I have searched this entire forum several times and I cannot find an answer to my questions....so...

I am in the proccess of doing a sub install in my 07 MCS...

I have my speaker wires ran to the boot with a line out converter and it works properly...(hooked up the home theater sub with a power inverter....sounded AMAZING...too bad it was extremely cheesy and i had to turn the inverter on everytime i cranked the car lol...)

Next step...I need power...what is the easiest way to run an 8 guage power wire from the battery under the bonnet ALLLL the way to the boot???

Next step...I think I found a good chassis ground...

Next step...remote wire...several people suggest the 12v outlet in the boot...however that is on the opposite side of the car that I am working...is there another good source on the passenger side of the car???

 

well the remote wire from the socket was easier than I thought...so that part is done...

 

Just curious, what wires did you tap for the subwoofer to obtain the 80Hz and down range?

 

I actually used the bottom speaker on the passenger side door...this was before I had read that that wasn't the best idea, however, with the home theater sub in there...it was deffinately getting all the way down there!!!

So anyone have a clue about teh best route for the power cable???

 

You can run the power cable along the passenger side; that goes by the fusebox and to a firewall feedthrough to where you can hit the battery.

However... Here comes the heresy...

I can't help it. I'm an engineer by training. I have a nice little package to play with, the Boss Audio bass600 integrated amp - 10 inch subwoofer. It's got a 15 amp fuse on it. I've hooked it up to my test equipment, and driven the beast to clipping (off a 50 amp lab supply), and I know how much it can draw max. Under 15 amps.

I'm not going to run 8 gauge wire to this thing! Complete overkill! Look at the wiring in the car -- if you look at the fusebox, you'll see a pair of 30 amp circuits for the heated seats (F39 and F40). And that aux power jack in the boot? The fuse for that (F42) is 20 amps. Yeah, you have to share that with the front cig jack. Does your phone and GPS draw 5 amps?

Look at AWG tables. 14 gauge wire is rated for 32 amps. 16 is rated for 22 amps.

Yes, your 8 gauge wiring, if you install it perfectly, will give you a quarter the voltage drop of a 14 gauge line the same lenght. I'm willing to bet you don't have the equipment to accurately measure the difference in resistance in a ten foot run, though. (HP 3456A or better with Kelvin clips.)

So when I run my little sub, it's going in with 14 or 16 from the fusebox.

And don't get me started on the 1 farad capacitors...

But enough of the heresy. Run 8 gauge if you want.

Cheers--

 

Well I got tired of waiting! (1 week gap this week between summer job and school) Got the sub in and it sounds GREAT!!!!

Thanks for the help!

 

PICS!!!!

 

This is a system that I had in my Silverado. So I spent NO new money on this system. But that is why its not the cleanest or most aesthetic install...

It takes up quite a bit of room, but considering I very rarely have anything to carry, I believe I'll be ok...

I will hopefully find a better mounting device than the bungee...or ill find a black one lol...