jthorn9

The following write up is how to install a Mach 1000 unit into your factory Mach 460. This install assumes you have the amps, amp rack, wiring harness for the amps/subs, mounting brackets, and the two subs. There are a lot of Mach 1000 units for sale however none of them ever offer the power wire from the radio/engine bay to the amp rack/subs so here's how to bypass all that. Keep in mind that if you have an 01 or back Mach 460 you will follow this install exactly. If you have an 02 or newer you may have a different route as the Mach 460 amp already had a built in cross over to turn on the Mach 1000 that the older 460s lack, however from my research this process should work regardless of year. Also keep in mind a few things. The Mach 460 was wired mono at 6 ohm being divided into 3 ohm going to either side of the car. The subs in the Mach 1000 are wired at 4 ohms and are still mono, it is for this reason you will need an SFI crossover/converter, if you do not have one your system will not work (this may be the exclusion for 02-04 models but I'm not sure). Also by being mono there is no left/right audio cables like in stereo systems so do not get confused when you start using the left/right audio jacks on the RCA cables, it doesn't matter its all mono.

What you need:

9/16" Self Ratcheting Wrench
Small Electricians Flat Head Screw Driver
Electrical Tape or Heat Shrink
12' 8 Gauge Amp Power Wire
1' 8 Gauge Amp Ground Wire
RCA cable (all you will use is the male end)
SNI 35 Crossover/Converter (sold at many audio shops)
1' 12 Gague Wire
30' Roll 16 Gague Wire
1 10-12 Gauge Ring Terminal (unless you can find a 6-8 gauge)
9 14-16 Gauge But Splices
2 10-12 Gauge But Splices (unless you can find 6-8 gauge)
Multi-Gauge Wire Stripper
Wire Crimping Tool
30 Amp In Line Fuse
3 14-16 Gauge Crimp On In Line Splices

NOTE: All of the pictures in this write up I took after the install was complete, so you may see one or two things done before I state them to be, follow my instructions, do not do anything before hand or else you may get ahead of yourself and have problems. There was no way for me to do this write up as I went because of how complicated everything was. I spent a total of 12 hours figuring out exactly how to do this short write up you see here. I can't tell you how many times I did something just to have to undo it and try again.

Prework:
* Install the 10-12 Gauge Ring Terminal on the 1' 8 Gauge Amp Ground Wire.
* Install the in line fuel at one end of the power cable. After it's installed (depending on what kind you bought) Cut off approx 1' off the other side to run to the fuse box terminal.
* Cut off the two plugs at the back right side of the amp rack. One will have 4 prongs the other will have 6. Leave about 1-2" of wire on the plugs just in case in the future you need to reinstall them if you sell the unit. Then peal back approx 4-6" of that sealing tape on the wiring harness to reveal the individual colored wires.

1.) Use this write up for the first 6 steps, stop on their 6th picture that's where this install and the kit install differs. http://www.mustang50magazine.com/fea...all/index.html

* Here is a pic showing the power cable connection to the wire post (yellow wire)


2.) Take the short ground wire, and install it to the bolt at the bottom of the back seat frame.


3.) Now you are gonna be working with the 6 wires that power the amps. 4 are positive wires, 2 are ground wires.

*) The ground wires are colored black/green. Strip both these wires back approx 1/2" and tie them together. Then use a 10-12 gauge butt splice and crimp them inside. If you're using heat shrink don't forget to slide a piece on now before crimping the ground on. Next Crimp the 8 gauge ground wired into the but splice. You will have to pull back some wire and trim it as needed. Then heat shrink or carefully use electrical tape to seal the connection.

* 2 of the positive wires are colored purple/blue and white/purple. Strip approx 1/2" back on all of them and tie the 2 purple/blue wires together and crimp a 10-12 gauge butt splice on, then tire the white/purple wires together and crimp a butt splice on. Now take that 1' of 12 gauge wire and cut two 4-6" pieces off. Strip approx 1/4" off of one end of each piece and 1/2" of the other end of each piece. Slide on your heat shrink now is using, and crimp the 1/4" stripped ends into the but splices that you already have on the positive wires and heat shrink. Now on the other end with the 1/2" strip, twist those ends together and put a 10-12 gauge butt splice on them, this will form a y harness. Slide on your heat shrink if used, then crimp on the 8 gauge power cable (again you will have to peal back and trim some wire) then heat shrink or tape sealed. Remember if you're using tape to be very careful, but splices can pull apart easily at times, especially when twisting two wires together.

Here is a picture of how it should look finished.


4.) Now we will be working with the 4 wires from the other connector. They are colored gray/black (amp turn on), green/black (pre amp), blue/red (pre amp), and black taped wire (common ground)

* Run a line of that 16 gauge wire from the trunk, under the seat, then through the door frame, under the driers' side sill plate to the drivers side kick panel. Remove the panel and you will see a big wiring harness just behind and under the hood latch. There is a solid light green wire near the front of that harness. Use one of the 14-16 gauge in line splices and splice that wire from the trunk into this line. You may need to use a pair of pliers to get it to close and splice all the way. Be careful to ensure neither the green wire nor the 16 gauge wire you ran pops out of the splice, if it does your amps will not turn on. I do not have a pic of this connection.

