't have RCAs. Your best bet is to just get a head unit that has a seperate preamp out for subs (which would usually mean 3 pairs of preouts unless one is rear/sub switchable) because then you'd have effective amp volume control and you'd have RCAs. Check out the Kenwood KCD-X469 or the Alpine CDA-9805. Those are pretty cheap especially on Ebay (I'd get one from Ebay but make sure the seller has a VERY good rating and a return policy!) Crutchfield is more expensive but it comes with mounting stuff too. So while I'd get things seperately, Crutchfield for that might be better for you.

But keep in mind this stuff will work without a new head unit, it's just recommended that you get one. Maybe you could even sell the stock one for a few bucks. And it'd save the cost of a high-> low converter.

forget my last question, i figured it out myself

ok so far i have tapped into rear speaker wire, attached ground wire to body frame, hook amp power cable to battery terminal.  all that is left is to hook directly into the radio system control.  i got to the rear of the radio/cd player, but there is a big white plug and a black cable (which i assume is the antenna)  but where would i hook into the system control at?  which wire they are color coded but what color should i go with?

If I can remember and am not 100% sure on the 03 I think the remote wire color is ORANGE / red. Do you have an orange and red wire? Is so tap into it and see if you get +12 volt when the radio is on and it should get no voltage when the radio is off. If that’s correct than attach that to the remote input on your amp and that will turn the amp on and off .

well there is no ORANGE / red, but here are the wire colors i do have (mind you, i got no gauge to check voltage)

these are bunched together

• pink,
•  RED / white,
• ORANGE / brown,
• purple / YELLOW,

these are on the other side bunched together

• black
• BROWN / red
• blue/red
• green
• BROWN / yellow
• BROWN / blue
• blue/white
• blue/orange

my best guess would be to say the black is the ground and all the rest from this second group are speaker wires.  so which of the others would i splice into, remember i don't have a voltage checker thingy!

If the car has power antenna, you can just tap the remote wire going to that in the trunk. Also, for my car, it had a remote out on the CD player but there wasn't actually a wire on the harness because I don't have power antenna so I just stripped a few inches of wire, made it into a little ball, put it on the pin and then shoved the wiring harness wire in

the car doens't have a power antenna

but this topic is dead now b/c I finally got everything installed and working, SOUNDS GREAT!

all i did to get the dash panel off was use a really long flathead screw driver to pry it off, very gently, of course.  the 12volt wire was the red and white one, the pink was the ignition wire.  i bought a tester set and found the right wire real quick like.  I also ran all the wires underneath the car, following other routed cables and such.  i did NOT go with the rca high low converter, i found no need to do so.  my amp is hand-me-down, my sub box is homemade, and my woofer is radio shack.  I paid for nothing except the 12volt tester... a pretty good sound system for only $4, i must say.

thanks to all who offered assistance, ESPECIALLY bberman1 he gave the best help, and quick responses.

I am a mathematician my trade, masters degree in Math, if anyone ever needs some help, give me a shout

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My homemade websites below,

https://www.MrLarkins.com

https://24.144.19.198/Larkdog_Creations/

Your welcome just glad to hear that things came together.