But get difficult if your vehicle is a late or old model. Because stereo of many late model cars is fully integrated with the dashboard. Disconnect the negative battery terminal for secure installation. Remove the old head unit from the dashboard. To remove the head unit you may need to remove first some surrounding trim. We highly recommend a detailed workshop, if you are unclear about removing the trim.
On the front, some head units have two slots or holes on either side. These form part of what holds the head unit in place and may require special tools to remove. In this step, you will see some wiring harness back of the head unit. Disconnect it by pressing down the tab and check the harness adapter you purchased is correct for your vehicle. Next, you disconnect the antenna from the back of the head unit.
However, make sure you are not pulling wire instead of the connector. Wiring the Radio and Connecting Components. Connect the radio to a constant volt source, an ignition lead, the amplifier turn-on and the antenna. On newer cars, the constant volt and the ignition wire connections can be made through the factory wire harness. On older cars, the fuse block can serve as the constant volt source. Ground the radio to the chassis. Connect the antenna to the proper antenna input on the radio.
Connect the radio to the amplifier so when you turn on the radio, you are also turning on the amplifier. Most radios have a power antenna output. This is a volt line that runs the power antenna. When the radio is turned on, the power antenna goes up; when the radio is turned off, the power antenna goes down.
Use the power antenna lead to also turn on the amplifier. Use a relay to make the connection, so that the line can run both the power antenna and the amplifier turn-on. Ask a neighborhood car audio retail dealer how to connect the relay. Some radios have a separate power antenna output and a separate amplifier output. If this is the case with your radio, use the amplifier output to turn on the amplifier. Or known as Remote wire. Begin connecting components using gauge or gauge wire on the speakers.
The wires run from each speaker to the amplifier. The longer the run, the more resistance on the wire. The larger the gauge size of the wire, the less resistance. Recommend Ga speaker wire. Run the speaker wire on the same side of the car as the signal wire. Some installers then Connect the speakers in either a parallel or series configuration.
A parallel connection is when you connect each speaker's positives together and each speaker's negatives together. A series hook-up is when you connect one speaker's negative to the second speaker's positive.
After connecting the speakers together, run the wires to the amplifier and connect the positive wires to the positive inputs of the amplifier and the negative wires to the negative inputs of the amplifier.
When wiring speakers together and to the amplifier, you need to consider the impedance, or ohms, rating of the speakers as well as the ohms load of the amplifier. Amplifiers are constructed to "see" a certain ohms load. All of our representatives are currently chatting with other customers.
For Tech Support, call Eating up the highway with clarity and volume — a champion of car audio. During my first few years at Crutchfield, I served as one of our Advisors, helping our customers choose new audio components for their homes and cars. Eventually, I moved to the writing team and spent a decade researching new products and getting even more hands-on with car audio gear.
I've performed many car and home audio installations over the years, some of them even on my own cars. As the editor of Crutchfield's car audio web articles, I couldn't ask for a cooler job.
We listen to music and play with car audio gear every day! Like most of us here, I've always been into music. I installed my first car stereo system before the family car was even mine. In college, I helped friends and roommates install their car stereos and set up the stereos in their apartments.
That's where I also first learned a little bit about sound mixers. These days, I serve my community by volunteering with the Boys Scouts of America. Car stereo installation basics — In this article, we'll walk you through the process of installing a new car stereo. We'll cover:. Please read over these guidelines before beginning the installation so you'll know what to expect. You'll need a few tools to get the job done, but nothing serious. A couple of screwdrivers and a wrench or socket set for the battery cable are most common.
One of the more important tools you'll need is a panel removal tool to help you safely remove the dash panels without scratching the surfaces or breaking anything. He walks you through the process from start to finish and shares a few expert tips along the way. When installing a new stereo in your car, your first step will be to remove the old stereo. It would be easy to breeze through the removal steps and forget them.
Otherwise, you may use the general guidelines below. Using MasterSheet instructions with the general guidelines below will prove to be a winning combo. Before you begin, start by setting the parking brake and removing the negative cable from the car battery to prevent accidentally short circuiting something. If the stereo is held in by spring clips, you'll need a pair of DIN tools.
Insert the DIN tools into the holes on either side of the unit until you hear a click. The tools serve to release the spring clips and also hook onto the sides of the stereo so that you can pull it out easily. Spread the tools apart slightly then pull the stereo out of the dash. Sometimes, accessing the stereo requires the removal of one or more trim panels from the dash. You may have to carefully pry the plastic trim away from the dash which is often secured by hidden pressure clips , or locate and remove bolts to disassemble other pieces of panel.
Once you have gained access to the factory stereo, you should be able to see screws that secure the radio to the dash. Remove the screws and pull the stereo from the dash. Some vehicle manufacturers mount the factory radio to a guide rail inside the dash.
