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How-to Install system on stock head unit!

65K views 61 replies 43 participants last post by  Freddy517 
#1 ·
:: I DID NOT WRIGHT THIS HOW-TO! All credit goes to effex80 on CSS.net:

So, I have been seeing a lot of people asking about how to do install a system on a stock Headunit.. Well I was doing mine today, and i decided to do a how to on it! It looks so much more complicated than it is. enjoy!

First Things First, The tools you will need are as follows:
Power Drill
10mm Wrench
Wire Splicers
Wire cutters
Phillips screw Diver
Scissors
Zip Ties
Butt Connectors
Terminal Connectors
Line out converter(not pictured)



Line out converter

First step: Hooking up your line out converter. Take out the trunk floor thingy. Now Remove the tape off of the stock wiring for your rear speakers.




Step two: Cut stock wiring and Twist on speaker wire. (on the right speaker the Teal colored wire is positive and on the left speaker yellow is positive.) Splice the stock harness for the speakers back in and connect together with a butt connector




Step three: Remove the cushion to your rear seats (this takes a little bit of elbow grease, you need to fine where it latches and push it and pull up, it will come off). Run the wires you have just spliced in behind the carpet on the walls of your trunk and under the rear seat backrests, and on to the floor of the rear seat cushins. (sorry there wires arent there but that is where they go)





Step Four: Now is when you connect your Converter, By now you should have 2 sets of a pos/neg wire on the seats, one from each speaker. Connect the pos/neg from your ran wires to the pos/neg on the line out converter. (If you purchased your converter from bestbuy there are 3 sets of wires on it. Ignore the brown set, use black and white) The positive wires on our conveter have the black stripe on them. Once that is done you may now connect your RCA signal cables to it. NOTE: Do not put cushin back on just yet, you will want to use your converter to tune your system




Stop Five: Connecting the ground cable. Since the ground cable I got in my amp kit was only 10 inches and the power cable was 400 feet, I decided to cut some power cable to use as a ground cable. If you look at the battery, you can see where chevy grounds the battery, I just used that for my ground as well. Unscrew that bolt and connect your ground cable. NOTE: The connection I made was very improper, you need to have a connector! I fixed mine 10 minutes later after I bought one. Now crimp on a amp connector to the end of the wire and tuck excess wire in the spare tire bay.



Step Six: Running your power cable. Since our battery is in the trunk, the install for this is remarkably easy. Using your 10mm Socket, unscrew the bolt on the positive terminal. Connect your power cord. Make sure the connector is flush with the battery terminal for a optimum connection. Crimp on a connector like you did the ground and hide the excess wire in the spare tire bay. REMEMBER: This is a HOT wire do not let it ground out or sparks will fly.



Step seven: Now put your trunk carpet back in, take all your wires and have them just pop out about a foot into the trunk



Step seven: Amp sub and box. I like to make them all one unit before they go in the car. So now drill your amp to the back of your box. Measure speaker wire out from the box terminals to the amp terminals, cut to size and connect it. Now, connect the sub to the inside terminals and drill your sub into the box. NOTE: make sure to set the box on something soft so you don't scratch your amp you just put on.



Step eight: Put your sub/box/amp/ combo in and connect all your wires to it

Step nine: Remote wire. I just did a fuse tap. In order to do this go to your fuse box and pick a fuse for a item that only works when your key is on accessory mode. Ex. Wipers. which is exactly what I used. Remove the fuse and put some on the wire in the hole, then put the fuse back in. Now, run your remote wire to your trunk, going under the carpet up front and then tucked under the floor trim. Connect remote.




:: I DID NOT WRIGHT THIS HOW-TO! All credit goes to effex80 on CSS.net:
 
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#11 ·
theres no need for a fuse on the wiretap because the fuse it is tapped into will cover it i believe. however, a fuse is definitely needed where you tap right into the battery. i had a friend who burnt down their jeep grand cherokee doing the same thing. the wire shorted out, started a fire. not good news.
 
#13 ·
yeah thats fine and safe. i have all my electrics run that way, my head unit, xm box, and underdash lights. just make sure its a fuse that only works when the keys in the ignition, such as the wipers, or the sunroof if you have one.
 
#19 ·
worked like a charm great write up
 
#21 ·
just take them out if anything goes wrong with it
 
#23 ·
All that this setup does is allow you to install an amplifier and sub using the stock head unit. Because the stock head unit doesn't have a sub out option you must get your RCA feed from another source. Using the line out converter which gets its signal from your rear speakers, then converting it to RCA cables lets you feed that info to your amp. Amp then is wired to your sub. With the battery being in the trunk, this is a very easy install. I would recommend getting an after market head unit and setting it up that way but for someone on a budget this way will work. Just my 2 cents
 
#28 ·
When i threw my 2 10" and amp in, i found that you don't even need to have a remote wire run to the front. In my 2010 cobalt Ls i just set everything up in the back and it works just fine. All wires are in the trunk and it shuts off automatically when it's spliced into the rear speakers. If you ever decide to put a new head-unit in, then you should start to wire RCA's to the front, but until then, everything can stay in the trunk with an easy 1 hour setup.
 
#30 ·
I don't see why not...
 
#31 · (Edited)
i mean certain radios have a different watt output levels than others. in other words the radio might not be able to supply enough power to the speaker so when u turn it up it'll sound weird and/or sound crappy.(correct me if i am wrong)

does anybody have the specs of the stock radio? i have no car manual =/


i found this other page with very cool info and intructions and maybe a safer way of doing it

http://www.chevycobaltlink.net/forum/do-yourself-how-guides/304-how-hook-up-amplifier-factory-stereo.html
 
#33 ·
the fuse in the fuse box WILL NOT PROTECT THE AMP FROM AN OVERLOAD!!!

the whole point in wiring into that fuse is so that the amp knows when to switch on. otherwise your amp would draw power from the battery all the time. whenever that remote wire gets power your amp knows to turn on. but the terminals to the battery actually supply the power to the amp. I would imagine that some amps have build in overload protection or a built in fuse to protect itself. but I do know that some amps specify to connect a fuse to the battery terminals. and the manual for that amp will tell you what kind of fuse you need for that amp. I also agree with the way that the remote wire was connected to the fuse box. not very professional. and I recommend connecting the remote wire to the power windows fuse instead of the windshield wiper fuse (assuming your car has power windows). because power windows work even with the key out of the ignition (until you open the door of course). whereas the wipers only work in accessory or with the engine running. I do like the idea of wiring into the rear speakers however, it makes it far easier to wire. i only have to run one wire to the front of the car instead of 5. otherwise good article. I plan on installing a sub soon myself.
 
#35 ·
no... i've done that multiple times
 
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