Need some help guys!

I've created some panels in my trunk for my 5 channel amp and sub and have wiredup all the speakers and deck from the amp(except remote wire) and have run the power wire to the battery but not hooked it up yet.

1)Have I grounded the amp correctly by sanding off some interior paint(to metal) and screwed the ground cable with a stainless screw and alum washer into that barespot in the trunk?

2)Should I be turning all the gain right down initially? I'll do more searching on "how to set gain" through the forum once I'm running I figure.

3)What is the next sequence for me to powering-up to get sound without blowing anything? I've yet to connect the remote wire, hookup my 4gauge powerwire to the battery(with fuse just before the final connection).

I'm almost there. It was a lot more work than I thought but it's been a lot of fun, eventhough I've been to the hardware and local stereo shop a couple of times.

Your help would be appreciated.

 

1) Yes, you will be fine.
2) Turn everything down, don't worry about blowing something when you do start turning stuff up during tuning.
3) Hook up the remote, RCA's power and ground and you should be good.

 

Sorry, with Point#3 do you mean remote, rca's and then power wire to the battery? Do i need to have the negative off the battery before I attach the power wire to the positive connection to the battery post?

Just want to make sure.

 

Attach everything and connect the battery power last. You don't have to take off the battery negative, just as long as you're not a moron and touch the power wire to the car body.

 

Well then, I better do it carefully..........cause I almost burned the kitchen down putting up a ceiling fan up a few years ago before I forced myself to follow the instruction leaflets instead of leaving them in the bottom's of the boxes they came in.

Thanks a bunch, you've really helped.

Michael

 

Dont be scared,sound like you got things going smoothly on youre own,better safe than sorry tho i guess

 

One small comment.

The Aluminum Washer with Stainless Steel and a Steel vehicle body is a bad idea.

YOU WILL HAVE GALVANIC CORROSION.

Basically the steel you removed paint from will pull electrons from the aluminum washer. Galvanic corrosion is created by dissimilar metals and normally prevented by paint, plastic or some other ionic transfer decoupler which prevents the flow of electricity.

It will be better to use a steel washer.

Also I assume you are grounding to a unibody vehicle, correct?
A truck and some older cars are not unibody and you need verify you have a continuous ground path.

Otherwise, like do like Fusion said and you should be good to go.

 

I'll replace it with a steel washer for sure then.

I believe my car is a unibody, its a 1995 Impala SS. It's one big welded crate that can be lifted off the frame and held together by frame bolts and sits on body bushings. If thats the definition, then I should be ok.

You guys have been great.

Thanks.

 

That's "Body on Frame" - Unibody cars don't have a frame, all the car's rigidity comes from the body structure alone.

Cheers,
--
Terry McG

 

You should be OK with ground points in the body.

As I stated in the earlier post, just make sure the steel is continuous between ground points.

Note, with a unibody you have what are called sub frames or cradles.
The front cradle supports the Engine and front suspension.
The Rear cradle supports (is) the rear suspension.
The cradles are bolted to the body which support them.

A body on frame has a frame that runs the full length of the vehicle and supports the body and front and rear suspension.