How To Wire Two Amps In A Car

Ever dreamt of a car audio system so epic it could make your teeth tingle and your rearview mirror shimmy with pure, unadulterated bass? Well, buckle up, buttercup, because we're about to double down on the awesome! Wiring two amps might sound like a job for a rocket scientist, but trust me, with a sprinkle of common sense and a dash of daring, you'll be a car audio wizard in no time. Forget the complicated diagrams; we're talking simple, step-by-step glory!

Gathering Your Mighty Arsenal

First things first, let's gather our treasures! You're about to embark on an adventure, and no adventurer goes unprepared. Get ready to transform your ride into a rolling concert hall!

The Big Ticket Items

• Your two glorious amps, of course! Think of them as the muscle-bound superheroes of your sound system.
• A super-thick power wire for the main juice from your battery, and two slightly less colossal wires for the individual amps.
• Equally important ground wires for each amp – gotta keep those amps happy and stable.
• For the whispers that tell your amps what to do: RCA cables (the ones that carry the actual music) and a slender remote turn-on wire.
• A shiny new power distribution block and a remote distribution block. These are like the traffic cops for your electrical signals, keeping everything orderly and efficient!
• Speaker wire, of course, to connect your amps to their sonic offspring – your amazing speakers.

The Sidekicks (Tools)

• Wire strippers and crimpers (your trusty blade and strong grip).
• A sturdy screwdriver set and a wrench set.
• Zip ties (for that oh-so-satisfying neatness).
• Electrical tape or heat shrink tubing (for secure, insulated connections).
• Safety goggles (because cool wizards always protect their eyes).

The Grand Adventure Begins: Power Up!

Our grand adventure kicks off at the heart of your car – the battery! Find the positive terminal (usually marked with a '+') and attach one end of your thickest power wire. Treat this cable with respect; it's carrying serious energy!

Now, carefully snake this magnificent cable through your car's firewall (there's usually a secret passage or a rubber grommet you can use – be gentle!). Your goal is to get it to wherever your amps are lounging, usually in the trunk or under a seat.

Once inside, connect the other end of this mighty cable to your power distribution block. This block is like a magical junction box, ready to share the power. From this block, run a separate, slightly thinner power wire to each of your amps. Make sure they're snugly connected to the 'power in' terminal on each amp. Usually, this terminal is labeled +12V or B+.

Voila! Power is officially on its way to both your sound-slinging champions!

Ground Control to Major Tom: The Earthly Connection!

Now for the grounded gurus! Every superhero needs a stable footing, and your amps are no different. For each amp, you'll need a separate ground wire. Find a solid, unpainted metal surface on your car's chassis – think a seatbelt bolt or a freshly scraped spot in the trunk. This is where your ground wires will make their sacred connection. Sand away any paint or gunk for the best contact – we want pure metal-on-metal love here!

Securely attach one end of a ground wire to this spot, and the other end to the 'ground' terminal on your amp. This terminal is usually labeled GND. Repeat this grounding ritual for your second amp.

Two amps, two rock-solid grounds – that's how we roll!

The Secret Signal: Remote Turn-On!

Next up, the whisper-soft command that tells your amps, 'It's showtime!' This is your remote turn-on wire. Find the 'remote out' wire from your head unit (it's usually a thin blue wire, sometimes labeled REM). Connect your remote turn-on wire to this. Now, you need to share this signal with both amps.

You can use a tiny remote distribution block, which works just like its bigger power-sharing cousin, or simply use a Y-splitter to send that 'wake up!' signal to the remote terminal (often labeled REM or REMOTE) on each amp.

One signal, two enthusiastic amps, ready to party!

Feeding the Beasties: Audio Signals!

Time to feed these beasts their audio snacks! Grab your RCA cables. These are the fancy wires that carry the actual music from your head unit. If your head unit has multiple sets of RCA outputs (Front, Rear, Sub), fantastic! You can dedicate a set to each amp.

If not, no worries! Connect one set of RCAs from your head unit to the input of your first amp. Many amps have a handy 'pass-through' or 'output' RCA jack. If yours does, simply run another set of RCAs from that pass-through to the input of your second amp. If not, a high-quality RCA Y-splitter will do the trick – just split the signal right after your head unit and send it to both amps.

Music, glorious music, now flowing to both your sonic titans!

The Grand Finale: Speaker Wires!

Finally, the moment of truth: connecting your beloved speakers! This part is specific to which speakers each amp is powering. Your first amp might be dedicated to your booming subwoofer, while your second amp handles your sparkling component speakers. Connect your speaker wires from the output terminals of each amp directly to their designated speakers.

Make sure your positive (+) wires go to positive and negative (-) to negative – polarity matters for peak performance! A little twist and a snug connection are all it takes.

And just like that, you're on the verge of auditory bliss!

See? That wasn't so scary, was it? You just orchestrated a symphony of power, ground, and signal, all to bring your car audio dreams to life! Now, double-check all your connections (a quick tug on each wire to ensure it's snug is always a good idea), tidy up your wiring with zip ties (we love a neat setup!), and get ready to experience music like never before. Blast off, audio adventurer!