Stock stereo only has 2 channels

[LMDavies]

Just purchased a stock Renault Philips radio and installed in my Clio Mk2.

I noticed that this radio only has 2x8W channels (only four speaker pins on back of unit) even though the supplied connector blocks /harness has wires for 4 channels.

Will I be overloading the stereo by wiring up the rear speakers to the fronts?

P.S. Just in case anyone asks.. reason why installed an old stock stereo is so that I can use the steering wheels controls and separate dashboard display.

 

[RobM]

Quite possibly yes. If you wire the speakers in parallel (positive connections together, negative together) the impedance will be 2ohms if you're using 4ohm speakers (the norm for car audio). This is extremely likely to cause overheating and may kill the unit, especially if you like the volume up high

If you wire the speakers in series (harder to explain... positive of one speaker to the positive on the headunit, negative of that speaker to the positive of the next, negative of that next speaker to the negative of the headunit) then the impedance will increase to 8ohm if you're using 4ohm speakers, so the actual power sent to the speakers will be much less, but the workload on the unit will also be less. That's bloody hard to do with four normal car speakers in stock locations... it's a lot of wiring.

This link explains it better than my poor attempt above: Ohm's Law

My advice... stick to two speakers, or buy a headunit that has four speaker channels.

 

[petrolheed]

get a cheap amp off ebay with high level inputs, I just picked up a 350w kenwood 2 channel amp thats 2 ohm stable so it can run 4 speakers if I wanted but I'm just running the fronts off it. Got it for a tenner and it sounds great. As long as you are careful with the gain settings your standard speakers should be ok with a bit of overdrive.

 

[Ayub]

Just purchased a stock Renault Philips radio and installed in my Clio Mk2.

I noticed that this radio only has 2x8W channels (only four speaker pins on back of unit) even though the supplied connector blocks /harness has wires for 4 channels.

Will I be overloading the stereo by wiring up the rear speakers to the fronts?

P.S. Just in case anyone asks.. reason why installed an old stock stereo is so that I can use the steering wheels controls and separate dashboard display.

Does your car have 4 speakers installed. No point in going into detail unless you have CHECKED and confirmed you have 4 speakers 2xstereo in the car and are fully working.