Replaced factory Amp

[snavemit]

Well I just finished swapping out the factory amp, keeping the crossovers. I have a 1992 525i. Kudos to the pictures posted here and a thanks to Derek A for a few extra tips.

I put in an Alpine CDE 9852 with Ipod cable as the HU
I am running an Alpine MRP-F250 as the amplifier (4 Channel 40 watts)

I used the line level inputs by cutting the wires at the amp plug and running my input to over to the amplifier. I then ran the output as Derek A had shown on a previous thread over to the crossovers.

Plugs remained in the old factory amp but I did pull the fuse on the factory as Derek A had suggested. Ran Ground and Power back to the battery.

The end result is that the sound is amazing. Thanks for all the help here. I had a quote originally from Tweeter of about $1300 to improve the sound in the car. Instead I bought all my stuff through Crutchfield and for about half that I thing I have an even better sound.

[Mendozart]

Have you replaced the speakers or are they still stock? I'm thinking of doing the same thing to my car.

[snavemit]

Sorry should have mentioned it. They are the stock speakers. Could not believe the difference in the quality.

[billmcdaniel5]

Am doing the same as you just completed but am stuck on two points.
Looking at Derek's pic of the speaker output from the OEM crossover, which pins are negative? I'm guessing the right of each pair, is this what you did?
http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=19977&page=2&highlight=derek

Second question is Derek posted a second picture of the crossover and I noticed there was a white wire soldered to the lower part of the board in addition to the speaker outputs.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v11/interalian/stereo%20stuff/?action=view&current=535ampwithheatsink.jpg

What is this? Does the crossover require power above and beyond what the new amp send it? Is there a remote trigger? I just don't get it as I thought crossovers where passive devices.

[Anthony (M5 in Calgary)]

Am doing the same as you just completed but am stuck on two points.
Looking at Derek's pic of the speaker output from the OEM crossover, which pins are negative? I'm guessing the right of each pair, is this what you did?
http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=19977&page=2&highlight=derek

Second question is Derek posted a second picture of the crossover and I noticed there was a white wire soldered to the lower part of the board in addition to the speaker outputs.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v11/interalian/stereo%20stuff/?action=view&current=535ampwithheatsink.jpg

What is this? Does the crossover require power above and beyond what the new amp send it? Is there a remote trigger? I just don't get it as I thought crossovers where passive devices.

The white wire as shown is in a pic I made many years ago. It is just a jumper from the OE system remote turn-on to the rear mounted amps. Saved running a separate lead to turn them on.

Polarities are ++/-- all the way accross the factory amp/crossover. As long as all are the same, your phasing will be right. If using a sub, you may need to experiment with its phase separately to be sure it is correct.

[billmcdaniel5]

Thanks, I'm off to do the final hookup. This forum, and the folk who support it, are fantastic!!.

Mc D

[snavemit]

When you look at the picture that Derek A submitted with his wiring the wire with the white on it represents the Positive feed. Also you need to make sure to wire two pins for each wire. Derek accomplished it by wrapping his wire around two pins tightening it and then soldering. I did it by holding the wire between the two pins and solder it to each of them.

Let us know how you do.

[genphreak]

Well I just finished swapping out the factory amp, I used the line level inputs by cutting the wires at the amp plug and running my input to over to the amplifier. I then ran the output as Derek A had shown on a previous thread over to the crossovers... Are you running a single pair of line level signals like this or 2 pairs- if so how badly does the factory fader work on the line-level signal? Any chance you can take the time to post a pic of your connector showing which colour combinations of wires are connected on the factory plug?

Cheers, Nick

[Anthony (M5 in Calgary)]

Are you running a single pair of line level signals like this or 2 pairs- if so how badly does the factory fader work on the line-level signal? Any chance you can take the time to post a pic of your connector showing which colour combinations of wires are connected on the factory plug?

Cheers, Nick

Nick - you must have a different system. The NA spec 10 speaker unit's fader is in the OE HU, not separate (I'm inferring here). Do you have pix?

[billmcdaniel5]

Finished installing everything, and it all works!!

Put in an Alpine 9856
Ran 3 RCA's to trunk (putting in sub, so what the heck)
Installed a 5 channel Eclipse amp
Have 10" Eclipse subwoofer firing through the ski hole.
Kept the factory speakers

Have to fiddle around with the high/low pass filters on the amp, but overall am happy with the results. Gutted the OEM amp as per Derek/Anthony and have the new 5 channel feeding the OEM crossover. Don't have confidence in my soldering skills so used 4 pin connectors to hook up the crossovers.

Would have never figured this out without your help. Thanks again.

Mc D

[genphreak]

Nick - you must have a different system. The NA spec 10 speaker unit's fader is in the OE HU, not separate (I'm inferring here). Do you have pix?Sure bud, see below.

I doubt its a market specific thing- more like Head Unit specific- my car came with probably came with a Becker Mexico like the E28 did (or the next one from that... need to check the brochure). However the later units would have incorporated 4 speaker outputs in the HU as you say. I ponder to think the reason we have these poxy booster amps driving such a brilliant speaker system is that (earlier on) the head units were only 2 channel and they needed to incorporate a custom fader to divvy the signal out to a 4 channel amp elsewhere in the car....

Sorry Anthony, if I had time I'd finish the wiring diagram... just need to check the TIS schematic to know what to do with it.

Hot tip, a great place to tap power and accessory signal for amps (if you need it) in the back is via the old cellular phone wiring loom. It also has a Cat5 cable that goes to the console... :) might as well put your car PC in there too... ;)

Here's the pic of Frieda's fader, and the wiring that runs to it FYI.

[Anthony (M5 in Calgary)]

Sure bud, see below.

I doubt its a market specific thing- more like Head Unit specific- my car came with probably came with a Becker Mexico like the E28 did (or the next one from that... need to check the brochure). However the later units would have incorporated 4 speaker outputs in the HU as you say. I ponder to think the reason we have these poxy booster amps driving such a brilliant speaker system is that (earlier on) the head units were only 2 channel and they needed to incorporate a custom fader to divvy the signal out to a 4 channel amp elsewhere in the car....

Sorry Anthony, if I had time I'd finish the wiring diagram... just need to check the TIS schematic to know what to do with it.

Hot tip, a great place to tap power and accessory signal for amps (if you need it) in the back is via the old cellular phone wiring loom. It also has a Cat5 cable that goes to the console... :) might as well put your car PC in there too... ;)

Here's the pic of Frieda's fader, and the wiring that runs to it FYI.


Interesting. That looks like the way my old E30's fader worked. Speaker outputs went to a trunk mounted booster (no x-over) then back up to the fader for distribution (IIRC). The fader has a pair of ceramic plate type rheostats, right?

[snavemit]

It will probably be a couple of days before I can post some pics.

I did have 4 channel feed coming off of the old HU so that was easy to do. Fade works perfectly with the new unit in place. I used the harness from Crutchfield and wired it up to the New HU and plugged it in and was good to go.