what wires need to be ran from the headset to the amp? i plan on installing 1 sub and 1 amp. i dont want to rip apart my dash to install more wires down the road when i get the sub and amp so i want to run all the wires now and save time. is it just the 2 RCA cables?

 

If you are using the stock head unit, no wires have to be run to the headunit. I never ran anything to mine until I got my Pioneer HU.

Power to battery, ground to a good ground less than 36" away, remote to a switched power (power only when key is turned), RCA's to a LOC (line-out convertor) that taps into your rear speaker wires at the door sill in one of your front doors.

If you have an aftermarket head unit you'll need to run the RCA's back there. And since you're doing that, go ahead and put the remote wire into the switched power wire of your HU (usually yellow wire).

 

i will be using an aftermarket HU.

so all i have to do is run the 2 rca wires back? what remote wire? sorry im new at this

 

The remote wire is what tells the amp to turn on and off. It just needs to be spliced into a wire that receives power only when the key is turned forward, or when the radio is on. Personally, I wired mine so that my amp cuts off when I turn the key off - even though my radio stays on.

However, your aftermarket HU should have an "accessory" wire or "remote" wire in it's harness already. Refer to the owner's manual that came with your HU or get it from the manufacturer's website. You simply find that wire and connect the remote wire for your amp to it.

 

When you buy the new headunit you will buy a wireing harness that plugs into the factory. There will be a (normally blue) wire that wont wire to the factory harness and be labeled rem or remote.
Depending on the rca's they might have a remote wire hookup attached to them. If not, the amp kit will have a wire for it to run.

 

If you have a stock headunit, connect your low-level converter BEHIND THE HEADUNIT!!! Not only do you have to be back there anyway for your amplifier remote wire, but when you decide to upgrade to an aftermarket headunit, your RCA's will be back there already. But since you're running an aftermarket headunit, you won't need an LOC, just run your RCA's to the amplifier, and your remote wire. The remote wire is the wire that runs from the headunit to the amplifier "telling" the amplifier when to turn on, which is when your headunit turns on. It's commonly a solid blue wire, but check with your owner's manual for your headunit just to verify it. A common wire confused with your remote wire is your power antenna, which is blue with a white stripe. So here are the wires you will need for this..

1) A power wire from your battery to your amplifier (recommended 4awg minimum, fuse installed within 18" of your battery, rate the fuse FOR THE WIRE, NOT THE AMP, which is just over 100A if I recall correctly for 4awg)

2) A ground wire for your amplifier (make sure it's the same size if not larger than your power wire, no more than 36" long, and tapped to some part of the body that is pure metal, not on top of paint)

3) A pair of RCA wires that go from your headunit to the amplifier for the sound processing

4) A remote wire from the headunit to the amplifier so the amplifier knows when to turn on (which is usually a solid blue wire on the harness for your headunit but again, please verify it with your owner's manual)

5) A pair of wires that runs from the amplifier to your subwoofer(s). The thicker the wire, the better. I wouldn't use anything less than 12awg for your subs.

Hopefully this helps! Good luck on your install and post pix!!