How To Install A Car Amplifier- Courtesy of Crutchfield

[dorocotopo1]

What is the "turn on lead"?

[deandjay11]

I Have A Radio Harness, What wire does the Amp wire go connected to ?

[OranJizzz]

@deandjay11 the dark blue one.



[minglestop]

Why can't you just leave the fuse in the holder if the negative is disconnected already?

[DRAKOoism]

@minglestop

because if by any chance the power cable touches any metal area anywhere in your car it can cause a short and damage things or you can get really shocked lol

[minglestop]

@DRAKOoism

Noted, so if I need to remove an amp, the steps are this: Disconnect Negative Terminal, Remove Fuse from holder - remove Amp from Power wire - Install New Amp(s) - Install Fuse in Holder - Connect Negative Terminal.

[DRAKOoism]

@minglestop not really, for that you can be good just by taking off the fuse. you dont need to unplug your negative wire.

[DanielJr16]

when u connect the turn on wire do the one on the radio runs to the ignition right so do u cut it and put all three together the wire from the radio and ignition and amp???

[DanielJr16]

@DanielJr16 when u connect the turn on wire from the stereo it runs to the ignition right so do u cut it and put the ignition wire and amp with to the turn on wire coming from the stereo and is the turn on power on the stereo the rem spot

[gnarlycs]

wow, if you run the remote turn on lead on the same side as the speaker wires you defeat the entire purpose of running the speaker wires on the opposite side as the power cable....

[I13LIKE13PIE]

@gnarlycs so should i run the remote and the power line on the same side?

[gnarlycs]

@I13LIKE13PIE run the remote turn on and the power wire on the same side, and run the speaker wires and RCA cables on the opposite side. imo, if you have high quality wires (with good insulation) you can run all wires next to each other and you wont have a problem.

[skaterspwn]

mustang=fail

[mcsquirtsify]

@skaterspwn you, fail

[skaterspwn]

@mcsquirtsify thank you

[halljacob97]

my amp and sub works but when i close my hatch it starts to echo through the sub as if there was a mic there lmao i was hoping to get it done quick to would tin foil sheld the power cable from interfering with with speaker wire/signal cables?

[GranteedEV]

I just want to say that if it weren't for crutchfield, I would never bother with car audio.  They make it so simple for newbies :)

[Tactic11]

Lucky my battery is in my trunk :).

[chilango93]

what do i need to do if i do not have a place to connect my signal cables to my car stereo

[starfleethero]

@chilango93 adapters are sometimes sold depending on your car or you might opt to replace the stereo head unit.

[lukemortlock]

its called a remote cable.

[macar6913]

Most helpful video on hooking up an amp that I've seen so far.

[unreal3010]

Where do i connect the turn on lead wire on the head unit?

[daveytn]

@unreal3010 to the "amp remote" wire, usually blue and not connected to anything.

[DjJBMIII]

haha this helps so much cause i have this year mustang too hahahahaha

[be4udie03]

this video helped sooo freakn much.

i blew the fuse in the beginning cuz i didn't know you had to remove it... spent $1.43 on fuses and now its working soooo perfectly!

Thank you!

[jamesprototype]

Noobiest question ever, if i get a 2ch amp to power my 2 6x9s will i get better quality out of them ?

[prprince2009]

Thanks For The Video. It Was Easy For Me To Install The Whole Set Up With No Problem. =)

[anonuhmys]

Thank you Crutchfield, tomorrow I will install my new Rockford Fosgate P300-1 mono amp. 

[TheMissojo]

Deh p5400

[wildboyz225]

@GeniusWC do u knoiw where i can find one of those adapters? do u think i can find one at crutchfield?

[wildboyz225]

Hey can anyone help me? I got 2 pyle 12 inch subs that max at 500 watts. and i dont have an amp yet. I have a 2006 hyundai sonata and the factory stereo doesnt have rca jacks. So i was wondering how im going to hook the amp up to the stereo without rca jacks?

[GeniusWC]

@wildboyz225 you need to buy an adapter that taps into your stock stereo speakers and out put in rca form you can find these at any major electronics stores fairly simple to install.

