DIY Question

[shipcamein 10+ year member]

2013 Silverado Ext Cab

Newb questions...

Due to my inability to locate someone local to install this system for $$, I am going to do some of the work myself. I was hesitant because the truck is BRAND NEW, and I do NOT want to scratch it or otherwise damage it just yet. (I also got some feedback from someone saying I am going to void the warranty...i do not know to what degree that can be true...).

Anyway - my easy questions:

I'm doing the rear doors - because I know they need a custom bracket. I can do that work myself, and I'll use the service manual to get the door apart. My question is: In general, do I just unhook the stock speaker, and hook up the new one? I am not running new wires....right?? Just reusing what's there?

Which leads to: The AMP will certainly take new wires. From the head (keeping it stock), wires go to speakers. Will the wires NOW go from the head...somewhere...to my amp (underseat) then back up near the head...to re-unite with the speaker wires?

Am I missing something obvious here?

(Doing rear doors first; if I "mar" one of those half-door panels, I can always retreat, and find a pro. If it goes well, I'll move to the front...)

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[>>SQL<< 10+ year member]

You run RCA's from the head unit to the AMP

Then run the speaker wires from the AMP back to the head unit, cut the speaker wires going to the doors, and connect them (wires going to doors) to the new wires you ran from your AMP.

Make sense to you?

 

[shipcamein 10+ year member]

Yes, that makes perfect sense, and is what I was guessing. So I guess the next question is - how do those wires get to the back seat (amp)? Under the door sills? Or the carpet? Or??

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

Yes, that makes perfect sense, and is what I was guessing. So I guess the next question is - how do those wires get to the back seat (amp)? Under the door sills? Or the carpet? Or??

That question is yours to answer. Ideally I like to put wires in the factory wiring channels that run through the floorboard. That way they're protected and will be hidden. Sometimes you gotta remove seats to get access.

 

[shipcamein 10+ year member]

Thanks for the great info. Factory channels, though - they don't commonly have a "hole" where they appear in the center below the backseat (I'm being facetious, but you get the idea). Or do I move the amp "somewhere" closer to one side or the other where such a hole commonly appears? Or once again, am I missing something obvious? Honestly I am not this inept, but I want to be sure I can succeed before mangling my toy!

 

[>>SQL<< 10+ year member]

Bro you just start pulling panels and figuring things out.

I always run the power wire on the side that the battery is on and the speaker and RCA's down the other side.

On a few installs I have run the speaker / RCA's under the center console and under the carpet the rest of the way to the back.

It seems hard if you haven't done it but it really isn't