Hey guys, looking at picking up my new head unit today and installing it. I had a search to see if there were any posts regarding the wires to the subwoofers and going under the carpets but I couldn't find anything, just firewall related questions (if there is some threads out there please show me so I can /facepalm for myself :P)

I am going to put the sub and the amp in today as well, obviously i need the power wire going to the battery and the speaker wires going to the amp to the head unit and the most likely place for these to go is under the carpet. I haven't actually had a look yet but is it as easy as it sounds? Just pull the carpets up on the left hand side of the car and put the wires underneath it and then put it back down. Am I going to have to take the passenger seat out to do this?

Thanks guys

Ok some hints...
Don't run power (+12V and GND) on the same side of your car as the signal wires (RCAs from your HU to your amps in the boot). I ran the power on the passenger side of the car and the signal on the drivers side.

You don't need to remove the front seat, but I removed the back seat to make life easier getting the cables in to the boot. Its very easy to get the carpet up, just remove the plastic kick panels or sill panels (what ever they are called) at the bottom of the door.

Cheers
Pete

I ran my power cable down the passenger side, the RCA's up the middle (to the right of the centre console). Speaker wires run along the passenger and drivers side*

You dont need to remove the driver/passenger seat.

Remove the centre console, the arm rest insides (it just pulls out) and that should give you enough room to see where to run wires.

For the rear, take out the backseat (1minute job).

On the drivers side you will see where some factory wires run, they have a plastic wire holder, run your speaker wires and RCA's along that to prevent the seat destroying your wires.

*footnote: even though you are meant to keep speaker wires and rca's away from your power wire, the only one's that matter are RCA's, as you amplify the intereferance (sp)

To those who say im wrong - sit in my car, which has the speaker wires run the entire length of the car next to the +12V and tell me I have engine noise.

hmm so I got as far as my head unit and I'm having some issues match up the wires. I got a wire harness and then plugged it all in and attempted to switch on the stereo to see if its all working. Nothing at all.

I've taken an image or two to show you what I have done
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/6051/31102008497cs0.jpg
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/3986/31102008498ij5.jpg

As you can see the wire colours don't match up. the top for the magnas clip is yellow/red but the top for the harness is purple/black.

Am I correct in using that wiring guide? the 1999+ was the one I was using. It's a 2002 TJ Advance btw.

Do you know how to use a test light mate?
If so, To test for power, Connect the alligator clip of the test light to metal (a ground) and poke the prody end of the test light into each one of the pins until you see the test light light up.
One will be on all the time (Constant) one pin will light up only when you flick it to ACC.

To test speakers is easy
Say there is an identical set of wires (i.e. one white one white/black stripe)
You connect a piece of wire from one pin to earth, and put 12V into the other pin, if you are successful, you will hear a crackling from that speaker.
Thats pretty much all you test for
Constant 12V+
ACC 12V
ground
Speakers

This may be a stupid question......

Which plug did you unplug?

Is that picture from the dash? (if it is....then fck mine is sooo much different and only 5years between our cars)

don't have a test light :/

in the stock unit there was 2 plugs going into the back of it (a small 2 wire piece and the large 14 prong one) where i have plugged the wire harness into. The one on the left is the harness which is easy to connect to the sony one because its all colour coded, but the one on the right which is the existing wires is all different colours which makes it a pain :/

yeah thats with the console and everything out.

I'm scouring the internets now to try and find a wiring guide for a 2002 tj advance, but i don't think im going to have much luck

Without either a test light or a multimeter, this is rather difficult, and could lead to a burnt out car lol

Now, the harness on the left - did that come with the stereo? or is this a harness adapter you bought?

the one on the left is the one i bought, this is what the stock one looked like when i pulled it out:
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/1010/31102008499mediumem3.jpg

I'm not sure what the two wires do but the clip wouldn't come out no matter how hard I tried so i cut it out (leaving enough wire to resolder it if necessary) so i could get the console out\

How much are test lights? I could probably pick one up from bunnings to see if i can figure out whats going on

hmmm seems like you have the wrong harness
none of the power wires seem to be matching up
only other thing you could do it hard wire it in or tap into the wire just behind the stock plug just incase you wanna go back to stock

test lights should be no more then 10 bucks

hmmm seems like you have the wrong harness
none of the power wires seem to be matching up
only other thing you could do it hard wire it in or tap into the wire just behind the stock plug just incase you wanna go back to stock

test lights should be no more then 10 bucks

You know what, I think you're right. I went to look at the harness now and it only has 12 wires coming out of it, and the plug for the stock one has 14. Damn guy at Alberts :(

You know what, I think you're right. I went to look at the harness now and it only has 12 wires coming out of it, and the plug for the stock one has 14. Damn guy at Alberts :(

I've used half a dozen of these plug in harness's - they always match up, I said he is right - its the wrong one, it looks like the plug from the 'up to 99' series......

