Audio Install Please Help

Hey guys/gals,

I just spent my entire Saturday attempting my first audio installation to add some bass in my 2017 Honda Civic EX Hatch. I had some struggles but I think everything has worked out so far. I basically just need to ground, reconnect everything, then test it out, but I am starting to have some serious doubts about how I have this set up. If you guys could offer some feedback I would really appreciate it.

So here is my setup:
Using OEM Head Unit with LC2i
Powered Sub Rockford Fostgate P300-10
BOSS Audio Kit2 8 Gauge Installation Kit

I was able to get my 8 gauge power wire (seems more like 10 gauge) through the firewall via the hood release grommet as others have suggested on this forum. I then mounted my in-line fuse close to the battery and used some wire lume to protect the power wire.

I then removed a bunch of trim down the drivers side and routed the power wire to enter the hatch in the spare tire compartment. This was a lot of work but I wanted it to look professional.

I was able to remove the stock head unit with some patience (Holy shit I hate pressure clips). I then tapped into the front speakers using some quick splice connectors and a speed 9 wire cable. Now here is where I am really starting to doubt my set up.


Based on the wire diagram above and various information I have read on this forum and elsewhere, I tapped into the 4 front speakers wires and the ACC wire using 5 of the 9 wires in the 9-wire. I will be connecting the 4 speaker wires to the speaker inputs on the LC2i and the ACC wire to the +12 V input. I routed my 9-wire down the drivers side as well which I know isn't ideal but I didn't have the time to remove the passenger side panels and from what I read on line, it shouldn't actually matter.

It is my understanding that the built in GTO on the LC2i will automatically turn on the device when detecting a signal from the speaker inputs. Also, the ACC will power my LC2i when the car is started. I will just need to add a ground. I can then run RCA cables and the remote out from the LC2i to the powered fostgate sub.

My main concern is powering the LC2i. Will using the accessory power source from the speaker harness actually power my LC2i? I know some people simply run another power wire from the battery to accomplish this. Is this better? Is my way effective? Dangerous? Someone on another forum suggested that I do it that way but I may have misunderstood them. Shouldn't I have a fuse for the LC2i power wire?

If I do run another power wire from the battery to power the LC2i, what kind of wire would be easiest and suitable to use. Should I use a 1 amp fuse?

Sorry for the long post but I have spent a lot of time on this project and absolutely love this vehicle. Car audio upgrade is relatively new to me and I guess I am just looking for validation that I am not about to blow up my car or electrical system when I connect the battery and fire it up. Any feedback and advice would be greatly appreciated

drew2420 said:

Will using the accessory power source from the speaker harness actually power my LC2i?

Click to expand...

It is NEVER recommended to run any additional accessories off any existing circuit. It can be done, but not recommended. High chance of fuse popping.
I'm curious why you don't just run the LC2i power and all that off the amp's 8 gauge power. You can use a "fuse block" to split between the amp and LC2i.
There's also this route: click here
This is how I run a radar detector and 3 amp usb hub for a tablet and cell phone mounted on my windshield. It simply taps into an existing circuit, but
provides an additional fuse for your new circuit. Many people experience their cigarette lighters popping a fuse when plugging in high current accessories.
The "add-a-circuit" option should leave your cigarette lighter and whatever other accessories are on that circuit intact in case your new circuit trips.

drew2420 said:

I know some people simply run another power wire from the battery to accomplish this. Is this better? Is my way effective? Dangerous?

Click to expand...

Some of these questions are all subjective. An LC2i will not draw very much power and doesn't require it's own special power wire like the Rockford Fosgate.
You do NOT need to run a power wire from the battery, although, it could prove to be more reliable if done properly.
If you DO tap off of the harness you pictured above, use the A3 +B audio continuous power source if you intend to run from a speaker signal.
Personally, I'd prefer not to do this, because if by chance your speakers sense a vibration, that could also cause your LC2i to power on, in turn powering on the Rockford.
It is always better to run a wire from A23 ACC into the remote input of the LC2i AND the Rockford.

drew2420 said:

If I do run another power wire from the battery to power the LC2i, what kind of wire would be easiest and suitable to use. Should I use a 1 amp fuse?

Click to expand...

