Stereos and Amps For Dummies

[2000XJ]

Like I started my other thread... I'm not an electrical guru - at all.

My '00 XJ, my previous DD, had a full stereo, two amps, components in the front doors, 2 ways in the back, and a sub. One amp was for the components in the front doors, and one amp was for the sub.

Now that the '00 is pretty much a trail rig, there's no reason for all that fanciness in it. I want to move the amps over to the '01 XJ without paying someone to do it like I did the first time.

Can anyone give me the "Stereo and Amps for Dummies" run down? I know I can just look at how it's done in the '00 XJ, but once I take it all apart I'm not going to remember what it looked like, and even if I take pics I doubt I'll be able to make everything clear enough to understand where it belongs.

The setup in the '01 XJ is the same. Components in the front doors, 2 ways in the back. Both headunits are Alpines.

Like always, I'm open to anything and everything.

[4.3LXJ]

The first thing I would do is make sure the other head unit is capable of running subs and so forth.

[Primo]

Agreed. then if it is you can use it and you don't have to swap it with all the other stuf unless it is nicer and you want it in the dd.

What you will have starting at the head and working back is,
1. the head unit. this is wired into the jeep usually with a
2. wireing haurness, ie 2 pigtales one with a male end molex clip and one with a female molex clip you wire the two together and now have a nice little unit that just lets you plug the deck into one side and the factory plug to the other.
If you have this and you want to swap then this will be a plug and play situation, don't forget about the
3. antena ( or however you spell that ) This is the wire that is about a 1/4 inch wire with a male plug on the end that goes in the hole on the back that is about the same size.

Then
you have sevral other things and this is where it gets a little harder.
4. the remote wire this is usually a blue wire it goes from the deck ( does not tie into the wireing haurness ) to the amp there is a spot on the amp marked rmt usually and since you have two amps there could be two of these or it could be ran in a circut. Then you have,

5. RCA cables these are very noticeable they will be some sort of pretty color and look like the same cables you use to hook stuff up to your tv.
these run from the back of the amp( you will see where they go it is very evedent ) to the amp ( same same very evedent)
the only trick here is one set will go to the sub amp and one to the other amp, on the back of the deck where the RCA's hook up to it will say somthing on them like sub mid high or lo mid high there might only be two pair one for low and one for mids and high and sometimes there is an aux hook up for I pod or cd changer if this is there it will say aux.
If there are no markings then I would mark how you took them off.
Then you've got the
6. power cord usually red and big hooks to your batt. to the amp and will have a fuse in it. If the DD hasn't had an amp in it yet you will need to drill a hole in the firewall to run the wire in, make sure you use a rubber gromett in this hole so as to avoid the power cord from grounding out.
last but not least
7. speaker wire You will have a small piece from the amp to the sub, also you will probably have some long a** pieces runing from the amp all the way up to the wireing haurness so that they can go to the front speakers, if they are indeed amped also lots of times they run the speaker wires from the deck to the amp for the signal this will be a pain in the a** if it is done this way!!

Good luck I may need to add somthing in here not sure yet its way past my bed time and Im very tired if you come across somthing I left out feel free to ask.

[Mudderoy]

I like this one...

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/imagehosting/1317574739508492a26.jpg

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/imagehosting/1317574739508524029.jpg

:link: (http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/111450-jeep-cherokee-car-computer.html)

[Primo]

Is that yours mudderoy?????????? :drool: Thats what I want one with a gps and trail nav!

[Mudderoy]

Is that yours mudderoy?????????? :drool: Thats what I want one with a gps and trail nav!

lol, no. Just something I found the other day when I was searching for information prior to installing my car alarm.

I'd like to have a Jeep computer, but more for recording some incredible driving video from the Houston traffic.

That screen is $500. I think I'd have to get a SYE before that. The mobile computer is another $500 at least.

[Primo]

Yeah to bad I wish it were yours but then Id be really jelous!!!!!!!!!! I have a good hook up on car audio and alarm stuf he is a good friend of mine he gave me my ungo alarm and installed it for free remote start and all!!!

[2000XJ]

Well I swapped the HU from the Trail Rig into the DD. Both headunits in both vehicles are Alpines, but the one that I had in the TR is a better HU than the one that the PO of the current DD had installed. So wiring the HU's during the swap was a no brainer because both harnesses were identical! The backs of both HU's are also identical so I'm thinking that the actual swap of amps shouldn't be difficult between reading what Primo provided in this thread and by just swapping everything one wire at a time - yes I'm a rookie LOL

[Primo]

You will get it man its not as hard as you would think. Once you get into it you will breez right thru it!!

[Audio222]

Well I am one of those people with a $5000 system in a $2500 car. After installing and owning a Audio store for 24yrs I have to have great sound of none at all. Install and enjoy.

[2000XJ]

You will get it man its not as hard as you would think. Once you get into it you will breez right thru it!!

Thanks for the vote of confidence! I tend to work myself up more than necessary alot of the time... I just hate starting something and then not being able how to figure out and finish it :rolleyes:


Well I am one of those people with a $5000 system in a $2500 car. After installing and owning a Audio store for 24yrs I have to have great sound of none at all. Install and enjoy.

I definately don't have that much into my system, but it is better than stock. I do enjoy music that sounds good, but I don't have the ears to tell between a good upgrade and an awesome upgrade.

[Audio222]

I do enjoy music that sounds good, but I don't have the ears to tell between a good upgrade and an awesome upgrade.

Sure you do everyone has, you just gotta learn which ones to compare. Can you tell which candy bar taste better........ then you can hear the difference in speakers.