# 2017 Cruze hatchback how do you hook up an aftermarket amp?



## EricSmit (Dec 21, 2016)

It would certainly be easier to take it to a licensed/insured installer, but I can't imagine it'd be too hard if you've done it before. Show some pictures! What color? Trim?


----------



## chevrasaki (May 1, 2015)

I can tell you things were much easier for me when I did the subs in my Cobalt. There were already 6x9 speakers in the package tray above the rear seats. I tapped into the factory speakers for the pac converter. The battery was in the trunk for power to the amp. The hardest part was I wanted to put a rocker switch in the console so for the remote signal so I could turn the amp on and off and just be 100% stock if I was listening to someone talking in the radio.

The Cruze was far more difficult. I had to run a power cable to the trunk from under the hood which requires going through the firewall and removing various pieces of trim to hide the wires. Since the speakers are in the doors, I instead tapped into the speaker wires near the main harness behind the trim near the hood release and ran those to the pac converter then to the amp. I wired another rocker switch for the remote and mounted in on a bracket just behind the seat height adjustment.

I thought everything was good, but after I was done, I had some alternator whine. I tried a few different things, didn't work, got frustrated and just decided to put a second dedicated power circuit for the amp, capacitor, and other aux power things like a 12v always on socket, and the power for my trailer lights harness. I used an 80 amp isolator relay to charge the second battery which is controlled by the remote switch for the amp, so anytime the amp is on, the second battery is charging. And anytime I want, I can completely disconnect all aux wiring by turning the rely off with the flip of that rocker switch. That finally fixed the issue. 

Added bonus: I can jump my own car with the second battery. I can also listen to the subs without draining the main battery, and I can drain the second battery charging phones or powering various with a power inverter while the car isn't running, and it won't drain the main battery. 

I'm happy with it now, but because of all of the effort I put into installing it this time, I'll never sell it.


----------



## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

Yes - the Cobalt was real easy to do an amp install on. I had a PAC LOC on the 6x9s at first, but when I changed over to my Alpine MRP500 Monoblock, I hard-wired into the speaker lines (as the amp has it's own, better, high-level inputs - and I felt the PAC LOC was being funky anyway; sound is much better). 

Having to only run about 2 feet of power cable is great. If I choose to run my MTXs that I had in the Cav, in the Volt, it should be just as simple, as the 12V battery is out back as well - and I should be able to run the signal off the Bose sub's feed (which is a bonus, because otherwise I'd have to run to the doors). 

Where is the Cruze amp? If you have the Pioneer system, you could feasibly tap into that. Running the power wires to the front isn't too bad, just make sure you keep your signal wires on the other side of the car.


----------

