2023 7 speaker subwoofer upgrade

[jshapz]

If someone can find the forscan setting to enable the harness in the sub-delete vehicles it may save some work for others. There are numerous forums online that discuss this in the F-150. I don't know if the same FORSCAN line item and code settings will apply to the Bronco.

Maybe the Ford engineers changed the parameters for the audio system when they found out the sub would get deleted and disabled the actual audio signal to the harness even though it has 12V power and 5V (signal) power as discovered by another member.

I've decided to use a line converter (PAC LPA-1.2 LocPro) since I need to run a power wire for the monoblock amp anyway to use for my sub conversion. I'm actually happy I have an OEM box to work with and I got a credit.

I will run RCA to the back from the converter and skip the harness completely. The magnet-less sub left in the OEM sub enclosure looked like it would have provided minimal base anyway. It has two sets of terminals probably for a dual voice coil which I found interesting in a small sub with a crappy cone and likely minimal power.

Here's a thread that has all the FORSCAN codes. I'm pretty sure you can enable the harness back there. You're right though, that sub didn't provide much.

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[CMann]

New to this but I just got mine and thought I could just replace the fake amp and subwoofer with new using the existing wiring. No one has done this and it looks like if they did the factory head unit is not sending power back through the wiring so forscan is needed to accomplish this?

 

[jshapz]

New to this but I just got mine and thought I could just replace the fake amp and subwoofer with new using the existing wiring. No one has done this and it looks like if they did the factory head unit is not sending power back through the wiring so forscan is needed to accomplish this?

I hooked up forscan and got my default register since I had the sub. You can definitely enable the sub back there but still doesn’t help the fact that you don’t have the sub and amp. If someone gives you theirs, it may be worth it. But I wouldn’t pay for it.

 

[CMann]

I hooked up forscan and got my default register since I had the sub. You can definitely enable the sub back there but still doesn’t help the fact that you don’t have the sub and amp. If someone gives you theirs, it may be worth it. But I wouldn’t pay for it.

I was installing new amp and subwoofer but didn’t want to run new wiring if I didn’t have to

 

[iambigd]

Ill edit this top post with this comment, but here's my final thoughts.

TLDR: Save some money and time by not worrying about the Key 200.4. Also I would leave the stock kick panel speakers alone as well. Don't get me wrong, now that everything is done its great but the key didn't boost the system much more then the stock unit. Really all the bass is still coming from the rear 8in kicker which sounds fantastic.

My biggest concerns were the speakers clipping with the new amp and the signal going to the back 500.1 amp. The speakers did clip and hit the limiter at around 20 before running the DSP set up. I also had to set the filter on the last 2 dip switches. My 200.4 settings from left to right are: Down up up up up up down up. The last 2 set the filter and really made the difference. I can turn the volume up to 30 with no issues. I also didn't adjust the gain at all and it wasn't really needed. Once you bump the gain a little bit it would hit the limiter. Lastly I ran the inputs to the 500.1 off the kick panel speaker wire. This caused no issues with the new 200.4 installed. In fact it actually cleaned up a few songs that had a weird freq, I listen to a lot of rap.

If you're still reading, save your time and money and install 4 new 4in speakers and the kicker 8in full size sub.
Amp - $280
RF kick panel speakers - $80 * 2
Wiring harness - $175
Power wiring kit for 200.4 - $40
This was the money wasted, close to $700

Can I ask where you got the wiring harness?

Thanks and great job, thank you for taking the time to document this. You helped a lot of people out here.

BigD

 

[jshapz]

I was installing new amp and subwoofer but didn’t want to run new wiring if I didn’t have to

You could maybe use that stock harness for the speaker input, but you have to run a thicker power wire for a nice siamp

Can I ask where you got the wiring harness?

Thanks and great job, thank you for taking the time to document this. You helped a lot of people out here.

BigD

I got a plug n play harness. That’s needed if you want the 200.4. If you just want a sub you can run your own speaker wire from the kick panels.

 

[Karl_in_Chicago]

Apologies if I missed it, I have been following - honest!, but was it established what the source of the audio feed to the sub is? I'm assuming Ford is still using the same HU as before which would mean no discrete sub output so they'd have to tap into speaker output . . . but which one? Hoping it's the front? Or my assumptions are crap to start with and that's not how they did it? TIA.

 

[Newdoc]

You could maybe use that stock harness for the speaker input, but you have to run a thicker power wire for a nice siamp

Agree. Nobody should run a decent amp with the stock wiring harness. I would only consider using the signal off the harness if you enable it BUT keep in mind that you will be dealing with Ford’s set EQ points and may have limited crossover adjustment ability.

 

[CMann]

Agree. Nobody should run a decent amp with the stock wiring harness. I would only consider using the signal off the harness if you enable it BUT keep in mind that you will be dealing with Ford’s set EQ points and may have limited crossover adjustment ability.

I see a trip to an Audio professional in my future.

 

[gringoloco]

@jshapz

Great write up! Thanks for being the first.

Did you happen to get a depth measurement inside the sub enclosure? Was there any space left behind the kicker (comp r)?

Thanks in advance

 

[jshapz]

@jshapz

Great write up! Thanks for being the first.

Did you happen to get a depth measurement inside the sub enclosure? Was there any space left behind the kicker (comp r)?

Thanks in advance

I did not, but I can sometime soon. Not sure if you’re in a hurry. I’ve got some rattling and I’m gonna pull everything apart one of these coming weekends. I think the stock box is rattling. It’s made of plastic and it may be vibrating more over time. I didn’t notice anything for a while but now it’s bad.

 

[gringoloco]

I did not, but I can sometime soon. Not sure if you’re in a hurry. I’ve got some rattling and I’m gonna pull everything apart one of these coming weekends. I think the stock box is rattling. It’s made of plastic and it may be vibrating more over time. I didn’t notice anything for a while but now it’s bad.

Not a big rush, I’d really appreciate it. Looking at different sub options while I wait for the JL stealth to release. I’ve thought about wrapping the stock box in sound deadener to give it some mass and prevent buzzing/rattling.

 

[kcbronco]

If you happen to mesure it or if anyone else does I' appreciate it to.. Wondering if I could squeeze a JL 8w1v3 in instead of the kicker. It has a mounting depth of 3.86 which is not quite an inch bigger then the Kicker Comp RT

 

[kcbronco]

Not a big big rush, I’d really appreciate it. Looking at different sub options while I wait for the JL stealth to release. I’ve thought about wrapping the stock box in sound deadener to give it some mass and prevent buzzing/rattling.

I measured it today when I was doing some stuff. I measured to the shallowest part so that it would clear any size coil. I came up with 4 1/8. You could get about a 1/2 more trimming some fins inside but you give up some rigidty and I wouldn't want to do that with this box.

 

[GenericUsername]

Great post, helped sway me to just do my dash speakers and rear pods. Do you have any info on the stock sub speaker? Size and what kind of connector it uses? Trying to replace just the actual speaker itself, but the info is hard to find.

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