* In the trunk strip 1/4" off the gray/black wire and use a 14-16 gauge butt splice (don't forget to slip on heat shrink) to connect the wire running to the front to the gray/black wire. Heat shrink or tape and seal.

*Next strip 1/4" off of the green/black, black tape wire, and blue/red wire.

*Cut 3 stands of 16 gauge wire approx 2' long and strip off 1/4" off of all the ends.

* Butt splice those three stands to the green/black, taped black, and blue/red wries, heat shrink or tape and seal. DO NOT FORGET WHICH WIRES ARE WHICH if you seal at this point, wait until the install is finished to seal these.

Showing the finish product of the input wires


* Now cut 2 8" long 16 gauge wires and splice them into the left/right speaker wires in the trunk. These wires will be located near a gray connector and will be colored black/white (positive) and black/green (negative). Use the two remaining 14-16 gauge in line splices and splice them into the signal wires.

Ignore the purple wires the green wires are what I had spliced in.


5.) Now we will be dealing with the SNI box to amp pre-amps. Keep in mind there are various kinds of SNI boxes. If you get the 35 series your wires will be the same color as mine. These boxes will have 3 color sets of wires. 1 color +/- left audio, +/- right audio, and 2 grounds. Keep in mind that the Mach 460 and 1000 units are wired mono, so there is no left and right audio, all you will use is one set of wires I chose the white wires. Using both sets will result in a system short and your subs will not play.

* Take one set of wires (remember I chose white) and connect the pair to the wires you just installed in my last image. Connect the positive wire to the wire that connects to the white/black wire up top using a 14/16 gauge butt splice. Then Connect the negative wire to the wire that connects to the black/green wire up top. Be careful when crimping to ensure you have a good seal, this is gonna be an awkward angle to work at. Again if using tape be careful when taping up the splices to ensure they don't pull out as the SNI box will have to dangle there while you do this. NOTE, you can install the SNI box directly into the wires at top however using the two 6-8" wires gives you much more additional room to work with and will allow you to have easy access to the box and you can store it on the amp rack instead of having it hang.

Showing the finished job


* Next take the RCA cable and cut it off approx 8" behind the male ends. Now you must be extremely careful when doing this as the wire is extremely small. Strip the outer jacket approx 2" back from the top. Once you get it off you will notice an inner wire in it's own jacket surrounded by bare copper wire. Pull back and trim off the copper wire (this is a ground wire but you don't need it). Then ever so carefully strip off the jacket off the inner wire. Then once the wire is revealed fold it in half, then in half again. This will give you a think enough section to splice. Then carefully twist the wire end and crimp it into a 14-16 gauge butt splice. You will do this to both the red and white RCA wires. Then crimp one onto the wire that connects to the green/black wire and the other to the blue/red wire and seal. Again be extremely careful when doing these butt spices as the RCA wire is very thin and can easily pull out the butt splice, even once folded to make a larger end.

* Take the two ground wires on the SNI box, this them together, then use a 14-16 gauge butt splice and butt splice them to the last remaining wire that runs to the taped black wire and seal.

* Now plug in the two RCA cables into the SNI box.Be careful not to yank on them as you could disturb the butt splice.


* On the back of the SNI box there will be two dials. Turn them to about 1/2 - 2/3 the way up (clockwise) this controls the feedback/volume of the subs. I found 1/2 to be the best setting.

* Lastly tuck the SNI box in behind one of the amps on the rack and run the wires along side the wiring harness on the amp rack to hide it all. The one set of wires you did not use just fold and tuck along the factory harness as well. Do not cut them off just in case a time arises when you should need them.

The finished product







Trouble shooting

* Stereo stays on after ignition is turned off for 2-3 seconds - You likely have a poor ground somewhere. Check your grounds at the y connection that connects to the ground wire that runs to the frame.

* Subs drone after you turn off ignition for 2-3 seconds - You need to turn back the dials on the SNI box.

* Turn ignition on and nothing from the subs - Recheck your connections at the y on the positive side, and recheck your splice that connects the amp/turn on signal. Also check your RCA connects to the pre amps. Any of these can cause the amp rack not to turn on causing the subs not to work.

* Turn the ignition on and nothing happens, electronics and radio comes on but no sound - Very likely you crossed wire, spliced into the wrong wire, or have a dead short in the wiring harness or amp rack.

* One sub comes on but not the other - Check your positive and negative connections at the y, if one wasn't secured properly one set of amps will come on but not the other. If that checks out you could likely have a dead short in one or both of the amps that power the other sub. You will need a meter to test the amp connections at this point.