Anyone done a Honda Prelude install ( this is a UK, RHD 2.2 VTEC 1992 ). I just started and already spotted getting 12v from the engine area through the bulkhead looks impossible.

However I notice there is a big stack of electrrics in the boot ( trunk ) - maybe for the 4WS system, that has what looks like a decent 12v feed.

Anyone know what these electrics are, and how safe it would be to install the Amp in the boot and use this as the 12v feed ?

Any other gottcha's on Prelude install's welcome.

Im going to help a friend install his in the same car except for its a us model. Theres no rubber grommet in the firewall to feed the power wire through? Im very interested in what you find out and how you end up wiring it.

Sean

I'm going back out to look again now, but initial inspection, looks like there are only a couple and they are so high up, that I would need to take the dash out.

you could always run a coat hanger down through the grommet to see where it comes out I had the same deal with my integra but I got a 4 gauge power wire through so Im sure you can figure it out. I do not recommend trying to power an amp with anything other than a direct battery connection.

That's exactly what I did with the Honda Odyssey - used a coat hanger, the power cable, and some duct tape and squirrled it through the rubber grommet, out into behind the glove compartment.

I have to admit though, yeah, it was a tight fit getting my fingers up to the receiving end ... which is why the coat hanger comes in handy.

Do you think you will be able to fit 2 head units in that opening? I had a look at it today, and it looks like it may be possible. Ill have to measure the opening tomorrow.

Sean

Thanks, in the end ( 60 minutes of taking things apart ) I discovered that if you un-bolt the fuse box in the engine bay ( drivers side of this RHD 4th Gen prelude ) you find a gromet in a decent position to get the wire through.

I took the whole of the centre part of the dash out, only tricky piece is that you unscrew the gear stick cover, from underneath.

There is a nice big box down the centre of the car ( for storage in the rear ) that I unbolted and ran most of the cables down the centre of the car, amp mounted in the boot ( trunk ), by cutting a section of foam that pads the boot floor to the shelf that the full size spare wheel is under.

I am pretty sure you would not get two full size Din units in the dash, as the plastic under the head unit is a little thinner.

Finally discovered that my Mk2 was doing wierd things, in that if you switched off the ignition, and then back on Empeg would not power up. You had to yank it out of the dash and pop it back in. The Mk2a is fine though.

Didn't get install pics as was limited by time on the install, as g-f wanted the car back as quick as possible. Could grab some post install pics if anyone is really interested.

How long altogether did it take you to install the amp and empeg? How much of the interior did you have to rip out to get the cables through? Thanks for the tip on the fuse box. Was it not possible to run the power cable down one side of the car and the rca cables down the other?

Thanks,
Sean

9am to 5pm, that included breakfast, lots of cups of tea ( and head scratching ), lunch and tea. I took my time and did a good job.

I had *all the centre console out, from the head unit all the way into the boot ( trunk ), back seats out, even the windsreen wipers off at one point !

The centre tunnel is almost a foot wide in the 4th Gen Prelude, so a took a chance and ran them in parallel, making sure power did not cross RCA's.

I wish I had got you some install pics now, as now I have done it once, bet I could do a Prelude install in a couple of hours.

Oh my! This sounds like quite an operation. I havent taken a close look at the interior of the car outside of the head unit area. I was hoping to be able to run cables under the trim along the outsides of the car. Whoever installed this alpine cd changer, they did a crappy job, it sticks out 3 or 4 inches beyond where it should. Then the cd changer cartridge pushes out an additional 4 inches every time the cd changes, and bumps into the gear changer, which causes an error. You have to shift into neutral to change cds. Ive never seen anything like it really. Im thinking it might be worth the 100 dollars to get this installed by someone else, as im afraid of breaking something when i'm ripping apart someone elses car.

Sean

Just take your time, I have only done 3 installs in the last 10 years, but I just make sure I have all the tools and bits I will need before starting. Then just take it nice and easy. Stop for a break ( as I said, I drank lots of tea ! ) if you get stuck, and refect on a way forward.

If you give me some notice of when you are going to do it, I could check if its a day I would be around to keep an eye on the BBS, or be available via Yahoo/AIM etc.

Worse that can happen is you get the old head unit out and cannot install the new one, and that should save you some folding green stuff, should you need to pay to get the Empeg installed.