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      07-27-2009, 04:22 AM   #221
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nmf69 View Post
Don't give up!
At the LCI models they changed the way the subwoofers and the mids in the doors are connected: there are no splices anymore but a 4 wire connector which goes directly into the subwoofer encloser - 2 thicker wires coming from the HU and 2 thinner which go to the mids in the doors. I hope it helps, I will make some pictures one of these days - still waiting for my new Audio Systems subwoofers...
Oh well at least you have confirmed that there is a change and there are no splices there.
Surely the install document should have been updated.. I wonder how I could get my hands on that
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      07-27-2009, 04:50 AM   #222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by _Si_ View Post
Oh well at least you have confirmed that there is a change and there are no splices there.
Surely the install document should have been updated.. I wonder how I could get my hands on that
Ok, so this changes things slightly, but you shouldn't need the new installation guide.

What you need to do is trace these two cables back from the sub to where they are in the sills. You then need to cut both of these wires at a sensible point to tap into.

When cut you can terminate the thin wire leading back to the sub (won't be used) which will leave you with three pairs, similar to that you would see in the pre LCI cars once you remove the splices.

Rich
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      07-27-2009, 05:52 AM   #223
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Just spoke to Parts dept and got them to look at the install instructions.
I asked him to go to step 5 and its completely different to the instructions on here. So i asked him to check the date of the document and its 03/2009!
Im just trying to get a copy of it.
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      07-28-2009, 03:04 AM   #224
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Quote:
Originally Posted by richd View Post
Ok, so this changes things slightly, but you shouldn't need the new installation guide.

What you need to do is trace these two cables back from the sub to where they are in the sills. You then need to cut both of these wires at a sensible point to tap into.

When cut you can terminate the thin wire leading back to the sub (won't be used) which will leave you with three pairs, similar to that you would see in the pre LCI cars once you remove the splices.

Rich
Got the new Installation Instructions and it looks the same as the one on here!
nmf69 mentions they use a connector now instead, im wondering if I need to remove front seats and have a look where this connector plugs in.
Is anyone else bored yet?
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      07-29-2009, 09:00 AM   #225
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Quote:
Originally Posted by _Si_ View Post
Got the new Installation Instructions and it looks the same as the one on here!
nmf69 mentions they use a connector now instead, im wondering if I need to remove front seats and have a look where this connector plugs in.
Is anyone else bored yet?
Not bored yet! Hang in there. I'm not familiar with LCI changes but I think with nmf69's description of the 4 wire connector at the subwoofer that this connector is taking the place of the splice!

If the new wiring is how I imagine it is then this is a much neater and straightforward wiring solution from BMW. The old wiring from the headunit goes down the centre of the car and then under the seats to out to the side of the car. I never understood why that wiring had to go past the subwoofer and out to the doorsill before being spliced with another wire required to take the signal back to the subwoofer.

Can you expose the connectors to the subwoofers and take a photos? I'd like to have the colour coding of the wires at the connectors confirmed. The driver's side colours should be different to the passengers side colours. I guess the seats need to be lifted for access. Thanks.
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      07-29-2009, 09:03 AM   #226
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Quote:
Originally Posted by robbie99 View Post
Not bored yet! Hang in there. I'm not familiar with LCI changes but I think with nmf69's description of the 4 wire connector at the subwoofer that this connector is taking the place of the splice!

If the new wiring is how I imagine it is then this is a much neater and straightforward wiring solution from BMW. The old wiring from the headunit goes down the centre of the car and then under the seats to out to the side of the car. I never understood why that wiring had to go past the subwoofer and out to the doorsill before being spliced with another wire required to take the signal back to the subwoofer.

Can you expose the connectors to the subwoofers and take a photos? I'd like to have the colour coding of the wires at the connectors confirmed. The driver's side colours should be different to the passengers side colours. I guess the seats need to be lifted for access. Thanks.
Yeah sure. Just waiting for a dry day so I can remove the front seats.
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      07-29-2009, 05:00 PM   #227
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Right. I'm sticking my neck here but based on nmf69's description of the 4 wire connector and assuming that the colour coding hasn't changed, I've put together the following diagrams showing wiring before and after the Alpine upgrade. The first two are for the pre-LCI models which have splices under the door sills. The next two are what I guess is the situation with the LCI models.

