i want to upgrade the stock radio in my ranger xlt 1996 but i have the premium sound system with a stock amp (i believe). i know there are some issues about what harness to use and whether or not to bypass the stock amp... so PLEASE help me!!! who has done this and who can give tips?? thanks!

 

You shouldnt have a stock amp in your '96.. just the headunit would need to be changed. That issue you're talkin about was/is on the '02+ Ranger's with the "Tremor" sound package with the factory sub and amp.

 

Actually, you are correct. Some earlier years with Premium Sound did have an amplifier.

The factory wiring diagrams don't call out the functions of the intermediate wires between the stock HU and the stock amp. IMO, if you're going aftermarket, it will be easier and better to replace the entire system - HU, amp and speakers - than to try to work with the stock system.

 

i have replaced the rear speakers and i plan on replacing the door ones too, i dont really want to amp the speakers because im not that hard core, but i do want a new HU... i dont really think i need the stock amp...what should i do?
thanks!

 

Remove the amp and old speakers. Buy the wiring harness and connect in your new head unit. The built in AMP on the new head unit should be sufficient for anything you need.

 

will i have to run new speaker wire and how difficult is this? how can i bypass the amp but still use stock wires... which is easier to do?

 

if you get the correct adaptor plug it will bypass the stock amp and you can use the factory wires......take a good pic of your factory plug to the place were you buy the adaptor plug as there are about 7 different plugs for your truck. i bought and returned 4 before i found the correct adaptor

 

so i take it you had the premium sound system too? did you have to run any wires to the stock amp? do you know what kinda adapter you have.. ill take a pic and post it so... tell me if it looks like yours! thanks!

 

last night me and a buddy installed a sony cdx-gt200 in his mom's honda accord. it was pretty simple and works good... we had fun doing it... anyway the sony harness that came with the deck had a wire that goes to an amp... wouldnt i jsut be able to connect there to the wire that comes from the stock amp? am i able to see the wire that comes from the amp? will this work?

 

i talked to a crutchfield guy and he said that i have to run all the wires from the harness back to where the amp is in order to bypass it... i cant just plug and play because i would be sending the power from the deck to the amp, which isnt good... the thing is i cant even find the damn amp! the guy said it was behind the rear right speaker but i cant seem to find it, ive replaced the rear speakers and i didnt see an amp... to ford right now

 

they make stock adaptors that bypass the amp....get your harness from a Best Buy...crutchfield will send you the wrong one....they did me....

 

i just pulled the radio and i looked behind there... there are two different things that plug into the radio, one has 16 wires and the other has 6. do you know what kinda harness you got from bestbuy? did you have to run any wires to the stock amp? thanks man.
i was also thinking... if i cant find something to bypass the amp without running wires back there, then i might just run new speaker wires. all i would have to do is run them to each speaker, then connect them to the correct parts on the harness right? then connect the other necessary wires and then i would be running my speakers without the amp, right? i would still like to know where that amp is tho

 

i had to take digital pictures of my harness and take them to best buy to show the installer what harness i needed...i didn't run any wires to the amp.....the aftermarket headunit you get will have a better amp built into it than the factory amp.....my harness just bypassed the stock amp and went to the speakers....i cant recall which one i got....i can remember the guy telling me that there were 7 different harnesses to fit a ranger....4 different for premium sound and 3 without

 

ok so how does this bypass harness not take the signal through the amp?

 

because it doesn't put a signal to the amp to turn it on. when the factory radio turned on it would send a signal to the amp to turn on just like an aftermarket amp.....what it does is flow the sound through the amp and back out to the speakers.........if you notice when you get the adaptor you will see that there are more than a few wires in the factory wiring harness that doesn't have a wire coming out the other side of the adaptor to hook to an aftermarket radio

 

i see... sweet... so i should just go to bestbuy and ask for a premium sound system (ford) factory amp bypass harness?

 

be sure to take a pic of your stock plugs with you so you can get the correct ones....if you dont you most likely will have to go back more than once to exchange it....and they are all different prices......save the gas and take a pic of EACH stock wiring plug even if it is with a cell phone....just a good clear pic

 

will do thanks man.. ill post what i get

 

you are located in Indiana...i didn't notice it till now.....glad to see another indiana fella

 

i just went out and pull the radio out and took pics of the connectors, off to bestbuy... yep, avon, IN

 

there is another guy on here from Avon....Big04Ranger...his name is scott....

 

ok i went to bestbuy and i bought a harness.. the guy said that it will integrate the factory amp and it will work because thats what they use all the time... however, if i didnt want to use the factory amp, couldnt i just not connect the amp turn on wire and have a system that is not using the factory amp?

 

i dont know what he is talking about.....i have the factory amp and my wiring harness didn't use the amp......i have a better sound with the aftermarket headunit amp than i did with the factory amp

 

right, thats why im not going to plug in the amp turn on.. this will work right? i hope!

 

you can try it....i dont know the guy that sold me my adaptor told me the factory amp wasn't going to work anymore....who knows.....just install it normally.....connect all the wires you need to to the aftermarket headunit wiring harness and then plug it in....