So, just got my new system in... the installers were OK, found some problems and need these guys to correct them. Overall it really sounds nice, needs to break in but that is expected.

Here are some problems I've found:

1. Receiver fits but shows a bit of the metal case along the top edge, maybe there is a besel that could solve this problem?

2. The receivers fader doesn't work right... fronts are fine but when I send the fader to the rear it is VERY soft... like it's getting 1% of the amps power.

3. The SWI-X Interface is SKETCHY! Works sometimes, other times no signal. Guessing the infrared is being blocked by something? Dunno.

4. After driving home I noticed the Airbag light had not gone off... I'm assuming they did not connect the steering wheel bag back properly. Sucks. So I just took it to the dealer to have them check the sensors. Hope the warrently covers this... doubt it though since the mod obviously caused it. We'll see.

Overall I'm a little pissed about the install... I paid A LOT for it and the work is not exactly up to par. Frustrating to say the least.

Anyway if anyone was wondering here is what the MINI's got blasting ghetto style:

Clarion DXZ735MP Receiver
MB Quart RSD 213 5.25" Fronts
MB Quart DKC 169 6x9" Back
ROCKFORD FOSGATE PUNCH 501X 65w x 4

Anyone have some ideas about the problems with the install? Any help would be great... so I can point these yahoos in the right direction. :smile:

Thx,
kp

 

There is a MINI trim kit to make the radio fit perfectly in the dash. Rough cost $15 to 18 and looks and fits good.

For your rear speakers- check the wiring- the speakers are out of phase- easy to correct. Not sure why auto stereo shops allow this to happen.

Check your system for feedback/interference noise a high pitched sound when the car is going which you can hear over the music. Your system may need shielded grounding more than the shielded cables can provide. This topic was discussed extensively in past audio posts on MCO.

When faced with any problem in the doors or dash that in anyway dealt with stereo my dealer said sorry take it up with the stereo install shop, you have voided your warranty and we don't cover that. I had complained of rattling in one door.

Paying alot is not a guarantee of even mediocre audio install work. Make sure everything gets done.
Some of us like iancull have had very bad experiences. Pooky13 and I did very well.

 

1) There is a facia adapter specifically designed to surround an American dash unit in a MINI dash - you can actually get them on ebay now:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=32812

2) When the fader is centered are the rears strong? I'm wondering if they've only used the front feeds from the head unit.

3) Where did they install the IR emitter? Also, if the faceplate is in direct sunlight, the IR often doesn't work. If that's the case, it's normal.

4) Did they install the amp under one of the seats? If they disconnected the airbag connector fromt he seat to remove it and turned the key before reconnecting, that would cause the airbag light to stay on until reset by the dealer.

 

Hey minihune and scooterboy,

Ordering the adapter from sounddomain.com 13 bux.

The rears are strong when the fader is centered.

The IR emitter is mounted next to the receiver and the space between the plastic moulding.

The amp is under the passenger seat.

I heard back from the dealer... they reset the airbag... didn't say it cost anything, looks like I may have gotten lucky. :smile: we shall see.

I'm going to try and bring it back to the shop today and have them correct the problems... I'll keep you posted.

kp

 

Sounds to me like the rear feeds weren't used from the head unit.

IR emitter was installed NEXT TO the receiver? That doesn't sound like a good idea to me. When you use the real remote control for the receiver, do you hold it up against the dash before pushing a button? Of course not. The emitter should be someplace IN FRONT of the receiver so it can get a clean shot. Off to the side is ok, but still in front of it.

I'd bet a dollar that when they removed the seat to install the amp, they turned the key while the seat was still disconnected.

Who did this install? I'm no pro, but I did a better job than that...

 

>>Sounds to me like the rear feeds weren't used from the head unit.

Yes it is possible/probable.

>>Who did this install? I'm no pro, but I did a better job than that...

I think that you are pretty savy at audio though not a "pro"
Here is the thread on scooterboy's install:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=12962
Excellent job!

 

Yup, the rear feeds were not used... WTF. I checked the receivers manual etc and it said the outs could be used in this fashion -> Feed 1: Front Right and Left ... Feed 2: Back Right/Sub Right and Back Left/Sub Left. The installer said this out isn't really meant to be used with a full range speaker ( the 6x9's I have in the back ), should be used with a sub. I don't know enough about car audio to decifer what the manual means... sounds like it could be used for either. What do you guys think?

I moved the IR emitter out a bit from the location they placed it, seems to be working now... but not the best idea. Where did you install your IR? I almost feel like taking apart the car and going over what they did to make improvements where I can.

The shop I used was: Audio Design in NYC, 25th St and 10 Ave. I don't think they knew enough about the MINI... they said they worked on some before and I did some research... but this wasn't the greatest experience. Oh well, could have been worse I guess.

 

Yup, they turned on ignition power when seat was out. No biggie there. When the airbag light comes on, it will ONLY go away from a dealer reset. Nothing to worry about if they reset and it's off now. :smile:

As for the IR node, I have my SWI-X emmitter directly over the top left corner of my headunit. Found that to be the best possible place that wasn't a freakin' nightmare to wire. Just shoved the wire up between dash facia and the down tube. I used to have it on the side of the steering column, but that hardly ever functioned.