EDIT: The colour coding has changed with the LCI models. Diagrams updated with colours from pics showing wiring at left subwoofer and Si's update on different colours at righthand side.
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Last edited by robbie99; 08-02-2009 at 07:12 PM..
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      07-30-2009, 01:41 AM   #228
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The 4 wire connector on the driver's side contains 2 thick wires (red/white and yellow/brown) and two thin wires (blue/white and blue/brown), the passenger side still a mistery ...but I will open it the moment I get the Blaupunkt kit.
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      07-30-2009, 04:26 AM   #229
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nmf69 View Post
The 4 wire connector on the driver's side contains 2 thick wires (red/white and yellow/brown) and two thin wires (blue/white and blue/brown), the passenger side still a mistery ...but I will open it the moment I get the Blaupunkt kit.
Your car would be left hand drive? I'll have to update the diagrams to be driver's side neutral and to include the new colour codes. I'll do that as soon as you or _si_ can confirm.
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      07-30-2009, 04:50 AM   #230
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      07-30-2009, 06:16 AM   #231
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@ robbie99:

Excellent diagram, that will help me a lot next week when im going to start on my kit. Have pre-LCI so should be easy!

Agian my quick question.. If I install the Apline kit, and want sws8 underseat, should I order the 2 or 4 ohm ones?

Thanks!
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      07-30-2009, 06:22 AM   #232
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Quote:
Originally Posted by T335i View Post
@ robbie99:

Excellent diagram, that will help me a lot next week when im going to start on my kit. Have pre-LCI so should be easy!

Agian my quick question.. If I install the Apline kit, and want sws8 underseat, should I order the 2 or 4 ohm ones?

Thanks!
You should get the 4 ohm ones...based on the assumtion that the Alpine amp was meant for the existing oem drivers which are 4 Ohm.
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      07-30-2009, 07:14 AM   #233
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Right, I just got hold of a torx 50 so I popped the passenger seat out over my lunch break!
Took 3 photo's. They're not too clear as my camera on my phone is pretty crap.
Anyway, here goes:


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      07-30-2009, 08:02 AM   #234
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I've updated the diagrams with colours from the latest photos. I guess that that 4 wire loom leading to the subwoofers is the best place to tap the alpine wiring into.
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      07-30-2009, 08:11 AM   #235
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Quote:
Originally Posted by T335i View Post
@ robbie99:

Excellent diagram, that will help me a lot next week when im going to start on my kit. Have pre-LCI so should be easy!

Agian my quick question.. If I install the Apline kit, and want sws8 underseat, should I order the 2 or 4 ohm ones?

Thanks!
I wouldn't know but what nmf69 said makes sense. I'd go for same as what's there already - the 4 ohm one.
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      07-30-2009, 11:51 AM   #236
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Quote:
Originally Posted by T335i View Post
@ robbie99:

Excellent diagram, that will help me a lot next week when im going to start on my kit. Have pre-LCI so should be easy!

Agian my quick question.. If I install the Apline kit, and want sws8 underseat, should I order the 2 or 4 ohm ones?

Thanks!
thats a fantastic diagram well done that man!!

