More important than any speaker you might decide to add to a car stereo is the amplifier you use to power it. Without a clear sound being sent to the speaker it doesn't matter how loud it can play; the sound will be bad. Although it is an older model, the Alpine 3522s is a quality product that can still provide the power you need for your rear speakers. If you take the time to install it yourself using an inexpensive amplifier kit, you can have good sound for a low price.
Instructions
Initial Preparation
1. Disconnect your battery. Hooking up anything electrical while the battery is connected can ruin the battery as well as whatever you are connecting. Always disconnect the negative terminal first.
2. Find a hole through the heat shield to run your power wire. You may have to drill one if you don't find one.
3. Unscrew the paneling around the base of the doors on both sides of the car. The wiring will run under that paneling. Where the paneling meets the back seat, find a path under the seat to the trunk. You may want to use a straightened metal hanger to test for a path.
4. Connect the RCA ends to the preamp outputs on your stereo receiver. Connect by color and connect them to the rear output. The pre-amps should be labeled, otherwise check the manual.
5. Connect the small remote wire to the remote output--blue wire--on the back of your receiver. Strip a small amount of casing from the ends of both wires and twist together. Use electric tape to secure.
Running Wires
6. Keep the end of the power wire near the fuse holder by the battery. Feed the other end through the hole in the heat shield and either directly under the paneling on the same side as the battery or under the carpet towards that paneling. If you run the wire under the carpet, continue to feed it until it emerges under the paneling.
7. Continue to feed the power wire back until it has gone under the back seat and into the trunk.
8. Run the remote wire and RCA under the carpet to the paneling on the opposite side of the car from the power wire. Either cut a small hole in the carpet directly below the console to feed the wires through or run them towards the front of the car until the edge of the carpet and feed run them under there. Feed the wires towards the back of the car under the paneling until they go under the back seat and into the trunk.
9. Lift up the carpet next to the back seat in the trunk to expose the frame. Look for a bolt that you could connect the eye ring on the ground wire to. If you find one, loosen the nut and connect the ring. If not, solder the ring to the trunk frame.
10. Make sure that the ends of the power wire, ground wire and remote wire have been stripped to connect to the amplifier. Connect each to the amplifier by placing the end in the terminal and tightening the screw. Connect the RCA ends to their matching colors on the amplifier. The 3522S makes it easy by placing all connections on the same side of the amplifier.
Connecting Rear Speakers
11. The 3522S is rated at 30 watts X 2 RMS. Make sure that whatever speakers you are using can handle that power. Almost all new speakers can.
12. Connect four speaker wires to the four terminals on your amp. Two should be positive, two negative. If you purchased new speakers they may have come with their own wires; use them if possible. Tighten the screws to secure the wires.
13. Find a path to your rear speakers. For almost all vehicles you can go straight up from your amp to the roof of the trunk to find the speaker terminals. If you are replacing speakers or to disconnect the old speaker wires, simply cut the old wires where they meet the previous speakers and cover the ends with electric tape.
14. Connect one positive speaker wire to the positive terminal on one speaker. If using provided speaker wires use the connection provided. If it is a push button terminal use that. If not, solder the speaker wire to the terminal for a permanent connection or add your own connector by crimping it on the end of the speaker wire. Connect the other positive wire to the other speaker.
15. Connect the negative wires to the negative terminals on the speakers. Connect each to the same speaker as the positive wire from the same pairing on the amplifier.
Final Steps
16. Make sure the fuse is removed from the fuse holder on the power wire. Connect the power wire to the positive terminal by removing the terminal nut, sliding the eye ring over the bolt and securing the nut over the ring.
17.Connect the battery. Connect the positive terminal first, then the negative. Make sure your car's electronics are functioning properly then make sure the car is off.
18. Insert the fuse into the fuse holder. Power up the car to make sure the speakers are working.
19. Screw down the paneling so that it hides the wires.
Tags: power wire, back seat, fuse holder, positive terminal, remote wire, speaker wire, speaker wires