If you run a wire from the battery to the LC2i, you can probably get away with a 12 or 14 gauge wire. Always use a fuse when possible that is no further than 2 feet from the power source.
According to AudioControl's website, the specifications state a typical current draw of 150mA which is practically nothing. A 1 amp fuse is fine.
You're probably going to have to use something like this: click here

drew2420 said:

Based on the wire diagram above and various information I have read on this forum and elsewhere, I tapped into the 4 front speakers wires and the ACC wire using 5 of the 9 wires in the 9-wire. I will be connecting the 4 speaker wires to the speaker inputs on the LC2i and the ACC wire to the +12 V input. I routed my 9-wire down the drivers side as well which I know isn't ideal but I didn't have the time to remove the passenger side panels and from what I read on line, it shouldn't actually matter.

Click to expand...

Like I said earlier, you might as well use the ACC wire as the remote in for both your LC2i and your Rockford, and use power from the 8 gauge you ran into your spare tire well as the main power for the LC2i as well.

peterletran said:

It is NEVER recommended to run any additional accessories off any existing circuit. It can be done, but not recommended. High chance of fuse popping.
I'm curious why you don't just run the LC2i power and all that off the amp's 8 gauge power. You can use a "fuse block" to split between the amp and LC2i.
There's also this route: click here
This is how I run a radar detector and 3 amp usb hub for a tablet and cell phone mounted on my windshield. It simply taps into an existing circuit, but
provides an additional fuse for your new circuit. Many people experience their cigarette lighters popping a fuse when plugging in high current accessories.
The "add-a-circuit" option should leave your cigarette lighter and whatever other accessories are on that circuit intact in case your new circuit trips.




Some of these questions are all subjective. An LC2i will not draw very much power and doesn't require it's own special power wire like the Rockford Fosgate.
You do NOT need to run a power wire from the battery, although, it could prove to be more reliable if done properly.
If you DO tap off of the harness you pictured above, use the A3 +B audio continuous power source if you intend to run from a speaker signal.
Personally, I'd prefer not to do this, because if by chance your speakers sense a vibration, that could also cause your LC2i to power on, in turn powering on the Rockford.
It is always better to run a wire from A23 ACC into the remote input of the LC2i AND the Rockford.




If you run a wire from the battery to the LC2i, you can probably get away with a 12 or 14 gauge wire. Always use a fuse when possible that is no further than 2 feet from the power source.
According to AudioControl's website, the specifications state a typical current draw of 150mA which is practically nothing. A 1 amp fuse is fine.
You're probably going to have to use something like this: click here



Like I said earlier, you might as well use the ACC wire as the remote in for both your LC2i and your Rockford, and use power from the 8 gauge you ran into your spare tire well as the main power for the LC2i as well.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice, I will use the A23 ACC as my remote input and find a different power source for the LC2i

If I split the amp power cord with a "fuse block" to supply power to my LC2i can I do the split in the hatchback?

I think I will try and run a 16-18 gauge wire from the battery to power the LC2i with a small in line fuse if I can't find a fuse block. Hopefully these things are available at my local auto stores. Thank you for the advice.

Aso, does anyone know of a good grounding point in the Ex or similar Hatch?

You can run your power and ground for the LC2i off of your amp, no need to run it separate. You can run your remote turn on from the LC2i to the amp as well.

If I may ask, why do you need the LC2i? The P300-10 can get signal using high level inputs you just have to cut the RCAs that came with the sub and has auto turn on if you do. All you have to do is get power, ground, and signal probably from one of the rear speakers.

Edit: Also I would highly recommend getting a different power wire with OFC. More expensive but much better quality plus it extends your warranty for the sub.

https://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-Amplifier-Install-Interconnect/dp/B001AV5ZHQ

Trey said:

You can run your power and ground for the LC2i off of your amp, no need to run it separate. You can run your remote turn on from the LC2i to the amp as well.

Click to expand...

I ended up running a 16 gauge wire with a 2 amp fuse from the battery back to the hatch to power the LC2i, oh well.

I did run a remote from the LC2i to the sub and used the accessory power from behind the head unit as a remote for the LC2i. Some people were saying the GTO doesn't work as well as using a separate remote wire to turn the device on.

