How to Hook Up a New Car Stereo
- 1). Lift the hood of the vehicle to disconnect the negative battery cable. The cable is connected for the purpose of grounding the car's electrical system. Removing or connecting components to the vehicle with the negative cable connected to the battery can lead to a shorting of the vehicle's system. Loosen the cable's clamp with the wrench and move the cable away from the battery.
- 2). Gather the stereo wiring in the empty stereo dock and separate and identify the speaker wires, the amplifier cables and the power supply cord. The antenna cable will be the single black cable, while the other stereo wiring will be groups of wires bound together by plastic binders.
- 3). Plug the stereo wiring into the corresponding leads of the wiring harness adapter.
- 4). Insert the faceplate adapter in the stereo mounting dock of the vehicle. Use an adapter unique to the vehicle manufacturer for the surest fit into the dock. Push the faceplate adapter into the dock until the edges are flush with the surrounding dash panel of the vehicle's dashboard. Screw in any screws that certain vehicles require to secure the faceplate adapter in the dashboard.
- 5). Plug the wiring harness adapter leads into the appropriate outlets on the rear panel of the new stereo deck. Consult the wiring harness manual for a guide to connecting the harness leads. Plug the antenna cable into the outlet on the rear panel of the new radio labeled "FM antenna."
- 6). Slide the aftermarket stereo into the opening in the stereo mounting provided by the faceplate adapter. Push the unit into the dock until it is fully seated. For some models, being fully seated will mean until the stereo snaps into place. For other models of faceplate adapters, a fully seated stereo is one whose face is level with the surrounding trim of the adapter.
- 7). Place the negative battery cable onto the negative lead post of the vehicle's battery. Tighten the cable's clamp to the post using the wrench. Close the vehicle's hood.
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