Amp help please!!!! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

mobj92 · 01-23-2009, 01:40 AM

Im kinda new to this kind of thing. I have installed speakers in doors and in the rear of my gen 3 camry, but I also have an amp I want to hook up as well. Is this a fairly easy thing to do by myself? If so, can I get some directions as to how to hook up my amp and where to place it?

Anything would be great!!!!

Thanks all!!!

angel_rolla · 01-23-2009, 01:53 AM

you can put your amp at the back of the rear seat if you want.

amenazaomar · 01-23-2009, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobj92

Im kinda new to this kind of thing. I have installed speakers in doors and in the rear of my gen 3 camry, but I also have an amp I want to hook up as well. Is this a fairly easy thing to do by myself? If so, can I get some directions as to how to hook up my amp and where to place it?

Anything would be great!!!!

Thanks all!!!

in order to guide you more appropriately you might want to provide the following info, type of speakers you will be using, as all speakers have different minimum and maximum wattage, your typical factory speakers do not have intergrated crossovers to block certain frequencies,
provide wattage for your amp, as well as channels

adding an amp to your typical factory speakers will result in blown speakers as they cannot control frequencies.

please post what equipment you will be using!

mobj92 · 01-23-2009, 07:02 PM

ok so heres my stuff.

6 x 9 kenwood speakers, 400watt max
6 1/2 kenwood speakers, 250watt max
alpine 4/3/2 amp, 400 watt max

***96paseo*** · 01-23-2009, 11:21 PM

First, replace your stock full range speakers. If you have an aftermarket head installed, you can wire up directly to the wiring harness. If you put the amp in your trunk, you'll need to run speaker wire from the amp up to the harness for your door speakers. For the speakers in the rear deck, you can just run the wire in your trunk. You also need enough 8 gauge power wire to run from your battery to the amp. You can use the leftovers to ground it in the trunk. Make sure to put an inline fuse near the battery. Get a set of rca cables and run them from the head to the trunk. Its fairly easy to do. Just gather all the wiring parts and go to it. If your still using the stock stereo, you'll need to do it a bit differently. Post back and let us know.

Manny1337 · 01-23-2009, 11:38 PM

http://www.crutchfield.com/app/produ...nstall&x=0&y=0

thats what i used to install my amp. its not too hard just read up on it.

mobj92 · 01-24-2009, 12:42 AM

yeah i still have the stock stereo. so what do i have to do now with that?
Are you guys telling me I have to connect the speakers to the amp? crap, it was a pain just to get them all in.

Thanks for all the help guys

Manny1337 · 01-24-2009, 01:44 AM

if youre going to use the amp to power those speakers then yes you do. if youre not using the amp to power them they are fine the way they are

Manny1337 · 01-24-2009, 01:45 AM

oh and i dont know about that stock stero most dont have rca out or the output for the amp. might want to look into that or think about getting an aftermarket stereo

skuttduck · 01-24-2009, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobj92

yeah i still have the stock stereo. so what do i have to do now with that?
Are you guys telling me I have to connect the speakers to the amp? crap, it was a pain just to get them all in.

Thanks for all the help guys

I just lost a long message. That really irks me.

It isn't that bad. It may seem overwhelming but it is not. I had my amps hooked up to my factory stereo for the last 8 years, and I did it without cutting a single factory wire.

First thing you will need are the line out converters. They take the speaker level output that your stereo does and drop them down to RCA cables. You may also need a reverse wiring harness, or you can be like me, and buy a toyota wiring harness, then find a specialty electronics store to get the real small blade connectors. These will slide in on the back of the factory stereo.

So you hook up the line out converters to the blade connectors, plug them in to the speaker output on the stereo, then run the RCA cables back to your amp.

To get from your amp which is located in the trunk (most likely) run the front speaker output from the amp to the wires that power your rear speakers. So the wires that carried your signal out from the radio to your rear speakers is now being used to carry the signal from your amp to your front speakers.

All you have to do is connect the fronts to the rears on the harness. For example connect the front right positive to the rear right positive.

Of course your rear speakers are already back in the trunk and it is quite easy to run your own wires from the amp to the rear speakers.

Manny1337 · 01-24-2009, 01:20 PM

if youre installing an amp and speakers id highly recommend getting an aftermarket stereo. sorry but the toyota stereo is fine if you just want music but if youre putting the money into an amp and all speakers you want a head unit. an aftermarket stereo will make everything sound better and youll have more controll over your music. and if you do get a new head unit do yourself a favor and dont buy anything sony =P

mobj92 · 01-24-2009, 03:05 PM

hey thanks for all the help guys.
This will really help me with my install.

Thanks again!!!

skuttduck · 01-24-2009, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manny1337

if youre installing an amp and speakers id highly recommend getting an aftermarket stereo. sorry but the toyota stereo is fine if you just want music but if youre putting the money into an amp and all speakers you want a head unit. an aftermarket stereo will make everything sound better and youll have more controll over your music. and if you do get a new head unit do yourself a favor and dont buy anything sony =P

I agree with you. I was running the stock unit on my 2000 camry with 2 PPI art series amps, and factory speakers. It works, sounds a bit better, but after upgrading to my Kenwood DNX 7120, I'm just so upset it took me 8 years to finally do it.

Also, I updated the stock tweeters to my old Rockford Fosgate ones, that really made a huge difference. The music I listen to is crisp and clear, great seperation in the instruments.

I have a better theater system in my car than in my house!

ariel_86 · 01-24-2009, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 96paseo

You also need enough 8 gauge power wire to run from your battery to the amp.

Becareful what guage wire you run. Read the instructions that come with the amp to see what guage wire the manufacture recommends, and use that. In my experience, speaker amps (4/3/2 channel amps that AREN'T class D Sub amps) are fine with 8 guage, but a higher end amp could require something else.

Make sure your power wire from the battery is routed on the other side of the car from the RCAs, remote turn on/signal wire, or speaker level inputs. Not seperating the power wire invites interference into your system and makes it sound like crap.

Use as short a ground as possible, preferably no longer than 18in, that is the same guage as the power wire. Mount the ground directly to the metal of the car. Scrape away the paint until you hit metal, and use some copper or other conductive metal washers too. You shouldn't have to worry about rust ever if you don't gouge the metal too deeply.

Also, if you decide to add a subwoofer to your system later, or plan to at least, try to run the RCA cables for that at the same time. It'll save you a little bit of pain of tearing the car apart again (Ask me how I know...). If you do add a second amp for that sub, then you will need to upgrade the power wire to a thicker guage. And put a higher rated fuse in the power wire's fuse block. And possibly upgrade your battery and alternator as well, depending on how much power you plan on running.

Just a few things to think about when doing it yourself. Goodluck, and don't go deaf from your spiffy new stereo (ask me how I know this...).