Are you planning to upgrade the speaker and add an amplifier to your Acura ILX, and you would like to know how to do it? You’ve come to the right place, for we have researched this question, and we have the answer for you.
The easiest way to add an amplifier and a subwoofer to your Acura ILX is to install a compact powered subwoofer with a built-in amplifier under the seats. Run the speaker wires under the carpet to connect it to the stock car stereo.
Let’s talk more about how to install an amplifier and subwoofer in the succeeding sections. Learn more about the different options that you have for upgrading the sound system of your Acura ILX below.
Read on!
Primer On Adding An Amplifier To Stock Stereo Of Acura ILX
Adding an amplifier to your stock sound system will increase the sound output. The increase in sound output brings with it a corresponding increase in power demand.
Your ILX must be able to generate enough electrical energy to power your amplifier. A stock electrical system might not be enough for this.
Alternator Upgrade
An average of 1,500 watts of sound output from a new amplifier will require an average of 120 amperes of electrical current. A stock alternator can only produce 80 to 120 amperes. Unfortunately, around half of that electrical output goes to power the electrical systems of your ILX like the AC, the headlamps, and the various sensors.
You can install a low-power amplifier with 300 to 500 watts of output that the stock alternator might be able to power. The other option is to install a high output alternator with around 200 amperes of output to replace the stock alternator.
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Battery Upgrade
If you plan to play music while the engine is off, then you will need to install a second car battery. This is to supply the power needs of your amplifier while the engine is off. A second car battery ensures that the main battery will still have enough power to start your ILX.
How to add an amplifier to the stock radio on Acura ILX?
Here are the steps to add an amplifier to the existing sound system of your Acura ILX.
The easiest way to add an amplifier to the stock sound system of your Acura ILX is to interrupt the regular output stream going to the speakers.
- Pry off the front panel of the dashboard so that you can have access to the wiring harness of your stock stereo. Use a plastic prying tool to prevent damage to your front panel.
- Unscrew your stock stereo.
- Pull the stereo out of the dashboard and disconnect the wire harness from the back.
- There are eight wires that you need to look for in the wire harness; two gray wires, two white wires, two green wires, and two purple wires. The gray and the white wires are for your front speakers, while the green and the purple wires are for the rear speakers. The wires with black stripes are negative, while the wires with a solid color are positive.
- Position the amplifier and the line out converter to where you want to install them. The most popular location is in the trunk. Installation under the seats is possible. However, that location might make it challenging to clean the inside of your ILX. A line out converter, LOC, or a line output converter is an electronic device that converts speaker-level signal into a signal that is compatible with an RCA preamp.
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Connecting The Front Speaker Input
- Cut the two gray wires and strip them.
- Get a pair of gray wires (one gray wire with a line and one solid gray wire). It must be long enough to get to the line out converter and amplifier from the harness. If you do not have a pair of gray wires, pick a pair of wires with the same color. One of them must have a solid line. This is so you can tell which wires go to the stock stereo wire and the line out converter or amplifier. You will need similar pairs of wires for the white, green, and purple wires.
- Get the two gray wires that go to your stereo. Connect the solid gray wire to the solid gray extension wire. Connect the gray wire with a black line to the gray extension wire with a black line.
- Solder the two connections. Cover the connection with electrical tape.
- Connect the opposite end of the solid gray wire to the right-front positive input on the line out converter.
- Connect the opposite end of the gray wire with a black line to the right-front negative input on the line out converter.
- Repeat Steps 3 and 4, but do it for the pair of white wires.
- Connect the opposite end of the solid white wire to the left-front positive input on the line out converter.
- Connect the opposite end of the white wire with a black line to the left-front negative input on the line out converter.
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Connecting The Rear Speaker Input
- Get the two green wires that go to your stereo. Connect the solid green wire to the solid green extension wire. Connect the green wire with a black line to the green extension wire with a black line.
- Solder the two connections. Cover the connection with electrical tape.
- Connect the opposite end of the solid green wire to the left-rear positive input on the line out converter and tighten the screw.
- Connect the opposite end of the green wire with a black line to the left-rear negative input on the line out converter and tighten the screw.
- Repeat Steps 1 and 2 but do it for the pair of purple wires.
- Connect the opposite end of the solid purple wire to the right-rear positive input on the line out converter and tighten the screw.
- Connect the opposite end of the purple wire with a black line to the right-rear negative input on the line out converter and tighten the screw.
Connecting The Amplifier
Get an RCA plug to connect the output port of the line out converter to the RCA plug input port of the amplifier. Keep in mind that the color of the RCA cables must match both the line-out converter and the amplifier RCA ports.
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Connecting The Front Speaker Output
- Get the two gray wires that go into your car. Connect the solid gray wire to the solid gray extension wire. Connect the gray wire with a black line to the gray extension wire with a black line.
- Solder the two connections. Cover the connection with electrical tape.
- Connect the opposite end of the solid gray wire to channel one [right] positive output on the amplifier and tighten the screw.
- Connect the opposite end of the gray wire with a black line to channel one [right] negative output on the amplifier and tighten the screw.
- Repeat Steps 1 and 2 but do it for the pair of white wires.
- Connect the opposite end of the solid white wire to channel one [left] positive output on the amplifier and tighten the screw.
- Connect the opposite end of the purple wire with a black line to channel one [left] negative output on the amplifier and tighten the screw.
Connecting The Rear Speaker Output
- Get the two green wires that go into your car. Connect the solid green to the solid green extension wire. Connect the green wire with a line to the green extension wire with a line.
- Solder the two connections. Cover the connection with electrical tape.
- Connect the opposite end of the solid green wire to channel two [left] positive outputs on the amplifier and tighten the screw.
- Connect the opposite end of the green wire with a black line to channel two [left] negative outputs on the amplifier and tighten the screw.
- Repeat Steps 1 and 2 but do it for the pair of purple wires.
- Connect the opposite end of the solid purple wire to channel two [right] positive outputs on the amplifier and tighten the screw.
- Connect the opposite end of the purple wire with a black line to channel two [right] negative outputs on the amplifier and tighten the screw.
Supplying Power
Open the fuse box inside the engine bay and look for two empty fuse ports. Connect a pair of wires for each going to the power input of your amplifier and your line out converter.
You can connect the wires from under the fuse box to make the connection cleaner. Then install a 30-ampere fuse on each port to protect the line out converter and the amplifier.
Installing A Subwoofer
Installing a subwoofer is straightforward. You can simply replace your existing speakers with subwoofers.
You can also have a custom door panel so that you can install a bigger subwoofer to replace the stock speakers.
Alternatively, if you have a 6-channel amplifier, simply connect an external subwoofer to the other two remaining channels.
Conclusion
Installing an amplifier or a subwoofer is easy. All you need are the tools and a guide that details the wiring connections that you have to make.
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