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Thread: D.I.Y Poor Person Amp/Sub Install ;)

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    D.I.Y Poor Person Amp/Sub Install ;)

    Hi there,

    Lookin to upgrade your sound system whilst on a budget?? Today I teach ya how with the this Poor Man's/Woman's Amp/Sup install.

    So Lets Get started.....



    PART I


    First lets make a VERY economical AND Functional Sub-woofer box using a SHALLOW 12" Driver.

    * Grab some stuffs and lets get crackin. You will need: Some electrical stuffs, A driver of YOUR choosing, Woofer box, Some wire, and Some Velcro!!!



    * I use KICKER 16 AWG, cuz thats a nice round number and does the trick. I may upgrade later.



    * ( If you already have a pre-made woofer box..then SKIP this step ) Now lets prep the Woofer box. Push out the speaker terminal, and wire it up for the woofer. When done insert back into box. Then, Take your driver, hook it up to the terminal post you just wired up, and secure it to the woofer box using a STAR pattern. Just as you would if you were tightening a 5 lug wheel. Use a drill to get ALL the screws situated. DO NOT tighten the screws with the drill. After all the screws are seated using the drill..THEN use a HAND screwdriver to tighten all the screws....No you have a woofer box









    * Now replace the rubber surround that came with the driver to cover the screw holes, IF it came with one...mine did!!!! I LOVE it



    * Now, instead of drilling holes in your expensive 7 series, Just use TWO 2x4 pieces of Velcro adhesives to the bottom of the woofer box. and TRUST ME, Its a pain in the a$$ when this sticks to the carpet of your trunk...lol, even two 19 lbs subs DO NOT MOVE!!!! So make sure you get your box situated BEFORE you let the bottom touch the carpet. If Velcro is good enough for the U.S. Military, then it is good enough for me!



    * Congrats on the woofer box!!!! ( Total Price: Under $145!, Lotta bang for your buck..no pun intended....hahaha )

    * Now lets wire up an amp to power this bad boy!!!! You will need an AMP...Duh...and all your electrical stuffs, and Your Radio/GPS Removal tool



    * OFFICIAL BMW RADIO/GPS Removal tool cost: $30+ !!!! , The DIY Poor Man/Woman Cost: FREE!!!!...hahaha



    Ok.....MAKE SURE THE BATTERY IS DISCONNECTED...At least the NEGATIVE cable. IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT !!!!!!!!!!



    * Now....Wait until the light on the GPS player goes off...or if you dont have it..SKIP this step, but for those of us WITH GPS, Take your removal tool and Guess what...REMOVE the GPS unit. This needs to be done in order to remove carpet and access the AMP!! ( Pardon the picture orders...been so hot, had to do this in SEVERAL days at DIFFERENT times!..LOL ) AFTER you remove the GPS...IT IS SUPER IMPORTANT!!!!!!! THAT YOU KEEP THE DEVICE LEVEL as NOT to screw up delicate internal stuffs...





    * Once the GPS is removed...Unscrew the TWO plastic carpet screws just to the Right. These screws comes in TWO pieces and are a CERTIFIED Pain In The A$$ !!!!!, Once you remove the screws and carpet....Unscrew the the CD player if ya still have to give more room to play around with. You dont have to disconnect it, just lay down flat out of the way to access the Amp

    * REMOVE any old AMP setup that ya might have FIRST, if you are upgrading like me.

    * Remove the 26 Pin Connector atop the AMP and splice into the REMOTE ( White ) wire, LEFT/RIGHT Mid's -FRONT (for a universal sound)(Blue/White) & Rear Outputs ( Brown ) ...Attach to the 5 Pin connector leading to your "2" Channel OUTPUT Converter box.







    * Once you got the wire you want tapped, Begin removing the black plastic retaining clips from the carpet lining. This is so we can hide all the wires BEHIND the lining for a clean professional look! When ya got that done..Mount the amp where ya like it, and begin fitting & placing all the wires. Dont forget to actually wire up your amp!!!!











