 » Site Navigation | | | | » Recent Threads | | | |  |  |  | |  11-10-2005, 03:40 PM | #1 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 183 |  just bought a subwoofer...need install hints
Kind of jumped into buying a sub without really researching first. I was wondering does the factory cassete head unit have any kind of out for a sub or is there some way I tap into the factory amp to hook up the sub? I have a 97 ti with 10 speakers. The sub and amp I bought are a polk momo 12 inch and 200 or 300 wat mtx amp. I plan on eventually replacing head unit, but don't know when, so in the mean time just wanted to run sub from factory installed components. Any help would be appreciated __________________
DannyBoy
1997 318tiA Sport, 99,500 miles, All original except for APC Super White Bulbs. |  |  | | 11-10-2005, 07:31 PM | #2 | | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: cary, nc Posts: 2,259 |
hey there you are! havent seen you in a while holmes __________________ 1995 318ti Active
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Quote: | Originally Posted by ddiorio1313 Kind of jumped into buying a sub without really researching first. I was wondering does the factory cassete head unit have any kind of out for a sub or is there some way I tap into the factory amp to hook up the sub? I have a 97 ti with 10 speakers. The sub and amp I bought are a polk momo 12 inch and 200 or 300 wat mtx amp. I plan on eventually replacing head unit, but don't know when, so in the mean time just wanted to run sub from factory installed components. Any help would be appreciated | If your amp has high-level or speaker level inputs, you can just tap into your rear speakers to feed the amp. Otherwise they sell a device called a line output converter that takes speaker level(high level) and converts it to low level (RCA) to run into your amp. I have had mixed results with the converts, alot of times they are really cheap and they pop and hiss. For a sub amp (as long as it has a cross-over) you won't notice any hiss, but you might get a "turn on pop" when you turn on your deck. I don't know anything about your MTX amp, so I can't say if it's got hight level inputs. Good luck. __________________ 
'99 Dinan M3 | | | | | 11-10-2005, 08:26 PM | #4 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 183 |
thanks for your help so far... I will take a look at my amp tonight and see what it has... I guess I will be able to power it from the trunk aswell then, not sure how to do that, but once I pull back the carpet and take a look around things might start making more sense.... If I have any more questions or run into anything I am counting on you guys to guide me through it  Thanks again.... __________________
DannyBoy
1997 318tiA Sport, 99,500 miles, All original except for APC Super White Bulbs. | | | | | 11-10-2005, 08:28 PM | #5 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 183 |
(robcryan)Good to be back thanks for the warm welcome... I have just been so damn busy with work and I started my own business that I really haven't had much time to log on and read up on everything.... talk to all you guys later.... __________________
DannyBoy
1997 318tiA Sport, 99,500 miles, All original except for APC Super White Bulbs. | | | | | 11-10-2005, 08:56 PM | #6 | | doesn't care about you. Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 3,925 |
Quote: | Originally Posted by ddiorio1313 thanks for your help so far... I will take a look at my amp tonight and see what it has... I guess I will be able to power it from the trunk aswell then, not sure how to do that, but once I pull back the carpet and take a look around things might start making more sense.... If I have any more questions or run into anything I am counting on you guys to guide me through it Thanks again.... | You will have to run a power wire up to the battery. There are no wires in the trunk that can carry that kind of amperage without starting a fire! __________________
'99 Dinan M3 | | | | | 11-10-2005, 09:28 PM | #7 | | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: cary, nc Posts: 2,259 |
true that...you will have to get a power cable to run to the back.
i got a whole amp/sub wiring kit from wal mart for 20 bucks made b y schosche...has everything you will need...though im not sure how it would hook up to a tape player yet...
but you will need a big ass power cable and a big ass grounding cable and then some speaker wire and such...but im not sure how to run the cables to a tape deck... __________________ 1995 318ti Active
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Well, I kind of figured that.... about running power. I looked at my amp and there are 2 sets of RCA jacks one in / one out, and right next to those is a 4 pin connector R+R-L+L-, I think this is the high pass you were talking about.
Any suggestions on the best way to to get my power from the trunk up to the battery....? Thanks again....
