Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

I am installing a Kenwood x493 into my 69 c10 and am having trouble getting it to turn on using the existing fuse box. Because of this and to keep the power demands of the unit off the old wiring, I will be hardwiring(with fusible link) the power lead directly to the battery. But even with that, functionality is off, so my questions are:

1. Does anyone know which wire color or spot in the fuse box is a switched 12volt that I can use? I tried what I figured would work but the deck won't turn on. Is there a space that is known to work?

2. Is the gray wire off my instrument cluster essentially an illumination wire? I want the deck to dim when I turn on the lights and was just wondering what others have used as the illumination wire on these old trucks.

Thanks!

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

As far as the illumination wire goes, I couldn't answer that, but there should be a basic 3-wire hook up for most decks.

Acc. (Accessory/constant)
Ign. (Ignition)
Gnd. (Ground)

From the factory, the deck's wiring harness should have all these labeled for you. I'm not sure about the ability of a factory harness (especially if it is the original form '69) to handle additional power demands, but you should be able to use the factory harness as a base and splice into it.

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

For some odd reason the Kenwood's yellow wire is the constant hot and goes to the battery not the red(every other stereo I have installed the yellow wire was the switched power lead)...that was creating the issue. I ran the yellow directly to the battery and got the switched power from the 20amp tab next to the cig lighter on the fuse panel. Zero issues and it fired right up.

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

Glad to hear it.

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

Beatcoaster, ironically enough I just finished installing the same unit in my truck yesterday.

Quick question about it though.... I have yet to get the unit off of demo mode. Do you have to get it off of demo mode for sound to come from the unit when playing CDs/Ipod? While going through the features it will have sound pumping while set on the radio, but once I drop in a cd or plug in the ipod to ensure everything is working; it will play but no sound is being emitted.

Stumped... :confused:

Also where did you end up plugging in the power wires? Do you have your setup to operate on the accessory setting on your ignition? Or is it constantly on?

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

bump...

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

just a head up.. the illumination wire taps into the exit side of the rheostat that controls the dash dimming..
so check the diagrams on this site for that wire color (oh in your haynes manual) and T-clip into that wire for an illumination..
it is NOT nessesary to connect the ILLUM wire.. it's just to make your head unit to be able to adjust to the intensity of your dash..

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

and the easiest way to check for switched power is!
get a test light...turn key forward to accesory position,
then poe wires until the light comes on, then turn the ignition to off and make sure the light goes out on the same wire...
easy as pie..
wire your batery back up wire (the little positive lead) to the wire that feeds your cigarette lighter.. that's the easiest to get to... and is a constant hot

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

Thanks dammitmitchell! I've pretty well got that part of the install taken care of (but thanks for the illumination info above). I've used the test light this weekend while hooking everything up, but ever since my truck tried to fire up in the accessory position.... I've tried to refrain from using the accessory position until I can get a new ignition switch hooked up.

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

Been away from a computer for 8 days on my honeymoon, but I did get it all figured out before I left...

I have the yellow wire running to a fused link off the battery directly. I then have the red wire running to a switched tab on the fuse block near the cig lighter spot. The orange illum wire can just attach to the gray wire that powers the heater/defroster bulb - just as I expected it just needs a voltage and will dim itself(although not by much). I don't know about the demo mode weirdness you are having as that is the first thing I turned off, it is a truly pointless feature car audio stores don't even use. Regarding the tuner/usb/aux/cd player - it switches when anything is plugged in and/or selected via the SRC key and plays music, I have to think demo mode is screwing you up.

I have since added the amp tonight and will be building the speaker boxes for the underseat 8" woofers this week...it cranks pretty good so far!

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

this thread need piiictures!

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

Can you post a picture of the x493 installed in your dash? I am trying to decide what radio to put in my 72. Thanks

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

here are some photos for you guys...

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_1597.jpg
[IMG]http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x166/beatcoaster/c10/interior%20
done/IMG_1592.jpg[/IMG]
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_1590.jpg
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_1595.jpg
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...0/IMG_0841.jpg
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_1592.jpg

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

and a couple more...
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...0/IMG_1022.jpg
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...0/IMG_0839.jpg
Testing box configurations - went with the recessed style
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...0/IMG_1538.jpg
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...0/IMG_1539.jpg

Sounds awesome and you can't see a thing...
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_1598.jpg

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

dammitmitchell.... are those 8" subs under the seat?

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

that[s what it's lookin like...

hey beatcoaster....
give us specs... let see what that nice system can do..

it looks really clean and honestly.. it diddnt seems like you are one who needs any advice there....
nice truck!

