Very Basic Sub Install Guide

Make: Any
Model: Any
Difficulty: Easy depending on Vehicle
Items Needed:
-Sub (Active or Passive)
-Amp (if sub passive)
-Headunit (with or without RCA outputs)
-Wiring Kit (make sure it will handle the amp)

Ok here we go, a nice simple diagram



Key:
Red = Live
Blue = Remote
Pink = Signal

1.Live Wire
When i install a sub i always start with the main live cable from the battery. From your wiring kit yoyu will have a fairly heavy duty cable, this is generally red but can be blue and other colours. At one end the live cable should have a fuse, this fuse needs to be closest to the battery so the connector with the fuse will be connected to the battery (WARNING: Do not connect this yet! or if you do remove the fuse first!)

You will need to find a way of feeding the rest of the cable through to the cabin. You may be lucky and find a spare grommit which may or may not already have a cable through. If you have to pierce the grommit to get the wire through use some silicon grease/sealant over the hole otherwise you may get water running into the cabin.

If there is not a grommit then the best way is to drill a new hole through the firewall(WARNING: be very careful not to drill through wires or pipes especially if you have A/C)

You can run the live wire down the wing of the car and though a gromit on the door, but this (depending on vehicle) can be dodgy as the wire can get caught and will short on the bodywork)

Once you are through to the cabin you can then feed the cable under carpets etc to the boot. The end of this cable will go onto the + of the sub/amp.

2.Ground
Find a grounding point for the - , this can be any part of the car which is metal, if you are grounding to a painted shell then you may need to sand it off to get the best connection. Use the small lead which came in the wiring kit and connect it from the - on the sub/amp to your chassis.

3. Remote Lead
The remote lead is what tells the sub to turn on. Generally it just feeds 12v signal to the sub to say turn on. On most aftermarket head units there will be a remote out, this is normally blue but also can be other colours.

You can also take it off the ignition feed which tells your headunit to turn on.

Run this cable down the same side of the car as the Live wire and hook it up to the remote connector on the sub/amp

If you want you can splice a switch inbetween the connections which will allow you to control when the sub iss on.

4.Signal
Most aftermarket headunits come with RCA outputs (also known as phono) using this output use the last cable in your kit and run it down the side/centre of the car AWAY FROM THE POWER CABLES, if you do not do this then you may get inteferance on the sub.

If you do not have RCA outputs then you can buy something called a "line converter" This will convert the high outputs normally to your speakers and allow you to plug in the RCA lead. If you have to use this then dont do it on the cheap as cheapy line converters can sound aweful. And always use it as close to the source as possible.

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I think i have covered everything here, any comments would be helpful and i will update the guide.

great guide mate

i couldnt have put it any better myself.

nicely put also

a little tip.... when u take the amp out or something, and leave the wires in the car... remember to take the fuse out of the casing on the live wire

floating a live wire round in the boot is not safe kids!
i nearly learnt the hard way when i did the above, and the live wire welded itself to the earth...

i did a little poo when that happened! makes you jump a bit...

ive got 2 wires in the boot of my car which were there when i baught it would they be there for an amp? there like O connectors!