[lwisdawg]

@wildboyz225 u shuld buy at least a cheap head unit, rather than keeping the stock one its a lot easier

[Usernameinvalid16]

@lwisdawg nope Its just as Easy you just gotta buy the Converter Box and plice into the main Resising line to the door speakers.

[lwisdawg]

@Usernameinvalid16 but its better to have a head unit rather than the stock stereo 

[Usernameinvalid16]

@lwisdawg Ya but on these newer Vehicles its hard to get the face plates made for them to do that ya know. but if i had to do it Professionally i would replace the stock head unit.

[jaskil695]

i was going to get "2 12" Dual 4 ohm Type-R Subwoofers". would a "1700W RMS, Brutus Series 1-Channel Monoblock Super Class D Amplifier (BRZ 1700.1D)" be a good choice of amp to get?

[blink182roxox]

@jaskil695

Yeah thats a decent amp. But the thing is, you have 4 ohm subs and amp produces 1700w@ 1ohm, 1200w@ 2 ohm, and 600w@ 4 ohm. You need to pay attention to the 4 ohm. I looked up your subs and they are 600wrms each. So with them wired correctly, you will be getting full potential from your amp and subs. To wire them go sub1+ to sub2+ to amp+. Then go sub1- to sub2- to amp-. Now you have another set of coils to wire. So run wire from sub1+ to sub1-. Then sub2+ to sub2-. Hope this helps.

[TheNotyownz]

Hey sir, i did exactly what you did, but my problem is, My amplifier is having a very hot issue, it's gets really hot after 20minutes of use, What things i got wrong? wires not connected properly? because my amplifier is on the trunk carpet? or because i have more Watts of speakers/tweeters/woofer that my amplifier can handle?

Amplifier : MTX Audio 600Watts RMS 4Channel.

Sub Woofer : MTX Audio Thunder 8000(400Watts RMS)

Speakers : x2 160Watts

Tweeters : x2 150Watts

[blink182roxox]

@TheNotyownz

Since I dont have much space to type ill just tell you how you should wire it. ch1+ goes to + of sub, ch2- goes to - of sub. ch3+ goes to 1st speaker +, ch3- goes to - of 2nd speaker. 1st speaker - goes to + of 2nd speaker. As for the tweeters wire them the same way on ch4. I just doubt they are 2 ohm components, if they are then wire all positives to positives and so on. Make sure your amp has plenty of room around it. Also maybe buy a fan or put it on a little sheet of aluminum.

[swiffblastin]

what happends if you dont disconnect the negative battery cable?

[ruchboys]

@swiffblastin u blow up! haha no but your battery can explode



[swiffblastin]

@ruchboys ohh lol :) jw i really wasnt sure why you had to disconnect it

[JakeEricson]

@swiffblastin Don't listen to Ruch. He's a moron. But DISCONNECT YOUR DAMN BATTERY.

I literally arc welded with a multitool once because I had wires get too close to it, and a circuit was completed. But anyways, you can fry your hardware if you do not disconnect your negative terminal. Also, when in doubt, put in a fuse.

[swiffblastin]

@JakeEricson thanks man

[JakeEricson]

@swiffblastin No problemo.

[JakeEricson]

@ruchboys What.

Are you stupid? No. You can fry your hardware.

[broncobass22]

@swiffblastin pop a fuse or zonk ur egumint

[luigi2999]

@swiffblastin you risk shocking yourself or blowing up the battery if a + wire touches bare metal.

[starfleethero]

@swiffblastin you risk damaging the battery or the car's electrical system, as well as possibly shocking yourself.

[luigi2999]

@swiffblastin if you short a wire, fire, and possibly, explosion.

[justknight696]

@swiffblastin well i was doing some backyard wiring with my buddy & lets just say if u don't, and you start cutting wires, your gonna see sparks fly. haha

[PhanNTran]

@swiffblastin u could short ur car electrical system and that would fry ur car's starter/car's computer/etc...

