Amplifier Help Install
#1
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Amplifier Help Install
I just picked up an Audiobahn A/B Mosfet Intake A6004V 4-Channel Amplifier. Heres my question, how and where did you guys run all your speaker wires? Theres only so much room under those moldings on the sides. Any ideas?
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by speaker wires ....do you mean the signal cables (rca) ? i ran mine to the pass side under the door molding and under the carpet. then under the carpet to the back of the car and under the back seats.
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Are you using the amp to run the speakers in the doors and in the rear deck?? If so, the easiest way to do it is to tie the speaker wires together behind the radio. Then just run the rear factory wires in the back to the amp for the fronts. And then run new wire from the amp to the rear speakers.
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Yeah thats exactly what im doing, question is whats the best way to run those wires to the front? Also Idk if anyone else is having this problem, but i have NO ROOM behind the head unit at all, all the wires are already scrunched up back there.
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here is what I would do and did do. Buy about double the length of cable that you need to run the length to your amp. This will probably be around 12 feet to 15 feet at the most so you will need from 24 to 30 feet of wire. Take a drill and some clamps and using the drill twist your wire. If you then twist an extra wire around this bunch and ground it on both ends it will cut down a bit on the noise that you might get. The center console comes up pretty easy. Remove most of the console or atleast lift it. All of your cables will fit under there. Even if you run your power, and RCA's under there you will still have room for the speaker wires. Run the wires from your amp to the back of the head unit. Then splice into the wires that go to each set of speakers. Make sure you mark all of the ends before twisting so that you know what wire goes to what speakers.
edit: I just saw your new questions. As for there being no room. I had to cut out the plastic behind the unit to even get mine to fit into the slot. Use a sawzaw just be careful of the wires and the heating/air vent back there. It is thin plastic and metal.
You don't need a distrobution block but I would recommend using one. It will be easier over all if you install one. Other wise you will have to find the room on the power terminal and you will have to buy another fuse and holder for that length of wire. It is just easier and looks nicer to buy a fused distrobution block for the multiple amps.
edit: I just saw your new questions. As for there being no room. I had to cut out the plastic behind the unit to even get mine to fit into the slot. Use a sawzaw just be careful of the wires and the heating/air vent back there. It is thin plastic and metal.
You don't need a distrobution block but I would recommend using one. It will be easier over all if you install one. Other wise you will have to find the room on the power terminal and you will have to buy another fuse and holder for that length of wire. It is just easier and looks nicer to buy a fused distrobution block for the multiple amps.
Last edited by mesatrin; 12-24-2006 at 11:59 AM.
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Originally Posted by Xavipheus
Yeah thats exactly what im doing, question is whats the best way to run those wires to the front? Also Idk if anyone else is having this problem, but i have NO ROOM behind the head unit at all, all the wires are already scrunched up back there.
You don't need to run any speaker wires to the back of the head unit. Like I said in my first post here. If you tie the front and rear speaker wires together behind the head unit. Then you will use the rear speaker wires in the trunk for the fronts now since they are tied together behind the head unit. And then just run wires from the amp to the rear speakers for the rear wire. No need then to run any speaker wire what so ever to the head unit. It's so much easier and that's what a lot of car audio places do as well.
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here's what i would do....
FIRST QUESTION:
FIRST AND FOREMOST DO NOT CUT THE FACTORY HARNESS!
1. get the wiring harness to hook up the after market head unit to the factory harness like this one...
2.hook up the power, ground, and ignition on wire to the new harness (do not hook up the wires on the after market head unit going to the speakers just wire tie them together and tuck them away somewhere we aren't going to use them)
3.run the wires from the amp in the back up behind the radio.
4. connect the speaker wires accordingly (if the + and - say RR look for the wires on the new harness that say RR - and RR + and so on)to the amp and the new harness. make sure you match the channel to the speaker or it will sound all out of whack
5. run the rca's from the back of the radio to the amp and hook up the power to the amps.
6. plug the new wiring harness into the factory harness and you're done.