where do you get the subs from? Im assuming the arent cheap.
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      07-31-2009, 04:16 AM   #237
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Ok, Bedankt/Thanks, I may order the 4 ohm then together with the apline set.
I have seen found them for $130 (is about €92) in U.S. (but shipping expensive). for £120 and I found a shop in holland who sells them for €109. So that last option in by far the best for me. Just dont know if i should wait and install the alpine set first and see how the OEM subs do....
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      08-01-2009, 06:11 AM   #238
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zoltan_tms View Post
I finished the amp install yesterday.It wasn't difficult,it took aproximatively 4 hours.There are two thin wires on each side ,those are from the door speakers,and 4 thick wires,2 from subwoofer,2 from the headunit.
I did not disconnect the battery at all,just worked carefully not to short circuit somethging.I identified the wires by cutting one by one,then verified once again the dor speakers and subwoofer with a little battery.It's pretty simple,black stiped cables must be connected to black triped ones,white striped to the white striped ones,you just have to have in mind, that blue is going to headunit,red to the door speakers,and green to the subwoofer.
On the driver side be careful not to damage some green wires,I think those are fiberoptics,going to the navigation system.
It sounds really good,surprisingly it's not very loud,but you can hear the difference,the bass hits harder,now all you need is to change your underseat woofers...
Please someone help im in the middle of an install
on the drivers side there are 2 thiner wires (door speakers) thats fine.
that leaves us with 2 pairs of thicker cables and absolutely no way of telling which is from the head unit and which is from the sub?

Mark

stressed.
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      08-01-2009, 07:28 AM   #239
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Quote:
Originally Posted by markymark34 View Post
Please someone help im in the middle of an install
on the drivers side there are 2 thiner wires (door speakers) thats fine.
that leaves us with 2 pairs of thicker cables and absolutely no way of telling which is from the head unit and which is from the sub?

Mark

stressed.
No need to panic ;-)

Ok, if you can't trace where they go, you will need to do a listening test.

You know the thin wire goes to the doors. So, Cut one spice only, so you have three cables. Bind the thin cable with one thick cable, turn on the stereo and see if anything comes out the doors. If it does then the thick cable you bound to the door cable is the feed from the Head Unit. If there is no sound from the door speaker, then you have identified the feed to the sub.

Repeat with the other pair/splice (having spliced the first three back as one temporarily) to identify the feed from the head unit for the other cable splice.

Repeat for the other side! I just hand bound them back together and used a bit of insulating tape to hold the connection and stop it shorting.

Rich.
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      08-01-2009, 08:46 AM   #240
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Quote:
Originally Posted by richd View Post
No need to panic ;-)

Ok, if you can't trace where they go, you will need to do a listening test.

You know the thin wire goes to the doors. So, Cut one spice only, so you have three cables. Bind the thin cable with one thick cable, turn on the stereo and see if anything comes out the doors. If it does then the thick cable you bound to the door cable is the feed from the Head Unit. If there is no sound from the door speaker, then you have identified the feed to the sub.

Repeat with the other pair/splice (having spliced the first three back as one temporarily) to identify the feed from the head unit for the other cable splice.

Repeat for the other side! I just hand bound them back together and used a bit of insulating tape to hold the connection and stop it shorting.

Rich.
thanks! job done!
passenger side was easy but drivers side not so.
Total time 6 1/2 hours, if i had to do it again could do it in about 3. Spent at least an hour fiddling with cables and a further hour working out how to remove the rear seat!

sound is vastly improved, treble and mid are clearer and better defined. Subs now actually seem to be doing their job.

If only bm had made the stereo like that from the start.
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      08-02-2009, 09:19 AM   #241
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robbie99 many thanks, your diagram has helped loads

however, I have hit a problem on the right hand side of the car as the wires plugged into the sub are completely different to the colours you have.

Theres 2 thick wires: red/blue and brown/white and 2 thinner wires: blue/black and blue/brown

Do you have any ideas where i should be making my connections?

Many Thanks (again!)

Si..
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      08-02-2009, 12:09 PM   #242
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Quote:
Originally Posted by _Si_ View Post
robbie99 many thanks, your diagram has helped loads

however, I have hit a problem on the right hand side of the car as the wires plugged into the sub are completely different to the colours you have.

Theres 2 thick wires: red/blue and brown/white and 2 thinner wires: blue/black and blue/brown

Do you have any ideas where i should be making my connections?

Many Thanks (again!)

Si..
Sorted. red/blue and brown/white need to replace red/white and brown yellow on the right hand side of the car.

Well its all complete now. Thanks to everyone for their help. Sounds great as well!
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