[kmarei]

has anyone added a center speaker to a base/HIFI system?
i want to install one, i already have the speaker, and i have the hole for it already, all i need is the grill, which i ordered today.

i want to install it to see what it sounds like with the MS-8
has anyone added a center speaker?
i am curious how to pass the wire from the front passenger footwell to the top of the dash.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by kmarei

has anyone added a center speaker to a base/HIFI system?
i want to install one, i already have the speaker, and i have the hole for it already, all i need is the grill, which i ordered today.

i want to install it to see what it sounds like with the MS-8
has anyone added a center speaker?
i am curious how to pass the wire from the front passenger footwell to the top of the dash.

Use something like this... http://www.crutchfield.com/p_042DM45...rm.html?tp=990

[fdriller9]

I wonder i you can get access through the vents? Or maybe if you take the head unit out, you can get access underneath? Doubt the latter though...

[Ocelaris]

Did you ever do this? How did it turn out? I want to do the same. Thanks

[taibanl]

I ran mine from the speaker location forward and toward the driver and found a hole I could reach my hand up into from under the driver dash to grab it

[taibanl]

Pics will follow

[Ocelaris]

Thanks, I imagined there was some passage, but just knowing that it's possible is good.

[javaperson]

I was reaching from the footwell with the wire, while my friend placed a bent clothes hanger down the hole of the center channel speaker area. I struggled for about 30minutes, but finally got the speaker wire through. Not too bad.

[Technic]

iDrive-equipped:

- remove iDrive screen
- remove long dash trim
- remove cupholder trim
- remove left cupholder
- open glovebox
- remove fusebox door
- remove trim under the glovebox

Pass center speaker channel thru the right side of the iDrive screen "hole", look thru the left cupholder "hole" (you wil be seeing the top of the glovebox) and direct the wire towards the back of the glovebox.

You should be able to grap that wire by sticking your right hand thru the fusebox door in the back of the glovebox and pull the wire towards the open side under the glovebox.

Stick that wire inside the plastic trim along the door(s) sill towards the trunk.

Re-install evrything back.

No iDrive-equipped:

- the same steps as above but a little more difficult and time-consuming as there is no screen to remove and facilitate the passing of the wires. You will be using the left cupholder "hole" more to guide the wire towards the back of the glovebox.

[Ocelaris]

Thanks, that seems painful though... oh well, only have to do it once. I'm just afraid to start popping off panels, it's one thing to do it with my Honda, it's another to do it with a BMW.

[kmarei]

When I did it I cut my hand like 20 times
Huge pain in the ass
But worth it
My hand is healed, but I like the center channel

[taibanl]

Sorry guys. Haven't found my pics yet but really it's easy to pass town beside the steering column. Takes 10m or less

[PerthBMW]

Originally Posted by taibanl

Sorry guys. Haven't found my pics yet but really it's easy to pass town beside the steering column. Takes 10m or less

Dumb question I know but then where do you then connect the line to to make the centre speaker work?

Sorry I am down under...

[fdriller9]

Originally Posted by PerthBMW

Dumb question I know but then where do you then connect the line to to make the centre speaker work?

Sorry I am down under...

You need either the L7 system or a processor (like the JBL MS-8) to add that center channel.

[JerryK73]

You could also use a large zip tie and just tape the wires you are trying to snake to the zip tie.

[fdriller9]

Originally Posted by JerryK73

You could also use a large zip tie and just tape the wires you are trying to snake to the zip tie.

Yea but the zip tie is too flexible.....A metal clothes hanger would be better.

[scubasteve2365]

You can pass a wire from the center speaker location to behind the radio in about 3 minutes if you know where the passage is.

You don't need to use the HVAC ventilation, no need to use the cupholder as a pull point.

Simply snake the wire towards the front passanger seat but angled down into the dash.

[1QuikWS6]

Easiest way I found when pulling my radar detector up to that point for direct wire:

Simply pop off the center dash trim along with the center vents (don't forget to remove the (2) wires going to the vent control).

Then you'll see the gap between the metal structure holding the dash and the dash itself all along in front of the front dash speaker cavity & the opening into the speaker cavity also.

I just ran a coat hanger down from that point between dash and metal structure (and unless I just got lucky) it naturally found it's way down thru and came out under dash, in front of front leading edge of console, in passenger side footwell.

Tape wire to coat hanger and pull up and thru - thread wire thru front opening in speaker cavbity and voila!

Took all of about 10mins if that. No need to remove radio/HVAC controls, etc.

It was a slight biotch to put the wires back onto the center dash vent controls - as from factory the wire bundle is taped to a clip that holds bundle to framework behind the center dash trim and doesn't leave much slack.

Just pop that clip out and you will have enough slack to reconnect the wires with no problem.

[CobraMarty]

All this talk about the center speaker got me thinking, my XM Radio antenna routs to the trunk lid and it is exposed in the trunk along the path. I pulled it all out and the XM works great with the antenna on the dash. So I pulled the center speaker cover off and the drivers side under dash cover off and shined a light into the speaker area and looked up from the drivers foot area and 'saw the light' and passed a coat hanger up and taped the antenna wire to it. I coiled the extra 15 feet of antenna wire into the center speaker area and double sided 3M the antenna to the center of the dash as far forward as it fit. It works great and looks stealth.

[JerryK73]

Originally Posted by *********

Yea but the zip tie is too flexible.....A metal clothes hanger would be better.

In general I would advise against using a metal hanger to try and run wires since you could pierce something with the hanger (not necessarily talking about this particular situation). Also you want some flexibility so that you can route the wire(s) around things that you can't see.
I bought some 3' zip ties and cut the ratcheting end off it and it works like a charm. As a matter of fact it was the only way for me to run the the 12v wire, iPod cable, and the gps/usb wire to the glove box and fuse box from the center dash when I installed my Dynavin head unit.