R

 

hey davbret,

that's where i have mine now... seems to work just fine.

kp

 

kungpow - no reason I know of that the rear feed couldn't be used for both rears and sub (if you had one). The "full-range" speaker comment is crap. Since you didn't mention having a sub, they should have absolutely used the rear feeds. How do they expect you to adjust the balance between front and back otherwise? Has nothing to do with whether they've worked on a MINI before - that's just common sense.

I put my IR emitter in that little triangular area between/in back of the cupholders. I had my doubts that it would work well there, but my experimentation proved it to be the best place for my head unit (Alpine) - a spot on the steering column near the ignition was a close second. There might be better spots for other head units, but that's what worked for me.

 

>>I think that you are pretty savy at audio though not a "pro"
>>Here is the thread on scooterboy's install:
>>https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=12962
>>Excellent job!

Well thank you sir!

 

hey scooterboy,

damn... that's what i figured, that really pisses me off. i'm just going to do it myself... i really don't want to deal with these guys anymore. they have had my car in and out of their shop all week.

thanks for your help,
kp

 

You do realize that you'll have to run a second set of RCA cables from the head unit to the amp under the seat, right? What kind of amp ventilation did they leave in the carpet under the seat? Just a hole? I'm thinking you might be able to sneak a cable under the carpet without removing the seat, but you'll still need to plug it into the amp so you have to be able to at least get your hand in there.

If you do remove the seat, I think it's a torx 40 or 50 bit you'll need - I can't remember.

_________________
IB/Blk Cooper, Fogs, Xenons, Spoiler, Chrome Inserts, Blk/Blk/Anthracite Int, Sport Seats, Auto Wipers, Premium & Cold Weather pkgs.

 

yeah planning to run the RCA cables... i think i may be able to get my hand under the seat and into the vent ( hole ) where the amp is exposed. just not sure how i'm going to fish it through from the receiver? do you think i can manage to get the carpet up a bit with the seat still in there?

 

You know I started to type out how I would sneak that cable down there without removing the seat, but I think you're going to have to anyway.

Even if you got the RCA cable to it, you still have the problem of the cables feeding the speakers from the amp. If they didn't use the the rear feeds, then they also didn't use two of the speaker outputs, or they bridged the amp to create two channels that would be more powerful. In either case, you'll need to redo the speaker connections which are almost certainly screw terminals. To do this you'll need fairly open access to the amp as well as being able to see what you are doing.

If it were me, I'd make the effort to remove the seat. Firstly, it will make running the new RCA cable much easier, and secondly you'll be able to sort out your speaker cabling without doing unnatural contortions in order to get at the amp. And remember, DON'T turn the key until the seat is reconnected! When I did my install, I put my keys back in the house so I wouldn't accidentally do this!

Or you could bring it back yet again and tell them you want the rear feeds utilized...

 

well, guess this will have to be a weekend project. i'm not going to even bother telling them again that the rear RCA outs can be used for full range speakers.

sounds like it will be fairly easy with the seat out... did you have to remove the center shift consol/side bars to run the RCA's to the receiver? or could i just fish it through the back?

thanks again for the help

 

Assuming you know how to remove the head unit to connect the rear feeds OR you can do it by reaching back there from the side, you should be able to run the cable out the back, under the carpet behind the glovebox over to the side trim, and then tuck it under the side trim from the bonnet release down to beside the floor cavity. Then pull the edge of the carpet from under the trim below the door opening just enough to slip the cable underneath.

Once you get the seat out and can see exactly what you're dealing with through the hole in the carpet, you might see an easier way but that is how I'd do it.

Be aware that there's foam on the underside of the carpet so you may have to lift it more than you think to get the cable under it.

 

I may have misunderstood your last question. To remove the stuff necessary to pull the head unit, follow these instructions:LINK

 

If the feeds on your head unit are female RCA connectors on the end of short cables hanging off the back, you may be able to reach them from the side of the dash without having to pull the head unit. If so, the rears should be the only ones hanging free and unconnected. This would save you a lot of time and trouble.

 

thanks scooterboy...

after all that i found out while at the shop that they infact DID run RCA's from the amp to the receiver for the back and split the front signal off the receiver... dear god. anyway, to make a long FRUSTRATING story short i talked the guy into pulling the head unit and connecting the rear RCA to the so-called "sub out". then showed him on the receiver how to select either "full range" or "sub crossover frequency". wow... glad that is over. thanks so much for all your advice etc, really helped me out with this mess. not going back to these yahoos again... :smile:

 

Excellent. Glad it turned out to be an easy fix.

For what it's worth, most subs can take the full-range signal from either the front or rear and use it without degradation to either. And your amp may even have a "pass-thru" set of outputs that you can use for a sub. Just in case you decide to add a sub later....

 

Me too, could have been a big pain.

Nice, I'm def going to consider adding a sub at some point, the front's are dropping out a bit at high levels. There is a pass-thru on my amp, so adding the sub won't be a huge ordeal. Just have to figure out what exactly I want to add. :smile: