Wiring a DVD player in car

[tehon3299 10+ year member]

Hey guys -

Anyone know where I can get some good information on how to wire up a DVD and TV in my car? I just need to know how it all gets wired and if I will need an FM modulator or what. Any information would be appreciated!

--Tehon

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[chad24 10+ year member]

I can tell you how I did mine. Its a very simple hook up. Otherwise you can go to Partsexpress.com they have some info.

 

[tehon3299 10+ year member]

Can you tell me how you did yours? My AIM is Tehon2884 or you can post here. Thanks!

 

[chad24 10+ year member]

You have to use an FM modulator if you want to hear the sound through the car speakers other wise you must buy wireless headphones. I connected the hot wires from the FM modulator, the DVD, and the LCD to a constant hot wire and I used the hot wire that the radio uses, I just wired in a small switch that I mounted on the dash (on off switch) that shuts all the power down so you don't drain your batt. I wanted the system wired to a constant hot so if you ever turn your car off for a short period of time, say when you stop and run into a store, the movie keeps playing. That way you don't have to run back through the menu to restart it. Other than the ground wires which is pretty obvious how to hook them up, you only have to plug your RCA audio cables from the DVD to the fm modulator, and the RCA video cable from the LCD to the DVD. The hardest thing about the whole install to me was mounting the LCD. I have a 2003 Trailblazer and I had to drop the whole headliner down. By the way if anybody needs any tips on that I got em!

Let me know if I need to explain anything more or you need something else.

 

[tehon3299 10+ year member]

OK...That helps a lot...So the FM modulator connects to the head unit so it can use your speakers, how does that get wired your head unit? And when you say "stop and run into the store", when you turn the car off, the sound stops since the head unit turns off right? And does the constant hot wire, something that always has power? Could I run a power wire from the battery to the switch and from the switch to the constant hot wire??

Thanks for the help!

--Tehon

 

[chad24 10+ year member]

The FM modulator has a hot and a ground wire and the wire from your ant. plugs into it. Then the modulator has an identical ant. wire that plugs into your radio. All you have to do is put it on a specific radio station and then youll here the sound.

When you turn off the car the sound does go off but it comes right back on when you turn on the key. And the constant wire does always have power so running a wire from the battery would be OK.

 

[tehon3299 10+ year member]

OK...One more question...Not all head units need an FM modulator right? How would I know if mine needs one or not and what if I do need one, what do you recommend for a brand??

Thanks!

 

[taylor 10+ year member]

it will have an input on the back called AUX....if not then you need the fm modulator, or you can findyourslef an indash eq with a aux. on it too....

 

[tehon3299 10+ year member]

OK...Now the DVD player will not need constant power correct? Only when I want it on is when it will need power. That should be the same for the modulator too right? And how much power do you think a tv, dvd player, and modulator would draw??

--Tehon

 

[chad24 10+ year member]

The dvd will not need a constant hot nor does anything else but for me it was a better setup. I don't know how much power they would draw but I would say not a whole lot. I know that LCDs don't use much power or at least thats what Ive been told.

 

[taylor 10+ year member]

not enough to worry about

 

[tehon3299 10+ year member]

What would you recommend as a fuse if I have all these hooked to the same power wire with an inline fuse? TV, DVD, and FM Modulator. 10A fuse?

--Tehon

 

[chad24 10+ year member]

They should come with there own fuse. By the way I bought one modulator that didn't work very well at all I exchanged it for a Clarion 200 and it works awesome. was $10 more ($39.99) but is worth it!

 

[tehon3299 10+ year member]

But I am going to be powering them from a distribution block so I was wondering what size fuse to put in that??

--Tehon