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

yo man now that a think about it ive never seen ur system before how about some pics

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

That is awesome. I wished you lived closer to Kansas City and I could hire you to do a install on my 72.

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

Is the x493 what I should get for the head unit?

For the price - it truly rocks
 

I have always been a Pioneer fan myself but I find the Kenwood to be pretty feature rich for the price. For $130 it has good power, good output voltages, lots of crossover options and accepts aux/ipod and usb on the faceplate - which can be nice. The interface/menus are pretty damn annoying, I'm not going to lie, and the instruction manual gives no real instruction. Thankfully I have done quite a few installs over the years and am pretty used to various menu styles, but the Kenwood is not very intuitive...For this build I wanted to keep costs as low as possible and for the money, the Kenwood is hard to beat for the price. I would go with a Pioneer 610/710bt, and spend a bit more if I was to do it again, as I love their menus and ergonomics much more...

Here are the specs of the setup in my c10:

Kenwood x493 - $130
Polk db 5-1/4's in dash (x-over at 80hz) - $100
Polk MMC690 6x9's in doors - $110
Polk db 8" subs in .35cu boxes - $80
Wood/glue/screws/etc - $60
MB Quart DSC480 powering 6x9's(full range) and 8" subs(x-over at 120hz) - $120
4ga wiring kit and speaker wire - $40
eDead(and some leftover Dynamat) in doors(both sides) and floor - $50

So for about $700 and a couple weekends of work this truck rocks pretty damn hard, and frequency response is quite good. I am a true audiophile and am extremely picky about output and frequency response, but for the money spent, this is a really nice setup and I am quite happy with it. Coming from a guy that is used to listening to AV123 LS-6's(below) on a daily basis, let's just say I was delightfully surprised by the setup I created....
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...P1010810-1.jpg

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

Wow, you have helped me tremendously! I can't thank you enough. I am going to start assembling the material. I will probably have more questions :-)

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

First one.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...H-P610BT?tab=B

This link gives a side by side comparison between the two Pioneer models. The audio features are identical except the 710 has a EEQ (7-Band Graphic) Equalizer where as the 610 has a EEQ (3-Band Parametric) Equalizer. Also the 610 has it's input and USB connections in the front. With the 710 they are both in the back plus you get an additional USB. I guess the thing to do here is that the cable for these in the glove box. Another differance is the remote operation but this is not important to me. I think the 710 is the way to go.... heck it's only another hundy.

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

This is not good........ the owners manual is 245 pages and the installation manual is 49 pages. I hope that includes lot of pictures and different languages. I took me entirely long enough just to put a gas grill together on Father's Day

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

i dont have a "system yet" dudes.. but i will and it will be a pioneer underseat with amp built into the back of the seat..
whenever i get off my butt to do it.. but i have to liner my inside cab first etc.. so it'll be a few months..
i just run kenwood reciever and "blown" speakers for now hahahahha

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

thats gunna sound awsome...my system beats purity good...it throws ppl off cuz they see this bubba truck pull up but beats loud as hell

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

im dont thread jacing

p.s. hey dude that stereo loos like it came out really well
it matches the interior of your truc and GREAT way to hide ALL the speaekers... good job dude..

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

your system is amazing, i want your opinion on the system i am going to get. i am going to get a sony faceplate (its the cheapest one that has a seperate subwoofer tuning and an aux. hookup) its 52x4 watts. I have 2 polk audio speakers under my dash for mids and highs, they have tweeters on top of the speaker. i think they are 5 1/2 inch speakers. For the bass i am thinking about going with 2 12 inch rockford p3 shallows in an enclosed box behind my seat. They are 400 watts rms each so i was going to get a 2 channel 800 watt rms amp and put it under my seat and thats it

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

Muscle - I have had multiple stereos with 7 band eq's before and it is really nice being able to adjust the sound contours, especially at sound competitions. The 3 band "EQ" is a marketing joke as it is just bass/mid/treble controls, but it shows you the crossover point visually. If $100 isn't a big deal I would go with the 710, but for a basic nice setup, the 610 would easily work. I personally like the idea of having everything tucked away in my glove box as it looks retarded having a flash drive sticking out off the faceplate in my opinion.