    * Plenty of room under the OEM Sub deck to mount a nice amp









    Last edited by Miss BimmerLV; 06-28-2011 at 03:40 PM.
    Insta: @Ella.Emanuelle.Rose

    1998 BMW 740iL - M62 - Projekt "Allyssa" ( Nicht Aktiv )
    2001 BMW 750iL - M73 - Projekt "Hanna" ( Aktiv )
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    V12 Klubmitglied <3








  2. #2
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    Part II



    * Now THIS particular amp came with a lil remote control thingy to help keep you from climbing back up in your trunk to turn woofers up or down. Now you can either go thru firewall and mount inside the car...or you can be creative and mount in a secret spot with an access door!!! If you put the volume control in trunk like me....just run the cables BEHIND panel like the other wires.







    * Now...guess what..You are DONE!!!!! Put everything back together and put all your crap back in trunk..Now you got a little bump. And this can be created to WHATEVER your imagination and wallet can create. I PURPOSELY left some some stuffs open in this DIY to make fit to YOUR liking!!!!!

    * Finished Product











    *





    Hope this helped!!!

    Your Bimmer Tech Girl,

    Miss Bimmer LV

    XOXO
    Last edited by Miss BimmerLV; 06-28-2011 at 03:29 PM.
    Insta: @Ella.Emanuelle.Rose

    1998 BMW 740iL - M62 - Projekt "Allyssa" ( Nicht Aktiv )
    2001 BMW 750iL - M73 - Projekt "Hanna" ( Aktiv )
    2001 BMW 740iS - M62Tü - Projekt "Lea" ( Akitv )

    V12 Klubmitglied <3








  3. #3
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    ok
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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by franco90 View Post
    ok
    What does that mean exactly?????
    Insta: @Ella.Emanuelle.Rose

    1998 BMW 740iL - M62 - Projekt "Allyssa" ( Nicht Aktiv )
    2001 BMW 750iL - M73 - Projekt "Hanna" ( Aktiv )
    2001 BMW 740iS - M62Tü - Projekt "Lea" ( Akitv )

    V12 Klubmitglied <3








  5. #5
    Xephius's Avatar
    Xephius is offline 665 Neighbor of the Beast BMW CCA Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by franco90 View Post
    ok
    It would appear he is unimpressed.....

    That said, nice write up and refresh on the sub install threads from the past. It is always good to revisit the write ups on these things as technology evolves.

    Your install is similar to mine as well, save for different components.I tapped the rear deck speakers for the inputs rather than at the DSP amp. I will be working on a custom enclosure for larger subs (I have a single 10), but stays tight against the rear wall and leaves the most trunk space.

    Thanks for the contribution.
    John

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    This is the same process I took installing my sub & amp in my non-dsp model.

    Since you have DSP & you tapped into the amp directly, does that mean your bass does not turn down with your volume knob up on your nav? I've read that some people had an issue getting the sub to correspond with the radio volume.... I didn't have any problems with my non-dsp amp so I am just curious.

    This car is probably the easiest sub install ive ever done. Everything is in the trunk!
    Last edited by TheJayP; 06-28-2011 at 05:20 PM.


  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheJayP View Post
    This is the same process I took installing my sub & amp in my non-dsp model.

    Since you have DSP & you tapped into the amp directly, does that mean your bass does not turn down with your volume knob up on your nav? I've read that some people had an issue getting the sub to correspond with the radio volume.... I didn't have any problems with my non-dsp amp so I am just curious.

    This car is probably the easiest sub install ive ever done. Everything is in the trunk!
    I have ZERO problems.....Everything operates from the steering wheel...LOL. When I turned the volume down...EVERYTHING goes down....I LOVE my E38!!!!!


    I LOVE YOU ALLYSSA!!!!!