[spezow1234]

i have a problem. amps, no matter what type and size, will not turn on in my car unless i bridge power from the power input to the remote input with a small wire. all my connections are solid and everything worked fine for the first month. it just randomly quit on me and i havnt been able to find a solution. please help?

[spezow1234]

@spezow1234 also, one amp DOES work however, only when i use 1 channel at a time, so im using very very low wattage. do i need to move my ground wire? please help

[spezow1234]

@spezow1234 and i still have to bridge from the power input to the remote input on this amp too

[goodson305]

5 star how to vid

[mrsupervidrater]

i feel stupid i never hooked up that signal wire because i thought it was a redundancy in the system i just hooked it straight to my ignition

[littlemonty94]

@mrsupervidrater If you didn't hook up the signal cable, how exactly did you think the amp was going to work...

[mrsupervidrater]

@littlemonty94 i think you misunderstand which signal cable not the rca the power control from the back of the head unit i thought all the amp needed was ground and positive straight from the battery then it would be optional to use the control from the headunit so i just hooked positive from the amp straight to the ignition which i ended up taking a little wire from the positive amp in to the cotrol and it all worked out anyway

[littlemonty94]

@mrsupervidrater Ah I see, my mistake.

[nothinbeatsford]

@kennylol no it would make it worse. Some people have To buy new alternators when they get 2 or 3 amps...

[Kennylol]

I have 4 100 watts ( i think) Rockford fosgate speakers that goes right to my CD-player at the dashboard. But I think they consume to much power from the battery cause sometimes the car wont start. Would an amplifier solve this problem? I want a subwoofer and a amplifier together with my 4 speakers.

[ThatVilleNigga]

@Kennylol Getting more battery draining stuff would not help, what you need to do is start looking into getting a capacitor. You could get your subwoofer, amp and then a capacitor as well and be fine.

[waack321]

does that ground wire come with the wiring kit?

[mrsupervidrater]

@waack321 yes

[TheShaunRyan]

I want install an amp to play my iPod, anyone got ideas how to link up the ignition to the turn lead? Can it be done?

[mrsupervidrater]

@TheShaunRyan yes you just take a super small wire and connect the turn on to the positive

[mrsupervidrater]

@TheShaunRyan yes you just take a super small wire and connect the turn on to the positive not the battery but the post like right next to it

[mrsupervidrater]

@TheShaunRyan yes you just take a super small wire and connect the turn on to the positive not the battery but the post like right next to it it could also be connected to the battery but waste of time and wiring

[clamo636]

I just installed another amp in my s10 and I had to do 75% more than what they show in this video. like I said this is an incomplete how to! 

[lilsweetfeetbro]

if i hook it up to my battery i always drains my battery i even bought a new battery cuz the one i had was old and it still drained it

[clamo636]

@lilsweetfeetbro hi end amps will drain it wile in use unless the car is running. if its draining it wile the car and sound system is off, then it sounds like the remote switch is not turning it back off like it should. or check to see if the remote wire is not damaged.

[easterndora]

@lilsweetfeetbro -do you have remote wire running from ur amp too you head unit... ??

[brucekirk89]

no find a spot for all your gear THEN run the wires first hook all them up THEn hook up the power wire to the battry LOL

[mattgal12]

Does anyone else see the next iron chef in their suggested video box?

[davidk1625]

Best video ever, Thank you

[Xytos]

why do they have a sony amplifier? lol that stupid

[SPsoccer3715]

this doesnt drain your battery when the car is running right?

[lainahtan13]

@SPsoccer3715 No, not unless you are running some massive gear you should be fine. The Alternator (if in proper working order) should be more than enough to keep your battery charged whilst having an amplifier running.

[XXxsasuke43xXX]

@SPsoccer3715

well a car battery normally charges itself when it is in use. so i dont it should

[clamo636]

@XXxsasuke43xXX LoL a car battery will not charge itself.

[XXxsasuke43xXX]

@clamo636 not like charges but, when the car is in use the battery makes its own energy. that way ppl dont chage them everytime they use them

[clamo636]

@XXxsasuke43xXX batteries DO NOT make there own energy!! the battery always gets charged by your ALT.

