How to Set Up an Automobile for a High-Powered Sound System
- 1). Lift the vehicle's hood to access the battery connections. Disconnect the negative battery cable from the negative battery terminal with a wrench. Rest the cable to the side to prevent shorting the vehicle's electrical system during the modifications.
- 2). Remove the positive battery cable from the positive battery terminal. Place a ring terminal from an amplifier wiring kit onto the positive battery terminal. Replace the positive battery cable clamp onto the positive terminal post and tighten the bolt on the cable's clamp with the wrench.
- 3). Plug the blue cable from the amp wiring kit into the ring terminal and remove the fuse from the ring terminal's fuse socket. Keep the fuse handy for reinsertion later.
- 4). Feed the blue power cable through the vehicle's firewall and into the interior cabin. Use a path already established for electrical wiring. If there is no available opening in the firewall create one with a drill and a 14 gauge or larger drill bit. Place a rubber grommet into the new hole to protect the power cable. Move to the inside of the vehicle.
- 5). Remove the vehicle's stereo from the dashboard stereo mounting dock. Procedures for stereo removal will vary, so follow the instructions in the vehicle repair manual for procedures specific to your vehicle's make and model. Slide the deck from the dock and disconnect the stereo wiring and antenna cable from the outlets on the back of the unit.
- 6). Plug the stereo wiring connectors into the wiring harness adapter leads. For GM vehicles, plug the antenna cable lead into the GM antenna adapter. Slide the installation sleeve into the vacant stereo dock. Fold the metal tabs inside the sleeve outward with a flat screwdriver to secure it within the vehicle's stereo dock.
- 7). Pull the stereo wiring (connected to the wiring harness adapter) and the antenna cable (with antenna adapter connected if necessary) through the installation sleeve from the back of the dock. Plug the wiring harness adapter lead connectors into the outlets on the rear panel of the new stereo deck.
- 8). Plug the patch cables into the wiring harness adapter leads. The leads will be marked or color-coded to show where the proper amplifier cable connections are to be made. Feed the patch cables through the back of the stereo dock and down to the floor on the opposite side of the vehicle from the power supply cable (inserted into the cabin of the vehicle through the firewall).
- 9). Insert the antenna cable lead into the FM antenna input on the back of the aftermarket stereo unit. Slide the new stereo unit into the installation sleeve until it locks into place. Replace any of the vehicle's dashboard panels that you removed to extract the factory stereo. Consult the repair manual for procedures.
- 10
Route the power supply cable and the patch cables along opposite sides of the vehicle's interior. Tuck the cables into the side panels on the inside of the vehicle's doors to conceal the wiring as they travel to the location of the amplifier. - 11
Place the amplifier in the rear cargo area of the trunk, either in the trunk or the back of the hatchback. For trucks, place the amp under the seat with plastic spacers under each corner of the amplifier for proper ventilation. - 12
Plug the power supply cable into the power input on the amplifier. Connect the patch cables to the signal inputs on the amp. Connect the grounding outlet on the amp to a screw or bolt near the amp with the grounding wire included in the amp wiring kit. Any screw or bolt that is directly connected to the vehicle's chassis or frame should be no farther than 20 inches from the amplifier. - 13
Plug the speaker wires into the amplifier's speaker outputs and route them to the speakers you have chosen to receive the amplified signal. Remove the speakers from their mounts, disconnect the speaker wires from the head unit and connect the wiring from the amplifier. Replace the speakers into their mounts. Follow the speaker removal and replacement instructions found in the vehicle repair manual. Return to the vehicle's battery. - 14
Place the negative battery cable clamp back onto the negative battery terminal. Tighten the bolt on the clamp with the wrench. Place the fuse back into the fuse slot on the ring terminal and close the vehicle's hood.
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