Hey guys,

I'm in the process of doing a sub install in my sister's 07' MINI. I'm not sure what kind of OEM system she has, but I know it isn't the Harmon Kardon system (she doesn't know either). BTW, I drive an 04' VW GTI.

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Anyway, I'm planning on transferring my JL 500/1 amp along with my JL W3v3 sub into my sister's MINI. The install in my car was easy because I had an aftermarket head unit with pre-amp RCA outputs.

My sister is adamant about keeping her stock head unit so I searched these forums for a while and decided to go with a sound processor in order to retain sound quality. I bought a re-Q 5 sound processor and before I proceed with the install, I wanted to make sure I don't screw it up.

Would I tap into the X9331 module/connector? I have a handful of tap splices left over from my boost gauge install, and figured I'd use them to piggyback off the speaker wires. I know that these have a good amount of resistance so will using these present any problems? Will drawing current from these speaker wires affect the sound quality and/or level of the speakers?

Looking at the input connector that came with the re-Q 5, I can see that there are wires for all of the speakers (green, white, brown, purple, and grey) as well as the blue (remote out), red (remote in), black (ground), and yellow (12V) wires. Will all of these wires be available at the X9331 connector? Or will I have to run extra wires from a different source? I noticed that the brown wire is for the subs? As far as I know, the MINI doesn't come with subs, so would I just leave this unconnected? If so, I'll probably wrap it in electrical tape and zip-tie it the the other wires.

I apologize for the long post, but I want to make this install a one-trip-to-lowes install, instead of making multiple ones throughout.

Thanks in advance! Your help is truly appreciated.

 

60+ views and not one reply?

 

This thread here has a bunch of gook info on the x9331 connector and on post has a picture with the wires marked what they are. See post #11

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...connector.html

There is no power (12vdc) in the X9331 connector,

There is a Amp turn on line in the X15 connector jsut behind the x9331 connector see this thread post #13 and above.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...a-circuit.html

A note for you the output of the head unit is speaker level only and I am not aware of what the re-Q 5 has for inputs so check that you may need a speaker level to line level converter.

No there is no sub output from the MINI head unit.

also it doe not matter what system is in the car the head unit is the same. the only problem you will run into is if it is the base system (no tweeters in the A pillars) then you will have a 100Hz roll of on the rear speakers. I.E. no bass. So yo will have to hook things up so that the woofer amp is run off the front channels. The HiFi and HK systems that have tweeters in the pillars do not have this roll off problem.

 

Thanks for the link! I'll tap from those lines.

Thanks, I'll just connect the amp turn on line to pin #1 on the X15 connector then. I won't have to use the 12V constant then. One less wire to connect!

Here is a picture of it.


Okay, so I'll leave the brown wire out. Her car does not have the tweaters; ergo the system is a base one. Does that mean I would connect the subwoofer amp RCA input into the right front (RF) and left front (LF) female connectors? (shown in picture)

 

The re-q5 should be able to be set up to not use the sub input yet crate a sub output.

I would use the Sub outs as they will be crossed over and thus not allow higher frequencies to the sub amp.

Also the Front outputs may also be crossed over so that the lower freqs go only to the sub output thus not allowing the amp to see the lower freqs.

 

Just to clarify, does the X15 connecter come attached to the X9331 connecter?

 

Okay, so I attached all the wires where they should have gone. I connected the power and I got nothing when I tried playing some music. There was no power going to the sound processor (there are LEDs that turn on when the processor is on) and the amp did not turn on. The amp signal input lead from the re-Q5 was connected to the X15 connector pin #1, the amp output was connected to the amp turn-on signal, and the ground was connected to one of two thick brown wires (I just chose a random one; they both looked the same). All of the line level wires were connected too.

Because the LEDs within the re-Q5 did not turn on, I am assuming the problem is within either the amp signal input (X15 to re-Q5) or the ground (thick brown wire in X9331 to re-Q5).

Did I miss anything? I believe I connected everything properly. I'm not sure what the problem is. I used splice taps to piggyback off of the original wires for all connections.

My sister recently said that her radio quit playing suddenly as well. She was heading home after everything, and her radio just stopped working. I'll be heading over to her place to continue troubleshooting, but I was wondering if anyone ran into the same problems, or if anyone could point out my stupid mistake.

 

I'm thinking it is either the ground (thick brown wires in X9331 connector) or the amp turn on signal (black wire, Pin #1, from the X15 connector) that is faulty.

I would like some other suggestions or tips before I rip all of the plastic panels off. My god are those a b*itch to reattach.

I noticed that the X9331 connector had two thick brown wires. I assumed that they were both a common ground, so just picked one to tap. Is this okay, or is there a specific thick brown wire I need to tap from?

 

You really need a multimeter and to take readings on the Brown wires in the connector - are they really ground?

Also you need to measure the voltage on Pin 1 of X15 to see if it is changing state form 0VDC to 12VDC when the radio is turned on.

These are all basic trouble shooting techniques that should be employed first. Then with answers to those items we can help you from there.

As for the radio not working there are many causes.

Does the display light up?

If yes then does the radio station change or can yo change from one mode to another I.E. CD to Aux etc.

Again need a lot more info from yo to assist you.

 

Use the signal sensing mode of the REQ for the amp turn on, Don't use the black wire. Ground the req to a body point and not to any of the harnesses. I hooked the 3 channel version up in my wife's BMW and by doing it this way it works prefect!