[pluto9871]

I ran Both power wire and rca's together down the panels of the driver side. Is this why I can't get max sound from 2 12' q power subs? Please let me know if I have to run them opposite sides.

[MrGiltro]

@pluto9871 yeah man noise from alternator will b amplified that way so run wires on opposing sides

[krazymjnt]

Good video. I learned a lot more then i thought i would. Cheers.

[iCgalz]

the ground lead doesn't effect amp performance - if its grounded properly the amp will turn on... if not, some amps won't. I spent ages trying to figure out what was wrong with my bran new amp, and it turned out it wasn't grounding properly and wouldn't turn on through default.

[suitcheyhanbali]

"Type PRIZE before youtube and hit enter"



[JakeEricson]

@suitcheyhanbali "Type I'm a gullible who faggot who does everything I am told"

[Speculantscooter]

Thanks a ton, I spent like half an hour reading instructions trying to figure it out but I watched this video and was all like "OH I get it now".

Gonna save me some $ by doing it myself.

Also, you should mention that there should be no paint or dirt on the bolt that you attach the ground to, otherwise it won't work.

[theScienceOfFear2012]

but where the fuck does the REM cable connect to on the back of your H/U ?!?! no site can answer this and i need the answer

[eduardosantacruz]

@theScienceOfFear2012

to the wire labeled "remote turn on" or "power antenna"

it's usually a blue wire

[MrGiltro]

@theScienceOfFear2012 rem cable connects to the power wire which is not always on ...only turns on when you turn your radio on ...you can check this by using a volt meter

[thexpert360]

Do you know any way of setting up a car amp indoors? preferably without car battery

[darkdivine87]

@thexpert360 use a PSU or Power Supply Unit, you can get them from any computer store and there are videos on youtube that shows you how to hook up a amp and a car deck to it as well.

[Chrislav7]

V6 Mustang FOR THE WIn!!!!

[iraqiebomber]

thx that was helpful

[DoctorCreepy]

Found a thing or two I needed to know.Thanks!!!!

[WikedClownXxx]

thanks alot for the video i have a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse and i need to know how to take out the stock head unit because its nothin like my eg6 can someone help me please

[brbn93]

@WikedClownXxx Hello, I'm doing the same thing and so far so good. First like the guy in the vid said, disconnect your car negative battery wire. Then, you will need a flat Phillip screw driver, or an ornament remover. Take your time and think before you start to remove the casing on the head unit dash. You can get more help by going to club3g.com and search the forum. From there, you just have to read the instruction manual that came with the aftermarket head unit and Mitsu owner's manual.

[WikedClownXxx]

@brbn93 hey man thanks i figured it out i just bought an addapter and ran it through that it was a bitch to get to the amp under the seat

[sh3ikXI]

Thank You !! I really needed this

[360ModsandHacks]

I love you.

[USMCfosho]

This is probably a stupid question, but IF i have 2-2 channel amps that i'm bridging and having each of them powering 1 SWR-1223D. Now, i'm upgrading speakers to Type R's and i'm getting a 4-channel amplifier for that. Now i need to RCAs going into my 4 channel amp (i think) but with my RF 2-channel amps, there is an input and output RCA set. So would i connect one with RCAs straight to the HU and then buy a short RCA to RCA to connect the second one?

[parkour720]

what i need to do with my old speakers because im installin subwoofer? I cut the wires or?

[dhruvilshah30]

what if i put battery, amp and those woofer and connect my i-pod to amp input it will work or not because i dont want to mess up with car battery and don't want to do wireing. it's new car

[MsStreetfighter1]

my speaker run fine without a amp just wondering if i would need to connect the speakers to the amp if i running my sub through the amp. also is this the same setup as installing a sub? an do i just connect the sub to the speakers slots?

[johntedrowjr]

i have a question i hooked my amp up and the fan is running but the power light doesnt come one so i turned it up and the subs aint bumpin my amp fry? fuse is good and the car is was wired by a certified person (it was free with the purchase of my cda-105) but the i aint gettin no bump in my trunk for some crazy reason please help

[sponserdsk8ter]

I love Bmw's! the battery is in the back

[mursare]

Awesoem video, made it so so simple...shame other videos aint this good. Thanks man!

