HELP!!! I'm mechanically/electronically incompetent.

[Rotzs99]

So today I tried installing this small subwoofer in my truck and it was something i thought I could do. So wrong. Anyway I hooked up the RCA cables (I'm not that stupid), but I'm lost on how to connect it to the battery. They gave me the wire and a fuse that has to go no more than :quote:30cm from the battery:quote: and I'm completely lost Can anyone help me out or maybe stop by my house tomorrow and help? It shouldn't take too long and I could throw some money your way for helping.

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[Flyn]

I'm doing brakes on Amy's car tomorrow so can't head up there. However, the sub power wire is a relatively simple hook up. Start at the sub and run the wire underneath the carpet or seat to the door sill. Take [usually pull or unscrew] the trim piece off and continue running the wire underneath the trim piece up to the dash area. Find or drill a hole to get to the engine compartment. Be careful you don't drill into any wires or components. Make sure you use a rubber grommet or some other protection so the wire doesn't rub on bare metal and eventually short out. Continue running the wire through the engine compartment towards the battery. Install the fuse holder within a foot or so of the battery. There are different kinds of fuse holders but most of them are pretty easy to figure out if you look at them. Use another short piece of wire from the fuse holder to the battery. Hooking the power wire to the battery should be the last connection you make during the subwoofer install. [Make sure the ground wire is connected first.] After the wire is connected to the battery, install the fuse and you are good to go.

 

[Rotzs99]

Wow, thanks Cliff, that really helps. So I have to buy a fuse holder for the fuse they gave me. I got all the trim pieces off, I just couldn't find a place to feed the wire thru and I'm hesitant about drilling in the firewall, but I might just do it anyway.

 

[Flatliner]

YOu can go through the steering column under driver dash. I usually cut hole in rubber boot, insert/ feed from engine compartment and then pull under everything to where you want it. I usually stick long nose needle pliers in hole, and expand them and feed wire throught the space. The door sill should pop off and you can run under there along seat, then pop back seat off and feed through there to.

 

[TaintedSnake01]

YOu can go through the steering column under driver dash. I usually cut hole in rubber boot, insert/ feed from engine compartment and then pull under everything to where you want it.

Dont go through the steering column hole!!! Steering column can possibly tangle up in wire and could lead to issues down the road. Best to use rubber grommet where main vehicle harness runs through or drill your own hole. (unibit is easiest way to drill, if not start small and go up in size on your drill bits) make sure you dont drill into brake booster or any brake/fuel lines. DO NOT go through the door jam either!!! Good luck JD!

Mike

PS. I checked my facebook, I didnt have 30000000 messages from you this time! hehehe

 

[Flyn]

Here's a link showing a common fuse holder. You usually buy either an 8 or 4 gauge one depending on what size wire you are using. Most auto parts stores should have them. It can be screwed into any convenient out of the way location. Drill holes into the body, dab a little paint on the holes to protect against rust and screw the holder in place. http://www.tti-plus.com/AUDIOPIPE-Platinum-Fuse-Holder-White-LED-4-8GA-N-p/tti-n7-w.htm

I've poked holes through the rubber grommet/main harness to run my stereo power wires. It can be sort of a pain to get the wire to feed through the rubber. I tape the wire to a straightened coat hanger and pull it through [or have my wife pull it while I push the wire from inside]. If I took the time to cut larger holes, it would probably be easier.

 

[Rotzs99]

Oh man this is effed up. I'm gonna need something like this

Thats the type of fuse I got. Thanks for the info guys. I'm gonna try to find the main harness like Mike said.

 

[Flatliner]

Dont go through the steering column hole!!! Steering column can possibly tangle up in wire and could lead to issues down the road. Best to use rubber grommet where main vehicle harness runs through or drill your own hole. (unibit is easiest way to drill, if not start small and go up in size on your drill bits) make sure you dont drill into brake booster or any brake/fuel lines. DO NOT go through the door jam either!!! Good luck JD!

Mike

PS. I checked my facebook, I didnt have 30000000 messages from you this time! hehehe

Crap sorry... that is what I meant... don't know why I said steering column. Connect the fuse at battery and run same gauge wire back that is all.

 

[Flyn]

Oh man this is effed up. I'm gonna need something like this

Thats the type of fuse I got. Thanks for the info guys. I'm gonna try to find the main harness like Mike said.

Just look for a big hunk of rubber with a lot of wires coming through it on the firewall. It's not hard to find. Pick a spot on the rubber that doesn't have wires right by it and poke through it. Then enlarge the hole until your wire fits through.

