Printer Friendly Forum Posts - Not wiring door spearkers through molex

The post regarding wiring the door speakers through the Molex connector was very informative.

My question is: I am having amps and speakers professionally installed in my car and the installer mentioned in that he is tapping into the speaker wires at the factory amp location. He mentioned going through the Molex connectors was too difficult.

Is using the factory speaker wire good for Boston Pro 60's and a JL 300/4? Or should they be running new wire?

Total install with equipment and custom fiberglass work is over $6K.

I think if they are charging you 6K for something and running wires through the molex is too complicated for them I would be very scared of how had putting a radio in for them might be, or for that matter setting he gains right on a JL amp.

I would seriously look at another shop, not due to the fact that thier is a problem with tapping wires....I really prefer to run new ones so I know everything is good and new, but due to the fact that they make it seam as if it is complicated.

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I understand your response totally; however, I have done business with this company for years. They have a chain of 5 stores plus their corporate office. They do custom work that looks great.

I'm under the impression that it’s like what you said that tapping into the wires is fine and he was just explaining why they do that. This was mentioned when he was explaining the whole install and equipment location with me.

I just want to make sure I shouldn’t insist on new wire.

You know the store is the same but installers come and go, so I have confidence in the store and the selection of their installers.

You seem to be answering your own question. Have the new wiring installed, and show the owner Rob's thread on how to install through a Molex.

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Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

stevdart wrote:

You seem to be answering your own question. Have the new wiring installed, and show the owner Rob's thread on how to install through a Molex.

Really I was looking for everyone’s opinion on what they would do?

drober30 wrote:

stevdart wrote:

You seem to be answering your own question. Have the new wiring installed, and show the owner Rob's thread on how to install through a Molex.

Really I was looking for everyone’s opinion on what they would do?

That's what I would do, if going to another shop was out of the question. If you want new wires run, they should do it correctly.

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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.

Who's doing it? Best Buy? It seems like someone that experienced would at least have an idea of how to do it. For 6k, I would expect the best.

These guys are experienced. I think there position is that tapping into the wires at the factory amp location is ok.

If everyone was telling me no way, they must run new wires, and then I would talk to them about it.

So far the collective responses I have received state that it’s ok or have them run them if you want.
No one here or at another forum I participate in has said I would never accept that.

I am spending allot of money but the labor is probably $900 of the total amount and that includes the fiberglass work.
It's not Best Buy, it’s a specialty car stereo shop and their portfolio has some amazing installs in it.

The installer did not try to hide the fact that they were using existing wires.

Experience or not, for 6K, I'd demand new wires all the way to the speakers. Running wires through a molex is NOT that difficult... I'm old and fat, and I can still do it. While 1: they are not hiding the fact that they are using the factory wires is admirable, 2: for that kind of money, I'd want them to spend a bit more time and energy installing proper wires. Granted, you will not likely hear a difference in the overall fidelity of the system, I'd still insist.

Out of curiosity, what equipment are you getting for 5100 bucks? SURELY there is some wiggle room in there for a spool or two of at least entry level Monster cable... If they are already running RCA cables (they ARE running RCA's, right? Not using LOC's at the amps or something cheesy like that...) they can place the speaker wires next to them, all done. All that is left now is MAYBE an additional half hour to run the speaker wires through to the doors.

If you feel comfortable about the work they do, stay with 'em, but my opinion is: "New speaker wires all the way". I'd never run anything but a deck through stock speaker wire... ANY amplifier gets new cables, to and from...

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It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

I would not have even offered you such an suggestion for wiring, it would have gone direct to the door speaker. Accept the job no other way. No offence to the shop, nor the rapore you have built with them, but this is just plain lazy. If they are doing this to your system, they are doing it to all systems and that is just plain wrong. Kudo's to them for telling you what they were going to do, but they need to do their job properly.

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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.

nouseforaname wrote:

hey, i work at best buy and i resent that.
but i do agree with all the other posts, 6k is pretty high for a shop that can't do that kind of wiring. print out forbiddens thread on this subject and take it to the shop. if they still say its to hard, i'd go somewhere else.

No offence man, I'm talking about the 18yo's they hire that before best buy had only put a deck in their moms station wagon.

drober30 wrote:

If everyone was telling me no way, they must run new wires, and then I would talk to them about it.
So far the collective responses I have received state that it’s ok or have them run them if you want.
No one here or at another forum I participate in has said I would never accept that.