The two wires that you cut - quite possible steering wheel controls? (if you have them)

Test lights as said are $10, hell an el-cheapo multimeter is $50.

Try a car store for test lights though (not 100% sure if bunnings stock these...but never know)

If you were in Sydney i'de give you a hand this weekend (i have like an hour or so free on sunday lol )

if you can get into autobarn they have the right wiring harness, for 15 dollars, it's the 'aerpro' brand...

No autobarns in WA :(

I did find this post http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32761
which matches my wiring in my car EXACTLY. I cut off the old plug and crimped all of the sony's plugs wires into the appropriate wires. Tried to turn it on and I got nothing, not a single light showing :rant:

I might have stuffed something up along the way, I called the dude I bought the harness off at alberts and he said to come in tomorrow and he will look at it. Hopefully it won't cost an arm and a leg for him to check it out.

nah normally if you bring in the harness off the car plus the harness of the deck they'll joing them together
shouldnt be more then 50 bucks

nah normally if you bring in the harness off the car plus the harness of the deck they'll joing them together
shouldnt be more then 50 bucks

For 5 minutes of work?

Holy crap im in the wrong industry lol

same :cry:

An update! Took it down to Alberts after work, they had a look at it with the multimeter, found out that the constant wasn't getting power so they replaced a fuse and we had power to the unit! Brilliant! The guy went inside and I went in too and they didn't charge me anything for their fuse or their time which was great but when I went back out to start the car the head unit was dead again (no display but i could hear it trying to load a cd when I turned it on). They had a huge queue of people waiting to be served so I left it for the moment.

Went home and checked everything, looks exactly as how we had it when it worked. I tried replacing the same fuse that he did but it didn't make a difference.

Looks like the fuel gauge and the electronic computer on the dash have stopped working as well now on the car so I gave them a call and he said its best to get it looked at by them (which I agree, I think I've done too much fiddling) and they will check it out on Monday.

That sounds like another fuse popping.

Without trying to blame you for the popping fuses - i would have someone with a multimeter and wiring diagram check what you have connected things to, you might have upset some factory wiring :)

yeah im pretty sure it was me that did it somehow :P the dude at alberts had a big ass multimeter and found the issue very quickly so hopefully they can discover why my computer and fuel gauge don't work either while they install the head unit :P

Bit of a worry there. That's why for future reference alway d/c the negative terminal on your battery.

Have you actually checked the main fuse holder in the engine bay. Unless you have not connected something properly ( either 12v con or acc ) their should no reason for the fuse to blow.

If they are ok check the fuse on the rear of the deck

If that is ok, check the fuses in the drivers foot well I think they are.

Unless you have not connected something properly ( either 12v con or acc ) their should no reason for the fuse to blow.

Could have shorted a wire while connecting things.....

Cost me 80 bucks and they got it all installed and its working now :cool:

I ripped out my sub and amp and all the wiring from my old car and got a quote from them for an install and they reckon its about 250 with all new wiring and about 170 if they use my wiring.

Im not sure whether I should try installing this myself after the head unit fiasco :/

Cost me 80 bucks and they got it all installed and its working now :cool:

I ripped out my sub and amp and all the wiring from my old car and got a quote from them for an install and they reckon its about 250 with all new wiring and about 170 if they use my wiring.

Im not sure whether I should try installing this myself after the head unit fiasco :/

Give it a shot. Worst comes to worst you pay 250. If it works you save 250.

An amp is alot easier. Cause it says + on the amp (for positive power duh) and also labels -(for ground) Only other thing is you have to run a trigger wire from the amp to a wire from the headunit called "remote"
besides that whack your speakers in the other side aswell as RCA's amd yeah. You seem to want to know and there is no better way then DIYing.
Worse comes to worse you blow a fuse or something we are always here on AMC to help.
Aint gonna learn if you dont give it a go

']An amp is alot easier. Cause it says + on the amp (for positive power duh) and also labels -(for ground) Only other thing is you have to run a trigger wire from the amp to a wire from the headunit called "remote"
besides that whack your speakers in the other side aswell as RCA's amd yeah. You seem to want to know and there is no better way then DIYing.
Worse comes to worse you blow a fuse or something we are always here on AMC to help.
Aint gonna learn if you dont give it a go

And you cant burn down a car unless you really really try :P