Space Lord said:

If I may ask, why do you need the LC2i? The P300-10 can get signal using high level inputs you just have to cut the RCAs that came with the sub and has auto turn on if you do. All you have to do is get power, ground, and signal probably from one of the rear speakers.

Edit: Also I would highly recommend getting a different power wire with OFC. More expensive but much better quality plus it extends your warranty for the sub.

https://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-Amplifier-Install-Interconnect/dp/B001AV5ZHQ

Click to expand...

Well, if that's true then I suppose you could do it that way. Truth be told, i've never done something like this before so I wasn't thinking about cutting wires like that. I haven't had a chance to fine tune my system with the AccuBase yet but it certainly allows the ability to improve the overall quality of the base, as well as helping with the built in base EQ. I believe the front speakers have a better base signal, that's why I chose the front.

I was actually thinking today about how I want to upgrade my power wire for the sub. I basically have a 10 gauge power wire right now with a 400 W sub. I know people have been using 8 gauge, which this was suppose to be, but I would feel much better with a 4 gauge.

I actually originally bought a 4 gauge wiring kit but did some more reading and decided to go with the 8 gauge because of my concerns of getting through the same grommet as the hood release line. While performing the install I discovered there was a hidden unused grommet right above the hood release line. I can easily use that for a 4 gauge wire. Looks like the project continues this weekend. Everything sounds great so far and I didn't destroy anything so it's been a hard, yet rewarding learning experience.

Thanks for the info.

drew2420 said:

Well, if that's true then I suppose you could do it that way. Truth be told, i've never done something like this before so I wasn't thinking about cutting wires like that. I haven't had a chance to fine tune my system with the AccuBase yet but it certainly allows the ability to improve the overall quality of the base, as well as helping with the built in base EQ. I believe the front speakers have a better base signal, that's why I chose the front.

I was actually thinking today about how I want to upgrade my power wire for the sub. I basically have a 10 gauge power wire right now with a 400 W sub. I know people have been using 8 gauge, which this was suppose to be, but I would feel much better with a 4 gauge.

I actually originally bought a 4 gauge wiring kit but did some more reading and decided to go with the 8 gauge because of my concerns of getting through the same grommet as the hood release line. While performing the install I discovered there was a hidden unused grommet right above the hood release line. I can easily use that for a 4 gauge wire. Looks like the project continues this weekend. Everything sounds great so far and I didn't destroy anything so it's been a hard, yet rewarding learning experience.

Thanks for the info.

Click to expand...

Cool I was just wondering because I installed a P300-10 and used a LC7i (for my speakers amp too) and the AccuBass is a nice feature, but not everyone want's that. 8 gauge OFC is more than enough for that sub but bigger is better in case you want to upgrade or add in the future. I didn't think I would but I did .

Good luck on your install!

drew2420 said:

Well, if that's true then I suppose you could do it that way. Truth be told, i've never done something like this before so I wasn't thinking about cutting wires like that. I haven't had a chance to fine tune my system with the AccuBase yet but it certainly allows the ability to improve the overall quality of the base, as well as helping with the built in base EQ. I believe the front speakers have a better base signal, that's why I chose the front.

I was actually thinking today about how I want to upgrade my power wire for the sub. I basically have a 10 gauge power wire right now with a 400 W sub. I know people have been using 8 gauge, which this was suppose to be, but I would feel much better with a 4 gauge.

I actually originally bought a 4 gauge wiring kit but did some more reading and decided to go with the 8 gauge because of my concerns of getting through the same grommet as the hood release line. While performing the install I discovered there was a hidden unused grommet right above the hood release line. I can easily use that for a 4 gauge wire. Looks like the project continues this weekend. Everything sounds great so far and I didn't destroy anything so it's been a hard, yet rewarding learning experience.

Thanks for the info.

Click to expand...

I'm glad you've got everything working and thanks for letting us know about the unused grommet.
As for me ... my dummiass self ran it through somewhere near the friggin' alternator.
My original intent was to charge a rear second battery directly with the alternator, but I couldn't find
a beefy enough 0 gauge o-ring to fit our alternators.
I'm running copper clad aluminum, but if you're using oxygen free copper, 4 gauge should be good for 400 watts.
My db drive 2000 watt is a power hungry piece of junk. I know it doesn't make 2k watts, but it still gobbles voltage/current.
I'm actually trying to think of some new way to setup my trunk cuz I've gotta shove air into it, as well, but I have no idea what to do.