    XOXO
    Insta: @Ella.Emanuelle.Rose

    1998 BMW 740iL - M62 - Projekt "Allyssa" ( Nicht Aktiv )
    2001 BMW 750iL - M73 - Projekt "Hanna" ( Aktiv )
    2001 BMW 740iS - M62Tü - Projekt "Lea" ( Akitv )

    V12 Klubmitglied <3








  8. #8
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    Since you have DSP & you tapped into the amp directly, does that mean your bass does not turn down with your volume knob up on your nav?
    When you have the DSP amp, the "volume" control is done in the amp, not the radio. The volume knob on the NAV screen sends an IBUS message to the amp to change the volume. If you have DSP, you should always be tapping "after" the DSP amp, because you're tapping a volume controlled signal. Your bass will always be relative to the overall volume in that case.

    This car is probably the easiest sub install ive ever done. Everything is in the trunk!
    Agreed. BMW makes it too easy with the radio/amp connections AND the battery in the trunk.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Miss BimmerLV View Post
    What does that mean exactly?????
    I mean OK good to go. and JOHN
    El Cid 1999 IL
    DUDMD Tune/DINAN CAI/19 in Style 95 Rims/Bilstein's Shocks/Eibach Lowering Springs/OEM Folding Mirrors/Custom Cupholder/Custom Wood Sunshade/Sport Steering Wheel/Euro Center Console/Leather Shifter/Rearview Camera /Luke Custom 10 in Sub Box/Cross Drilled Rotors/Rear view Camera/BMW OEM Monitors/BMW E38 Picnic Tables/Vanity Headrests/OEM Roof Rack/Strut Bar/Dinan MAF and Dinan Throttle Body and Dinan tunning /BM53 Radio upgrade /Custom Innovadrive NXG39 modify and Alpine ILX-W650 touch screen radio.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by kapone View Post
    When you have the DSP amp, the "volume" control is done in the amp, not the radio. The volume knob on the NAV screen sends an IBUS message to the amp to change the volume. If you have DSP, you should always be tapping "after" the DSP amp, because you're tapping a volume controlled signal. Your bass will always be relative to the overall volume in that case.
    Alright I thought that was the case, good to know :-)

    Now for all of those out there wanting a sub, there is no reason you shouldn't be able to do this install! its about as easy as the quad brake mod with or w/out DSP. However, an aftermarket headunit... thats a different story lol (non-dsp FTW!)
    Last edited by TheJayP; 06-28-2011 at 05:42 PM.


  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by franco90 View Post
    I mean OK good to go. and JOHN
    I apply sarcasm to everything you say, I find it to be the safest option...

    John

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    Nice install I need to amp up my game and get something installed in there. lol
    TRPCHGE - '01 740i Black/Black 230k'ish - Power folding mirrors, Mk.IV Nav, 16:9, M-pars, Sport seats, Sport wheel, Steptronic, Euro rear fog switch, 2.50" X-Pipe, Shadowline, E53 4.6is Cluster, Lacewood interior, Chromeline, 3.15, Bilstein B6+H&R Stage II's. - SOLD 06/21

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    As always, good job!
    Follow me on Instagram @SEVEN40iL

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    Quote Originally Posted by Xephius

    I apply sarcasm to everything you say, I find it to be the safest option...

    John
    Cool
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    DUDMD Tune/DINAN CAI/19 in Style 95 Rims/Bilstein's Shocks/Eibach Lowering Springs/OEM Folding Mirrors/Custom Cupholder/Custom Wood Sunshade/Sport Steering Wheel/Euro Center Console/Leather Shifter/Rearview Camera /Luke Custom 10 in Sub Box/Cross Drilled Rotors/Rear view Camera/BMW OEM Monitors/BMW E38 Picnic Tables/Vanity Headrests/OEM Roof Rack/Strut Bar/Dinan MAF and Dinan Throttle Body and Dinan tunning /BM53 Radio upgrade /Custom Innovadrive NXG39 modify and Alpine ILX-W650 touch screen radio.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheJayP View Post
    Alright I thought that was the case, good to know :-)

