Wicks

Correct. Wish my 320A Mechman had a neg post on it....

Try to find an LOC that says it accepts "balanced" or "differential" high level inputs just to be safe. Yep, that's the mounting bracket. Comes with HW and has many mounting tabs for various speakers.

Neg is attached to the case. Pos is at the back and insulated.

Check out my build log, my M3 is very similar but I had NAV: http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/141656-wicks-e46-m3-build-dc-audio-kenwood-mechman-hertz-fosgate-xp3000-build-delayfml/page__fromsearch__1 I used Hertz HSK130's which are a little pricey, but the tweeters came with a handy bracket that fit the stock location great. I found a very handy mounting bracket from Crutchfield to mount the mid to my stock location. Cheap and easy. I highly recommend the Metra ASWC that Ray mentioned. I used one and it was EASY! No programming at all (for my application). Your single DIN shouldn't be too bad, my double DIN was a nightmare... Keep in mind, from my research, Harmon Kardon HU's use differential (balanced) signals back to the rear amps. Make sure your LOC/amp equipment can handle balanced signals.

The12volt.com

One series cap will only get you a 6dB slope. If you need 12, you'll need a higher order xover setup.

Did your Big3 include a run to the starter? By removing the old wire you probly disconnected the starter. Leave the old wires connected. More wire never hurts!

Does the amp get hot? Take a DMM and measure the speaker output terminals, with no load connected. Do the same at the battery input terminals, with no cables connected.

There's more to a battery then resting voltage. A battery can reach a certain voltage but still not have any amperage capacity. You'd have to do a load test on it to really find out.

Damn...can't pass that up! Nice find.

An open cable is like no cable = no problem. Any decent amp has protection from shorts on the input and output so no RCA cables should be able cause amp failures.

Have a DMM? Measure shield to center conductor on each side. Should be a very high resistance. I'd you're below the mega-ohm range they're iffy. Then measure center conductor to center on each side. Should be under an ohm. The only scenario would be if the rca's were shorted between the center and shield. That would be impressive if an amp caused an rca cable to short... If that's the case, I have access to an X-ray machine. I'd pay to X-ray that cable.......out of curiosity.

Sweet! What kind and where'd you get it?

Its possible. Most consumer electronics use either red or green boards but I've seen blue, yellow and of course brown boards. The CM (contract manufacturer / build house / board house) would have to order colored circuit boards from the company that makes them. As Cody mentioned above, they're mass produced so the more changes you have, the higher the cost. If the circuit boards are rated at a higher temperature then most consumer electronics then that also may affect the color options...

I've had REAL shady behavior from dealers, but I'm sure they're all not like that. Now I'll only take my car to a very reputable indy shop. Much more personal experience. That dealer courtesy car is a nice bonus though...

Yep...bad alternator. Should be pretty damn stable at 14.4 or at least 13.8 especially without any equipment drawing you down. Edit: Before you dive off and spend $ on a new alt, check all your connections first and look for corrosion just in case.

I understand what you're saying, but how would the head unit relate the the lights dimming? I haven't seen any problems in the system yet because I don't think the fluctuation is noticable yet through the speakers. I didn't see this problem before it went into the shop... I will call them on monday when they are open You added an aftermarket HU and light dimming resulted...? An aftermartket HU will have a much bigger amp internal than factory. Therefore it will draw more power from the fuseblock. If the factory wiring is aimed at factory then it will probably be smaller than necessary. Correct me if I'm off but is sounds feasible. You may not notice the fluctuation through the speakers because there isn't enough power to cause noticeable distortion at the moment but there is enough to cause visual effects through the lights. No, I've had the head unit and speakers installed in the car for almost a year now on this is the first I've seen the problem. When I had my 500 watt sub amp amp installed too (pre-timing belt replacement) It wasn't seeing this problem. It wasn't until the battery had died 2 times and it had gone into the shop for work that I saw this problem. But I get what you're saying, I'm just not convinced that that's the problem, seeing as I have had the head unit and speakers for a year and haven't had a problem like this. I'll give this a shot though, I never really thought about the size of the wiring harness wires being a problem but I guess it can be an issue Ahh well if you've had the HU installed with no issues than that probably isn't it. I had another look at the video. So the lights dim/pulse as the engine is rev'd and not necessarily with music...right? Have a DMM? If so what's the voltage look like at idle and then what does it do as you rev up the rpms? May be a flaky alternator.

I understand what you're saying, but how would the head unit relate the the lights dimming? I haven't seen any problems in the system yet because I don't think the fluctuation is noticable yet through the speakers. I didn't see this problem before it went into the shop... I will call them on monday when they are open You added an aftermarket HU and light dimming resulted...? An aftermartket HU will have a much bigger amp internal than factory. Therefore it will draw more power from the fuseblock. If the factory wiring is aimed at factory then it will probably be smaller than necessary. Correct me if I'm off but is sounds feasible. You may not notice the fluctuation through the speakers because there isn't enough power to cause noticeable distortion at the moment but there is enough to cause visual effects through the lights.

Your HU and interior lights should be running off of your fuse block. Everything is dimming so the whole voltage to your fuseblock is dipping. I'm suspecting thin wiring to the HU. Try adding MUCH thicker wiring to the HU and/or fuseblock (power at least / ground too if possible) and see what happens. If you're connecting through your factory wiring then that might be it.

+1 I'm curious as well. Also how do you secure the trim-covers over the plexi on the box and amps?? Just a friction-fit?

That would be me. Go for it! It's cheaper than u think. The coax was on sale a little while ago for $0.60/ft which is hard to beat. If you use RG6 just remember that it's stiff and won't bend like thinner RCAs.

+1 on 80's and Hair Nation!!!

Yup I remember them from CA&E back in the 90's. Saw a set on eBay a while back and almost got em but I doubt they'll fit my dash. Richard Clark used them in his award winning Buick so they must be good.

Circuit breakers pop at a peak current. Fuses are thermal and pop with a high fault current. Fuses can take peak currents and allow you more tolerance. Go with the ANL fuse!

As has been said, a simple fan will be your cheapest option. Next running some sort of ducting to get cooler air into your trunk. Next look into a computer CPU chiller. A more eloborate fan/heatsink/liquid cooling option. If your really innovative and price isn't an issue, look into a peltier device. It's a semiconductor that produces a temperature differential between it's plates when electrical current is run through it. Basically you provide power to it and one side gets cold. Drawback, you'll need a fairly big device to cool a whole amp and it'll take a good amount of power from your car to provide enough cooling.