Honda Element owners looking to create a powerful car stereo system have many options. You can upgrade your speakers to provide a better sound or switch to a more powerful stereo deck. The surest way to deliver a cleaner, more powerful sound in your Element is to add an amplifier. You can have an amplifier installed by a car audio professional, or you can install an amp yourself for a fraction of the cost.
Disconnect the negative battery cable from the Element's battery. The negative cable is black and connects the battery with the frame or chassis of the vehicle. Use a Phillips head screwdriver to loosen the cable's clamp. Remove the clamp from the negative lead post and rest it away from the battery.
Attach the amplifier ring terminal (from the amplifier wiring kit) to the positive lead of the Element's battery. Remove the fuse from the amplifier ring terminal and route the cable into the cabin of the Honda. Drill a hole in the firewall to the inside of the vehicle. Place a rubber grommet in the new opening to protect the power cable.
Route the power cable to the rear of the Honda Element. Use a trim panel tool to remove the panels in the doorways that secure the carpet to the floor. Run the wiring to the rear of the Element beneath the carpeting.
Remove the stereo. Use a trim panel tool or flat screwdriver to pry the trim panel surrounding the stereo away from the dash. Work the flat tool from the bottom around the perimeter of the panel until it is completely free from the dashboard.
Remove the four screws at the corners of the stereo mounting bracket with a Phillips head screwdriver. Pull the stereo from its dock until the wire connections in the rear are reachable by hand.
Pull the wire groups from the stereo by the plastic wiring binders, not the wires themselves. Connect the groups to a wiring harness adapter. The adapter will be clearly marked to show where the connections should be made (either abbreviations or color code). Connect the wiring harness to the stereo.
Connect the turn-on lead and signal cable (included in the amplifier wiring kit) to the wiring harness adapter and route the cables to the rear of the Honda. Make sure that the signal cable is routed on the opposite side of the Element as the power supply to avoid interference.
Connect the turn-on lead, the signal cable and the power supply to the amplifier. Connect speaker wire from the amplifier to the speakers you wish to have amplified. Use the same route established by the rear speakers' wiring.
Connect the grounding wire (amp wiring kit) from the amplifier to a connection point on the Honda Element's frame. Any bolt or screw will suffice.
Replace the stereo in the Element's stereo dock. Replace the four screws into the stereo mounting bracket with a Phillips head screwdriver. Snap the trim panel on by hand around the stereo.
Replace the negative battery cable onto the negative lead of the battery. Place the cable's clamp around the negative lead post. Tighten the clamp with a Phillips head screwdriver. Place the fuse into the fuse holder on the amplifier ring terminal (connected to the positive lead).
