Hey there all u car audio know hows.
I currently have a brand spankin new alpine hu in me home and im gettin rid of me current sony one. Just a question if i was to diy would any soldiering need to be done if i currently have a custom Hu anyways. I figured it would be a matter of unplug then plug am i right?
Cheers

yeh, u will have 2 solder, i doubt very much that the sony plugs and the alpine plugs on the back of there head units 2 the same.

i went to the local audio shop and ordered a stereo adapter thing for mine ... factory one plugs into it then it plugs into the pioneer headunit ... no soldering and no mucking around with wires ... for 8 bucks it was well worth it

hey just done the exact today got the sony out and new allpine double din in and what a difference the sound is! all i done was crimp some pin terminals and push them into the original plug and tape around to make sure it don't come apart which it won't as it was a snug fit. Can't get pre-made plugs here. happy install :)

Alpine prooves to b a bum to install..9/10 (haha iv only installed alpine 4 times) times u need to cut..or get a Magna to OEM loom. You can crimp the wires instead of soldering..but make sure you do it properly, otherwise u might b ripping that console out again. Other than that..just make sure u ground the HU properly.

yeah i did the old solidering job just to make sure they are in contact properly

I do electronics for a job, and spent 3.5 years making wiring looms as part of manufacture (I have since left that job and have moved into design). I do not like those crap crimp connectors you get with HU. If I ever have to crimp anything I always crimp AND solder just to make sure. Otherwise I just put the extra time in to cut all the wires and make my own solid connections with solder and heatshrink, much more reliable.
Pete

I have had bad experiences with a soldering Iron... So Now I crimp and Wrap...
I have had no problems what so ever with any of my connections..

( Bad experience being The Soldering Iron, The Solder got too hot and ran leaving nice scorch marks on my Centre console on my first car, since then I avoid them like the plague)

I have had bad experiences with a soldering Iron... So Now I crimp and Wrap...
I have had no problems what so ever with any of my connections..

( Bad experience being The Soldering Iron, The Solder got too hot and ran leaving nice scorch marks on my Centre console on my first car, since then I avoid them like the plague)

bahahhahaa:bowrofl: unlucky. I love soldering irons. But i think the proper way to join cables is with crimps. I mean..how many solder joins do u see in a car? in a plane? they crimp everything, in case of a fire or whatever, you dont want the solder to melt and cables to fall apart, which becomes even more dangerous.

Saying that.....solder is cheaper. I solder and heatshirnk my joins:P

i love my alpine install :D :lol :D
http://users.tpg.com.au/robo1960/MISSKS/showandshine/

i love my alpine install :D :lol :D
http://users.tpg.com.au/robo1960/MISSKS/showandshine/
that looks awfully similar to......

hehe, are u ever going to give it back? or is it yours now?

Solder all the way and either solder over a chopping board or towel not only to protect the car but your legs too. By the time solder melted in a fire i think the stereo not working or any other electronics would be the last of your worries.

it's mine eek
and we're gonna put some girlie touches to it :D ... gonna make it glow green

We all helped out with the design... Pauly just did the handee work lol

i love my alpine install :D :lol :D
http://users.tpg.com.au/robo1960/MISSKS/showandshine/
Splendid, can I hang a towel in your boot? lol

I'm going to hell for that, aren't I ;)

I've actually been using terminal connectors to join cables together rather then crimping or soldering. I find it just as good as anything else really. No dramas yet in the last 5 years of all my installs.

i went to the local audio shop and ordered a stereo adapter thing for mine ... factory one plugs into it then it plugs into the pioneer headunit ... no soldering and no mucking around with wires ... for 8 bucks it was well worth it

Where did you get that ? I rang around and the only place I could get one was JB Hifi and they wanted $40 for one.

bahahhahaa:bowrofl: unlucky. I love soldering irons. But i think the proper way to join cables is with crimps. I mean..how many solder joins do u see in a car? in a plane? they crimp everything, in case of a fire or whatever, you dont want the solder to melt and cables to fall apart, which becomes even more dangerous.

Saying that.....solder is cheaper. I solder and heatshirnk my joins:P

Your insulation will melt before the solder. In that case your wires will all short together! If the temperatures are hot enough to melt your solder, your dash & HU are likely to be a molten mess anyway, so who cares. With crimps, the plastic insulation will melt before solder would and your terminals would all short.
But in the end, whether you solder or crimp, in the event of a fire, its all stuffed anyway, so who gives a damn as far as fire is concerned.
Soldering is a much more solid & reliable connection and wont fall apart with vibration like some connectors will.
The only reason they use connectors in a plane/car is for ease of manufacture/repairs etc. Takes less time and is easier to just plug everything together and looks more professional.

Pete

Where did you get that ? I rang around and the only place I could get one was JB Hifi and they wanted $40 for one.

Depends what adapters they have, GTVBOY needed 2 for his Pioneer unit but only cost around $30 for both. Try Autobarn, Supercheap etc.

(Bad experience being The Soldering Iron, The Solder got too hot and ran leaving nice scorch marks on my Centre console on my first car, since then I avoid them like the plague)
Hah, try

1) dropped hot iron onto lap - had nudged damned cord

2) mucking about with a 10mm bubble of molten solder... which decides to flow off the worktable and onto bare thigh skin :shock:

3) bought an 80W mega mother... forgot which end the handle was, grabbed wrong end.


Soldering pro now. lol

Soldering inside a car is one of the worst places to work and I'd avoid it as much as I can. But if I can't, I make sure everything is well protected - use old towels & newspaper, not plastic.

For outside work I use a Portasol Pro butane iron, its fantastic.

Where did you get that ? I rang around and the only place I could get one was JB Hifi and they wanted $40 for one.
My JB sells wired plugs that hook up to the OE loom, the other end is bare wire. = part A
Autobarn sells them too.

Usually when I buy a new HU, that comes with its own plug harness. = part B

Just work out which wires are what, solder parts A & B together with shrinkwrapping.

Which can all be done on the workbench so I don't need to do it inside the car!!

Yeah, got one of those from Autobran today. Soldered and wrapped it all, went in a treat. Geez the dash of these Gen 3's is plasticy. There was hardly anything holding it all in. Just ckips and the odd screw that dropped into the guts of the dash :rant:

Door speakers were just as easy. In fact both were easier than fitting the rear speakers. Now it's all in, I am going to have fun working out what Comp,BBX,HPF,SLA means and all the other options that come up on the screen :confused:

Anyway, something new to play with :D