Connecting Underseat Subwoofer

[samuelodog]

Hi Guys,

I got my sub in the post.

The wires are all hacked up and twisted together etc, just need a hand figuring out what is what.

The back looks like this:

back of sub

The wires going Into the power are like this - a black/white , a white, a black and a grey all cut off and taped closed. And two blacks that join together, a blue, and 2 reds that join together that run all the way to the end. The blue is very long and is marked 'remote', so Im assuming this goes to my stereo.
The red and black are quite short though. is one the power cable and one the earth? why are they so short?

wires

red and black wire ends

Thanks

[Missing Lincs]

Can you find any instructions on the internet?

Some guess work to get you going:-

Grey and grey with trace are usually speaker wires. You won't be using these as you've got a line level input from your radio. I would say the previous owner of the sub did similar so cut off the speaker leads. You could cut these wires off very tight to the plug and tape over the plug back - but only if your 100% sure I'm right about the function.

I'd say you're fairly safe with the remote connection/blue wire.

Your RCA lead from the radio will connect to the two RCA jacks.

I would think the remote jack (as opposed to the blue remote lead) is for a wired remote control?

What I'm not sure on is why there are two reds and two black wires. Did you say these are joined together ie two blacks join and two reds join?

One other thing for now, before you wire the sub in permanently and fix it in your car, I'd test it. Whilst most ebay sellers are truthful there are a few that aren't, 100% working can be 'I'm getting rid cos it's busted!'

[samuelodog]

Thanks,

The two red wires become one. As do the two black.

The seller has confirmed the black is the earth, the red is the power cable.


My next problem is connecting the power to the battery.

How do I do this?

I know where the battery is - but I cant see how to fix it. At the moment the wire is just a bare wire at the end. Is there some sort of fuse I should be using? I looked online but they all seem to be from high end cars with completely different connectors.?

Is there a 'safe' order I should do it in also - so I don't blow up myself or the car -

And how can I test the woofer without hooking it up?

Many thanks

[Missing Lincs]

You need to connect the sub to test it, what I'm saying is, don't hide all the wires away and finish the installation before you test the sub. No point getting everything neat and tidy and then finding something's not working.

The battery connection should be the last thing you do.

The earth is easy, find a convenient screw that goes into the bodywork of the car and use a 'ring' crimp on the end of your wires.

Did you get an wiring kit? The one's you were looking at had some suitable crimp connectors.

I think someone else posted information about where to pick up a battery supply; terminals on the back of the fusebox under the bonnet? It's worth looking back for this information as its a neat solution to connecting power.

This is also where the installation kit comes in, use the wire protector for the power supply wire under the bonnet and you MUST fit an inline fuse holder and appropriate fuse as close to the point where you connect the power wire to the car's electrics.

Disconnect the battery while you are making connections to the power circuits.

[Missing Lincs]

Here's some information that should help with the battery wire, there are photos of the 'live' terminal on the fusebox to connect your wire to.

Clicky Linky

[samuelodog]

Is this black thing attached to the power wire an 'inline fuse?':

Black in line fuse?

If it is, this can be connected to the positive terminal I think?

Next MAJOR problem.

I can't see how to get through the bulk head.

at all.

Any wires going through are so tightly packed there is no chance of snaking one more through.

Any ideaS?

[Missing Lincs]

In the thread I linked to above they went through the rubber around the bonnet release cable.

The 'black thing' in your picture is the fuse holder, it needs to be at the battery end of the wire. If you open the cover of the fuse holder you may need to fit a fuse, leave this until everything else is installed and connected.

[samuelodog]

Thanks guys,

Think I am giving up on this.

I cant get it through the bulk head.

I saw the other thread about someone with the same problem, they used the grommet for the bonnet lever, I tried this, it wouldn't go in at all. Nothing budges.

I cant see a way through it without dismantling the dash completely!

Think I should try a professional.

My last hope is to try to thread a thicker wire - like the one the other guy used, and go through behind the bonnet lever grommet. But if I use a thicker wire, can I connect this to my current red power wire in my sub assembly? The current one is very thin, can I connect a thick wire to a thin one?

I'm gutted.

[Missing Lincs]

You might have problems joining thick and thin wires, crimps are designed for wires of a similar size. Also, as a rule the thicker the wire the harder it is to thread, you need bigger holes and the wire is harder to form into bends etc., larger crimps are also harder and you might need more specialised tooling.

Much of what you're doing comes down to experience, although there is a great satisfaction in DIY, a professional will have done the job hundreds of times and picked up the best way to do things based on years of practice. Sometimes its easier to make your own hole, not something for the faint hearted, although it can save hours of time you need to know exactly what you're doing.

If you've got your car dismantled, ie the trim removed and most of the pieces in place, I'd say threading and connecting a power lead would take a professional less than an hour. If you have all the wires and connectors plus the knowledge gained on this website eg where the fusebox terminal is, it shouldn't be an expensive job. A mobile installer might be your answer?

[samuelodog]

Success! Ish.

I got it through!

Now all I need is to connect the lead to the battery.

my battery does not look like the other guys'. Here is a pic of mine. The red lead is my power cable. Where do I attach it?

Thanks