is this something i can do by myself??
 

installing amps, subs and running wires throughout the car? do i need any pro skills to do them on my own or will i be fine with the manual?

Re: is this something i can do by myself??
 

its not too terribly difficult but the manuals wont show you how to run the wiring and stuff.

if you have the time and patience, go for it. if not, best buy's road shop only charges $40 to install an amp.

Re: Re: is this something i can do by myself??
 

what is the hardest thing i will encounter by installing stuffs?

i live in a condo and there's no place for me to do the works. i don't like doing installations aside the road cuz everyone passing by would see what i have in my trunk and that's not secured. anyway, how long it should take me to install the amp, sub, and speakers and of course wiring, if i am a NEWBIE?

all youll need is a whole day, maybe weekend, and a bunch of tools:)

Re: Re: Re: is this something i can do by myself??
 

I don't think any of it is hard, it's just time consuming. For a noob like you:p expect to have difficulty getting the power lead for the amp into the cabin of the car from the engine bay. That will be fun if nothing else. You're also gonna have fun running the wires under the carpet so you can't notice them when everything gets put back together. I can't really think of anything thats too hard to do. You live in Cali? I wouldn't mind helping if possible.

I would expect it to take the better part of a day if this is your first try at it. But beware, once you install, you'll be hooked.

dont need too many tools, phillips and flat head screwdrivers, wire cutters and stipper, a drill and some drill bits and of course, a healty collection of connectors would help.

Re: Re: Re: Re: is this something i can do by myself??
 

thanx bro, i am from canada just let you know.
do you know what tools will i need?

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: is this something i can do by myself??
 

look up a couple posts, you'll see what tools.

I suggest you do the install yourself. You may say that you'd rather pay $40 at Best Buy and save time and aggravation, but doing this will teach you so much about your car and how this whole car audio thing works.

A Haynes or Helm's manual will help you with interior removal (panels, rear seats, etc), and is always helpful when working with or familiarizing yourself with the car.

The install may truly make you hooked. I started with doing mine, now all my friends are asking me to do theirs, which I gladly accept.

Plan for this to take the whole day. You may want to spend some time researching online and getting people's opinions and help before you start. Any little tricks could save hours!

Any help you need, this forum is more than welcome to help you out. You can email me too with any help you need. Otherwise good luck!

thank you guys. i can feel ur love:D . i've heard about Hayes and Helm's manuels. do you know where i can get them other than online?

your local auto part store

yes. need lots of patience though. dont rush your work, and if you have doubts, post a thread on it before continueing......=)

my hardest part was running 2 4Guage power wires from the battery to the trunk.

do you know for 6gen accord sedan, do i have to take out the back seats for the wires to go into the trunk?

you can go either way....run them down the center, or the sides. running them down the center you will have to take the seats out. from the side, no.

im speaking of the integra, which may apply to the accord, but not sure...

just take a look at your car, get familiar with it

You may not have to take the seats out, but doing so makes it easier to get at the side panels and gives your more work area. And if you're mounting an amp to the backseat, it's easier to work with if the seat's removed.

Good luck.

Will- you ended up running your power leads down the center huh? I imagine that would be the best way.
And why did you run 2 power leads instead of using a distribution block?

steveng- the size of your power lead will ultimately decide how or where you run it. My power lead isn't that big, I think its 8 guage, maybe 4, so I was able to run it down the sides under the door sills. No need to take the back seat out when running down the sides. But if you don't mind the extra work, taking the seat out wont hurt and will give you more area to work with.

do i mount the amps directly on the back of the seats or is it better to mount on a piece of wood board? second question is, should i use 4 guage all the way from the battery to the amps, or 4 guage for the main power wire, and 8 to the amps?

i think i will run it down the side under the door sills just to make life easier. one question for the power wire, why i shouldn't run the power wire and other wires on teh same side? if i add one more amp and sub, do i need 3 fuse box or just 1 ?

You can mount the amps wherever you want. Do you want to show the amp or have it hidden? The main thing to keep in mind for the amps is ventillation, how are you gonna keep the amps ventillated? In the trunk you won't get any airflow so kinda hard to do, unless you hood up some fans. Under the front seats is a good location, easily accessible when you need to play with the settings, and it also allows air flow to the amp to help keep it cool. I would go at least 4 guage power lead for the amp you want, all the way to the amps. Well, I gotta get going, work sucks. Later. Got anymore questions, post em, I'll be back.:thumbup:

Good idea. Running power wires with the rca's can in some cases cause engine noise, that irritable high pitched whining sound coming through from your speakers. I have never had this problem, but it does happen. Better to be safe than sorry. You can get a fuse distribution block, it will be alot cleaner than having 2 or 3 seperate fuse holders.

no they are on the side of the car, :p so you can imagine a big buldge.:D

i ran 1 4gauge, but those amps i used ate it up, so i ran another 4guage instead of replacing it with 0 or something. i couldnt afford it.

another lesson learned about planning ahead.:)

so you've got the buldge thing going on in your car huh? Hey, gotta do what you can afford. I hear you though on the running of another lead, sh*t can get expensive.

since my car got broken into, i don't think it's a good idea to mount an amp under the seat.
is distribution block so called splitor and how close should i mount the distribution block to the amps? last question, will i need two other fuses to protect the amps in addition to the fuse on the main power lead?

you can put the D block as far and close as you want to the amps...you CAN fuse them, actually i recommend that you do, in addition to the fuse under the hood.

this is how my setup use to look like.....

----fuse-----amp(w fuse)
battery---fuse------------dblock
----fuse-----amp(w fuse)

looks like you have 2 amps as well. do you use 4 guage all the way, or 4 for the main and 8 after the dblock? how much amp are your fuses? i heard that 150 amp is the max you can go, correct me if i am wrong.

yollu need to take the dash apart, to get the wire from HU to amp, and youll prolly have to take the seats out, for easiness.....but whatever

ive had a lot of different setups....the size of your wire will depend on the amps you have. i think 4guage then into 8 guage will be fine for your amps. the fuse size, again, is going to depend on your amp. 150amp fuse is huge....check your amps for the size of the fuse for the dBlock and main power wire.