Once the spring clips or bolts are removed, you can slide the radio off of the rail. Because this rail can sometimes interfere with the chassis of a new radio, it may have to be removed too. Something to keep in mind: once this is done, you often cannot reinstall the factory radio. American cars built before the early s often came with a "shaft-style" stereo, which secured to the dash via nuts and washers to the right and left knobs. A shaft-style stereo must be installed from behind the dash.
Getting it into position is the tricky part, since your vehicle's wiring, heater controls, and ductwork may be in the way. One of our vendors, RetroSound, offers several vintage shaft-style radios with modern features on board and a versatile mounting system. If your vehicle has or once had a factory stereo, or if it was pre-wired with a "stereo prep" package, there should be at least one plastic wiring harness behind the stereo opening.
This plug connects the stereo to your vehicle's electrical system and the speakers. You will need to unplug the factory stereo from the wiring harnesses, and unplug the antenna to complete the removal process. With the old radio out of the way, it's time to focus on the new one. That involves connecting all the wires and then installing the stereo in the dash. If Crutchfield carries a vehicle-specific wiring harness for your vehicle, you can use it to connect your new stereo to your vehicle's factory wiring harnesses.
This will ensure that everything works seamlessly, just like the factory stereo did. These harnesses usually include a color-coded wiring diagram for connecting the harness to your new stereo. Your new stereo will also include a radio wiring diagram in the owner's manual. Refer to the two diagrams to confirm the car stereo wire colors that need to be connected to the adapter harness.
The nice thing is that you can make these connections on a workbench, desk, or kitchen table without having to be inside the vehicle.
If a harness is not available for your vehicle or if the factory stereo plug was cut off, you'll need to identify each of the car's stereo wires and connect them to the corresponding wires of your new stereo. If you purchased your new stereo from Crutchfield, our Tech Support team may be able to tell you the colors and functions of your car's wiring.
Please avoid only taping the wires together — eventually the tape will dry out and fall off, exposing the wires and making it only a matter of time before something shorts out. Here are the options that will give you secure, lasting connections:.
Check out our wire connecting videos to see these different methods in action. Usually, it is best to make all of the new stereo's wiring connections via the wiring harness, but if you have to make a direct power connection, you'll need to know the difference between "switched" and "constant" power:. Although rare, a few high-powered stereos require you to make a direct constant power connection at the positive terminal of your vehicle's battery.
This requires a heavier gauge power wire, an in-line fuse usually included , and a ring terminal to connect the power wire to the battery clamp. You will have to route the power wire to the battery location, which is often through the vehicle firewall and into the engine compartment in order to make the connection at the battery. Car stereos have eight wires for the traditional 4-speaker system — a positive wire and a negative wire for the front left, front right, rear left, and rear right speakers.
Depending on the wiring configuration in your vehicle and the wiring harness adapter we offer, some of these may not be used. A good ground connection is vital for proper stereo performance and to eliminate unwanted noise. If you are not using a custom wiring harness, look for a bare, unpainted bolt or screw that contacts the bare metal of your vehicle's chassis. Loosen the bolt, slip the ground wire underneath this is almost always a black wire , then tighten the bolt.
If your ground wire doesn't contact bare metal, your stereo won't operate. A loose or weak ground connection can result in signal noise interfering with your music. This wire acts as a switch to turn on the video monitor when the parking brake is engaged.
This wire can be in different locations in different vehicles, depending on the brake configuration. The wire is usually found where your parking brake is.
In vehicles that have a hand brake between the front seats, you'll have to remove the center console to get to it. In vehicles that have a foot-pedal parking brake, the stereo's wire will need to be routed to it under that dash. Either way, it isn't too hard, just take your time. And once again, Crutchfield's award-winning tech support team can be a big help in locating it and helping you get to it.
If the original stereo was bolted into the dash, you might need to remove the mounting brackets from the sides of it and attach them to the sides of your new stereo. More likely, you will need a mounting kit to install the stereo. If a mounting kit is required, follow the instructions included with the kit. Sometimes you install the kit in the dash, then slide the new stereo's metal mounting sleeve if included into the kit.
Secure the metal sleeve by using a screwdriver to bend the sleeve's metal tabs into place. In other cases, you attach the mounting kit to the new stereo first, then secure both in the dash with screws. An adapter allows you to use a new stereo with your existing speaker system. And you'll get it at a deep discount when you buy your new stereo from us.
This integration package lets you keep the factory LCD screen and touchscreen climate controls in select and up Ford Mustangs. Once the dash opening is ready for the new stereo, hold the stereo near the opening. Connect the stereo wiring adapter to the vehicle's wiring harness and plug in the antenna cable.
Slide the stereo into the dash opening, but don't fasten it down just yet. First, test the stereo to make sure everything is working properly. It's easier to fix a problem while everything is still exposed. Note : You'll have to reattach the battery cable in order to test the stereo, so if you disconnected any airbag warning plugs, be sure to reattach those before reconnecting the battery.
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