SECOND QUESTION:
yes i would use a power distribution block. i would use 4 gauge from the battery to the distribution block and then probably 4 gauge to the amp for the sub and probably 8 gauge to the amp for the highs and mids. just make sure whatever gauge wire you have going to power the individual amp you use the same gauge ground wire. remember the shorter the power and ground wires the better off you will be.
FIRST QUESTION:
FIRST AND FOREMOST DO NOT CUT THE FACTORY HARNESS!
1. get the wiring harness to hook up the after market head unit to the factory harness like this one...
2.hook up the power, ground, and ignition on wire to the new harness (do not hook up the wires on the after market head unit going to the speakers just wire tie them together and tuck them away somewhere we aren't going to use them)
3.run the wires from the amp in the back up behind the radio.
4. connect the speaker wires accordingly (if the + and - say RR look for the wires on the new harness that say RR - and RR + and so on)to the amp and the new harness. make sure you match the channel to the speaker or it will sound all out of whack
5. run the rca's from the back of the radio to the amp and hook up the power to the amps.
6. plug the new wiring harness into the factory harness and you're done.
SECOND QUESTION:
yes i would use a power distribution block. i would use 4 gauge from the battery to the distribution block and then probably 4 gauge to the amp for the sub and probably 8 gauge to the amp for the highs and mids. just make sure whatever gauge wire you have going to power the individual amp you use the same gauge ground wire. remember the shorter the power and ground wires the better off you will be.
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Originally Posted by Illegalstreetracing
Hey did you guys have to hide your sock cd player so you could put in a aftermarket cd player in? I'm hereing that i do
#13
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I ran a pair of speaker wires along with the 6 RCAs under the carpet on the drivers side, to the trunk. I tied the speaker wires I ran into the wiring harness behind the head unit (connected to the factory wiring) for the front speakers. The rear speakers I ran right from the amp to the speakers.
redSS has a good idea though, I never thought of doing that. You could either do that or do it the way I did, either way you need to run the RCAs so a pair of speaker wires is no big deal to run with them.
EDIT: In the first paragraph, I tied into the wires from the aftermarket harness. ie, the harness plugs into the factory wire, and you're supposed to connect those wires to the harness for the aftermarket head unit. Since everything is amp'd, those wires don't get connected but I tied into them on the factory side. Didn't mean to insinuate that I cut up the factory harness at all.
redSS has a good idea though, I never thought of doing that. You could either do that or do it the way I did, either way you need to run the RCAs so a pair of speaker wires is no big deal to run with them.
EDIT: In the first paragraph, I tied into the wires from the aftermarket harness. ie, the harness plugs into the factory wire, and you're supposed to connect those wires to the harness for the aftermarket head unit. Since everything is amp'd, those wires don't get connected but I tied into them on the factory side. Didn't mean to insinuate that I cut up the factory harness at all.
Last edited by Bandit2941; 12-27-2006 at 08:29 PM.
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Originally Posted by redSSBalt
NOOOOOO!!! You don't cut the factory harness. You get the harness that you need to install an aftermarket head unit and tie the wires together on that one.
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Originally Posted by Boosted_SS
that's what i was trying to tell him but i guess the message was lost in translation. scan up i even gave step by step.
I know you were trying to tell him that. I don't know if some people just don't pay attention to the forum, or if they don't care what people respond with and just bable on.
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Originally Posted by Xavipheus
Yeah i finished my install today, god that was such a bitch, but i saved 150 from best buy and prob did it better than they would have
#22
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Uhhh no...relax? llol
I spliced new wires into the wiring harness that connects to the factory harness. ( I didnt see the post with the idea of switching the rear wires with the fronts) but oh well, all the wires are ran and its over.
I spliced new wires into the wiring harness that connects to the factory harness. ( I didnt see the post with the idea of switching the rear wires with the fronts) but oh well, all the wires are ran and its over.
#23
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im confused, did you run all new wires? huh? the best thing to do is to get some nice 12 - 16 gage speaker wire and rerun all of the new lines. its what i did, it sucks doing it, but its better in the long run. leave all the stock wiring and dont cut any harnesses.
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Nah bro the factory wiring is more than enough
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it may be, but its better to run new wire if you are installing a 4 channel amp. i mean, you already have to run the wires to the front anyways, might as well run them to the doors.