Installing Your Custom Audio Cables
Installing Your Custom Audio Cables
If you're ready to install the major components for your new stereo system, you'll find that installing your custom audio cables will be the challenging part. Still, with the right instructions, it's something you can do in just a short period of time--and for very little money.
Before you begin the process, think through the process. Make sure you have all of the cables and tools that you'll need to install everything.
Once you have a list of what you'll need, it's time to head out to buy anything you don't have. This means, most importantly, buying the custom audio cables themselves. XLR connectors will also be useful. Be sure to buy, not just what you expect to need, but a little bit extra, just to be on the safe side. It's easier if you have too much than not enough.
Make sure as you're buying everything that you buy trusted names. Durocher, for instance, is a trusted name for installing vehicle audio.
Now take apart the parts of your vehicle where you'll be installing the wiring. If that means pulling out seats and carpet, then so be it. It'll make it much easier to run your cables.
Before you run the cables themselves, think about if you want to use some kind of damping material or sound insulation. If so, lay it now before you run the cables. Afterward, it's time to run the wires. Run them anywhere that they're needed. This means to run your power wires, speaker cables, RCA wires, interface wires, and remote turn-on wires. Run all wires / cables required for your audio system.
Let's get more specific about how to run your cables. Firs measure the distance between the spaces where you'll mount all components and what you'll connected them to. Now draw out a diagram showing exactly where the cables need to go. This will give you a good idea of what needs to be taken out of the car to lay the wires. Many people find that it's usually best to run the cables, as much as possible, on the same side as your car battery, with RCA cables running down the middle of the vehicle.
When you run the power cable, find a hole in your vehicle's firewall. If you can't find one, try squeezing a power cable into and through your hood's far corner, by your windshield, and then into your vehicle. If this is not possible, then you'll need to drill. Now run your cable wherever it seems to fit well (trying to keep it invisible after your carpet is put back in place). Run the cable all the way back to the trunk or to your amp.
After this is done, you can run your RCA cables, remote turn-on wire and interface cables. Make sure you disconnect the negative cable from your battery. Now take part all panels surrounding the head unit. Pull out the head unit and pull up all panels and consoles as well as the carpet surrounding the area where you'll run the interface cable and RCA cable. Now connect your remote wire to the head unit wiring harness. If you intend to connect more than two devices to the head unit's remote turn-on, make sure to install a relay.
Now run your interface cable, RCA cables and remote turn-on. Make sure no cables are near any moving parts or moving against something that might strip the insulation.
Finally, run your speaker wire. As before, pull up the panels and run the wires, but paying attention to where you intend to run them. Secure them in place. Be sure to leave a few feet at both ends of the speaker cable. The last thing you want is to find that the wire is too short.
Secure your wires and you'll be done. Regardless of where you're driving, in Canada, the U.S. or the UK, you'll be driving to the tunes you love. After a couple of hours of work, your custom audio cables will be working with your equipment to bring you top-quality, hi-fi sound!