Fuses are fuses. The holder you show is a cheaper version that does the same thing as the one I showed. The main thing you want is a fuse that matches the power rating of the one you have for your sub. The type of fuse or type of holder doesn't matter and is only a matter of personal choice. Check out your local auto parts store and they should be able to set you up.

 

[Rotzs99]

I did it!!! Where's my damn gold star???!!! It sounds great and really completed the sound and stopped the door rattling. In case you are wondering, this is what I got.

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?Source=googlebase&ProductID=19995

It's great for a my ranger, but if my cab was any bigger I wouldn't like it. If I did have an extended cab I would have gotten a normal sub.

Anyway, thanks for all your help guys. I just have one more question. I need a new power source. I hooked it up directly to the battery terminal (probably wrong and stupid) and I'm getting a whining coming from the speakers especially when revving (alternator). Is there another place I can hook it up to? I can get a pic of my engine bay if that will help.

 

[Flyn]

I did it!!! Where's my damn gold star???!!! It sounds great and really completed the sound and stopped the door rattling. In case you are wondering, this is what I got.

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?Source=googlebase&ProductID=19995

It's great for a my ranger, but if my cab was any bigger I wouldn't like it. If I did have an extended cab I would have gotten a normal sub.

Anyway, thanks for all your help guys. I just have one more question. I need a new power source. I hooked it up directly to the battery terminal (probably wrong and stupid) and I'm getting a whining coming from the speakers especially when revving (alternator). Is there another place I can hook it up to? I can get a pic of my engine bay if that will help.

Congrats on the hook up. Make sure your power and signal wires aren't together. I usually run power up one side of the car and signal up the other. The battery is the correct place to hook up to. Also make sure your ground is connected well to bare metal.

 

[Rotzs99]

hmmm, signal wires, is that my RCA cables? cuz they right next to each other. Ground is bolted to floor pan w/ no paint.

 

[TaintedSnake01]

When running a mono or 2 channel amp with a sub it is not necessary to run rca's and power line on opposite sides, however low quality rca's or home rca's do not contain the proper shielding that eliminates alternator whine from your sound signal. Go to Circuit City and buy some good quality Tsunami Rca's. Ive been installing for 5 years and I have never had noise that was the fault of the rca's themselves. You can use the battery for your power source or if there is an underhood power point or fuse distribution point you can use that also.

Good Luck JD

 

[Rotzs99]

bought my RCAs from best buy. DAMN YOU BB and ROCKFORD FOSGATE!!!

 

[about2bite]

I have had an issue like that and it happened to be the deck, the preouts were F'ed. It had to have it reapaired. The Rockford RCA's are not too bad, that are actually made by Stinger if I remember correctly. Check your ground, make sure you didn't mess up the rca/s when running them as well. While it's not necessary to run the rcas opposite of the power wire it won't hurt.

If you have a line out you can try grounding it, some of them have a ground wire on it to help with those type of issues.

Do you have an aftermarket deck?

 

[Rotzs99]

I have had an issue like that and it happened to be the deck, the preouts were F'ed. It had to have it reapaired. The Rockford RCA's are not too bad, that are actually made by Stinger if I remember correctly. Check your ground, make sure you didn't mess up the rca/s when running them as well. While it's not necessary to run the rcas opposite of the power wire it won't hurt.

If you have a line out you can try grounding it, some of them have a ground wire on it to help with those type of issues.

Do you have an aftermarket deck?

Pioneer DEH-5000ub

 

[about2bite]

Pioneer DEH-5000ub

I had a Pioneer deck as well, if you have another deck laying around you may want to swap them real quick to eliminate that, or if you know someone who has a Pioneer you can try that and see if it fixes it. It'll take 5 mins to do

Goodluck :biggthump

 

[TaintedSnake01]

Yes the ground wire on the radio harness may also be a possibility, along with a bad radio. Sometimes the grounds in the factory harness are good enough for the radio to turn on but aren't quite good enough to support any kind of power draw. You can try taking the ground wire coming out of the back of the radio, and running it straight to something metal behind the radio instead of the vehicles harness. Could help. other then that bad RCA outs on the radio or your RCA's got nicked or are grounding out from an issue during installation.

Good luck

 

[Rotzs99]

sounds like waaaaaaaaay too much shit to deal with. I think itll be next week before i get to look at it again.

 

[about2bite]

sounds like waaaaaaaaay too much shit to deal with. I think itll be next week before i get to look at it again.

Yeah man, engine whine sucks and can be a real pain to diagnose sometimes. Just have to take it one step at a time, eliminating each source.

Goodluck