9 Tips On Installing Car Stereos

[Kim]

1. Don't use cheap speaker wire. That really thin cheap wire really drops off the sound quality at the speaker. It doesn't cost much to get good quality fine stranded dual core speaker cable.

2. Solder your connections. Crimping connectors can lead to poor connections and higher resistance joins therefore reduces the signal getting through to your speakers.

3. Planning. Don't cut anything until you have checked it thoroughly. Both sides, all sides, in and out. It is better to use a board on a back deck than to cut open the deck to make bigger holes. Many cars have the small 3x4 inch holes than won't take 6 inch round or 6x9 speakers. Better to make up a board to raise the speakers (an improve resonance) than to cut out holes. In many cars it is illegal to cut too much of the metal away in the rear deck (supposedly compromises body impact integrity...).

4. Testing! Always test everything before you put trims back on and screw the head unit into the dash. It is easier to fix problems with everthing still out.

5. Instead of using the earth in the wiring loom, find a screw that goes into the metal of the body to earth your amps and head units. Poor earthing causes untold problems from scrtchy sounds, signal clipping, tapes playing all wonky, reduced radio reception, poor tolerance to bass boosting. Also, unbalanced earthing between amps and head units cause nasty nasty static or humms.

6. Make sure you KNOW what that wire you get constant/accessory power from is for! If in doubt run new wires directly from the fuse box (yellow for accessory and red for constant). Be careful and make sure there is a fuse in the circuit somewhere.

7. Make sure your speakers and amps are balanced. When buying speakers some of the better quality ones are rate with RMS (Root Mean Squared) others are rated with Max (or PMP - Peak Music Pressure). As a rule of Thumb 50W RMS would perform as well as 80-90W Max. In fact, Many speakers that say they can handle a millisecond burst of power to 200W (for example) are really only about 80 watts RMS on a good day. Many car amps are the same. that 4x150W amp is probably only putting our 4x60W RMS.

On that note, If you have 4 quality 50W RMS speakers they can produce more sound than your ears can hear. If you run them with a 4x200W (Max)cheapie AMP they should rock!

8. RCA from Head unit to AMP is ALWAYS to be preferred.

9. OK, in general the sound is only as good as the weakest component. I find that good wire, connections, power make a huge difference. Average and even cheapie amps do fine (if they are big enough). Speakers make a big difference especially with bass response. Most head units (except for crap cheap ones) produce good quality CD audio these days so are not as important.

Hope this helps,
Kim
(Used to own a car stereo and alarm installation business)

[OSL-060]

Sounds great Kim, thanks for taking the time to write it up and sharing your knowledge.

Cheers

Jake

[PIMPIN]

Awesome Kim
Thanks for that!

[Tony]

yeah, i've abided by all of those except the max power's when doing my install. (This was before i realised that buying 200W speakers cause they said 200W wasnt the best idea )

[andrewro]

Great advise, I have a standard VXII unit and the CD sounds alot better that the radio and as you say bass responce is crap so some better speakers (I will assume that the ohmage that holden use is the right one) should maka reasonable difference. I will probably go for new 6 inchs at the front as they already have splits and splits in the rear.

Thanks

[The1985divo]

Great advice Thx kim,

[Gobbles]

Ahh what a great guide....when i get around to doing my boot install and a full upgrade of my system im going for nothing but the best in wiring and soldering everything (even if my soldering does suck )

[MaNiac_VP]

There are some mighty fine tips there from lots of experience, if only I had them 6 months ago! Looks like you had an interesting business going there.

I have always had a problem forgetting rule # 4 personally, I never seem to learn from that.

[MaNiac_VP]

If you don't mind Kim I will pin this topic.

[Kim]

No worries. I am glad that everyone liked it

Kim

[DANNY8]

you said that you use to own the business, what happened to it???

[xstatic]

don't worry maniac_vp i think most people including myself forget that rule because we excited because it's finished so we put it all back togeather and then something doesn't work. I know cause it happened to me.

cheers

scott

[VTLUVA]

kim,
i just bought a VT and want to instore my other sound system ... what colour wire means what on the standard(factory) radio/cassette player in most VT, i have sony/explode head unit, 5channel amp and 12in sub .... any help would be great...

[Ziggie]

Just what i am after, excellent Kim.

