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Custom radio install issue

CookieCK

New Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2016
Messages
5
Before I get to my issue, I just wanted to say that even though I just joined the site, I've been lurking as a guest for a couple years now and found some great info on here, so just wanted to go ahead and thank everybody for the collective intelligence. Now, on to my issue. I apologize in advance for the length, but I like to be thorough.
:help:
So I've been slowly working on installing a couple things on my avalanche over the last week, just working on it for a bit when I get home from work each morning(work nightshift). And I'm having a bit of trouble with the radio, but not the usual kind. I've actually already addressed several issues I ran into by searching on here, but there's one I can't seem to find anywhere. So along with my radio I also installed a dual battery setup(plenty of threads on that here) and since I wanted to run the radio of the second auxiliary battery I ran the wires a bit different. I used the PAC RP5-GM31 adapter to keep from hacking up the factory wires, but for the power wires I ran constant power straight from the second battery to the radio and for the accessory power I ran a 3-way switch with the normal accessory power on one side but constant power on the other in the hopes of being able to run the radio with the truck off and not have to keep turning it back on for the RAP. So here's where my issue lies, everything works just fine as far as using the radio while I'm driving, but when the trucks off and I flip the switch to turn on just the radio then the radio itself turns on but I don't get any sound through the speakers. Now after searching on here the closest thing I can come up with is something about a factory amp, but most threads just say how to bypass it and install a new amp. I'm not going all out with the sound system just yet so I won't be installing an amp anytime soon, but is the factory amp not turning on my issue? And is there a simple way I can power it off my aux battery through the same switch I use for my radio accessory power? I'm not even 100% sure I have a factory amp, but an amp not turning on with the truck power off would explain my issue of no sound through the speakers. My avy is a 2007 LT, I picked it up used so not exactly certain all the options. It did not have the touchscreen navigation radio or the 6 disc CD changer, so I just assumed it was the basic radio with no amp. So assuming there's an amp, why is it only turning on when the trucks on instead of when the radio powers up? Is there a wire I can tap on the PAC RP5-GM31 harness and avoid splicing factory wires? Any help or insight is much appreciated.

For the TL;DR guys, I've got no sound when the trucks off even though my radio is on constant power from my second battery. Everything works fine with the truck on though.
 
So you are using an aftermarket radio?

I will assume you have a factory amplifier at this point. Especially if you have a center console.

You will need to figure out where the factory amp is and move its power wires to the secondary battery.
Which will likely require cutting of the harness... You CAN bypass the amp by running wires directly to your speakers too. The factory amp generally is pretty dirty so removing it will make the sound much clearer.

Rodney
 
The radio I'm putting in is a pioneer AVH-X5800BHS.

After messing around a bit more I did find a fuse in the engine bay fuse box for the amp, might figure out a way to swap the power wires there since it's right next to my second battery already and that fuse is always hot. Still can't figure out the remote turn on for it though.

I'm trying to do this without taking apart the whole interior of the truck to reach the amp, and without running all new wires to the speakers. Eventually I probably will remove the factory amp and replace it with something better and change the wiring and upgrade speakers, so I'd rather not disassemble the truck twice since I'm not ready to buy the amp and speakers right now. Just trying to figure out if there's a wire I can tap behind the radio to turn the stock amp on
 
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