The model number on the amp is a MTX 311D __________________
DannyBoy
1997 318tiA Sport, 99,500 miles, All original except for APC Super White Bulbs. | | | | | 11-10-2005, 09:30 PM | #9 | | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: cary, nc Posts: 2,259 |
yes...let me do a quick search real fast...i know i covered my method of powering an amp somewhere in here... __________________ 1995 318ti Active
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__________________ 1995 318ti Active
Pioneer Speakers [] Aluminum Billet door locks [] ACS Pedals/Deadrest [] ACS Shift Knob / E-Brake Handle [] Clear Corners/Tails/Sides [] Sylvania Exterior Lighting [] Custom CAI [] Dinan Engine Chip [] Dinan Transmission Chip [] H&R Race Springs [] Tokico Illumina Shocks [] BMW X-Brace [] Relocated Lighter Mod [] Custom iPod Mod http://www.cardomain.com/id/robcarync | | | | | 11-10-2005, 09:33 PM | #11 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 183 |
Rob, my car came with the factory tape deck but it sounds like Dusten says I can just tap the rear speaker wires to get the signal.... Once I get a new head unit who knows when then will be I can run RCA jacks.... I was going to pick one up of my friend(head unit), but it has been discontinued and I don't know if it will fit my dash... it is a JVC CD/MP3 KD-sx9660 seemed pretty decent.... __________________
DannyBoy
1997 318tiA Sport, 99,500 miles, All original except for APC Super White Bulbs. | | | | | 11-10-2005, 11:13 PM | #12 | | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: cary, nc Posts: 2,259 |
gotcha on the rca things...tapping into the rear speakers sounds doable...but youd still need to be able to run the power cord...which i think was also in the thread, was it not? __________________ 1995 318ti Active
Pioneer Speakers [] Aluminum Billet door locks [] ACS Pedals/Deadrest [] ACS Shift Knob / E-Brake Handle [] Clear Corners/Tails/Sides [] Sylvania Exterior Lighting [] Custom CAI [] Dinan Engine Chip [] Dinan Transmission Chip [] H&R Race Springs [] Tokico Illumina Shocks [] BMW X-Brace [] Relocated Lighter Mod [] Custom iPod Mod http://www.cardomain.com/id/robcarync | | | | | 11-10-2005, 11:18 PM | #13 | | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: cary, nc Posts: 2,259 |
Quote: The easiest way for me to run the power cable was to start at the battery and run it back. The hardest thing for me was to find the actual hole in the firewall. I found a hole that is on the driver's side right above where the pedals are.
I took a wire coat hanger and untwisted it. I then took some duct tape and taped one end of the coat hanger to the end of the power cable that goes to the hatch area. Starting in the engine bay, I poked the end of the wire hanger through the hole, and jammed it in until my pops could see it come down through the interior area. We then just grabbed the end of the coat hanger and pulled all the wire through.
If you need me too, I can take a picture of the hole I used for my power cable. I would say that it is easier to start in the engine bay and work your way back.
The hole I used wast around the fuse box area. | Quote: | Power cable went from battery, across to drivers side of the engine bay (ran it along right below the windshield/wipers (still in the engine bay though, not outside of it)), and through a hole in the firewall and ran through to where the drivers feet would be. it runs underneith the dead rest and carpet on drivers side, and under the rear seats and under the carpet in the hatch. | there are some highlights from the thread regarding the power cable path... __________________ 1995 318ti Active
Pioneer Speakers [] Aluminum Billet door locks [] ACS Pedals/Deadrest [] ACS Shift Knob / E-Brake Handle [] Clear Corners/Tails/Sides [] Sylvania Exterior Lighting [] Custom CAI [] Dinan Engine Chip [] Dinan Transmission Chip [] H&R Race Springs [] Tokico Illumina Shocks [] BMW X-Brace [] Relocated Lighter Mod [] Custom iPod Mod http://www.cardomain.com/id/robcarync | | | | | 11-10-2005, 11:29 PM | #14 | | Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 108 |
Haha Rob and I did the exact same thing. Only problem I have been having with this method is that I can't get my plastic side panels that run over the carpet back on.. This damn 4AWG wire is just too damned thick! __________________ http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...ata/bmwsig.jpg
'95 Hellrot Red 318ti • 18x8" E46 M3 Chromes • Eagle F1 GS-D3 (225/35/18) • Cosmo Racing CAI • Sony CDX-M800 Headunit • MTX Thunder 8000 Subwoofer • Audiobahn A8000T Amp • MTX Sledgehammer 12" Ported Box | | | | | 11-11-2005, 01:33 AM | #15 | | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: cary, nc Posts: 2,259 |
how far did you bury the power cable? i put mine all the way down to the floor so the long plastic trim piece wasnt affected by it. __________________ 1995 318ti Active
Pioneer Speakers [] Aluminum Billet door locks [] ACS Pedals/Deadrest [] ACS Shift Knob / E-Brake Handle [] Clear Corners/Tails/Sides [] Sylvania Exterior Lighting [] Custom CAI [] Dinan Engine Chip [] Dinan Transmission Chip [] H&R Race Springs [] Tokico Illumina Shocks [] BMW X-Brace [] Relocated Lighter Mod [] Custom iPod Mod http://www.cardomain.com/id/robcarync | | | | | |
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