Q My VP has only the front speakers, i have had the standard radio out and there appears to be enough wires to accommodate speakers at the rear, does the speaker wiring loom venture to the rear under the parcel shelf or do i need to run new wires? also when fitting speakers to the rear if i get your suggestion correct, do you suggest not cutting at all into the rear parcel shelf and rear tray?

[shell_inglis]

i have no idea how to put my speakers in i have a 1991 vp executive and i cant get the bak thingy off to put my speakers (6'9 splits) in i also have a sub woofer and 2 amps i want to move the amps and re capert my boot but the guy who had the car before me did all the wireing really bad! so considering i have never done this before i totally dont have a clue what to do.. i need a new bak dash i think but where in the hell do i get one from? any information would be greatly appreciated!

Thanku so much
shell

[Trewman]

I think ill pay some sap to install my stereo

[sjersoy]

i just broughta new kenwood kdc-8026 kenwood 6in speakers spit speakers fusion 12in subwoofer fusion 4 channel .And my kit is rocking i call it fully sic. I ONLY DRIVE COMMODORE .IF ANY BODY WANT STEREO PUT IN THERECAR CALL CAR AUDIO EXCELLENCE THERE AT BLACKTOWN 153 MAIN STREE BLACKTOWN NSW 2148 PH(02) 88149244 FAX (02) 88149245 ST MARY'3/130 FORRESTER ROAD ST MARY'S NSW 2760 PH(02) 98334477 FAX (02) 98333561 AND LAST PENRITH 242 HIGH STREET PENRITH2750 PH (02) 47314477 FAX (02) 47316688 THAT WERE I GOT FROM @ BLACKTOWN THEY ARE GREAT PEOPLE AND MY ALARM & ENGINE IMMOBILISER DONE THERE MY NEXT IS DVD PLAYER YOU R RIGHT WITH THE WIRES THEY HAVE TO BE THICK

[matt2950]

Very good tips kim, i do commodore stereo's myself & i just have 2 small things to add .. use 90 degree rca leads (bent at 1 end) at the rear of the deck (if using rca's) coz u wont be able to sit the stereo right back in the dash in the case of most stereo's in most commodores inless rca's are bent. Be careful of not connecting circuit earth's up, some stuff has more than 10 ohm resistance between circuit earth and chassi earth (mainly noticed this in the case of mobile fone + cb radio gear) so i would be incline to double up on earths as apposed to cliping the circuit earth out of the wiring. Theres my 2 bob .. Matt

[AngCalais]

Given that you have had a business before I was wondering whether you had any contacts or suggestions on the cost of installing a CD player and 4 speakers in a 1989 vn calais?


Regards

Ange

[Tasmaniak]

That was well written Kim, may I add a 10th tip? Well, I'm going to!

10, Ensure you have the correct size power cable to any amplifiers, running small power cable can cause hassles with headlights and dash dimming. Not only that but also, the amplfier will try to draw more power as it is being "choked" of the current that is required to produce the power required.

[azkwazere]

If you had the same problem as i did, which im sure you do, you dont have rear speakers! this made me angry, so what i did is just ran new wiring, its not that hard. i emailed eurovox and got the wiring diagram which i am happy to email out to anyone who needs it so that you can install your stero. The rear shelf as far as i know is installed before the rear windscreen is put in, so it makes getting the thing out really hard! the way i did it was stupid, i cracked it....by accident and then just bent it in the middle and pulled it out, once screwed back down it didn't matter much but it was stupid none the less. advice for that would be to try and remove the rear window if possible or contact local holden dealership or audio install professional.

Hope that provides light to a VP owner somewhere!

[Tasmaniak]

Actually, if you removed the back seats, you would've found that the parcel shelf will slide out....no need to remove the rear windscreen at all......I must admit though. That is quite funny.....

[vn88calais]

cheers kim...great help

[vlv8vic]

really? VPs came out with no rear speakers? back seat takes about 2 minutes to rip out. would have thought there might be wiring chucked behind there somewhere cos id imagine other variations of the model may have has speakers there.

my camry had no speakers on the shelf but the wiring was neatly attached to the plate behind the seat. i guess the better models had speakers.

[Tasmaniak]

vlv8vic..the Camry....Do you mean I pull out the seat back rest and thats where the wiring is hiding? I'm planning on dropping a pair of 6"s into the rear of the wifes 91 Camry.

Sometime.....
Soonish?....
Perhaps....
Better things to do first!....
Stealth VL....mmmmmmmm

!_E-VL_!