Crimping Work on Car Stereos

Im planning on getting a CD Player for my car soon... and I was wondering if anyone could offer some crimping advice? This is my first time doing this kind of electrical wiring work, so any tips would help. Oh yea.. and anyone help make a suggestion on what brand of cd players I should be lookin at.

Personaly i like sony decks any kind doesnt matter. Some advice is get a kit wiht a crimp tool and some cimps. Make sure you have enought crims for the right guage wire you will be working wiht which would probably be 14-16 guage wire. I would First crimp the very middle of the crimp then another one on the top of what you just did then near the wires but only crimp the metal not the acutal wire. Then when you done wiht make tug on the wires to make sure none of them come out. Then take some electrical tape and tape the crip and part of the wire. You would want to do this becuase you dont want the metal part touching the metal frame or else you will blow a fuse. How this helps you out some LATE

Don't go sony, every person that I know including myself that have owned them....hate them! They have very poor lasers and skip all the time. Go Alpine or Panasonic. they have really good lasers.

You don't really have to crimp anything, you basically take the 2 exposed ends of these wires, twist them together, and then screw a wire cap on them. Thats how every stereo I installed has worked.

Originally posted by FourthGenHatch
You don't really have to crimp anything, you basically take the 2 exposed ends of these wires, twist them together, and then screw a wire cap on them. Thats how every stereo I installed has worked.

dont use the twist caps those are for house electrical
use red or blue butt connectors or some crimpcaps (hate em)
then get a crimper and crimp it
when u are finished tug on ur connections it shouldnt come out, dont be afraid to pull on it, it u think its gonna come out u need to redo the crimp

Originally posted by toontowncivic
Don't go sony, every person that I know including myself that have owned them....hate them! They have very poor lasers and skip all the time. Go Alpine or Panasonic. they have really good lasers.

i like my sony, havent had any probs with skipping or anything like that. I know the older sonys werent that good, my friend had one that sucked. I got mine in 2001 and have never had a single prob with it.

it all depends on ur person favorite, mine is Pioneer, they have a good rep with havin good products and i like the one i got alot! :D sure its not flashy but it works
the model of mine is the DEH-1300 but i'd recommend the DEH-2300 cuz it has a detachable faceplate and 20 extra watts of power

Originally posted by FourthGenHatch
You don't really have to crimp anything, you basically take the 2 exposed ends of these wires, twist them together, and then screw a wire cap on them. Thats how every stereo I installed has worked.

:eek: WHAT ! Do not and I repeat do not use house hold wire nuts in a car they WILL fall off. In car audio or automtive in general only use crips, but conectors or solder with heat shrink try not use black tape if you can, when the car gets hot in the summer black tape has ben known to fall off.

- I am getting an "ALPINE- CDA-9813"

Alpines really dependible, not that sony or any other isn't. But they got cool options like Base Engine where u can fix base settings, etc.. But they are really good quality cd players. . this specific one has CD/MP3/WMA receiver , 27 Watts RMS/60 peak x 4 channels all that good stuff. Its originally $399.00 on the Crutchfield mag, and website and so on, but on E-Bay ( perdy dependable, got my headlights and tail lights off it :D ) they go for lowest i seen $298.00 ! I like this Cd player more than the other Alpines cuz its got all the options the others do , but comes with INTERNAL AMP, where others dont. 27 watts compared to others at 20 or 23 on avg. some have 27 also, but no internal amp. That means u need to get Amp if u want that nice system that beats ~
thats just me, you can go with anything you want. But heres my opinions -

Aiwa- Fancy, Expensive, Flashy, "futuristicly constructed" <-(Nice huh?)
Alpine- Classy, mid range price, bunch of options, neato!
Blaupunkt- Sony/Jensen like, retro looking.. i dunno bout performance
Clarion- some flashy, some exspensive, not suggested for that "boom"
Jenson- sony/blaupunkt like, flashy screens, buttons ! , nice
JVC- lot of chrome ones... , buttons !, mid range price, tied w/ Jenson
kenwood- pioneer/JVC/, good quality, worth $ , i'd get it !
panasonic- Sony like, its ok, performance is aight, not pricey, mediocre
Pioneer- Kenwood/JVC like, Good quality, worth $, 300 range on avg
Sony- Jenson/Blaupunkt like, good quality NOW, EZ $, good looks too!

What i think - good luck w/it !

I usually just twist em together, solder (spelling?) a lilttle pice on em to keep em from goin anywhere and then electrical tape it so its not exposed......

try not use black tape if you can, when the car gets hot in the summer black tape has ben known to fall off.

Where this is ture but when its inside where it does not get a lot of sun i wouldnt worry about it. As for useing wire nuts never use them like the other people have said i only use them in car audio to test if i have the right connections before i finalize it wiht crimps.