I don't know how you're reading that into these replies, but everybody here has said to run the new wiring.

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Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

stevdart wrote:

drober30 wrote:

If everyone was telling me no way, they must run new wires, and then I would talk to them about it.
So far the collective responses I have received state that it’s ok or have them run them if you want.
No one here or at another forum I participate in has said I would never accept that.

I don't know how you're reading that into these replies, but everybody here has said to run the new wiring.

My car was sent to their custom shop for the fiberglass work. I never knew they had this building. It has no store front, it is just where they do all their fabrication and custom work. I met with the installer who is going to do the fiberglass and we went over my options.

My original plan won’t work unless I want to lose access to my spare so I am thinking about ideas tonight and meeting with him tomorrow to give the green light on what ever I decide. He gave me some ideas to consider.

I will mention the speaker wire to him and let you know what he says.

I just got back from talking with the installer at the custom shop. This is where my car is supposed to be!!!

I thought I was spending allot on my install $6k, which is allot for me, however, when I went inside the warehouse they had a Hummer and an Avalanche that both were exceeding $30k in custom work.

The installer was so nice and reassuring! He said he would check it all over and definitely run the speaker wire through the Molex. He said "we are the best of the best ". Just being nice and providing reassurance.

His Chrysler 300 was amazing. The doors opened up like a Ferrari.

I can now sleep at night. Thanks for the feedback and I will post some pics when finished.

He asked how long he could have it and I said as long as you need to make it perfect!

nouseforaname wrote:

don't you mean they opened up like a lambo? well maybe an enzo. anyways, like we all said, not bashing your shop but if they were truely as good as they say they are, running wires through a molex shouldn't be that big a deal. i've never tried it and have always been a little, uuummmm........scared is such a strong word, but yeah, scared, untill i read over forbiddens thread. since then, i've done a couple with no problems. it is indeed i little work, but nothing an experianced installer shouldn't be able to handle.
THANKS FORBIDDEN!!

It's ok to bash the shop! Like I said they hide the "great installers" in an unmarked building. I guess you have to cross a certain price point or type of install to unlock the hidden palace but my baby is there now and I know its in good hands!

haemphyst wrote:

Out of curiosity, what equipment are you getting for 5100 bucks? SURELY there is some wiggle room in there for a spool or two of at least entry level Monster cable... If they are already running RCA cables (they ARE running RCA's, right? Not using LOC's at the amps or something cheesy like that...) they can place the speaker wires next to them, all done. All that is left now is MAYBE an additional half hour to run the speaker wires through to the doors.

If you feel comfortable about the work they do, stay with 'em, but my opinion is: "New speaker wires all the way". I'd never run anything but a deck through stock speaker wire... ANY amplifier gets new cables, to and from...

By the way :

AVIC Z1

JL Audio 500/1

JL Audio 300/4

Jl 12W7

Boston Pro 60 (2 sets)

Jl audio Wire Kit

RCA (high end they sell which extends the warranty of my amps to five years)

XM /Traffic Nav , Bluetooth, Steering whell controls, bypass ect...

austincustoms wrote:

Who's doing it? Best Buy? It seems like someone that experienced would at least have an idea of how to do it. For 6k, I would expect the best.

Hey now i work at Best Buy and when a customer wants new wiring ran to their door speakers we run through door molex's also. As a matter of fact just yesterday i had to run some new wiring through a door molex for some fosgate 6x9's.

zerepdivad wrote:

austincustoms wrote:

Who's doing it? Best Buy? It seems like someone that experienced would at least have an idea of how to do it. For 6k, I would expect the best.

Hey now i work at Best Buy and when a customer wants new wiring ran to their door speakers we run through door molex's also. As a matter of fact just yesterday i had to run some new wiring through a door molex for some fosgate 6x9's.

Don't take it personally, I just havn't liked them much since they scrached up my dash and broke a few clips.

drober30 wrote:

RCA (high end they sell which extends the warranty of my amps to five years)

How much are these RCA's and why in the world would that extend the warranty on your amps except to convince you to buy them?

These guys are sounding worse and worse...

Personally I would start looking at other options.