If you want more bass from your car stereo system without doing major surgery on your vehicle's interior, rewiring your existing system can be a great option. With some planning and elbow grease, you can upgrade your car's electrical system to handle more powerful amplifiers and subwoofers for serious bass without tearing apart your dash.
Determine Your Electrical Needs
The first step is figuring out how much additional power you'll need for the bass setup you want.
-
More subwoofers and amps require more electricity. Calculate the total wattage of the amplifiers that will be powering your new subwoofer(s) so you know how much current they'll draw.
-
Check your battery and alternator. Make sure your car's battery and alternator can handle the additional current draw of the upgraded system. You may need to upgrade them as well.
-
Factor in headroom. Allow an extra 20-30% above the audio equipment's stated wattage to prevent overloading and get full performance.
-
Size your wiring accordingly. Choose the appropriate gauge speaker, power, and ground wires to handle the total system wattage without excessive voltage drop. Generally 8 gauge or larger is recommended for high power bass systems.
Plan Your New Wiring Route
Carefully plan where you'll run the new power and ground wires through your vehicle:
-
Use existing wiring paths like along the floor under the carpet, through the firewall into the engine bay, or under interior trim panels. Look for unused factory wiring bundles to tuck your new wires alongside.
-
Avoid moving components. Steer clear of the steering column, pedals, airbags, and other critical parts that would require disassembly.
-
Keep it tidy. Use wire loom, wire ties, and grommets to neatly route the new wiring out of sight.
-
Protect wires. Add fuse holders, circuit breakers, and disconnect switches to properly safeguard your amplifiers.
Tap into Clean Power Sources
Use the following best practices when connecting your amps to power:
-
Add a secondary battery. An auxiliary battery isolates your audio system from the car's starting battery preventing dimming lights or dead batteries. Opt for an AGM or deep cycle battery designed to handle repeated charge/discharge cycles.
-
Connect to main battery positive. Use an inline ANL fuse holder with the appropriate high current fuse to connect from the positive battery terminal to your amplifier's power input.
-
Use seat bolt for ground. Amplifiers need a strong ground connection to your car's metal chassis. The seat bolts are commonly used ground points, or a spot with bare metal like inside the trunk.
-
Upgrade alternator. If your total amp wattage exceeds 500W, consider upgrading your stock alternator to at least 120 amps or higher to meet the increased electrical demand.
Safely Install Your Subwoofer(s)
A powerful subwoofer can take up serious cargo space. Here are some tips for clean installation:
-
Custom subwoofer enclosure. Have an enclosure built to fit your specific subwoofer sized to the available space in your trunk or cargo area. Make it removable if needed.
-
Secure the enclosure. Bolt the enclosure through the floor into reinforced mounting points. Add L-brackets to keep it firmly in place.
-
Face subs rearward. Angling your subs to fire backwards takes advantage of the car's interior to reinforce bass output.
-
Use trunk stiffening. Strategically glue sheet metal, MDF panels, or composite boards to limit resonance or rattles from the subs. Isolate metal parts that could rattle with foam or rubber.
-
Upgrade your door speakers. Adding dedicated midbass drivers in the doors completes the soundstage for impactful yet accurate bass up front. Run new speaker wires through factory looms or under door jamb boots.
With some strategic planning and wiring know-how, you can transform the bass performance of your car stereo without tearing up your interior in the process. Just be sure to take the time to neatly route the new wires and make strong connections to cleanly integrate upgraded amps and subwoofers. The results will deliver head-pounding bass that hits hard.