I have purchased a 4 channel Alpine amp and was wondering how much room is under the passenger seat? I will not have the car in hand until Nov to test myself.

 

If you can tell us a little more about the vehicle you have coming it would help us.

What wee need to know is what options you have added as these will make a difference as to how much room you have under your seats.

Things like DSC, Satellite Radio, and other things use space down under the seats.

Then we also need to know what you have ordered for the radio. Is it the standard radio or the HiFi?

Answer these, and I and others here can recommend a plan of action and locations for some of what you want to do.

 

Hijack Alert!

If I have a Clubman with HiFi and nothing else, how much room can I expect to have to install an amp under the passenger seat? If I remember correctly, there is a flat plastic cover under there.

Hijack Off.

 

On an R56 build, if you have the sat radio, the compartment is full.

Otherwise, there's a small module in there (at least in my car; don't remember the function), but ISTR enough room for one of the Alpine PDX amps. I currently have my ham radio gear stashed there (sshh--don't tell the dealer--it's a secret), and in the great subwoofer quest, the pocket wasn't quite big enough for the Boss Audio bass600 subwoofer, which is 13.7 x 9.8 x 2.8 -- about an inch short, so something on the order of 10x10x3 should be easy. It's also an easy run to the fusebox underneath the carpet and right hand channel, and an easy run (comparitively) under the carpet and along the center hump to the center console.

Note that to get full access, you have to pull the passenger seat at least loose, if not completely out of the car. Uses a T40 torx for the seat, and I think a T20 torx for the plastic cover. If you take the seat out, you need to disconnect the battery beforehand (takes 10mm wrench), and make sure you have everything reconnected before you reconnect the battery and try and restart the car, or you get the dreaded airbag light, and have to take the car in to the dealer to have the light cleared.

 

Thanks for the info, I will measure the amp I purchased to see if it will fit. I will only have DSC installed and it is a standard radio not the upgrade version.

 

My 03/2007 build MCS Coupe with DSC has no space available under the passenger seat. I do not have Satellite Rado.

Since DSC has now (or will soon) become standard, other locations will have probably have to be found. What about under the panel hatch on the right rear?

 

As far as i know all 08 clubman's came with DSC installed it was not an option.

I will check under my seat to see what kind of space there is. I have a feeling that there is not enough room though.

As for wiring the amp. In your car there is a connector in the drivers foot well that will give you the easiest connection point. One side is the radio and the other is the speakers. This make it really easy to wire up the amp. the only things you will need to find are the power and turn on wires and i am sure we can find something easy to get to for that. I will look at the diagrams this evening, or maybe k6trm knows where they are already.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

The cig lighter/accessory in the center console is switched with the ignition.

A radio on signal runs from the back of the radio (RAD ON, a black wire, at connector X13812) to connector X15, which is near our good friend X9331!



In fact, from digging in there quite a bit over the last few weekends, I think it's the black connector that's piggybacked on top of X9331.

So there you have a convenient place to pick up audio signals (x9331), and a power on signal (X15), although you'll need to check what that RAD ON signal actually does. Also, no clue as to how much load it can take. I have the feeling it's truly a "radio on" signal, as it goes to the FM and diversity antennas -- my first test would be to see if it goes high for the radio, and stays high for CD or Aux/iPod -- I'd put even money that it is indeed "radio only," but let us know what you find out.

The BMW wiring standard uses brown wires (BR) for ground, so a black wire (SW) for a signal isn't surprising.

 

I would hold off on buying any equipment untill you physically see the area under the seat.

 

Worst case I will just build a false floor in the back, or hid it behind one of side panels.

 

Just went out to check the clubman and found no room under the drivers seat all kinds of electronics. And under the passenger seat there is some electronics but to get the styrofoam out to see how much room there is left I would have to take the seat out, and sorry at this time I am not going to do that.

As for putting it in the back, in the boot space is probably the best. It does mean running cables the whole way but at least it would be a great looking install.

 

The few commercial installations I have seen have put an amp and sub in the boot area and covered them with a false floor.

 

I have thought about that, but I might be getting a spare tire, I can just build up a false floor, my RF 8" sub I am purchasing only needs .3 cubic feet. I can build the base out of fiberglass, and then build a plexiglass cover for the amp. Most likely Amp on one side of spare tire area and sub enclosure on the other with false floor covering it up.

About 17 years ago I was a high end car audio installer, but that was a long time ago. I then taught car audio, alarm, and cell phone installation at a trade school in Richmond. Fun job at the time. This audio installation will not have all the bells and whistles I used to put in my vehicles. But a wife, child and different career paths change those things.

So I will use a dynamat similiar material, upgrade speakers build passive crossovers, install amp, build sub. Should be fun...

 

i put a 4ch fosgate amp under the drivers seat in my 07 R56. i had to cut the amp a little and it is a very tight fit. I am able to have the seat all the way down and it will still slide forward and back. I simply cut the carpet and removed the foam. I do not have sat radio, or nav and i have the HIFI option. i am pretty sure that i have pics posted throughout these forums. search my user name. i have also posted dimensions.
Edit:
by the way, i picked up the audio signals in the wiring harness that runs under the plastic trim sideboard, right by the seat to the factory amp in the back. I used the front signals for my amp and kept the rear speakers stock and powered by the factory amp. i fade almost all the way foward to keep the signal out of the rears. i have the amp running in 3 ch mode, powering the fronts with 2 and the third for a sub in the rear that i built with a false panel so i didnt lose any space other than in the depth dimension.