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  #16  
Old 05-24-2011, 10:33 AM
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Worked on the system some more...lost the tools that remove the head unit, but got around that challenge.

The good:

- Got a fuse schematic from the internet and discovered two blown 15A fuses. Normal electricals are now back in service.

- Store wouldn't supply the subwoofer terminal screws due to the "open box" policy...no matter, since I just picked up a slightly larger box of terminal screws for $1.08...and THEY worked!

- Found the OEM amp under the OEM CD player and an hour later found the speaker harness connection hiding near the side of a large harness bundle. Got the speakers connected properly the first time!

The bad:

- ALTERNATOR WHINE!!!!! Probably need to run a new ground lead from the head unit to share the same with the sub and external amp. Isolators never seemed to work for me in my experience with noisy installs.

- OEM speakers do suck! For now I'll leave them alone, but eventually replace then with far better units. I do have a couple of MACH 460 tweeters I bought at Craigslist, and I plan on installing them to improve the high end on the front side.

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  #17  
Old 05-27-2011, 04:42 AM
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Worked on the car some more to see if I could trace the noise problem.

The first thing I tried was to add the head unit power and ground to the same distribution network to try to eliminate ground loops. Used red for power and black for ground. Wiring is a bit crowded now.



The power leads for the system were fed through the driver side, while the signal wiring was routed along the passenger side.



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  #18  
Old 05-27-2011, 04:55 AM
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Running large wire bundles create another issue...trying to stuff such a big mass of cable under factory locations.

One thing I did was opt for marine-grade speaker cable, since each cable contains four leads...when you run two pairs of RCA and four pairs of speaker wiring, the entire bundle gets to be pretty chunky!

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  #19  
Old 05-27-2011, 05:05 AM
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Organizing wiring is a mundane and tedious task, but very necessary for a proper install.

This stuff always haunts you later and you end up having to go back and troubleshoot if the original wirning was done in a sloppy manner.



Another thing to keep in mind is where to route wiring. Gotta consider places where people may step or plant their feet, as well as avoiding areas where wires can get pinched. For the driver side, avoid the pedal assembly and steering column.



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  #20  
Old 05-27-2011, 05:08 AM
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One of the things to ensure when looking for noise culprits is to make sure power and signal harnesses are not parallel. There are places where the two do meet, and when they do, it's best that they are perpendicular. When they can't be, keep them as far as possible. The pic below is how NOT to route them,,,

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  #21  
Old 05-27-2011, 05:14 AM
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Another issue with stereo wiring is keeping it out of the way of areas that require maintenance.

Since I chose a amp location in the trunk that is directly above the spare tire, I have to get the wiring away from the spare tire, should it need to be accessed.

Although the wiring looked neat from the top, the underside of the spare tire cover looked alot different:



Time to bundle up all of the loose wiring.

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  #22  
Old 05-27-2011, 05:20 AM
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Found these wiring holders in a junk drawer. I used these to organize wires in a former home theater project.



Not sure if they will hold up in the long run for a car application, since they have to endure vibration and varying temperatures. I'm trying them out anyway.



With this being my daughter's car, she doesn't need to have to do anything but deal with getting the spare out of the car, and not traverse though that wiring mess.
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  #23  
Old 05-27-2011, 05:26 AM
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The subwoofer is powered, and removal of the cabinet to get access to the spare tire means that the power and signal leads need to be disconnected first.

I got a trailer wiring harness for this task. Don't need neophytes trying to sort out live power leads while trying to get to the spare.



Now it's simply a quick-release plug.



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  #24  
Old 05-27-2011, 05:35 AM
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Putting everything back together:



Trying out the remote and tweaking the overall sound:



Stereo is back online:



Unfortunately, there is still alternator whine in the system, although somewhat reduced. So there is more work to do.

Stay tuned yet again. I'm going to check the head unit chassis for more possible ground loops, and maybe opt for an isolator.
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  #25  
Old 06-07-2011, 10:56 AM
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Out-of town soccer tournament delayed the troubleshooting effort, but I was back at it last night.

Solved the noise problem though...

Not really sure how or why, but the RCA connections to the head unit chassis apparently slightly contacted the signal path, causing an unintended ground loop (and subsequent noise).

A little tweaking of the cables and the RCA inputs, and a bit of chassis mod (needlenose pliers), and the noise completely disappeared!

Had my daughter drive me out to the grocery store to get some grub and audition the system on the way.
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  #26  
Old 06-07-2011, 10:59 AM
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Took some pics of the car this morning.





Daughter likes her convertible and drives top down regardless of how scorching the sun is any particular day! Must have something to do with all of those hot afternoon soccer games she has to endure...

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  #27  
Old 06-07-2011, 11:01 AM
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More pics of the trunk install:



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  #28  
Old 06-07-2011, 11:03 AM
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The engine bay wiring again:



This is really convenient for servicing. Just disconnect the lead aft of the fuse and I can work on any stereo component without fear of shock or blowing fuses.
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  #29  
Old 06-07-2011, 11:10 AM
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Not stereo related...

This was the car when first purchased. Daughter wasn't of legal driving age yet, so I got a chance to sort out the quirks before handing her the keys...car was nice-looking, but PO really neglected the essentials.



This particular body style with the rear flares seemed to scream "big a$$ed tires", but for some reason the factory didn't accomodate. I always thought the OEM setup seemed a bit narrow for the rear.
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  #30  
Old 06-07-2011, 11:13 AM
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Found these wheels on Craigslist. Tired of chromies and even more tired of the "tried-and-true" Mustang offerings. These made the car a bit different.



Staggered set of 18"s, 8" front, 10" rears. Even added blue anodized lug nuts for looks.


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