Need help installing an amp

[2012LTZ]

Today I turned the stereo all the way up and was shocked I could still talk over it!?! Time to buy an amp.
I don't want something that's huge and/or grabs the attention of thieves so I bought a Rockford Fosgate PBR300X4.
I'd like to install it in a discreet place where you can't see it and use it to run the speakers in my doors.
It's a 4 channel amp.

Last time I did a car stereo install, they still had knobs! OMG!
They also had wires coming out of the unit that you could easily identify and connect to.
I'm afraid I'm going to need some help this time around.

• Where would be best, most out of the way location (closer to the radio the better) I could install this thing?
  Is there going to be any room in the dash when I remove/get to the back of the stock stereo?
  ( The amp is only 6-15/16"W x 1-9/16"H x 4-5/16"D )
  
  
• Am I going to need some kind of harness or can I splice off wires coming out of the existing harness?
  
  
• I want this thing to come on and off with the radio.
  Will this be possible?

Thanks

 

[sonic007]

Theres a few places you can put the 4 channels. Theres a decent amount of room behind the radio, but the amp would have to be pretty small. I usually put them under one of the front seats. Since the car factory radio has a data turn on, the only way to get the amp to turn on and off is to hook it to an ignition wire, probably in the ignition harness or to an ignition fuse at the fuse box.

I wouldnt reccommend amping the factory speakers. They are only rated to handle the power that the factory radio puts to them. You will have a very high chance of frying them after that amp goes in.

 

[mister2d]

Theres a few places you can put the 4 channels. Theres a decent amount of room behind the radio, but the amp would have to be pretty small. I usually put them under one of the front seats. Since the car factory radio has a data turn on, the only way to get the amp to turn on and off is to hook it to an ignition wire, probably in the ignition harness or to an ignition fuse at the fuse box.

I wouldnt reccommend amping the factory speakers. They are only rated to handle the power that the factory radio puts to them. You will have a very high chance of frying them after that amp goes in.

Not necessarily. Without knowing the specs of the factory speakers you don't know that for sure. There's a good chance that the factory radio is under powering the factory speakers. I have a good example of that in my other car. Hooking a aftermarket amp up to them produced a much richer sound.

You could always dial down the level of signal put out to the channels as well without replacing speakers. This would give you time to spend money on replacing them later.

 

[sonic007]

Yea you would have to dail the amp down alot. Every chevy ive encountered had cheap speakers in it which would blow fairly quickly if amped. He said he cranked it all the way and it wasnt loud. I only assumed he would do the same if amped, in turn would put way too much power to those speakers causing them to blow. I know the speakers in my sonic are not powerful at all. I guess im assuming his was the same.

Also if he wants it louder id only assume youd have to crank the amp up. Dailing the amp down would give the same response as the headunit power. Not much reason to amp speakers if your not going to crank it. A 4 channel is made to allow speakers to be played louder without distorting. It gives clearer crisper sound at higher volumes.

 

[Sonic]

The Do It Yourself section is where you post write ups on how to do something, usually with pictures. This is not the section for this thread. Please repost it in the interior and ice section.