Marc70 - Thanks for the compliments. I won't force my opinions of the Sony headunits upon you, but it sounds like you are on the right track - as long as it has a seperate sub out, with a internal crossover(this is crucial in my opinion)and a aux/ipod input, you should be set. Be aware that those 52x4 watt ratings are not RMS, they are peak. The 52watt rating is just marketing as it probably only truly puts out 15-20watts a channel RMS, but as long as your Polks have a high sensitivity rating(say 89 or more) that should be good for 5-1/4's. Regarding just having the Polks in your dash - I think you will be dissapointed as they will be free air and will have no "cabinet" behind them so midrange and midbass output is really quite awful. If I didn't have the 6x9's in my doors for the low vocal and midbass it would sound bad - trust me on this. I would suggest something in the doors if possible, but be forewarned that the carpet will soak up the high's any speaker will emit down there, so it is a good idea to get components for them and mount the tweeters higher. My 6x9's put out little treble as the carpet and padding soak it all up - but the db's in the dash make up for that downfall. Again, personally, I wouldn't go with 12's unless you want to impress the neighbors and that's it. 2-10"s would be plenty of bass in our small cabs and will have less decay with the smaller cones. I am not sure about those shallow mount Rockfords, but in general, shallow mount subs don't have much excursion and you will not hit the lows you may be expecting if you are used to other typical 12's...If I didn't have a gas tank behind my seat, I would go with 2 high excursion 8's(Polk MM840 or JL 8w7's) as they would have plenty of output in a larger box yet not rattle the truck apart...

Feel free to ask questions if you have them guys, I have been helping people with a/v for years..;)

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

Overall it looks pretty good. I would never have though of tapping into the A/C light for the dimmer. Brilliant!

Those tweets in the dash make a world of difference don't they...?

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

Thanks for your opionion. I will gt the 710.

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

my little brother has one p3 shallow and it sounds surprisingly good. where i live everyone puts systems in their cars and only worry about bass. some of that has rubbed off on me lol. i want people to hear me a while away that is why i'm going with the 2 12's. also my truck doesn't have carpet so i don't have to worry about it soaking up the highs. I thought about getting 2 6x9's to put behind the seat in the corners. that is what i did in my old truck with an 8 inch sub in the middle, it sounded pretty good because they had their tweeters too. i might do that and the 2 polk audio 5 1/4 speakers as well but i am going to see how just the polk audios sound first. i am almost done with the gas tank swap, so after that i'm putting the system in

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

just installed a stereo and the power to it is fine. The sound is all clear, however when i start the truck over the radio and or cd player begins to surge like if its skipping? whats my deal. checked the ground its fine. tied dirrectly in to the battery.

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

I don't want to be that guy but yellow is batt. for radios and red is switched. Its been that way for many many years. I'm not trying to do the got yeah post, just don't want someone to read that and have them backwards and be pulling there hair out trying to figure out why their presets keep resetting. Now on the other hand many alarms had red as batt. and yellow as switched. Once again no offense.

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

I was thinking about

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Polk+Aud...=1218207304890

plus

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/ele/1873866961.html

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

i wired my head unit to the batt,avoided using the ign.wires for power.used small/low power switches, one to turn on/trigger the head unit,crossover,mid and highs amps.second switch turned on the 10 inch subs.i don't know the wire colours (for kenwood)but i have used one switch for stock radios for friends,no key needed to be left in.Newer radio units turn off when the voltage drops to low ,your unit might be turning off and on again,when you start up

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

if any one still needs it the ignition harness coming from the key is the best to tag off of for the radio always fuse but theres usally
2red =12volts constant
pink =switched 12volts
brown =accessory 12volts
orange =accessory 12volts
yellow or purple =starter 12volts when ingaged

some of them might not be there but a pink and red should always

on an after market deck these will always be the colors inless its from mexico
red -12volt switched
yellow-12volt constant
black -ground
white -left front speaker+
white/black - left front speaker-
gray -right front speaker+
gray/black -right front speaker-
green -left rear speaker+
green/black -left rear speaker-
purple -right rear speaker+
purple/black - right rear speaker-

not needed inless you have or want them
blue - power antenna
blue/white -remote wire
orange -dimmer
orange/white -negative dimmer
if your not getting any sound or its going into protect some units cut out due to either
blown speaker grounded out speaker wire or you have to many speakers connected
jvc and pioneer and sony not all but some

Re: Stereo install not as smooth as I had hoped - have a couple questions
 

Best I can remember red has always been a switch on and off for radio's, yellow is memory, black is ground. These are the basic three.
Any light bulb in the dash is operated by the head light switch so if you tap into any of them they will dim with the turn of the headlight switch. Now when you do this you have no light at all on the radio during the day until you turn on the head lights.:chevy: