Active System Reinstated - REV3 UK

[stuMR2lee]

Hi,

I don't know if this is a stupid idea or not?

The previous owner of my car by-passed the active system and rewired the front/rear speakers directly to the head unit. It sounds OK with my iphone but I'd like more bass.

The stock subs/amps seem to still be in the car albeit they don't currently do anything. Assuming they still work how easy would it be to utilise the sub amp/stock sub to give me a bit of bass (I know it won't be much - but it won't cost anything for now). How could I wire this up?

All being well I could eventually replace the subs and amps if necessary for even better sound.

I have the double din Sony unit from a Celica WX C570R with an adapter on the back to run my iphone in conjunction with the RCA outs.

[Kinsy]

The previous owner was a dumbass.

The stock door speakers are rated to about 17W; connecting them up to any regular aftermarket HU will see them disintegrating pretty quickly.

Get hold of the proper conversion lead for aftermarket HUs (http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/produc ... /1635.html) and go from there; hopefully the wiring hasn't been chopped up too much and you can re-wire everything back the way it should be for the conversion lead to work properly.

[stuMR2lee]

The previous owner was a dumbass.

Thanks Kinsy. You got that right.

I keep finding more & more weird problems that I am gradually putting right. Thankfully the engine/bodywork seem sound and the interior is like new.

I just hope all the wiring is still there for the original active system as ideally I would want to reinstate it. Mind you it looks like spaghetti junction behind the HU!!

I have found the wiring diagram so might give this a go sometime. Too much to hope that he may have uprated the speakers

[Bluesmoke]

I think the problem with these cars is that when they were first imported, there were no aftermarket stereo adapters available, so people got a bit excited with the wiring.

When I got my first tubby, I was going to do the same you are looking to do. Unfortunately my wiring was so badly butchered it would have been too much hassle to save it. I ended up fitting aftermarket kit instead.

What revision is your car, as there's a couple of differences in wiring colours?

Mine looked like this:

[stuMR2lee]

Hi, mine is a '94 rev3 uk na but the wiring looks similar to yours. Lol

My stereo actually sounds pretty good to my old ears (pretty loud enough to embarrass my teenage kids with 80's music) but I prefer to use the stock set up if possible. I think my head unit is kinda aftermarket being from a later car (celica or mk3) I think. I'm gonna check to see if the speakers have been changed - I live in hope. Failing that the original wiring hopefully isn't too far gone. I have ordered the adapter kinsy suggested. Will look when I get time.


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[stuMR2lee]

Update. Took rear trim out for closer inspection today. Good news is all amps and subs are there. Bad news is no new speakers have been installed and new speaker wire has been spliced into the butchered speaker loom at the head unit end and run to the amp plug and spliced there too (not directly to the speakers just joined into the speaker loom). When my new connector wire arrives it looks relatively easy to reinstate the active system and replace any non-working hardware.

[piesandchips54]

Hi, I'll try not to hi-jack this thread, but I'm seeking similar advice!! This one has proven bery usefull so far though! My story starts with me picking up my 2 last week. I was so excited! I got her home and started work immediatly (sold as spares or repairs even though she runs sweet as!) the head unit has been totaly removed and somebody has had a go at connecting up a standard ISO connector onto it and failed misterably! Now I'm quite good when it comes to automotive electronics, but this is beyond me! I'm trying to find a standard toyota plug that I can fix back onto the loom and HOPEFULLY use an adaptor harness I've got to get a new head unit up and runin. However these systems seem way more complicated than what I'm used to! Whats the best advice guys? I don't even know where to start! I've literally only just found out that theres 2 different types of system!

[Kinsy]

In this thread we've been talking about systems in rev3+ cars (post 94). You'll need a different loom adaptor for rev1-2 cars. Find out which one you've got first and go from there.

[stuMR2lee]

I have my Active system all up and running now thanks to Kinsy's advice on the adaptor. Sounds great to me and all speakers, amps, & subs now work. All I had to do was splice the butchered wires back onto the amp plug on the rear passenger side and then plug in the new adapter to the original Toyota active plug that was just left hanging behind the Head Unit. The power plug on the new adapter didn't work but I have currently used the power connector that was put in previously (wired up to the cig lighter socket by the look of it) and this works. Looking at the wiring diagram the Head Unit should get power via the main amp ( may be wrong on this as I'm no expert) and the wiring loom but that is not currently working on my system - only fires up on the old non oem power connector. I will have to recheck all wires as I have only temporarily connected them for test purposes.

[piesandchips54]

I think I have the active system, as I've got a double din slot in the dash, tweeters on the tops of the doors, and that wiring loom diageram above looks alot like what I've currently got handing out of my dash (how surprised was I to see 2 red wires!?!?!). In theory I should be able to fix my standard ISO socket onto my loom shouldn't I? As all the wiring adapters do is move the signals round onto different wires. The dont modify the system in anyway. Correct me if I'm wrong by the way, but thats just my thinking behind it.

[geeman]

i had similar issues, wiring was chopped to hell, subs were split, and all i got was a hum! i decided to removed the stock speakers/wiring/amps/subs etc and start again, i re-used the existing power/earth leads, then ran new speaker wires and connected it to a universal iso lead, so i could plug it straight into an aftermarket headunit....i went down the 6x9 rear route, in the old sub/cubby boxes, replaced the fronts too, sounds good, enough bass, and a standard 4x50w is loud enough for me, even with the glass out and on the motorway, i just had to identify the aerial power/signal which was easy using this site

[stuMR2lee]

In theory if you have the wires/hardware still in place it shouldn't be too difficult to wire the standard Toyota plug up (with sound electrical connections) following the appropriate wiring diagram for your car. You can then use the correct adapter to connect your Head Unit to the Active system. From what I have read the imports from '91+ and the UK 94+ both had the Active System. Mine has the 2 subs behind the seats as per the wiring diagram. I understand some had only 1 sub. If the wiring loom/hardware is not there or in very poor condition then best to start again.

[stuMR2lee]

Success. All it needed to work with the ISO, active system, and new adapter was a new earth connection spliced on to the adapter and everything works as it should. Seems like the earth connection from the loom was there but too weak. Sounds great and even better with my iPhone connected. Happy days. On to the next project now!!


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[Snoosnoo]

Apologies for bumping such an old thread. I've got a couple of questions about this. Basically my new car came with an aftermarket head unit, amp and 6x9s in the cubby hole lids. The amp and 6x9's never worked so I've torn them all out. In the process I've come across what I think to be the stock amps, behind the seat belts, for an active system although the subs are missing (wires are there on both sides) and the rear speakers are inactive. Further investigation has lead me to the wiring on the back of the head unit. I'm beginning to wonder whether this started out as an active system but has been torn apart in the past life. I want to mend the loom to how it came out of the factory and use a proper ISO adapter which hopefully will restore the power to the rear speakers. Thinking a long the lines of converting it to a passive but will it work without the missing parts.? How different is the OEM headunit wiring? Could I use a none passive loom to repair the damage?