How to Wire an Amp & Sub to an Existing Car Audio System
Sometimes a factory-installed car audio system does not cut it, compared with a custom made sound system. If you want to add a kick to your existing car audio system, install a sub speaker to provide thumping bass notes. Drive the sub with an additional amplifier to really get the most out of your system. Once both these items are installed, your audio system will produce thumping bass that will turn heads.
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Things You'll Need
- Power drill
- 6-mm drill bit
- Rubber grommet
- Adjustable wrench
- 16-foot length of 4 gauge power cable
- 16-foot 18 gauge speaker cable
- In line fuse holder
- Wire cutter
- Crimping tool
- Cross head screwdriver
Instructions
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1
Disconnect your car battery's negative and positive leads from the battery posts, using the adjustable wrench to loosen the nut on each cables' ring connector.
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2
Feed the power cable for the amplifier through an existing hole in the firewall, or drill a hole using the power drill and 6-mm drill bit. Insert a rubber grommet into the hole to protect the cable and feed the cable through.
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3
Cut the power cable 8-inches from the end leading to the car battery. Attach a ring connector, that will slip over the battery terminal, to the short piece using the crimping tool. Wire the other end to the in-line fuse holder using either a screwdriver or crimping tool depending on the type of fuse holder. Connect the long length of power cable to the other end of the fuse holder.
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4
Run the power cable to the amplifier. If the amplifier is located in the trunk, you need to lift the carpets to hide the cable. Route the power cable on the opposite side of the vehicle from the speaker cables to minimize noise interference. Cut the cable to length and strip away 1 inch of the cable shielding using the wire cutters.
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5
Cut a 2-foot length of speaker cable using the wire cutters. Connect the amplifier's audio output to the sub, making sure to maintain cable polarity, connecting positive to positive and negative to negative using the cross head screw driver and the 2-foot cable.
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6
Connect the remaining speaker cable to the amplifier's audio input using the cross head screwdriver. Run the speaker cable to the head unit on the opposite side from the power cable. Secure the cable to the stereo head unit's audio output terminals using the cross head screwdriver, ensuring you maintain cable polarity.
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7
Secure the power cable to the amp using the cross head screwdriver. Connect the amplifier's earth cable to a suitable point on the chassis of the vehicle. Slip the power cable's ring connector over the positive battery post, then slide the main positive lead onto the battery's positive terminal and tighten with the adjustable wrench. Secure the negative cable to the negative battery terminal and secure with the wrench.
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Tips & Warnings
Ensure the cables cannot accidentally touch the battery terminals while you are working on your audio system as this may cause a short circuit and damage your audio components.
References
- Photo Credit woofer image by Renato Francia from Fotolia.com
