I replaced the stock stereo with an alpine deck. I noticed the lights flicker, getting much brighter than usual at times. Seems totally random, but the deck has been fine otherwise for over a year. Any idea why or if this is normal? Maybe a grounding issue?

def a connection issue. if you had some of the lighting malfunctioning then i would say deck issue but if its all then its a wire loose or a bad pin out in the plug on the back of the deck.


NEUMAN

Should i be concerned? Like i said, no other issues that i'm aware of. Some of the caps that you twist the wires together in (technical, i know) had problems falling off but i taped them up....i'm professional.

Thats scary, actually. MARETTEs are for solid wires, not multi-strand.

Soldering guns are like $30. You'll use it a lot. Buy some heat shrink too. Electrical tape should be fine under the dash, but usually not in the engine bay. Heat shrink is more permanent.

Don't screw around with electronics, it winds up biting you in the a--. Just do it right the first time.

oops. shouldn't take too long to fix though. i didn't know they were that cheap...

If you're patient, just get a 40w one. If you're not patient, get a 220w one.

Thanks, that's vital info for me. I am incredibly impatient.

You can use marettes with multi-strand just fine :/ Just make sure you give plenty of length for it, and use a small enough(tight enough) marette so you don't need to twist it more than 3/4 of a turn. I think Ryan meant in regards to the smaller strands breaking if you overtwist them. Solder is a better choice, but if you cap them properly and then tape over it to keep it from pulling, then it shouldn't give you trouble.

Also, my lighting on my own head unit started flashing a while ago, although it was just dim and bright repeating over and over. I was about ready to yank it out when I went into the settings to change my clock, the dimmer setting had not been changed(since pulling the battery and moving my sub in/out of the car), and was flashing because it hadn't been set. I felt stupid, after 2 weeks of flashing blue backlight it was fixed. Annoying, yes. I won't do that again though!

Anyone using marettes in a vehicle, especially a for a car audio install, should be shot.

QFT

marettes work, but:

-unreliable
-hack
-ugly as s---

I'd agree, if they didn't know what they were doing. You just have to make sure they won't have tension on the capped portion of the wires. Tension in the wrong place hurts any job though, marettes or not.




They can be reliable; just like everything else, it's the quality of the job that dictates how it will turn out. If they aren't installed properly, they won't last. That can be said about ANYTHING.

Personally, I use these little guys, or something similar:

As for the ugly bit, it's not an aesthetic tool; So, the functionality should outweigh the "look" anyway

Idk, I like clean, loomed work that is just as strong as unbroken wire.

Indeed! Nothing like a good tight twist, add some solder, finish off with some shrink wrap and you've got a tight, secure, waterresistant/proof (pending the type of shrink wrap) and reliable connection that is stronger than the wire itself. Makes for a clean installation too.

I'm not a fan of those crimping connectors either to join 2 wires (as pictured above), they're not as reliable, and you still have to add shrink wrap if you want to make them weather resistant, which makes it hard because you need shrink wrap that will go over it, but will shrink enough to seal the cable. Adds some bulk to the wires too, especially if you're doing a deck install where you've got a dozen side by side. The only exception of joining large gauge wire, but that wire typically doesn't get ran outside the cabin, and i'll still solder it too, I NEVER ever rely on crimping alone, even with my spade/quick connects, I'll still solder them to the wire.

I could gurantee that I could twist a wire (and nothing more) better than using marrettes.



Don't even get me started on those crimp-on wire taps, lol.

It really depends on the application, I haven't had a problem with my audio in any of my cars, and I've always done that myself. The exception being when I got my newest Sub, the warranty required "professional" installation.

The rear speakers in an MX-3 are a good example of something that should have a crimp type connector, for relatively quick release. Every single time I have to remove the housings, I'm VERY glad I chose crimps for the speaker wires.

You don't need to make certain things weather resistant. I wouldn't put anything safety related together this way, because chances are I wouldn't be checking/replacing it all that often anyway. For something you remove as often as a head unit or speakers, quick-release isn't so bad. Although, I DO solder the wires to these guys:

I just don't solder them to the "male" end of the connector. I'm with you guys on anything safety related though, and especially anything that moisture can get to.