How many volts is my radio?

Low4me · Oct 15th, 2003, 09:56 PM

I havea 2001 Nissan Pathfinder LE, and I'm trying to hook up an aftermarket Amplifier (Fosgate). The guys at Nissan told me not to do it, but I think they're crazy. Does anybody know how many VOLTS the stock radio is in the 2001 Nissan Pathfinder LE?

thanks,
Michael

1997XETruck · Oct 16th, 2003, 12:03 AM

Everything operates on 12 Volts in the car, except the high voltage stuff in the ingition. I think what you're getting at is how many Amps it pulls. I'm not sure, but checking the fuse that supplies the radio gives you an idea... If it's a 10A fuse, then the radio pulls less than 10A - (maybe 7 or 8?)

What the guys at the dealership are warning you not to do is hook up an aftermarket amp that pulls say 20A to a circuit that can't handle it. As long as you go back to the battery with your circuit, and you're not pulling so many amps that the alternator can't handle the load - you should be OK. I'd talk to someone at a local stereo shop and get their advice on the best way to hook it up.

IF your Pathfinder has the Bose System, they may also be warning you not to hook up an aftermarket system to the factory system that works on a different ohm rating... Usually the Bose system also has separate amplifiers for each speaker, so you'd need to bypass them.

Anytime you redesign the factory audio system you're getting into some potential headaches, but it may be worth it... welcome to the world of alternator whine and ground loops!

Heath

Low4me · Oct 16th, 2003, 12:57 AM

Thanks Heath. I think you're right about them warning me because the Bose system has separate amplifiers for each speaker.

However, I'm still a bit confused about the voltage for the deck. On the rockford fosgate website, when asking them about "gains" on the amplifier, they told me that the highest voltage deck would be 4 Volts. they said the lowest would be 1 Volt, and I should adjust my gains accordingly - so I'm thinking it's probably a 4V deck since Bose is a fairly high-performance brand, but I'm just not totally sure...

1997XETruck · Oct 16th, 2003, 10:28 AM

Are you sure they didn't say Ohms? I just don't understand anything they'd be quoting you in Volts...

Heath

Low4me · Oct 16th, 2003, 10:54 AM

Check this out...

http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/scrip...ated=950313207

BFinlay · Oct 16th, 2003, 12:52 PM

im with heath on this one. i dont see why they are talking about volts. if they are talking about the power the headunit sends out it should be in watts.

Brian

super22ll · Oct 18th, 2003, 09:23 PM

What I think they're referring to is that the RCA outputs can put out up to 4 volts. True the wattage from the head unit does vary, but so does the voltage. You need only adjust your amplifier gain to get a quality sound from your head unit. I put myself through college working at a car stereo shop. In my opinion, rip those Bose amps out and start over. It's just overpriced crap.

mrmurphz · Oct 21st, 2003, 02:38 AM

I'm currently running two alpine amps...one powering a pair of separates and one powering my rear speakers, each with 20 amp fuses...and I'm thinking of adding another amp...which has a 25 amp fuse to power a sub in the back. I'm not sure how everything works, but will this mess up my alternator? I checked the alternator and all I could see was something that said 90amps or something like that on there. Is that how much it can handle? Thanks!

super22ll · Oct 29th, 2003, 05:52 PM

The fuse is only rated at Maximum amp draw. An amplifier with a 20 amp fuse will not draw near 20 apms. The fuse is only for protection in case of a short. You should be able to safely add another amplifier to your system. A stock alternator usually puts out around 60-90 amps. If your alternator is getting old or if your vehicle has alot of miles on it, you may consider upgrading to a higher output alternator. Be sure to run the power wire directly to the battery and don't run it anywhere that it may be scraped. Good luck.