Installing a car audio amplifier can greatly increase the quality of the sound produced by the head unit. Not only can it increase the signal and make it louder, but it can bring out music nuances that were never noticed before, and deliver crisp, clean highs and thunderous lows. Of course, one of the most common reasons for installing an amplifier is to strengthen the bass signal for subwoofers.
Instructions
1. Mount the amplifier. Pick a spot where it will get ample air flow, because amplifiers create heat. If an amp overheats, it can momentarily shut down if it has internal protection circuitry built in, but if it doesn't, then permanent damage can be done. If you are mounting the amplifier in the trunk, consider attaching an external amp fan (which can be found cheaply at any electronics store) to the body of the amp. Drill into the body of the vehicle, being careful not to sever electrical lines or put holes in the gas tank. Once the holes are drilled, use self-tapping sheet metal screws to mount the amplifier. Not only will this provide a measure of safety for the amp, but it will also provide what is known as a "chassis ground" for it, meaning the body of the amp will be attached to the ground (body) of the vehicle.
2. Connect the positive (red) wire to the battery. Amplifiers, even small ones, can use big amperage, so it is recommended to use ten gauge or bigger (numerically smaller) wire to connect the power side of things to the battery. Run the wire in such a way that it cannot be chaffed, pinched or broken. Also recommended is to use a round electrical butt connector to connect it to the vehicle's battery post. Be sure it gets connected to the side with the plus (+) sign on it so that the amp gets power and does not ground out and fry up. Simply unscrew the ½-inch or 13 mm nut on the battery terminal clamp, insert the connector with the amp wire on it and retighten. Ensure that the battery cables and posts are clear of any oxidation so that the amp gets clean power.
3. Connect the negative (black) cable of the amp to a suitable ground. If mounting to the body of the vehicle, grind the paint off of the surface to ensure that it is fully grounded. Otherwise, it can be grounded to the frame or the negative (-) side of the battery. If the ground is improperly connected or unsuitable, it is likely that the amplifier will not even turn on. Once again, route the wire in such a way that it cannot become damaged, and use a round, terminal style butt connector with a self-tapping sheet metal screw.
4. Connect the speaker wires to the amplifier. The head unit, or car radio, has speaker wires coming out of the back of it which are routed to the various speakers throughout the vehicle. It is necessary to connect these to the "Line In" side of the amplifier so that the "Line Out" side contains a signal. To access these wires, the head unit can be pulled out and the speaker wire routed directly from it to the amp, or you can disconnect door and rear deck speakers and run that wiring to the amplifier. Once these steps are done, you are ready to run speaker wire to the subwoofers or aftermarket speakers you wish to install. If you are only looking to amplify the factory speakers, the back of the head unit must be accessed so that the factory speakers can receive the wire from the "Line Out" side of the amplifier.
Tags: head unit, body vehicle, Line side, butt connector, connector with, factory speakers, Line side amplifier