Hey I'm in Minneapolis too and I'm looking to install the exact same setup as you with the LC2i and p300-10 in my 2017 EX hatch. Do you still have and enjoy the setup? Where did you find the wiring diagram?

Flappjax said:

Hey I'm in Minneapolis too and I'm looking to install the exact same setup as you with the LC2i and p300-10 in my 2017 EX hatch. Do you still have and enjoy the setup? Where did you find the wiring diagram?

Click to expand...

I still have the same setup and I really enjoy it. I ended up pulling the trim off of the passengers side this summer and re-routing the speaker cables along that way. I didn't have enough room on the drivers side to get the trim back on properly with the power and speaker wires. The powered sub works well for this car. It sounds a little flat to me but I need to do a better job of tuning the system. It gives a good punch without taking up too much space in the hatch. Also, I love these cars but they do have their rattle issues. Having the adjustable bass knob up at the dash really helps to get the bass right.

I probably found the wiring diagram on this forum actually. If not here, likely found it on the civic sub reddit or from a simple google search.

Good luck with the install, it looks like we have the exact same car so if you have any other questions or concerns I could probably help you out.

drew2420 said:

I still have the same setup and I really enjoy it. I ended up pulling the trim off of the passengers side this summer and re-routing the speaker cables along that way. I didn't have enough room on the drivers side to get the trim back on properly with the power and speaker wires. The powered sub works well for this car. It sounds a little flat to me but I need to do a better job of tuning the system. It gives a good punch without taking up too much space in the hatch. Also, I love these cars but they do have their rattle issues. Having the adjustable bass knob up at the dash really helps to get the bass right.

I probably found the wiring diagram on this forum actually. If not here, likely found it on the civic sub reddit or from a simple google search.

Good luck with the install, it looks like we have the exact same car so if you have any other questions or concerns I could probably help you out.

Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks! I think I've got it pretty much figured out but I do have two questions:

1. Where did you end up putting the LC2i? I'm kind of thinking I want it hidden somewhere if I can find a good spot for it.
2. Where did you run your ground for the amp/loc?

Flappjax said:

Awesome, thanks! I think I've got it pretty much figured out but I do have two questions:

1. Where did you end up putting the LC2i? I'm kind of thinking I want it hidden somewhere if I can find a good spot for it.
2. Where did you run your ground for the amp/loc?

Click to expand...

I had the LC2i mounted on the side but then had to move it towards the center when I re-routed the speaker wires due to length issues of my wires. I made the mistake of trimming too much of my excess wires when I originally put in the system. I found a bolt under the back seat that worked well for grounding. I will take some pics when I get home today to clarify.

Flappjax said:

Awesome, thanks! I think I've got it pretty much figured out but I do have two questions:

1. Where did you end up putting the LC2i? I'm kind of thinking I want it hidden somewhere if I can find a good spot for it.
2. Where did you run your ground for the amp/loc?

Click to expand...

So I originally secured the LCsi with 3M command strips on the side as referenced in the picture with blue ink. That worked pretty well, it was easy to get to and was out of the way. I then moved it to the middle up on that little incline right behind the seats as presented in the picture. I secured it with a strip of the velcro that came with the amp. It's easy to move around if I ever need to put the seats down and use the full Hatch.

For the ground, I connected it to a bolt under the panel with the red ink. It was fairly easy to get to, you may have to lift the seat cushion up a bit to get access. Hope that helps.

drew2420 said:

So I originally secured the LCsi with 3M command strips on the side as referenced in the picture with blue ink. That worked pretty well, it was easy to get to and was out of the way. I then moved it to the middle up on that little incline right behind the seats as presented in the picture. I secured it with a strip of the velcro that came with the amp. It's easy to move around if I ever need to put the seats down and use the full Hatch.

For the ground, I connected it to a bolt under the panel with the red ink. It was fairly easy to get to, you may have to lift the seat cushion up a bit to get access. Hope that helps.

Click to expand...

Awesome, Thanks!!