[wardubo]

is it necessary to run power and signal opposite of each other or just better?

[Axmankiller]

@wardubo

Yes, if you don't run your RCA's on the opposite sides, the feeds from the power lead will interrupt the sound to you subs.

[dhruvilshah30]

@Axmankiller what if i put battery, amp and those woofer at the back in the storage area and connect my i-pod to amp input it will work or not because i dont want to mess up with car battery and don't want to do wireing. it's new car

[Treffers0406]

@wardubo It's necessary and better! If you run them side by side the power wire outputs an electrical signal which will get picked up by the RCA cables and apmlified, giving you an amplified hissing noise

[zintox01]

theres a better way that u dont have to take ur stereo out u can get an adaptor and just conect the signal cables to ur speaker

[MrElcholo133]

nice now i knw wut i left out thanks... like that amp looks like mine haha

[bozobm]

Wow. Great video Crotchfield. You've outdone yourself.

[sholeizugly]

@bozobm lol crotchfield

[Krisrilee]

lol after u do this u wont be able to start ur car cause they forgot to tell u to put the negative back on the battery hahahah

[420worthog]

this is the best video on how to install an amp on youtube. thanks alot

[rbugg91]

Haha i clicked it at the end! thanks man. this really helped a lot and made it a lot simpler than it has been previously explained to me. i can install my amp with confidence now. now where can i get one of those kits?

[TheDrew65]

@rbugg91 good old wally world $23

[kristijandj]

Ovo je pušiona. Presjek vodića bi trebal biti veći zbog moguće buduće nadogradnje i remote vodić može ići po istoj strani kao i vodić od napajanja da se ne miješa sa činćevima.

[jessebassmaster]

@SKARdaBASShead956 lol i had that stupid problem to!! so i got pissed off and i drilled a Frekin hole lol

[jessebassmaster]

wat is the turn on lead?? can you please help me out please my amp is Not!! shutting off when i remove the key from the ignition?? somebody plzz lol i always have to go to my trunk and manually disconect the amp.. =[

[PitchDarkShadow]

@jessebassmaster the turn on lead terminal is usually found on the amp next or between the ground and power terminal and on tjhe stereo its usually a blue andwhite striped wire

[jessebassmaster]

@PitchDarkShadow ok lol i new that soo??

wat does or wer does the remote wire Go?? it does not turn off the amp

plzz help lol =]

[YouKilledAlan]

@jessebassmaster Hahaha The "turn on lead" or usually called "REM wire" or "remote wire," tells your amp to turn on. It's a thin blue wire that connects from your head unit (your stereo) to your amp. When the car turns on, the stereo turns on, thus, turning your amp on. When you turn the car off, so does the amp. Without it, the amp will run continuously, draining your battery.

[riktor99]

thhank you so much! it only took about 45 mins

[19DY1AN93]

does it matter what type of speaker wire you us from your sub to your amp

[jessebassmaster]

@19DY1AN93 No it doesnt matter just make sure its a good size Guage.. and good quality wire

[adriansvarela]

thank you for this video! it helped me install my own system myself succesfully! :D

[redhairedcub]

yall need to go to a repitable professional store and let a professional install that....never EVER put your ground on a seatbealt bolt, they mostly have paint on them and its not gonna work if you have any paint touching your ground...you need your wire touching pure metal, find a good place and pull the carpet up, get a flathead screwdriver and rub the paint off and THEN put your ground down....never on a seatbelt bolt..........................­.....dumbasses

[187streetsoldier]

@redhairedcub agreed a i just grinf away some paint and ground it where ever my amp is.

[loupremo]

my battery is in the trunk. do i basically do the same process?

[cording12]

@loupremo yep exact same thing except in thte boot

[Xxps3fan]

@loupremo yeahh its exactly the same.. but easier lol

[thekingdonecome]

415sftonio@ Sony xplods are okay amps, alot of people say they suck but alot hve never heard them in person! Good amps for people learning about car audio.

