Amplifier Installation Guide

Before commencing installation of your amplifier, please follow these guidelines

STEP 1 - Wiring Kit

You will need a number of cables to install your chosen amplifier, power, ground, RCA phono, remote turn on and speaker cable, as well as a suitable fuse.

It is often more simple and cost effective to buy a pre-packed wiring kit such as the VIBE stereo wiring kit used in this guide, this contains the following

NOTE: The fuse in the main power cable must not exceed the sum of the internal fuses in the amplifier(s) to be fitted.

Please consult your amplifiers user manual for advice on the correct fuse size.

STEP 2 – Connection to the vehicles battery

You will need to connect the positive (red) power cable to the +12 volt terminal of the vehicles battery, this is usually marked with either a positive (+) symbol or a red post.

If in doubt please consult the vehicles user guide.

A) Before you disconnect any cables from the battery please ensure that the ignition is switched off and if your headunit has a code that you have this to hand

Before you connect the positive (red) power cable to the battery you will need to follow these steps

The AGU fuse should NOT be refitted until all electrical connections have been made and thoroughly checked

B) Cut the positive power cable no further than 18 inches of the ring terminal, this is where the AGU fuseholder will be inserted, this MUST be inserted before the power cable passes through the vehicles bulkhead

Note - Failure to observe this rule can result in an electrical fire

Once the cable is cut, strip back the insulation and pass through the fuseholder screw on end cap and the red waterproof seal

C) Insert the stripped cable into the brass collet and tighten the grub screw.

This should be done for both parts of the power cable

Once this is completed reassemble the AGU fuseholder without the fuse for safety reasons

D) Undo the bolt on the positive battery terminal

Line up the gold plated ring terminal with the bolt location

Refit the bolt ensuring that the bolt is correctly tightened

STEP 3 – AGU fuseholder mounting

Find a suitable location to mount the Fuseholder, remember that you will have to refit the fuse at the end of the installation so a location that will give easy access to the fuse is preferred

Do not mount the fuseholder to any water pipes as mounting the fuseholder with a screw will cause a leak.

STEP 4 – Connection to the headunit

A) There are 2 connections that have to be made at the headinit

Remote turn on – this is a switched positive output from the headunit that becomes live once the headunit is switched on.

The blue wire supplied in the wiring kit must be connected to this wire, in the case of the FLI SWAT 5 headunit we used for this guide it is a blue wire labelled AMP/ANT remote.

Please refer to your headunit user manual for the correct wiring designation for your unit.

This wire must either be soldered and insulated using either electrical insulating tape or heatshrink or crimped using an insulated butt crimp and a crimping tool.

B) RCA phono lead – this is a low level output that connects the low level output of the headunit, also known as a Preout, to the low level input of the amplifier.

Connect the supplied Phono lead to the appropriate RCA output of the headunit, in this example we have connected the lead to the SUB out as we will be connecting a mono subwoofer, if you are connecting full range speakers you would use the front or rear outputs.

4.A

4.B

STEP 5 – Cable routing

A) In order to route the main power cable from the battery you will need to locate a suitable grommet to pass the cable through, all vehicles have wiring passing from the engine compartment to the cockpit so there is nearly always a grommet that can be used.

Once a suitable grommet has been found make a small incision in the grommet being careful not to cut any of the wires and pass the cable through to the passenger compartment.

Once through make sure you seal around the cable in the grommet with a silicone sealant to prevent water ingress.

If you cannot find or access a suitable grommet you can drill a hole in the bulkhead, being careful that no hoses, wiring looms or electronic control boxes will be damages, insert a grommet and then seal with silicone.

When routing the power cable, RCA phono lead and remote wire to the amplifier, it is important that proper care is taken.

B) It is recommended that the RCA phono leads are run away from the main power cable and any factory installed cables to minimise the risk of interference.

Do not be tempted to tuck wires underneath trim panels as there is always a risk of these becoming trapped and causing a short, it is far better practice to remove the trim panels and run the cables underneath the carpet ensuring that moving parts such as seat runners cannot foul on the leads creating a short later.

For information on removing trim panels please refer to your vehicles user manual

2.A

2.B

Step 6 – Ground point

A good ground point is critical for proper system performance and interference rejection.

It is worth taking some time looking for the most appropriate point to attach the supplied ground wire to.

A factory installed bolt direct to the chassis will give a far better ground than a self tapping screw drilled into a spot welded panel.

STEP 7 – Amplifier mounting / wiring

A) Before you make the final connection to the amplifier you will need to decide on the most appropriate mounting location for the amplifier.

The most common locations are the back of the rear seats and under the passenger front seat.

If mounting under the passenger front seat always ensure that there is some clearance underneath the amplifier to allow any water that may be brought into the car during inclement weather to dissipate.

Always securely mount the amplifier with screws, if an amplifier is poorly fixed it will be subject to severe vibrations that could damage the amplifier causing a failure of the amplifier that will not be covered under the manufacturers warranty

B) Insert the RCA Phono leads into the correct low level input of the amplifier, please refer to your amplifiers user manual for further information.

The main power cable from the battery should be connected to the +12 volt terminal of the amplifier, the remote turn on wire should be connected to the REM terminal and finally the ground wire should be connected to the GND terminal.

Please refer to your amplifiers user manual for further information.

Note – failure to observe the correct polarity may cause damage to the amplifier that will not be covered under manufacturers warranty.

Finally connect the positive speaker wire to the + speaker terminal and the negative speaker wire to the – speaker terminal

C) Connect the speaker cable to the terminal of the bass enclosure again ensuring that the positive speaker wire is connected to the + terminal of the bass enclosure and that the negative speaker wire is connected to the – terminal of the bass enclosure

Once all connections are made tidy the wires up with a couple of cable ties

It is now worth double checking your connections at the amplifier and the headunit before you insert the main fuse in the power cable as mistakes could prove costly afterwards.

If everything checks out ok you may insert the main fuse, turn on your headunit and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

For information on amplifier set up please refer to the user manual that was supplied with your amplifier.

7.A

7.B

7.C