If you’re a music enthusiast, you might want to add a power amplifier to your car stereo system. A car amplifier not only lets you play your music louder but it also enhances the sound quality, raising the sound stage and detail in every song at any volume. Installing a car amplifier in your vehicle is a great way to improve your traveling experience.
Before diving into the installation process, find a suitable place in your vehicle to mount your amplifier. Amplifiers generate heat, so adequate ventilation is important. You’ll want to place it somewhere that’s not too difficult to access. Keep in mind that your amplifier does not come with the necessary wiring, so be sure to purchase an amp wiring kit that includes power and ground wire as well as fuses. You’ll also need to purchase enough speaker wire for the job.
The first step in the installation process is to disconnect the negative battery terminal to protect you and your gear during installation. Next, run the power cable from the battery to the amp. Cut a short piece of the power cable enough to cover the distance from the battery to the fuse holder location and strip the insulation off both ends. Grip the terminal ring from your wiring kit to one end and attach the fuse holder to the other end. Strip the insulation from the end of the wire that leads to your amp and attach it to the other end of your fuse holder. Assemble the fuse and holder and attach the terminal ring to your positive battery terminal, then melt the fuse holder securely. It’s important to keep the fuse close to the battery since the lead between the terminal and the fuse is unprotected.
In most vehicles, you can pass the power cable through the firewall that separates the engine compartment from the main cabin using an existing entry point. Once you’re inside the cabin, tuck the power cable under trim panels or your carpet along one side of your vehicle until you reach your amp location. After running the power wire, the next thing to do is to run the turn-on wire and signal cables.
The turn-on wire is included in your amp wiring kit. Run these cables behind the dash to your stereo. The turn-on wire connects to a remote turn-on lead in your stereo’s wiring harness. It’s usually blue, but confirm this with your owner’s manual. Plug the RCA cables into the appropriate RCA outputs on your stereo. Run these wires, the turn-on wire, and the RCA cable down the opposite side of the car from the power wire. This will prevent electrical noise from entering your system and spoiling your music.
If you have a factory stereo, then you’ll need to do things differently. First off, make sure your aunt has speaker level inputs and signal sensing turn-on capability. Dip the amp does you can just tap into the speaker wires behind your stereo or possibly the rear deck speakers to get signal to the amp. The third primary connection is the ground wire. This wire should be connected to the vehicle’s chassis. Look for a nearby bolt that you can fasten the ground cable to. The ground wire terminal should be in contact with the vehicle’s bare metal. Sand away any paint at the contact point for the best connection.
Now, you need to get that audio signal from your amp to your speakers. Run this speaker wire at the same time you run the amp input one. If you’re powering speakers with more than 75 watts per channel, then you should run new speaker wire from the amp to each speaker. If your amp is only powering subwoofers, then just run speaker wire to the subwoofer box. Either way, use 14 or 16 gauge wire from your amp to your speakers.
After mounting your amp and making the necessary connections, try to use gentle curves with your wires and cables when possible. Before firing up the amp, turn the amplifier’s gains all the way down and if you’ve disconnected any connectors relating to the airbag, make sure to reconnect them. Verify that the amp turns on when you turn the car on, then you can play some music and set your gains. Remember, if you bought your amp from Crutchfield, you can call their tech support team if you hit any snags. If you have any questions about car amplifiers, please give Crutchfield a call.