Installing a subwoofer seems like a complicated activity to newbies. On the contrary, most people conduct the procedure on their own. With all the necessary tools, you can turn the installation into a DIY project.
Let’s have a look at the equipment you need for the procedure;
- Subwoofer speaker
- Speaker wire
- Subwoofer box
- Amplifier
- An insulated power wire of 10 gauges measuring 20 feet
- The insulated ground wire of 10 gauges, 3 feet long
- An insulated 18 gauge foot wore about 15 feet long
- 2 RCA cables: white and red; each measuring 15 feet long
- 4 small size screws
- A screwdriver
If you have all the above equipment, you can proceed to the installation. Follow the procedure below on how to install a subwoofer in a car with an amplifier.
Inspect the Items Before Installation
To avoid messing up the process, conduct a brief inspection of some of the equipment.
For the best sound quality, check the speaker and amplifier RMS. The RMS is the amount of power that the amp can continuously send out and that the speaker can consistently receive without either of them getting damaged. At a higher RMS, both the speaker and amplifier may overheat.
Also, remember to check on the Ohm. Both the speaker and the amp should record an equivalent Ohm on the properties.
Check to see whether the speaker fits into the subwoofer box.
Wiring
You will need to do the installation on the following;
a) Power from battery
Taking power from the fuse box may compromise sound quality as it is unclean. It is advisable to power the system using battery power. Here are the steps;
• Look for an opening in the car’s metal wall under the hood that is near the windshield. A hole around the glove box is fair enough.
• Put the power cable into the hole and leave some for connecting to the battery.
• At the battery’s end, take off the wire’s insulation material and fuse it in the battery.
• Tie the tape around the fused wire to prevent a power short.
• Run the wire to the car trunk from under the carpeting.
• Run the RCA cables and the 18 gauge wire from the trunk to the stereo head unit back.
- b) AudioFollow the steps below to wire the audio;Take out the stereo head unit. You can do this by either removing the front of the center console or sliding it out of the clips.• From the back of the center consoles, run the RCA cables and plug them on the back of the stereo.
- c) RemoteThe steps below will help you wire the remote;
Run the 18 gauge wire through the back of the center console.
• You should now have one or two blue cables running out of the back head unit. These are the remote wires. If the wires have labels, you should be able to observe the following markings;
• Remote/Rem.
• Amplifier/Amp.
• Power Antenna/ Pwr. Ant.
If there are two blue wires, one is for the power antenna; but if there is only one, you can use it.
• If the power antenna wire is present, you have to splice the blue wire by disconnecting the 18 gauge wire to effect corrections.
Place the Speaker into the Box
This is quite a simple procedure.
• For the boxes with outside connectors, wire them into the inside of the speaker.
• Using a screwdriver, fasten the speaker into the box from the outside rim holes.
• Place the subwoofer in the car’s trunk. The trunk is the best place for even distribution of the bass.
Wire the Amplifier
Here are several steps to help you wire the amplifier;
a) Using the power cable running from the battery, connect it to the amplifier spot that has either of the following marks;
B+
Batt
Power/Pwr.
+12v/12v
Pos.
b) Connect the 18 gauge wire to the amp spots with either of the following labels;
Remote/Rem.
Ant.
c) The 3 feet 10 gauge wire goes to the amplifier spot that is either marked;
Ground/Gnd
B-
-12v
Neg
d) Find a bolt that connects the car body and links the ground wire.
e) On the amplifier, find the speaker spot marker + and – and connect it to the speaker wire. Using the alternate end of the speaker wire, connect it to the speaker box on both the positive and negative terminals.
Power it Up
Connect the battery and power cable. You can pass it between the post and the clip on the battery.
Use a large fuse for the fuse holder.
Testing
Inspect the car and ensure that you do not leave any loose wires. Go through the procedure to make sure everything is in place.
You can now start the engine and the music system to ensure that the subwoofer is working correctly.
Installing a Subwoofer in a Car Without an Amplifier
You are probably wondering whether you can install a subwoofer in a car without an amp. Well, the good news is, yes, you can avoid using an amplifier, but the bass produced will not be of good quality as the one with an amplifier.
Another disadvantage is that you can not use the subwoofer at the same time as the rear speakers without the amp.
Follow the procedure below on how to install a subwoofer in a car without an amplifier;
- Disconnect the wires on the rear speakers.
- Put the subwoofer box in the car trunk.
- Use the speaker wires that you disconnected from the rear speakers and connect them to the subwoofer on the terminals. Connect the negative wire that comes from the subwoofer box with the right speaker wire, and the positive to the left speaker wire.
Conclusion
Installing a subwoofer in a car is a simple DIY project that you can do on your own in a few minutes.
The procedure of installing the subwoofer with an amplifier involves wiring the power from the battery, audio, the remote amplifier, and putting the speaker in the speaker box.
The process of installing without an amplifier is much simpler; however, it has some disadvantages. The sound quality will not be the same, you can only use one subwoofer, and you can not use the subwoofer at the same time as the rear speakers.
