New to ICE

[JezGTI]

To begin, is it possible to just install a sub in the boot (or anywhere more discrete?) and hold onto the standard speakers.  If so how is this done, do I have to start taking the dash apart or anything to get the  feed for it??  As I said I really am new to this!

[R1D3R]

yes thats perfectly fine.

u will need a new head unit to run a sub. as u need the line out puts which the standard one doesnt have. (unless your head unit is newer and does have these)

you will also need an amp unless u get a powerd sub which has one with it like Vibe.

you need to get a power cable from the battery to the amp which will plug through any grommet and into the car. you will also need audio cable and a blue control lead from your head unit to the amp.

these can be ran under the carpet along with the other audio cables down the left of the car which is simple enough.

you can buy a amp wiring kit at places like halfords for about ?30

as for the feeding of the wire i didnt take any of the dash apart. i got a mate to feed it along the inside of the dash as i pulled it through from the other end near the door. the only bits of dash u may need to take off are the bits to allow you to pull up the carpet.

[R1D3R]

u may also want to make a false floor in your boot as the sub doesnt sit very well on the spare wheel!

[Blue MK2]

amp wiring...

(+) - fused wire from the battery to the amp. The thicker the better.

(-) - comes from the car bodywork (earth). To do this scratch off a small part to reveal the metal on the chassis inside the boot. Now bolt the Negative (-) wire to this.

Remote Wire - Connect this thin wire behind the headunit to the blue/white remote wire, then to the amp.

Audio Signal (phono leads) - These connect behind the headunit and then to the amp. Connect these according to the colours. REMEMBER... Some phono leads have a built in remote wire for an easy installation!

Make sure you connect the Negative wire to the amp last. This is to prevent a spark and is more safe. Trust me i do this stuff everyday

Hope that is clear

[S11EPS]

Jez,

You can get a sub in your car with your standard head unit - you can either use an amp that uses speaker inputs (rather than rca signal cables), (you can take feeds from your rear speakers) or you can use speaker to RCA connectors that, again, tap into your speaker feeds and leave you with connectors that will plug straight into an amp.

However, both of these methods will give you a diminshed quality result compared to proper high volt line-outs. It also leaves you with a slight switching issue, as your current head unit won't have the ability to switch the amp on via a remote lead. However, this is not insurmountable.

I would also consider fitting some caps to your standard speakers if you're intending on keeping them for a while, as these will filter out the very lowest of lows, make them more efficient, and allow you to drive them harder before the inevitable distortion sets in!

Finally,

amp wiring...

Make sure you connect the Negative wire to the amp last. This is to prevent a spark and is more safe. Trust me i do this stuff everyday

It really doesn't matter which order you connect them up. You will only get a psark if the power cable is connected to the battery, and you definitely should not be connecting it if your power cable is energised.

The last thing you should be doing (after your amp is all connected up)  is reconnecting the battery and installing the in-line fuse to your amps' power cable.

[reserves]

Jez,

Just to take a different line on this.

From your post I'm not sure if you want to go down the whole AMP/sub way.

It is possible to get a "reasonable" sound without an amp or sub.

I have chosen this way as my 8v is 100% original and I don't want to mess about with it.

If you chose not to run an amp then you need to spend a bit more on your head unit, making sure you get the highest power one you can, by doing this you (should) also get 2 sets of "line out's" which you will need if you want to add an amp in the future.

A high power head unit will run the front (both tweeters & door speakers) & the back speakers OK. The original speakers are very poor so you would need to replace these, many manufacturers offer replacements.

If you don't mind installing an amp then you have an option of running a sub in the back and powering the front speakers either from the head unit or the amp (depending on how many channels the amp has).

To run an amp you will not need to take the dash out, you just need to run a heavy duty power cable direct from the battery to the amp & earth the amp as well. The "line out's" from your head unit also need to go to the amp (via heavy duty RCA phono leads) and the leads Blue Mk2 mention. The sub/speakers will then be connected to the amp.

Hope this all makes sense.

R

[JezGTI]

Thanks guys, it's starting to become clearer now, just a few questions:
- How can I tell if my head unit has the necessary outputs (its not the original one), changed the dash surround recently and it looked like a rats nest behind there?
- I use my boot quite a lot, for gym stuff, baby stuff etc.  Is there a fairly discrete sub on the market, I have an Audi Allroad with a sub somewhere in the boot but damned if I can find it, is there a sub that can fit in the side of the boot space?
- R1D3R you mentioned a combined sub/amp, would you recommend this over a seperate system?
- Re: taking a wire from the +ive on battery do I need to drill and fit a new grommet or are is there already some available?
- How do I fit caps to the existing speakers and what spec should they be.
- What rating should the inline fuse be?

Sorry for all the questions, but want to get it right.

By the way, when I turn up the volume at the moment I get vibration noises from some of the speakers (doesn't sound like their blown though).  Is it just a case of fitting some sort of rubber seal or similar to stop this?

Cheers in advance.

[S11EPS]

can you get us the model number of the head unit? Normally printed on the front of it somewhere......

[Blue MK2]

Jez,
Have you seen the back of a TV,Video,Sterio? They have round shaped red and white sockets on them. This is what you look for behind you sterio.
you can get discreet sub boxes from http://www.autoacoustics.co.uk/.

You can get amp wiring kits from halfords which have an in-line fuse in them so there is nothing to worry about.

There is a grommet on the right side of the bulkhead, feed the wire through this.
It will end up inside the car under the carpet near the heater motor.

[S11EPS]

Where abouts in the country are you Jez?