I'm in the process of getting the parts necessary to upgrade my system. I have the new aftermarket head unit and am now trying to figure out what I can do with the rest. I want to keep the stock premium speakers. Some details I'm trying to figure out are:

• What gauge of wire should I run from the new aftermarket head unit to the trunk (have to do this since I can't use D2B)
• How much power/amps/voltage do I have available for new amplifiers? I believe the car has 30 amps dedicated to the audio system, right? Do I need to run new (?? gauge) wiring through the firewall or can I use the stock wiring connected to the stock amp?
• I also plan on getting two 4-channel amps will crossover capability (for the rear doors). Each amp will power one side of the car 2 channels, each powering front speakers, 1 channel with crossover powering rear speakers (from the wiring diagram in JTIS I think the crossover on the stock system is done through the amp, correct?) and 1 channel for a sub.
• My head unit will have 50wX4 capability. What kind of cables should I run from the head unit to the amps in the trunk?
• What are the ohms going to each speaker in the car (2, 4, 8?)
• What is the maximum amount of wattage output the stock power wiring can handle for amps? I wouldn't want to buy 1000watts of amp and not be able to use them without tapping into the battery more
• what type of amp should I get? I hear that A/B G/H are better than class D amps. Or would it not be worth it? Especially since I will lose all that efficiency which would probably mean needing more power than the stock wiring can provide.

 

Sqenixs, if you are looking at running an aftermarket amp, running a new power wire is going to be pretty much mandatory. I would recommend running a six gauge wire for that. This will give you plenty of room power wisr to do what you want. As for the speakers, i believe the factory ones a four ohm units.

As for the power the stock wiring can handle, the power short answer is very minimal. If you are doing what you are, take a little bit more time snd upgrade all the speaker wiring. It will make a nice change since you will not be loosing a percentage of the power in the wiring.

 

Something rarely mentioned about wiring in new speakers is to attempt to make ALL the speaker wires the same length. And DO NOT coil the extra wire in the front doors up in a nice, neat loop. Make a neat mess of it.

(A loop of wires is half a transformer, a single piece of metal in the middle can wreak havoc with it, turning it into something you could concievably weld with!)

Thermo - am I right, or am I right?

PS Thermo - the anagram of your name is "Mother". Considering all of the great advice you give here, it is more than an appropriate anagram. For another interesting anagram or two, peek at Evelyn in North Dakota's obit I just posted in the "Memorials" section.

PPS - "Mom" lol. The reason I "Laugh Out Loud" there is the advice from my mother: she told me to "Never take a ride in a car with a stranger unless they offer you candy and money!"

/been around the block a few times

 

Bruce, i have never worried about making all the speaker wires the same length. The resistance difference when it comes to a car is insignificant. Now, you are correct in that you do not eant to ciil the wiring up. You also do not want to run the speaker wiring next to wiring that has high currents flowing thru it. You will get the transformer action that way to leading to noise in your speakers. If you must cross a high current wire (say over 10 amps), it should be done perpendicular to the high current wire.