As for decks i just like how sony's options are set up and that there main colors are red and black ( red and black is my color scheme), plus they have cool looking deck such as this one i just got Sony Xplod CDX-M630 (http://sm.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-SnD0nSGzNKV/ProdView.asp?a=1&s=45&cc=01&g=300&id=morephotos&i=158CDXM630) which i have no problems with and provides very good bass responce and good mid-tone. But i do agree that sony is not the best but it is one of them. PEACE OUTSIDE!!! :bloated:

Just buy a crimping tool, it has all the wire stripper sizes on it too! :p then get some crimping butts and strip the end of the wires and twist them, then put one end into the butt and crimp one side, put the other wire in the other side and crimp. Done! I dont know if you can understand but its really simple once you learn, I regret getting a professional doing my original install after doing it myself. Saved $50 too! :D

I would never crimp any thing. Just solder and heat shrink or solder and tape them up. I have never used any crimps on any of my installs.:D Just my 2 cents

if your car has the original stereo in it it should have ISO connectors so all you have to do is buy a connector which will enable you to connect the stereo directly to the car without having to cut any wires and they are like £8.95 here which is about $12 i think

I have just bought a Kenwood KDC 5090-b and i am very pleased with it, plus it looks shit hot as well :D only cost me £155 which is $240

heres a pic

http://www.vergleichen-kaufen-sparen.de/sparen/207134/Kenwood_KDC-5090B.html

I've had Sony, Kenwood, Pioneer, Alpine & some others that aren't worth talkin about. I luv my pioneer but I had a prob with the laser after a year. I luvd my Kenwood, it was 1 of the 1st pull-outs & cost me $600 in 1990, i had it until 1998 & never had any probs with it. Rite now I have a $500 Alpine sittin in my closet (brand new) waitin 4 install. :rolleyes: My friend has the same 1 & i really liked it so that's why i bought it.http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/496763alpine1.jpg

Originally posted by civic 16valver
if your car has the original stereo in it it should have ISO connectors so all you have to do is buy a connector which will enable you to connect the stereo directly to the car without having to cut any wires and they are like £8.95 here which is about $12 i think

very well put james, but there is still some wires you need to crimp together on that harness. I would HIGHLY recommend going out and buying the wiring harness for it, makes for a much easier uninstall later down the line. All you have to do is buy a set of crimpers and some connectors and go at it. Might take a couple tries to get the hang of it, but on every wire you crimp together, pull on it some just to make sure it has a hold of it. The best way to do this is to solder the wires together, which isn't that hard and a lot more reliable.

Hmm... one other question. The back of the stock radio in 4dr's are supported by two screws right? I have the crutchfield mastersheets, but I havent actually seen the back myself yet.

kenwood makes awesome decks. and some advice dont buy a cheap crimper, buy a nice name brand one the job will be much easier, and cleaner!

ive got a pioneer deh-2300, i love it so far, looks SWEET at night. I installed it in 15 minutes using heat shrink. HS is the way to go, its just like recovering the bare wire with plastic/rubber whatever heat shrink is made of.

Hey i have the Kenwood KDC-9020R and its a fantastic CD Player... bought it for $300 brand new... so much features i still dont know what half the stuff does... i dont thinks its available in the USA, although i could be wrong also...

http://www.kenwoodaudio.com/caraudio/images/KDC-9020R.gif

General Features

D-Mask+: Fully Motorized Mask with Detachable Faceplate and Security Code
3-D Fine Dot Fl Display (4-tone/Fine Pitch)
TV Control with '02 New In-Dash TV
New B.M.S. (Bass Management System) with '02 eXcelon Amplifiers
B.M.S. (Bass Management System) with '99-'01 PS Amplifiers
Selectable Key Illumination (Green/Red)
Built-in Fuse, Coil & DC-DC Converter
DAB Ready with Optional Unit (KTC-9090DAB)
Supplied with Remote Control Unit (10-key)
2-way Telephone Mute
Molex/ ISO DC Cable & Jaso/ ISO Antenna Jack

Audio Features

Maximum Output Power: 50 W x 4
Gold Plated 3 preouts with 4.5 V Pre-output Level
Built in Amp mute
System E's+ (Built-in HPF & LPF)
System Q-EX: Preset & Full Manual Sound Control
Separate Bass/Mid range/Treble Control & Source Tone Memory
AUX Input with Optional Unit (CA-C1AX or KCA-S210A)
Dual Zone Source & Volume Control with Optional Unit (CA-C1AX or KCA-S210A)

Single CD Features

WMA (Windows Media Audio) Decoder
MP3 Decoder with ID-3 Tag Display
0-bit Mute (L/R independent)
CD Text Ready
CD-R/CD-RW Compatible

Changer Control Features

Dual CD/DVD/VCD/MP3/MD Changer Control Capability (CH1/CH2 & AUX)
DNPS (Disc Name Presets) with Compatible CD Changers
DNPP (Disc Name Preset Play) by Remote
CD Text Ready with Compatible CD Changers

Tuner Features

FM (RDS)/MW/LW 32 Station Presets (24 FM, 8 MW & LW)
RDS with K3i Clear Reception Tuner Circuit
AME (Automatic Memory Entry)
Stereo/Mono Selector
SNPS (Station Name Presets)

alright, guess ill through my veiw in on stereos since this thread sort of changed to it. My favorite headunits are Panasonic or Pioneers. I had a Panasonic in my car before someone stole it, it was a 2000 model. That thing blew so many different types of speakers in my car, including Kicker 5 1/4" Impulses, it was nuts. Ive heard they do that alot and bass blockers are needed with them, because of how many watts they push. But in 2001 they changed their looks and i didn't like them, but they are slowly going back to their 2000 look. My second fav brand has to be Pioneer, because of all their features. My main thing to make me get a head unit is the sub output, I must have that.

