Length needed for amp power wire?

I need to install my amps and subs and I need to know approximately how long I need the power wire to be. I have a DC and plan on installing the amps behind the rear seat. Also, what length RCA cables should I get?

 

I ended up with 20 foot RCAs because 12’ wasn’t going to make it. For your power wire, it will depend what side you run it. I’d ballpark 15-20’ for driver’s side and a couple more for passenger. I recommend 4 gauge wire. Run the power and the RCAs down opposite sides to keep noise out of your signal.

 

Thanks. Most of the kits come with 17-20 feet, I just wanted to make sure that was enough. I'll be running it down the drivers side. I'll run the RCAs and speaker wires down the passengers side. I'll be using 1/0 wire since I'll be running two amps.

 

Make sure you run ofc wire and not cca. 20' will be enough

 

Yeah, that is what's talking me so long to pull the trigger, trying to find a quality OFC kit that won't break the bank. I ordered a Kicker PKD1 kit for $160 earlier this week, but the next day I got an email that the last one was damaged and it would be 2 to 3 weeks before they got more in. I've read some companies will use thicker insulation over thinner wires and pass it off as larger gauge wire.

 

I ran zero guage just because

 

I'll be using the factory speaker wire and just running new wire from the factory amp location to the amps behind the rear seat. Anybody got a ballpark on how much I'll need to buy?

 

Why not run a 9 wire instead of separate speaker wires?

 

Honestly, I've never heard of 9 wire. I'll look into it, but any idea where to buy? I haven't run across it while looking.

Never mind, I just found it. I've just never noticed it I guess. I've mostly been looking for amp kits and most of the companies I looked at only have regular speaker wire.

 

Metra MC918-20 20-Feet Nine-Conductor 18 AWG Twisted Multi-Use Cable

$28 Metra MC918-20 20-Feet Nine-Conductor 18 AWG Twisted Multi-Use

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H1KAMQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_O5VpFbZ7EHV4R

It has 8 speaker wires color coded the same way aftermarket radio harnesses are + blue wire for remote turn on. Makes a much cleaner install

FL = white
FR = gray
RL = green
RR = purple

 

I think you already got your power line, but I ordered 15' Kolossus Fleks Kable 0ga and it was enough.
I have a DC as well but I ran it under the front driver's seat to the Alpine under the pass seat.
20" should do it for you to get under the rear seat.

Are you keeping the stock HU or are you running RCAs from an aftermarket HU in the dash to the rear seat?

I ran 3' RCAs from my aftermarket HU to under the pass seat.
I routed them thru the console, but it is pretty tight unless you remove the surround around the radio and climate control.
Pretty much have to take the entire dash apart to remove it.
If you're coming from the dash to the rear seat, you better go 6' for RCAs.

I used stock speaker wire for the rear doors because the boot was a bitch to get to.
But I ran new wire from the amp to the front doors.
If you're going form the pass seat to the rear I'd guess it depends on where your amps are going.
Behind the rear seat, under the rear seat, left side, right side?

For the work you are doing, I'd run new (bigger) wire from the amp to the front door speakers.
Stock speaker wire is VERY small.
I have components and mounted the crossovers in the door.
Fishing a wire thru the front door boot is pretty easy.
Just use a long thick zip tie and feed it thru the boot with your speaker wire attached to it.

I'm working on my audio tomorrow.
I either have a blown Focal front door speaker or a blown amp channel.
One front door sounds great, the other not so much.
In the end I may end up not even run the rear door speakers, no one rides back there anyway.

Not sure of your setup, but I also disconnect all 3 dash speakers.
Keep that in mind when you get it all going.

 

Forgot to mention, RCAs also come in a 4 channel version similar to 9 wire.

another thing that I would highly recommend is getting a volume knob for your sub. If the amp doesn’t come with one, you can get one that goes in line with the RCA instead. Super useful if your playlist switches music genres that have more/less bass so you can quickly adjust the sub

 

I have the JBL system, and looking at the pin out for the harness I have, I will need wires for 7 speakers. This looks like it only has enough wire for 4 speakers, so I'm not sure if this will work.

 

That is great advice.
Especially listening to XM.
I unconsciously turn the sub knob for almost every song..

 

Pretty much the only stuff left from the stock system is the amp and sub, but I have their replacements sitting in my garage. The HU is a pioneer AVIC-8400, door speakers are the Hertz package from Tech12volt, dash speakers are the JL package from Tech12volt, subs/sealed enclosure for two 10" JLs (Tech12volt), amps are a 4ch Memphis MC4.75, and a Memphis PR1X1000.

 

Did you ever figure out the power wire situation? There is a T-spec one on Crutchfield for a decent price. It says in the details AWG, but I would call to make sure it is. Gauge and AWG are different. Gauge does not need so meet American wiring specifications

 

I haven't bought my amp power kit yet, been leaning towards Knukonceptz. I am going to get a 2ch and a 4ch RCA. Both amps come with a sub control knob, and I intend to use it, at least for the sake of my sons ears, lol.

 

I've been weighing options, mostly between NVX and Knukonceptz. Also trying to figure out what all I need in case I order from Knukonceptz so I don't have to pay for shipping multiple times.

 

just throwing a curveball question at you: if you have 7 speakers and an amp with 4 channels, how were you planning on powering the other 3 channels/speakers?

 

I went with Kicker Ck4 4awg kit that worked great. 17 ft was more than enough. I ran the cable from the battery to the passenger side grommet and was more than enough.

Kicker CK4 Complete 4 Gauge OFC CK-Series 2-Channel Amplifier Installation Kit

$90 Kicker CK4 4AWG Complete Amplifier Kit

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00IFA1HDQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.LWpFbK2FQ3FQ

I didn’t trust the Knukonceptz being true OFC

 

The pin out is: RH FRONT/LH FRONT/RH WOOFER /LH WOOFER/CENTER/RH REAR/LH REAR.
The problem is, it looks like Toyota has the door woofers wired by themselves and the sail panel tweeters (from the Hertz components) wired with the corner dash speakers (JL tweeters, in my case). I am considering three options: run all the front right and left on the front R and L channels and see if there is a way to run the center from both R and L (my center is two JL tweeters); split the front RCA and buy a third small 2ch amp to run all the dash tweeters; or run the tweeters from the HU.

When I asked JRT (Tech12volts), he said connect all the fronts channels to channels 1 and 2.

 

Perfect, so back to the 9 wire only having enough wires for 4 speakers: You can still use 9 wire because it’s like extending the 4 channels out from the aftermarket amp to the factory amp location under the front seat. So now you can splice all the factory wires going to all the front speakers to the 2 out of the 4 channels you just extended by using 9 wire. I hope that makes sense.

Also, the center/tweeters you can probably even run that off the radio since it also has a built in amp. I doubt you really need to amp tweeters, they don’t need much juice.

 

That's good to know. I was considering the third amp as the least likely option. I am not sure whether the sail panel and corner dash speakers are wired in series or parallel, so i don't know what the total ohms are and how adding them with the front woofers would affect that.

 

This will except up to eight input channels, and give you 10 outputs in return though you ll definately need another amp...

 

Just buy a Helix V Eight DSP MK2 and stop messing around with amps.

 

The Helix unit will not provide me 1800 watts, so I will stick with an amp