[damanbaird]

@thekingdonecome  i love my Sony xplod!

[thekingdonecome]

Screwednchopped@ depends what type of subs you have and their nominal (rms) power specs! And the amp specs.

[screwedNch0pped]

i have a autotek 1200 watts amp, is that enough power to connect two 15''?

[miniuzi16]

i hate it when its like 3 30 am and these gangstas put there amps really high that gets annoying, lol.

[phattacorider]

@miniuzi16

Don't worry, they obviously don't know what clipping is. In time, they'll blow their equipment up because they're trying to make their 200Wamp sound like 2,000 watts. Ignorance is bliss, lol.

[415sftonio]

what is the quality of an exploid Sony amp, I have always been squepticle?

[MrJota619]

hey im new to this and i just got a jl w6 and i dont have an amp and i need to find out how many watts i need to power the sub can anyone help?

[lolPantsProductions]

@MrJota619 I couldn't find much about jl w6 but you'll need an amp that has as many channels as you have speakers (unless the speakers are component speakers) and it will need to have about the same RMS wattage as the speakers.

Don't pay attention to the Max. power amps show, the RMS, impedance and channel numbers are important.

[Jayjolly1982]

just disconnect the ground ...really crutchfield.... i thought you were better than that

[damanbaird]

@Jayjolly1982 what do you mean by this?

[imjustakid22]

i keep blowing fuses. but my friend wired the turn on wire to the power wire and im thinking this or the ground is the problem. but he says it is fine to wire the turn on wire like that. help?

[broski1993]

Awesome video! Helped so much!

[imjustakid22]

ok i got a 8 guage wiring kit but a 1000 watt lanzar amp. im afriad im using to small of wire and might damage something. but the thing is, i wont be pushing the full 1000 watts cuz im only hooking up one rockford fosgate p1. can anyone help me out?

[LUvS2RoOT]

very smooth ;)

[casperakabrendan]

where can i get a name brand amp for not too much money

[imjustakid22]

@casperakabrendan up your anus

[bignip345]

i have a 2007 navigation system, and i cant seem to figure out how to connect the RCA wires to my navigation system... I don't want to buy a new deck, i just want to figure out what adapter (if any) i need to install my RCA and remote cables.

[chadd3rton]

hahah show off your hot ride with a fuckin sony amp

[Lillocox4]

How do you find the turn on power on a factory stock CD player on a ford focus 2008 thanks

[icc177]

any1 hav suggestions for appropritate wires for an alpine mrp300 4 channel amp? pus

[julzgibson13]

this is a very helpful video

[wibcom]

you didnt wrote about condensator how to install it etc.

[lilwayne5194]

wow this is pain in the ass

[jeffrey8475]

just installed my sub/amp. i knew a lot already but this video helped a lot too

thanks

[tylerbansquiler]

What is the recommended guage of wire for a 800 watt amp?

[bergers5]

4 gauge would work just fine, but you could go 1/0 if you want to get more out of your system and save some energy.

[Brich45]

dude seriously, I just watched a 10 min video trying to explain how to install a system, and in this 3 min vid i learned alot more, thanks dude!

[SharmanLtd]

@Brich45 i know right. everyone else sucks at explaining how to do this!

[clamo636]

@Brich45 actually this video is so incomplete. the skip a lot of crap.

[Brich45]

@clamo636 If you have any common sense at all you will be able to watch this video and hook up a system...

[clamo636]

@Brich45 ive installed many head units and from all the people ive talked to and watched others install sound systems, this is not a complete install video they skip stuff!

[snow4lifMerkley14]

can you use car audio speakers/subs in a house? just wonder because home surround sound sounds arent as good as car and i cant drive yet.  And how do you set up if you can.

[AlucardZero]

@snow4lifMerkley14 Yeah, you can. You'll need to make your own boxes for the speakers though.

[fbraeutigam]

Wow man, that was extremely helpful. It's hard to find that kind of detail when looking on the web help for doing something. Thanks!

[falconsfan720]

if i was gunna put a 1200watt sub with 300watt speakers in my car would a 1200watt amp be ok? or should i go bigger?