Car Audio Installation: A Tough Job
Car audio installation can be one of the most difficult jobs on the planet. It is, however, also one of the most rewarding. Once you are finished, you will have better sound from your music than you might if you were standing five feet from your favorite band at a crowded concert destination.
Your installation process starts with your new car stereo. To prepare for this tough job, you will want wire strippers, wire crimpers, a twelve volt light tester, and some electrical tape. Once you've gathered your tools, the next step is to read the instruction manual very carefully. That complete, you need to remove your old car stereo. You should pay attention to the fact that it has a ground wire, an electrical power wire (twelve volts), and four or eight speaker wires. Now you are ready to hook up your new stereo. You want to start by connecting the positive wire from each speaker to the positive connector on the back of the stereo. Your next step is to connect the negatives. You are ready to connect the ground wire of the stereo to a metal object near the dash mount. A screw or bolt would do just fine. Remember, it has to be connected to a metal object, not a plastic or fiberglass object. Grab the twelve volt constant wire that is headed to the cigarette lighter and test it. Connect your constant lead from your stereo into this wire. Select your ignition source, and pierce the tester into the ignition source. Connect the turn on lead from the radio to the ignition source. Your stereo is now installed and ready to test. The only other thing you should probably do is connect the car's antenna to your stereo.
Once you've got the stereo component installed, you are ready to install the speakers to make your system sound even better. The first step in this process is to read the instruction manual that came with the speakers. Remove the door panel. The best way to do this is with a door panel popper. Take out the old door speaker. Spray some glue on the metal surface of the door and press the Dynamat onto the metal. You might want to heat that Dynamat first for best results. You are ready to drop the speakers into the hole. Plug both the positive and negative wires into their corresponding holes, and do the same with the positive and negative wires on the back of the stereo system. Take out your rear speakers and go through the process again. Cover any exposed wires with electrical tape, replace the grille, and replace the door panels. You now have a system to be proud of.
Car audio installation can be a bit of a challenge the first time around, but doing it yourself can give you far more satisfaction than having the local superstore do it for you.