    Now for all of those out there wanting a sub, there is no reason you shouldn't be able to do this install! its about as easy as the quad brake mod with or w/out DSP. However, an aftermarket headunit... thats a different story lol (non-dsp FTW!)
    You want an aftermarket headunit?? Don't buy a BMW... or an Audi or a Merc...you see where I'm going? There really is no need for an aftermarket headunit if sound quality is what you're after. If functionality is what you're after....get another car. These cars (among others) are bitches when you **ck with their electronic guts...

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    One thing I don't understand is why you wouldn't run the remote level adjust to the front of the car. That's the whole point of having it. The way you have it, you have to get out of the car and open the trunk every time you need to adjust the level.
    I don't know about you but I listen to a variety of music and adjust my levels according to style of music. Having the "remote" level adjustment knob in the trunk defeats the whole entire purpose of having it.


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  17. #17
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    You mean...kinda like this??




  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by LasVegasE38 View Post
    One thing I don't understand is why you wouldn't run the remote level adjust to the front of the car. That's the whole point of having it. The way you have it, you have to get out of the car and open the trunk every time you need to adjust the level.
    I don't know about you but I listen to a variety of music and adjust my levels according to style of music. Having the "remote" level adjustment knob in the trunk defeats the whole entire purpose of having it.

    * Sigh
    Insta: @Ella.Emanuelle.Rose

    1998 BMW 740iL - M62 - Projekt "Allyssa" ( Nicht Aktiv )
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  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Miss BimmerLV View Post
    * Sigh
    He does have a point.....

  20. #20
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    Fine....No more D.I.Y's from this point foward!!!!!!! Seems some people cant take appreciation to my A$$ backwards approach to life


    !!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!







    Just kidding!


    Its my car I can do what I want
    Insta: @Ella.Emanuelle.Rose

    1998 BMW 740iL - M62 - Projekt "Allyssa" ( Nicht Aktiv )
    2001 BMW 750iL - M73 - Projekt "Hanna" ( Aktiv )
    2001 BMW 740iS - M62Tü - Projekt "Lea" ( Akitv )

    V12 Klubmitglied <3








  21. #21
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    Hey girl, i love your write ups.....some people just have a hard time giving props....your post are always helpfull. For recent E38 owners like my self these write ups are extremly helpfull. Thank you......

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Miss BimmerLV View Post
    Its my car I can do what I want
    Another mistake... In case you were not informed, you are required to submit to the uneducated and indescriminet masses on the forums. Individuality is not approved. Pink roundels.....what are you thinking....

    John

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xephius View Post
    Another mistake... In case you were not informed, you are required to submit to the uneducated and indescriminet masses on the forums. Individuality is not approved. Pink roundels.....what are you thinking....

    John

    hahahaha..Cute!!!

    XOXO @ John ( Both )

    Quote Originally Posted by Huggy621 View Post
    Hey girl, i love your write ups.....some people just have a hard time giving props....your post are always helpfull. For recent E38 owners like my self these write ups are extremly helpfull. Thank you......
    Thank You sweetheart. You are TRULY a WONDERFUL & GREAT person. Neva change!!!!


    XOXO
    Last edited by Miss BimmerLV; 06-29-2011 at 12:06 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
    Insta: @Ella.Emanuelle.Rose

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  24. #24
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    the reason I say after market headunit is my year came with a tape player and no dsp... the audio system is in need of an upgrade. I started with a sub, now I need an aux input for ipod and cd's up front if I want(also Bluetooth phone). its the route I choose to go and I'm not "purest".

    eventually I need to upgrade the speakers replace the stock amp etc.. but like I said eventualllllly lol, the above are quick fixes.
    Last edited by TheJayP; 06-29-2011 at 12:13 AM.


  25. #25
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    nice write up

    99 E39 528i / 08 E92 M3

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