Tips Before Installation

1. Bench Test Your Radio

All of our radios are tested before they leave the factory. However, SHIP HAPPENS. During the shipping process, your radio may fall 3 feet on the conveyor belt and there is a chance that a small, but dense, say 20 lb package could fall directly on top of that. We try to protect the packages as best as possible without going to the extreme, but radios do get damaged in shipping. It has happened and will likely continue to happen. In order to make sure your radio works out of the box, we recommend bench testing it. To bench test your radio, take the following steps:

A. Unpack the radio

B. Connect the power harness to the back of the radio

C. You must connect both the B+ and ACC wire to the positive side of your battery, jump starter, or any other 12V source

D. Connect the black, ground wire to the negative side of your battery, 12V source

E. Press the left tuner shaft knob in

F. The radio should light up. If it doesn't, make sure that you have all three wires connected properly

G. If it still doesn't light up, it means something went bad in the shipping process and we can replace your radio for you

2. Test Your Speaker Connections

Before connecting your speaker wires to the speaker wire harness, make sure you have a good connection running through your vehicle. The easiest way to do this is with a AA battery.

A. Touch the + speaker wire to the positive side of the battery

B. Touch the - speaker wire to the negative side of the battery

You should hear a slight "Pop" sound when contact is made to both + and -. If this happens, then you have good speaker connections and you can connect the speaker wires to the speaker wire harness that is included with the radio. If you do not hear a pop, double check the connections on the speaker itself. Our radios are designed to work on 4 ohm stereos and they do not operate with common ground speakers (speakers where the negative wire goes to the body).

3. Do Not Over-Tighten The Shaft Nuts

One of the easiest ways to ensure that your radio never turns on is by over-tightening the nuts on each tuner shaft. The tuner shafts are made from pot metal. If you over tighten the nut, it will crush the pot metal and the tuner shaft will stop working properly. When this happens, there are three likely outcomes.

A. The radio will not power on

B. The volume will jump when turning it up or down

C. The right station tuning shaft will jump all over the place when trying to tune to a station

4. Use Connectors with A Proper Crimp

There is no reason to twist wires and use electrical tape. Do not use wire nuts.  Wire nuts are good for your house which doesn't vibrate when it goes down the road.  The connection will go bad or come undone and when it does, it will likely short out the radio. For a couple of dollars, don't be lazy. Get some butt connectors and ensure that you have a good crimp on both ends.