Q&A for How to Wire an Amp to a Sub and Head Unit

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What should I do if my ground wires are burning?

Community Answer

The wires are not grounded properly, check to make sure the surface is clean, unpainted metal.

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Question

I have a Pioneer deck, amp, and kicker, installed to shut off from the battery. The sub cuts on and off at high volume when I use the auxiliary cord to phone. How do I fix this?

Community Answer

That could mean your amp cannot handle the sub. Another important factor to consider is Ohms. If you have a 2 ohm sub and a 4 ohm amp it won't produce enough power to properly power the sub.

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Question

How do I put an RCA wire to a stock radio?

Community Answer

Use an LOC (line out converter) that will pick up your signal for the amp through the RCA.

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Question

Do I really need a toggle for this?

Community Answer

No. You should be able to connect it to the auxiliary on the back of the stereo unit.

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Question

What would cause my sub to kick in when radio is on and stop working when I change source to CD?

Community Answer

The remote antenna power wire is responsible for the antenna coming out of a car with a retractable antenna. Remove the wire and find the correct remote amp, then turn on wire or ignition wire to the vehicle.

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Question

I cannot turn it up any higher than halfway without my amp going into protective mode. What would cause this?

Community Answer

This could be caused by a bad ground. Run yourself a good wire for ground directly to the chassis.

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Question

What if I bought my radio harness to fit my truck only? Will the wires still match up on the aftermarket radio I purchased?

Community Answer

Yes, you can. It will just plug into your truck and then connect color coordinated wires.

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Question

My amp is already installed and I just bought a new sub. How do I connect my new sub to my old amp?

Community Answer

There should be RCA female plugs on your amp, and on the new sub-box enclosure, there should be another set of RCA plugs or clamps. Just match the positive and negatives.

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Question

What does the "REM" stand for on my 100watt 16ser1002 amplifier?

Community Answer

Remote; connect the REM wire to a fuse that only has power when the car is on.

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Question

How should I connect the remote wire so that I don't have to disconnect it when I turn off the car?

Community Answer

Hook it to a fuse connected to ignition turn on, like your accessory power fuse.

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Question

On number 9, it says twine the remote wire with the power wire before inserting in the power slot for amp. Does it mean for me to attach the cables together by the wires, and then plug it in?

Community Answer

Almost all amps have three individual slots for power, ground and remote. You may need to twist and install both power and remote together or you can install it in the slot marked Remote.

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Question

Can I connect the line out converter of my car stereo to the sub instead of taking apart my dash unit?

Jeff Zuberer

Community Answer

No. If the line out converter is not connected to the stock deck/dash unit, then there won't be a music input for the subs to function. Also, if you connect the line out converter straight to the subs without an amp, they won't have enough power to function.

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Question

What should I do if I have a female RCA on my amp but none of the sub enclosures?

Jeff Zuberer

Community Answer

RCA cables don't connect to the subs, they connect to an aftermarket stereo/deck or connect to a line out converter if you're using a stock stereo/deck. There are usually some type of "sub out" markings on the amp, and you just use speaker wire and connect the + to + and - to -.

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Question

Do I need to fuse the main amp power to the battery?

Community Answer

Yes, you do. It is there to protect the power source or your amp. If anything fails, extra power may be pulled and ruin your subs or amp.

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Question

Why does my amp keep blowing fuses even when it's hooked up correctly?

Community Answer

The first option is that you have a bad connection or exposed wire. First, check all grounds and make sure they're appropriate. Then, check the connection to the terminals for proper crimps, split/frayed/loose wires, etc. If it's not these, then check for an exposed faulty wire. Upon installation, a wire may have been jerked or rubbed, therefore exposing and separating the wire. If exposed, the wire could ground out, so it never hurts to check. The second option is to check your amplifier's fuse rating. If bought used, the previous owner may have used a different size fuse than required.

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Question

On the back of an aftermarket head unit I have, there are three ports (two RCA ports and one labelled sub), but no REM wire. What would I connect the REM wire to in this case?

Community Answer

Your remote wire should have its own connection to the harness. Look at your wiring diagram -- it should be labeled "amp turn on" or something along those lines. If it's not there, splice it into something that cuts on with your car. Be sure to make a solid connection. Solder if you can, but twisting and then crimping using the correct gauge butt connectors will do the job.

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Question

I have a Pioneer head deck but a Sony sub and amp. Will they work together?

Community Answer

Probably. They should work together as long as your amp has enough power to push both of the subs.

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Question

Why won't my amp turn off when I turn off the car?

Community Answer

You need to have it wired to a toggle if you're using the stock stereo. Otherwise there isn't any true remote to stop the amp from turning on while the car is off.

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Question

What if my amp isn't getting power?

Community Answer

Clean your battery connections and make sure your wires are in good condition and wire it again.

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Question

Why do my subs keep blowing after I added an aftermarket stereo and amp?

Community Answer

You are possibly getting too many watts to the sub. The amp might be putting out more than the subs can handle.

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Question

Can I run 4 speakers and a subwoofer from a single amplifier?

Community Answer

They make some 5 channel amps but they are rare. Typically you can run a 4 channel amp to the speakers, and a mono amp to the sub(s).

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Question

I just have a basic amp without a stereo in my car. Is it possible to hook my sub to the AM alone?

Community Answer

Chances are, the stock amp is too weak to support the sub you're going to buy, unless you buy it specifically set for that amp's wattage capability.

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Question

Do I wire the amps parallel or in series?

Community Answer

That depends on the resistance of the subs, and what kind of load you want to present to your amp. If you have two 4 ohm subs wired in parallel, you will be pulling a 2 ohm load on that channel. If you wire them in series, it will be a 4 ohm load. Most amps will produce much more power at 2 ohm, if it can handle the load.

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Question

Will my amp work without the remote cable attached?

Community Answer

No, there won't be any power to tell the amp to turn on. The remote cable provides electricity telling your amp to turn on.

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Question

I already have an amp/sub installed with a line out converter. I'm going to put a touch screen one in so I will not need the line out converter anymore. What will I need to do to connect it?

Community Answer

You will need RCA wires to run from the back of the new touch screen line out jacks to the amplifier line in. Match the colors of the wires to where you plug them in. Do not run the RCA wires next to the power wire coming from the battery to the amp.

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Question

Do I need a capacitor for one 10" if I'm using a line out converter on a factory stereo?

Community Answer

It doesn't seem necessary. I'm running two 10" on an 800 w amp without one and it sounds good, so you should be alright.

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Question

How do you hook up a subwoofer?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

You'll need to connect your subwoofer to an amplifier that's connected to a power supply. Run the power cables from the amp to your vehicle's battery. Then, connect the RCA cables of the subwoofer to the amplifier. If your subwoofer has a separate power cord, attach it to the amp as well in the appropriate slot.

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Question

How do you wire up an amp?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

To wire an amp, you'll need to connect it to your vehicle's battery. Make sure the engine is off and disconnect the negative terminal. Then, connect a power cable to the bolt of the positive terminal. Feed the power cord through the vehicle, hiding it in the plastic panels along the floor, until it reaches the trunk. You can then plug the cord into your amp to power it.

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Question

What gauge speaker wire should I use for a subwoofer?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Most subwoofers will need at least a 12-gauge speaker wire to function without overheating the wire. However, if you have a powerful sub, or you plan to draw a lot of power from your amp, use 16-gauge wire to be sure that it can withstand the load.

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