How to Install an Amp to an Original Car Stereo

Amplifiers provide car stereos with the volume and clarity that turn average radios and CD players into powerful stereo systems. When adding an amp to your original stereo, you need to first consider the capability of your speakers and the location where you will store your new amplifier. Since amps tend to produce heat when in use, it is best to mount the amp in a location that will provide adequate ventilation. You can enlist the services of an audio technician to have your amp installed, or you can do it yourself and save the cost of labor.

Things You'll Need

• Phillips head screwdriver
• Trim panel removal tool
• Amplifier wiring kit
• Speaker wire
• Rubber grommets
• Drill
• Rubber spacers

Instructions

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable from the vehicle's battery. Use a Phillips head screwdriver to loosen the cable's clamp. Remove the clamp from the negative lead post.

2. Connect the amplifier ring terminal (from the amp wiring kit) to the positive lead of the battery. Remove the fuse from the fuse holder on the ring terminal.

3. Drill a hole from the engine compartment to the inside of the vehicle's passenger cabin. Place a rubber grommet in the new opening to protect the power cable. Route the power supply cable from the ring terminal to the location of the amplifier. Remove the panels in the doorway(s) of the vehicle that secure the carpet to the floor. Lay the power cable beneath the carpeting.

4. Remove the vehicle's stereo. Find the specific instructions for removing your stereo in the vehicle owner's manual. Pull the stereo far enough from the dash to access the wire connections in the rear.

5. Pull the wire groups from the stereo by the plastic binders, not the wires themselves. Attach the groups to a wiring harness adapter then connect the adapter to the stereo.

6. Connect the turn-on lead and signal cable (included in the amp wiring kit) to the wiring harness adapter. Run the cables under the carpet to the location of the stereo on the opposite side of the vehicle as the power cable. Manually replace the panels securing the carpeting.

7. Connect the power cable, the signal wiring and the turn-on lead to the amplifier. Place plastic spacers beneath the amplifier for ventilation.

8. Connect the amplifier to the speakers you wish to have boosted using speaker wire. Run the wires along the same route established by the rear speaker wires.

9. Replace the stereo into the dash of the vehicle.

10. Reconnect the negative battery cable to the negative lead of the vehicle's battery. Use a Phillips head screwdriver to tighten the clamp around the negative lead post. Place the fuse into the ring terminal on the positive lead.

Tips & Warnings

• For trucks, mount the amplifier behind the rear seat. A common location for amplifiers in cars is in the trunk.

References

• Amplifier Installation Guide