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2004 E46 318Ci Convertable - Amp Installed Finally

9K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  tankraid 
#1 ·
So last weekend i started to install my amp for amping my front componets that i had previously put in, Ive got an Alpine CDA-9580K, with an Alpine free air sub in the ski hatch, and Rainbow IQ65 compenents in the front doors

This is the amp i bought: http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/8064.html

But i got stuck with getting the new speaker cable into the doors so this is what i did:

Firstly I had to get my amp secured down in the spare wheel well next to my amp for my sub (new amp on the left):


next i had to run the cable for the power supply, i used 10AWG with a 40AMP fuse. the Battery is in the boot so its pretty simple:


Next i had to find a suitable ground, there is a nut either side of the boot, below the lip, again i used 10AWG:


next i needed to run my speaker cables and RCA lead under the rear seats from the boot, i removed the back seat base it just pulls up and foward. I then removed the carpet at the rear of the boot there is a tunnel to the left that leads to the rear seats:


It comes out here:


So now i had to run my cables down the sides of the car under the kick pannel, the kick pannel is clipped. starting at the front you can get your fingers under it and pull it up pop the clips out as you move to the back of the car:


Next i removed the glove box, there is three screws along the top, one either side and one underneath, then the glove box just lifts up and fowards :


i ran my rca to the back of the HU and plugged it in,

This is where my problems started
i wanted to run my speaker cable into the doors through the rubber tube in the door shut, i was hopeing to simply thread the cable through and in. But at the end of the rubber tube is a plug that is held in place by the bolt on the outside:


i was considering taking the plug apart and drilling a smaller hole in the plug just big enough to get the speaker cable through, but it was really hard to get to and i didnt really want all the hassel of it

But after speaking with people on this forum i decided it would be easier to use the exsiting speaker cable that goes into the doors

So behind the radio on the adapter i cut the wires for the front right (+ve and -ve) and front left (+ve and -ve) and crimped on my new speaker cable
i cut into the adapter and not the car loom wireing so when i sell the car i can unplug my adapter plug the standard HU in and the wireing is all back as it was:


then i used heat shrink over the crimps to make sure it would come apart:


I then turned the radio on, set up my amp

i put all the bits of trim back, the rear seats back in, the glove box back in and the carpet in the boot back
 
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#3 ·
e46 with oem navigation system

i have done amplified my door speakers....more or less similar to what you have shown..

because my system is in the boot it was a bit more simple.

i didn't want to cut the original loom so i got a extension ...so i can cut instead

located the 8 speaker wires (4+ and 4-) and sliced them....the part that comes out of the stereo unit connects to the input of the amp and the the part that is going to the speakers i connected to the output of the amp. In other words the amp sits between the stereo and the speakers (after-market speakers adapted to fit perfectly). Because i used the extension loom i created a plug and play amp which can come out very easy !


the only problem i have is that because the OEM system doesn't have to much sound control, the sound is either to loud or can barley be heard....and the sound quality is not as i was expecting it.....I used a kenwood amp with 4 channels and pyle speakers 150w rms each

if anyone knows a way of getting better sound please let me know
 
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