Gen 1 Standard Cab Install

[baxtej44]

so your "yellow" wire on the factory plug side of the harness is getting 12v constant now after replacing that fuse then? if thats the case then you should be all set and i would remove the tap you put into the cigarette lighter, or buy another power outlet and run the wire you added to the new outlet. then youd have an extra outlet and all of that work wouldnt be wasted. wiring can be very frustrating until youve done it enough to become confident (usually confidence comes with having lots of problems and then learning how to use the basic testing tools to solve them). keep working at it, i know youll get this thing licked!

ya you would think i'd be good........

i'm getting over 12v of voltage all the way up to the head unit (tested it at the plug that inserts into the head unit on the back) and still my head unit won't turn on.

i don't know what else to do, like i said the fuse on the head unit is not blown and i don't know any other way of figuring out how to work it any other way, not sure i'm exactly comfortable physically taking apart the head unit, but i don't want my money to be wasted on this, as i somewhat like the head unit

 

[Pistons23]

theres no way im going back and looking through all these pages. but didnt you say you bought your deck used? might just wanna hook up the 12v constant and ground wires straight to the battery to see if it even works. maybe theres a reset button on it like the older alpines.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

thats what i was going to suggest, make sure that the head unit actually works by testing it with a 12v source (use a spare battery or disconnect your battery cables on the truck and use it for your test source). buy or make a pair of test leads (2 lengths of wire about 5-6 ft of 12 ga wire with alligator clips attached to both ends) and connect one test lead to the positive post of the battery and BOTH the yellow and red wires together, then connect the other lead to the ground terminal on the battery and the ground wire onthe hu. if it still doesnt turn on double check your fuse, then look for a reset button (my kenwood has a very small hole in the front that you have to use a small pick or piece of solid wire to push it in). if it still doesnt work then i would hook the old hu back up and verify that it still works and if it does then id declare it DOA and move on, taking this experience as a lesson in buying used electronics.

 

[baxtej44]

thats what i was going to suggest, make sure that the head unit actually works by testing it with a 12v source (use a spare battery or disconnect your battery cables on the truck and use it for your test source). buy or make a pair of test leads (2 lengths of wire about 5-6 ft of 12 ga wire with alligator clips attached to both ends) and connect one test lead to the positive post of the battery and BOTH the yellow and red wires together, then connect the other lead to the ground terminal on the battery and the ground wire onthe hu. if it still doesnt turn on double check your fuse, then look for a reset button (my kenwood has a very small hole in the front that you have to use a small pick or piece of solid wire to push it in). if it still doesnt work then i would hook the old hu back up and verify that it still works and if it does then id declare it DOA and move on, taking this experience as a lesson in buying used electronics.

anyway i could use jumper cables, clip one side on to my positive and negative.

then have the other side be held on with my hands (is that dangerous? lol... i guess i really dunno, or can i just like duct tape them on there temporarily?) and then have the wiring harness plugged into my head unit and see if it works? i'd hate to have to try and make a pair of test leads although it doesn't seem like it's hard, or buy a pair just for the trouble of it....


i can check for a reset button but i can't get behind the faceplate as it's on there and it needs power to flip down in order for me to take it off.

 

[baxtej44]

okay everything is working and my dash is finally back together.... here's the low down


went out and did some more testing. my ignition was now not getting power, but my constant was (head scratcher)

replaced like 3 fuses after i started looking at all of them, and not just the ones that pertained to the radio, and everything works.

however i think in the midst of me trying to get the faceplate off when it wasn't working to look for a reset button i messed up the mounting a little bit, so now if i hit it just right (not hit, more like budge or move) (and by it i mean the face plate) it turns off, but then turns back on.


buuuut, i'm overall very happy.

also got all of my old screws in my trim plate drilled out today (love my new irwin titanium bits, not i just need a nicer drill), and got my power wire ran underneath my carpet because it wouldn't fit under the trim plate, and got it ran through a slit cut by a razor blade up in front of the carpet and then over to the other side where it will hook up to my amp.