I guess that I should do the same. i am not so much of a Cd player but the WHOLE ENTERAINMENT PACKAGE

http://images.cardomain.com/member_img_a/306000-306999/306592_15_full.jpg

Damn,

I have a Pioneer DEH-7300p

Real nice deck works really well, what i like about it is it has 3 set of preouts (and i use em all) Organic display, Changer control (not using it yet)

For amps I have an MTX 4244 4 chan, and a Rockford Fosgate 75.2 powering 2 12" RF Punch.

Front speakers are Infinity 605cs Component system (woffer+ tweet with X-over)

the rears are Pioneer 1661 for ballance.

The 12" will probably get replaced with a 10" MTX in a custom enclosure, and the 75.2 gettin replaced with a other MTX amp.

I'll keep you posted.

K-Drum

This is the one i was talkin bout earlier - the Alpine thats in my opinion perdy damn sweet :D heres the perdy damn sweet deck (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3014800617&category=18798)

go with pioneer premier if you get a pioneer head unit they are a hell of alot better than the regular pioneer units,, lots of options ,,, igot the 740 with mp3 and love it ,,but rather have the 840mp3 model they look tight and got the sound quality to back it up. :bandit:

if u wanna do it right go to radio shack and buy the pimp solder strips that melt with a lighter. :eek:

i don't mean to insult you in any way el_loco_civic but i think most of your opinions are wrong on deck types, but hey, that's why they are opinions.

I have sold and installed stereos professionally (I am MECP bronze certified) and I would say that you should DEFINATELY go with a wiring kit, it will make your life SO much easier.

and audiophile, the only difference between premier pioneers and normal pioneers of the same model (like 6500 pioneer and the 650 premier) is a 2 year warranty and gold plated RCAs. i sold the things so i know first hand, not to mention i have installed both a premier and a standard pioneer in my mom and dad's cars.

bass blockers are a joke. all they do is block frequencies below a certain level (depending on the type) which keeps cheap ass shitty speakers from blowing. if you get good speakers and don't push your bass to the point of distortion you should be fine.

there is nothing wrong with sony decks except how people treat them. i sell stereos and i have delt with first hand using and installing over a dozen brands and i still chose a sony. i chose sony because you get the most value for your money. 5.5v (peak) preouts, a solid built-in amp capable of solid power output, excellent display, EQ7, DSO (which really does work if you know what you are doing), and factory support. if you maintain your sony (in fact any deck) according to the manufacturer's specs (i.e. getting it professionally cleaned annually) then it should work fine for years. just make sure that the CDs you are putting into the deck are clean and that you keep your interior clean so as to prevent dust from getting into the deck.

the reality is, most any respectible brand of cd player is going to offer you the kind of performance you need for a normal stereo. human ears are not sensitive enough to pick up the differences between the preamp section in something like an Eclipse 8052 and the preamps in a sony es cdx-ca760x. you could only tell the difference if you were building a professional SQ/SPL set up and required every single fraction of a volt of power from the preamps or every single bit of clarity, and not to mention also had a professional ear to judge these things with.

with speakers, i will say that you do get what you pay for. however with decks, unless you are building a professional competition setup you are not going to notice the difference in sound quality on a 300 dollar deck as compared to a 900 dollar deck. it comes down to the features that YOU want.

Originally posted by DarkImportGrey
bass blockers are a joke. all they do is block frequencies below a certain level (depending on the type) which keeps cheap ass shitty speakers from blowing. if you get good speakers and don't push your bass to the point of distortion you should be fine.

Please enlighten me on how my Kicker Impulse 5.25" speakers blew then. I am sure that some bass blockers would have helped. I had a Panasonic DX150U(i do believe) and the speakers never distorted, just one day i start hearing a rattling coming from the tweeters on my speakers. I'm sure some bass blockers could have prevented this. Now I don't get speakers that have both the sub and tweeter in the same thing, I get complete components, and must say they are a lot better than a normal speaker.

I am not trying to argue with you, just would like to know your view on why my speakers blew, or maybe why they blew.

I know this is kinda old , but when you crimp. Do you insert the wires in and let them touch? Or just insert and crimp? And do you have to twist the wires together? I just ordered my panasonic mp3/wma cd player and need last minute clarification. Thanks

Originally posted by el_loco_civic
This is the one i was talkin bout earlier - the Alpine thats in my opinion perdy damn sweet :D heres the perdy damn sweet deck (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3014800617&category=18798)

that my friend is my next deck ... probably gonna get it all put in next week cause imma put my current JVC in my moms car cause her shit was recently stolen as you guys know.