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      07-13-2009, 07:57 PM   #1
tmaung
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DIY: Amp/Sub Install

First of all, I would like to say that I could not have done this install without the help from Technic and Gemcoska.

My install was an AudioControl LC6i, JL 500/1v2 amp, and JL 12w6v2 sub. My car has Enhanced Premium Sound upgrade. I used 4 gauge power cables and 14 gauge speaker wiring cables.

Sorry I do not have the pictures to take off the sidings. But they are really easy to do. Just follow my instructions.

In the trunk, remove the plastic piece in the middle closest to the bumper. There are four plastic pieces in the inner side that you let loose with a flat head and then use a plier to push it out. Then there are two tabs on the top; you use a small flat head from the inner side of the trunk to pop those out. Use a philips screw to take off the two screws.

To take off the left cover, remove the plastic pieces (3 of them). Fold on the rear seat and using a flat head (at least the one I had fit perfectly) in that star screw to remove the cover of the hook. I know what I am saying may not make sense but look in your trunk and you will see what I am talking about.

Now that the cover is off you can start with the install. You will see the factory amp on the left side underneath a smaller module. There are two harnesses attached to it. Top one is easy to take off. The bottom one, you have to slide the siding to the right to remove the harness. It seems very sluggish to move but keep trying to move it slowly to the right and it will come off.



Tap the four wires 6 (R+), 16 (R-), 8 (L+), and 18(L-). They are the thicker 12 gauge wires. You will need the yellow 12 gauge wire taps. I would recommend using t-tap since they are smaller and a lot easier to use when the wires are so tightly together. I did not find them in stores near my house so I ended up using the tap I found from HomeDepot.



I attached the two ground wires together (for amp and lc6i) and then grounded it to the metal by the wiring harness.



I had to turn the remote wire from behind the computer in the front because the LC6i GTO did not sense enough power coming through the wire to turn itself on. Again, sorry I do not have any pictures but here is how I went about taking off the trim. I lifted up and out the temperature control unit right above the cd tray. After it pops off, it still hangs underneath the aluminum trim (whichever you have). If you aren't afraid, you can pull that temperature unit outward and down.

Now that the trim underneath is exposed, just pull of the trim around the cd tray. Then unscrew the four screws and you can slide out the computer. Be careful of the shifter and the trim around it so I would put something to cover them up. Behind the computer on the driver side, you will see a big square harness. You can pull that out by squeezing the clip on the top and sliding the clip above it downward. The remote wire is the small black wire in 13 position.

I ran the remote wire above the accelerator and using a fishing wire to go under the running board on the driver side. I then ran the wire to the trunk by squeezing it between the seats. If you look at it, it is pretty self explanatory and not that hard to do.

I then attached the two battery wires (amp/lc6i) and connect it to the battery. They are pretty short wires.



I then attached the fuse holders to both of the wires. The LC6i uses an 1 amp fuse with an inline fuse holder that I bought from Advanced Auto Parts.



For the amplifier, I went to BestBuy mobile install department and bought the rockford fosgate 4 gauge fuse holder for 10 bucks.



Now that all the wires are in place, I connected everything starting with the ground wires to the amp and lc6i. Using the remote out on the lc6i, I wired it up to the amplifier's remote in. Once all the wires are connected, I connected the power cables along with the fuses.

For my own install I decided to mount the JL amp on top of where it says CD Tray. I removed the CD tray cover and cut off the small pieces of MDF to fit in the tray slot. I then screwed my amp on another piece of MDF cut tightly to fit the amp. Using superglue, I mounted the amp on the small pieces to get them to stick in proper places and then screwed them in for a secure hold. Now my amp doesn't move sideways when I turn. Using industrial strength velcro from wal-mart, I stuck it to the bottom of the MDF and the hooks will stick to the carpeting in the trunk. It doesn't move sideways and it doesn't move up while driving. I left a little hole on the side to run the wires out.





This is not the cleanest install ever but it is a DIY that you could do at home.

There are more pictures located here. LINKIE
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      07-13-2009, 10:22 PM   #2
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      07-23-2009, 11:52 PM   #3
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Can I do this same exact instal/setup in an M3 that has the STANDARD audio and not premium?
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      07-29-2009, 02:58 PM   #4
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That's a question for Technic above. I don't see why not if you know which wires goes to the two subs up front.
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      10-09-2009, 09:37 AM   #5
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Can we get some finished results pictures??
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      10-29-2009, 06:01 PM   #6
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Sorry I haven't checked here in a while.. I don't have pics of it and I had sold the car already . What would have been cool is to use the JL Stealth box and put a black fabric over the amp and a nice casing around it.
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      09-19-2015, 07:41 PM   #7
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I installed the harness and oddly there is no bass in my car now. Sounds like the tweeters and maybe the door speakers are the only thing working. This is prior to me hooking up an amp/sub.

I reinstalled the factory harness without the Technic harness and all is back to norm...what do you think? Obviously its something with the harness but which part and why?

Last edited by neeko13; 09-19-2015 at 08:04 PM..
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      09-21-2015, 08:42 AM   #8
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solved it...on the wiring harness itself I had to plug the two 4 wire harnesses into each other since I was not powering the OEM subs with an aftermarket amp.
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