list of stuff to do:
crimp new terminal on the amp end of the power wire
cut off old/crimp on new terminal on ground wire
ground wire underneath a seat bolt
run the RCA's and remote under the carpet (easy now with new screws all i need is a screwdriver, )
mount everything


that's about it i believe! i'm gonna carpet it over spring break with a friend (which is next week) but i really want some beats asap... unfortunately i am going out of town for a state competition thursday morning until saturday afternoon so the earliest i will be able to work on it is a little bit tomorrow between 1:30 and 4, and then saturday. hopefully saturday I can have beats! drive up to work beatin down the block... (lol kidding, it's just a single 12... i'm not expecting that much)


more so right now, i need info on how to set the gains on my amp, and everything pertaining to my sub (HPF, LPF, loud features, EQ) on my head unit and amp.



another quick question : do i need a bead of silicon to mount my sub? the box should be pretty much exactly air tight already.

 

[4x4fun]

more so right now, i need info on how to set the gains on my amp, and everything pertaining to my sub (HPF, LPF, loud features, EQ) on my head unit and amp.



another quick question : do i need a bead of silicon to mount my sub? the box should be pretty much exactly air tight already.

you dont need the silicon.

put your gain at half way. it should be good. you want your LPF on and i like to set mine to 80-70 hz with a -6db orrr -12db slope

 

[baxtej44]

you dont need the silicon.

put your gain at half way. it should be good. you want your LPF on and i like to set mine to 80-70 hz with a -6db orrr -12db slope

my LPF can go up to like 100hz i think, and i'm not sure what you mean by -6db or -12db... obviously it's decibels but where do i adjust the slope? i think there's another setting on my HU that i can shift the graph (the function) up or down,is that what you are talking about? (left and right is hz, so i assume up and down is dbs?)

 

[4x4fun]

my LPF can go up to like 100hz i think, and i'm not sure what you mean by -6db or -12db... obviously it's decibels but where do i adjust the slope? i think there's another setting on my HU that i can shift the graph (the function) up or down,is that what you are talking about? (left and right is hz, so i assume up and down is dbs?)

yes the slope is how fast the sound tapers off, at a given hz

 

[Pistons23]

you dont need the silicon.

put your gain at half way. it should be good. you want your LPF on and i like to set mine to 80-70 hz with a -6db orrr -12db slope

i would suggest finding the the most bass heavy music YOU listen to and throw that in the cd player. then adjust your gains till it distorts. then back off a bit.

 

[baxtej44]

ya i'm not sure what the heaviest bass music i listen to is... i listen to a lot of rap, so i guess i'll just try and find some good songs and test with that.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

i tuned mine with lil wyte since thats got about the lowest bass in my music collection. when i switch back to rock though i end up reaching back to my amp and turning the gain down because its just too punchy if i leave it be. hopefully when i get my other head unti back from kenwoods repair facilty ill be able to make my adjustments at the HU and maybe find some settings that serve my needs better than fooling with the gain knob.

 

[baxtej44]

gotta work at 4:30, otherwise i would have beats tonight for sure.
got the amp mounted
got half of the screw holes drilled for the sub and the drill is out of power (of course i can't find the battery charger... one of my dad's legacies around here...)

may work on it tonight, but probably not.. depends on when i get off.


if no work tonight, that means no work until saturday afternoon.


cya guys, i'll prob make a quick post before i leave tomorrow on a state competition...

 

[Pistons23]

**Longest Install EVERRRRRRRRRRR**

 

[jimmy3970]

I was wondering if anyone bought stereo equipment from LMC Truck for there Truck. They have a am/fm cassette stereos with logo from chevy, ford & gmc. I was wondering how good these stereo's sound with a 10 disc cd changer & small speaker in the dash. I'm thinking of buying the stereo & cd changer for my 85 ranger xlt.

Jimmy3970

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

lookin good baxtej44, it may have taken a long time to get to this point but it looks like youll have a clean set up when youre done. keep us posted when you return!