True, your ride will still run without your stereo, but ever tried driving for long hours at night without sounds? Never underestimate the importance of your car stereo. Aside from providing you with excellent entertainment, I find that this handy tool is the secret to keeping awake during long overnight drives—that and massive amounts of coffee and candy, but to each his or her own, right?
Now, if you initially though that car stereo installation is something that is only done by professionals, think again. You can do it too. Albeit it does require you to train yourself and to have an excellent installation guide, you can consider this undertaking as a highly “worth-it” DYI or Do-It-Yourself endeavor. Installing a stereo into your vehicle is always a job best done by an actual mechanic or technician, but if you’re ballsy and smart enough to attempt it, then this article’s for you.
First off, you’ll need a highly reliable installation guide. Don’t go for those vague print outs with horrendous smileys included in the guide. I suggest you look for the installation guide from the store where you bought your stereo. If you got your vehicle stereo second-hand (I’m not even going to ask who your stereo source is), then looking online for a trustworthy guide is also highly recommended. Some parts stores generally have a policy wherein they will install your stereo for a fee or as an after sale service. Other stores on the other hand, are ready to hand over incredibly general guidelines sans specific details. When you’re messing with your car’s wires, you better search for a source that offers understandable and complete details. If you can understand the technical jargon that comes with stereo installation manuals, then the installation process shouldn’t be such a painstaking deal.
So while you go around looking for the details and the guides that should guide you through the process, read through each one BEFORE you remove your old vehicle stereo (if your ride has one). How you remove your old stereo will help you find out how well you can install your new system. You need to be methodical with the whole removal process and you need to make sure that you remove your old stereo intact. Translation: no caveman or cavewoman antics of pulling until your old system breaks into numerous pieces. Remember: DISCONNECT your ground cable from the battery to prevent any fatal or painful consequences. It’s very, very, very dangerous to work on removing our old stereo while it is still connected to your battery.
Once you’ve found the perfect guide and you’ve removed your old system, then your first priority should be looking into all the necessary tools and gadgets needed for the installation. Try not to “improvise” with the tools to avoid botching up this job. Wire cutters and scissors are really not the same thing, so don’t even attempt hacking away at the wires with scissors or a cutter. The tools you will need for the installation may include but isn’t necessarily limited to: wire cutters, wire strippers, a screwdriver set and electrical tape.
Once again prior to removing your old stereo system, make sure you have the new stereo system nearby. Before attempting to do anything or install anything into your ride, reread your guide and have it nearby for reference. Read each step thoroughly and try to follow each one as accurately as you can. Don’t rush through the process just to get some tunes out of your ride. Taking your time to install your new stereo is guaranteed to yield the best results.
Now, take your new stereo and make sure it gives your vehicle the exact fit necessary for easy and breezy installation. The slots should fit your new stereo. Now, if you don’t have the wiring harness needed to install your new stereo in place, then connect these wires manually.
You’re just about ready to start installing. Take your new car stereo and slide it in place into your vehicle’s mounting bracket. There are some instances where in you may need your old stereo mounting bracket, so I really hope you haven’t thrown away the old pieces of your stereo system. After sliding your new stereo into the slot in the dash, do not screw this part in place…YET. You still have to go through one process, and that’s testing your new stereo.
Now, reconnect the negative cable and turn your new stereo on to check if your vehicle’s speakers are working right. If every single speaker is blasting away, then you’ve done a great job and you can now screw in your new stereo system.
Simply put the dash cover back in place and you’ve completed your car stereo installation process. Congratulations! Otherwise, go through the details once again and restart the process.
