Installing headunit into gem

Questions about Car Audio
p0rt
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Installing headunit into gem

Post by p0rt »

This car has had a standard FM radio for the last 31 years and no one has changed it .. so so sad.

so i have power cord, 2 speaker cords and an aerial cord.
the fm radio has a wedge of metal hanging out at the which acts as an earth when it hits the holding plate when sitting correctly.

Do i need to start hacking up my loom or can i just do a simple home earth wire to a remote location and plug the power into the headunit/speakers etc.

been having an issue getting power to headunit so far.
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Slammed TG
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Post by Slammed TG »

For power - Just run a new lead from the battery (make sure you fuse it) Or find a wire in the loom, there should be one there somewhere, remember you need constant +12v and acc +12V

Earth - Just attach the earth wire to a bolt or screw somewhere close to the deck, make sure its a good earth, or you will have problems (As I learned with my amp)
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Post by possessed3t »

if your runnin a cable from your battery you may aswell get 2 core trailer cable and run a earth and power and save the hassle
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TE_SOUND_VAN
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Post by TE_SOUND_VAN »

run your earth to a bolt or screw in the dash somwhere. make sure u scratch the paint off firs and use a small ring terminal. dont earth strait off ur battery ive been told u shouldnt.
run both ur 12v constant and ur 12v acc to ur interior fuse box. just read on the box covering which fuses are constant an acc. the power load is not that big that itll blow the fuses or give u ne greif. pluss the acc should go int ur radio fuse.
thats where mine is and my power is in the brake lamp fuse i think?? and ive had no problems. ive wired 3 gems up like that.
run the new wires allong the loom and tape or zip tie them. a h/u is not worth hacking up ur loom.

hope this helps
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p0rt
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Post by p0rt »

thanx guys. much appreciated
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1985tgslx
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Post by 1985tgslx »

With your earth, use some of these between the ring connector and the body part that you are using as the earth. (After scratching off surrounding paint.)

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Calby
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Post by Calby »

If it was a stock Gemini AM radio, there should already be a 12v Ignition power supply around there. Constant 12v is another story. I scotch locked a cable from my dash clock power chord and just used that. Hasn't failed me yet, and it's neat and tidy. Remember, your Head unit will have a fuse in it, so don't worry about anything.

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1985tgslx
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Post by 1985tgslx »

If it was a stock Gemini AM radio, there should already be a 12v Ignition power supply around there. Constant 12v is another story. I scotch locked a cable from my dash clock power chord and just used that. Hasn't failed me yet, and it's neat and tidy. Remember, your Head unit will have a fuse in it, so don't worry about anything.
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Also just remember, a fuse is to protect the wire, not the head unit, although in this case the fuse for the clock will blow if the constant 12v wire to the head unit happens to touch an earth or draw too much current.
Also TX to TE, best place to grab constant 12volts for head unit memory is the cigarette lighter.
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Post by TURGEM »

i thought my cig rette lighter worked without a key but couldnt remember or even bother trying haha
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1985tgslx
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Post by 1985tgslx »

Yeah, TX to TE had it wired so it worked without the ignition barrel having to be switched to ACC, TF & TG had it hooked up to ACC.
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Post by TURGEM »

think i mite change it cuz mine springs out with a bit of force and comes out of the holder and goes on to the floor--- most likely cause a fire
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dagwood
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Post by dagwood »

i just put my head unit in on sunday.

i used the acc power supply from the old am radio.

i ran a WITH A FUSE (me and jason (1985TGSL/X) just had an arguement about where to put the fuse in the wire, he says close to battery, i say wherever as it will blow no matter where it shorts out) but yeah. then i ran speaker wires under the plastic trim that is on the sills under the doors to the back. and used the priginal antenna. um yeah thats about it. oh i earthed it on a bolt under the dash. instead of having to scratch any paint, you can put it on a bolt with a nut on it, and double nut the bolt. EDIT : no pics. lol camera out of battery. well simply you put the wire between the two nuts when you double nut the bolt.
Last edited by dagwood on Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Slammed TG
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Post by Slammed TG »

With an amp the fuse should be close to the battery, but with a headunit it shouldnt make much differance, it doesnt draw as much current as a amp. I always put it close to the battery from force of habit.
dagwood
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Post by dagwood »

it doesnt matter where the fuse is. if the wire shorts out the fuse will blow. end o story. as long as you use good wire it aint gonna break anytime soon unless you cut it with scissors. dunno why you would do that
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TURGEM
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Post by TURGEM »

dagwood wrote:it doesnt matter where the fuse is. if the wire shorts out the fuse will blow. end o story. as long as you use good wire it aint gonna break anytime soon unless you cut it with scissors. dunno why you would do that
it does matter where you put the fuse for the power cable going from your battery to the amp it should be close to the battery as possible before any parts of the wire mite get rubbed through the insulation and cause a short to ground.

If the fuse was down near the amp and the cable went short to ground before the fuse it would never blow and a fire would be most lkely definate.

and it doesnt take much most likely areas is usually through the firewall and if its been placed under the carpet in the footwells and where it enters the boot.
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