Car Stereo Installation

If you have a little experience in electrical wiring and small repairs of electrical equipment or some minor car repair experience, then consider yourself to be qualified enough for car stereo installation. A do-it-yourself project to install a new car audio system is not as difficult as many perceive it to be. All one requires for a successful car installation is basic knowledge about the car, an assortment of parts and a proper guidance. And of course, step-by-step instructions to carry out the procedure smoothly and efficiently.

A very important point to remember before one sets out to purchase one of those new kits is that the new stereo set (the head unit) should be of the size that fits into the slot of your built-in stereo. These kits consist of different parts. After-market car stereos are available according to the different makes and models of the car. Hence making a purchase shouldn't be a difficult task either. If you are thinking of calling a professional to fix your new car audio system then you might want to give it another thought! Stereo installation cost could be way too high but if you'd do it yourself it'd most definitely be much less costlier. This is provided you have the confidence and substantial knowledge on what you are doing.

Instructions to Install a Car Stereo

First of all prepare yourself by gathering all that you'd require in the process of installation. The things and tools required to install a car audio system would include a new stereo of course, a screwdriver set, wire strippers, wire cutters and electrical tape. When buying a new music system also look for a wiring harness that is suitable for your new stereo as well as the car's make and model. A wiring harness makes the job simpler, if you don't manage to get one you'd have to wire it up manually.

Disconnecting the Cable
Before working on any of the electrical system of the car it is very important to disconnect the ground cable, the negative one from the battery. Once this is done you are safe to proceed with the remaining process of installing the stereo.

Car Stereo Removal
As it obviously suggests, this step involves the removal of the old stereo from the car. First remove the cover of the stereo or the dash panel. Using the screwdrivers unscrew it and take the old head unit out of the slot. Now there could either be a single plug with many wires connecting at the back of the old stereo or there could be a bunch of single wires. If they are individual wires in a bunch, then it needs to be detached one by one to avoid any possible confusion.

Connecting Stereo Harness
As mentioned before there are two ways of car stereo wiring, one is by using a wiring harness and the other doing it manually. Take a look at both the methods.

With a Harness
The method where a wiring harness is used is called the crimping method. It is possible that the dashboard electrical wires could be of different sizes. Use the right size of crimp caps and wire strippers in case the wire sizes vary.

Strip half inch of the wire using the appropriate size of the wire strippers and then twist the wires together. Put the crimp cap on the twisted wires joined together. Ensure that the crimp cap is fixed tightly. Once the wires are connected to their respective connections, place the new stereo into the mounting bracket. Now connect the wiring harness to the one inside the dash and then place the new stereo into the dash. Now, for power connect the removed battery cable to the battery. Test your car stereo and if it works fine then fix the stereo into the dash permanently. If the stereo does not seem to work fine then, remove it from the dash and check for all the connections again.

Without a Harness
Connecting the stereo harness into the factory harness is a much longer process without a harness. This is because each stereo wire needs to be connected separately to the corresponding wires in the dash. The wires can be identified and attached with the help of different color coats on the wires.

Connect the negative wires of the new stereo to the corresponding negative wires in the dash. Again please note that the color of both the wires should match. If the color don't seem to match then it is recommended to refer to the manual. Now connect the ground wire to the metal of a bolt next to where the stereo is set. Here, it's important that the black ground wire is only touching the metal part and not a non-conductor such as plastic. Next connect the ignition power wire to the stereo.

Before fixing the stereo permanently, check if it works all right. And once you are convinced, fix it. Over the period there is a possibility that you may experience certain problems with your stereo system. Knowing some of the car stereo troubleshooting tips could be helpful at such times.

So those were the car stereo installation instructions. Now that you have a fair idea on how to install a car stereo, you shouldn't find it difficult to install one when you'd need to.