I am trying to install an Alpine 7897 in my 99.5. I'm am fairly certain that the wiring harness is wired correctly (its kind of hard to mess up color coded wires). The unit powers on and the display entends like its supposed to, but I am not getting any sound to the speakers. I called Sound Advice and they said something along the lines that since there is the factory amp in the trunk, that I need to basically remove the inputs and splice them together. I am not that knowledgeable when it comes to car audio wiring, but can someone give me some help as to what wires I am looking to splice, and if that will even solve the problem? I found the amp in the trunk and there is a plug with 8 wires going into it - each colored differently, so if anyone knows which wires do what, it would be a big help. I really dont want to pay someone $50 just to cut a couple wires.

 

You will need to somehow take an RCA output from your new headunit and splice it into the factory amp.

 

I don't know if this applies to audi's or not. But you would have to wire up the power ant and remote wires together to turn on the factory amp.

 

I just got off the phone with a buddy who was first putting my stereo in. ( I got impatient and I wanted to get my HU in before the next time he's around - a couple weeks from now) He said that the wiring harness that I have now which goes into the car harness doesn't have a down converter on it. I guess if it had one then I wouldn't have to run new wires or something to each speaker. Does anyone know of any wire harness maufacturers that make one with a down convertor on it?