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How to Replace the BOSE system and keep Blue & Me

62K views 29 replies 14 participants last post by  Dyluck 
#1 ·
Well, it took a lot longer than I expected, but at long last I have finally "unBOSE-ified" my 500. I've kept the head unit, because I didn't want to lose the Blue & Me features, but just about everything else has been replaced.

Although I did this all as one big project, I'll try to break this into sections, so you can see each step in the process.

I wasn't after something that would rattle the windows of my neighbor's house or blow my hair around when it thumps, just something that sounded more open and musical than the BOSE system could provide. I also wanted to maintain as much of the factory "look" as possible, without completely losing the already limited trunk space. I also wanted the ability to put the BOSE back in when I eventually sell the car. I'm not a professional, and I'm sure there are others out there who can make my installation look pathetic... but I'm pretty pleased with the results.

I do have the 500c, so there may be some slight differences between my experience and what you'd find in a hard-top model, though I'd expect them to be close?

That being said... let's begin!
 
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#3 ·
Front Door Panels:

Contrary to some people's suggestion, I started with the window UP and kept it that way for the whole project. It worked fine for me.

First, remove the panels. troy_audi0 has done an excellent job with his post, so I'll just add my simple notes:
1. Insert small screwdriver between door handle and trim ring. Apply light pressure against door handle - bottom part of trim ring will pop out. Lightly run screwdriver along top of ring to release.
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2. Remove 5mm hex screw exposed by trim ring removal
3. Using small screwdriver, apply light pressure to top edge of cover panel in the door's armrest handle. Cover will swing down, exposing 2 more 5mm hex screws. Remove them.
4. Remove 2 screw covers on rear edge of door panel, and then remove the 2x Phillips screws exposed by cover removal.
5. Pull gently outward on bottom of door panel, starting from the back and working foward to release retaining clips.
6. Door panel will swing out when all clips are released. Lift upward to remove from window sill.
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7. Use small screwdriver to push plastic retaining clip straight out from the rod connecting to the door handle. Lift rod from pivot hole.
8. Use small screwdriver to press tab release holding rod guide from door panel.
9. On driver's side, use small screwdriver to press release clip from the wiring to the power mirror controls. Remove wire harness.
10. Door panel is now free. Remove it.
11. Use small screwdriver to release wire harness from top of speaker assembly. Harness should come off easily if the release is properly positioned.
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12. Door speakers are now exposed. Drill out 3x rivets holding the mounting bracket to the door using 1/4" drill bit. (WARNING: These rivets are in tight - be prepared to sacrifice the existing bracket while drilling them out!)
13. Speakers can now be removed.

You can see that the BOSE door speaker looks a little "beefier" than the non-BOSE. I've posted pics of the BOSE and the Kicker that's replacing it side-by-side... you can see that the BOSE may *look* beefy, but it's really pretty wimpy compared to the Kicker.
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I chose the Kicker 11DS60 6.5" speakers for the door. Since I got my Kickers from Crutchfield, they included these brackets free to make them fit the Fiat. You could make something, but these worked like a charm and fit just right. The hardest part (besides drilling out the old rivets) was having to tear through the cheap foam insulator on the door and reach behind the speakers to hold the nuts in place while tightening them from the front. The shape of the panel is such that you just can't use the included speed nuts.
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I ran new 16 gauge wire to each of these speakers, lined the door with some sound insulating material, tightened everything up, and then put the door panel back on. The door panel may seem a bit intimidating, but it's actually the easiest step in the whole process. The whole door panel can be easily removed in just a few minutes, once you understand how to remove the door handle's trim piece. Just be careful not to apply too much pressure, or the little hook on the front of the trim ring may snap off. (seems pretty flimsy)
 
#18 ·
Contrary to some people's suggestion, I started with the window UP and kept it that way for the whole project. It worked fine for me.

First, remove the panels. troy_audi0 has done an excellent job with his post, so I'll just add my simple notes:
1. Insert small screwdriver between door handle and trim ring. Apply light pressure against door handle - bottom part of trim ring will pop out. Lightly run screwdriver along top of ring to release.
View attachment 3682
2. Remove 5mm hex screw exposed by trim ring removal
3. Using small screwdriver, apply light pressure to top edge of cover panel in the door's armrest handle. Cover will swing down, exposing 2 more 5mm hex screws. Remove them.
4. Remove 2 screw covers on rear edge of door panel, and then remove the 2x Phillips screws exposed by cover removal.
5. Pull gently outward on bottom of door panel, starting from the back and working foward to release retaining clips.
6. Door panel will swing out when all clips are released. Lift upward to remove from window sill.
View attachment 3683
7. Use small screwdriver to push plastic retaining clip straight out from the rod connecting to the door handle. Lift rod from pivot hole.
8. Use small screwdriver to press tab release holding rod guide from door panel.
9. On driver's side, use small screwdriver to press release clip from the wiring to the power mirror controls. Remove wire harness.
10. Door panel is now free. Remove it.
11. Use small screwdriver to release wire harness from top of speaker assembly. Harness should come off easily if the release is properly positioned.
View attachment 3684 View attachment 3685
12. Door speakers are now exposed. Drill out 3x rivets holding the mounting bracket to the door using 1/4" drill bit. (WARNING: These rivets are in tight - be prepared to sacrifice the existing bracket while drilling them out!)
13. Speakers can now be removed.

You can see that the BOSE door speaker looks a little "beefier" than the non-BOSE. I've posted pics of the BOSE and the Kicker that's replacing it side-by-side... you can see that the BOSE may *look* beefy, but it's really pretty wimpy compared to the Kicker.
View attachment 3686 View attachment 3687

I chose the Kicker 11DS60 6.5" speakers for the door. Since I got my Kickers from Crutchfield, they included these brackets free to make them fit the Fiat. You could make something, but these worked like a charm and fit just right. The hardest part (besides drilling out the old rivets) was having to tear through the cheap foam insulator on the door and reach behind the speakers to hold the nuts in place while tightening them from the front. The shape of the panel is such that you just can't use the included speed nuts.
View attachment 3688

I ran new 16 gauge wire to each of these speakers, lined the door with some sound insulating material, tightened everything up, and then put the door panel back on. The door panel may seem a bit intimidating, but it's actually the easiest step in the whole process. The whole door panel can be easily removed in just a few minutes, once you understand how to remove the door handle's trim piece. Just be careful not to apply too much pressure, or the little hook on the front of the trim ring may snap off. (seems pretty flimsy)
I take it those rivets really aren't meant to come out except through sacrificing the mount? Bummer, but I guess the replacement mounting takes care of that. You just AREN'T going to be putting the factory speakers back in there any time soon, eh?
 
#5 ·
Rear Panel:

This step was quite a bear, and easily took the most time in the entire process. It's not horribly difficult, (once you know what to do), but there are so many steps involved and such limited space in which to work that it ended up being the least enjoyable part of the process.

I've posted some of this before, but now I have pictures to back it up. ;)
1. Remove center push pin clip and Phillips screw on door scuff panel. Pry panel up to release clips & remove.
2. Remove 2x Phillips screws exposed by removal of scuff panel.
3. Remove 2x 16mm bolts below front edge of rear seat bottom cushion. Lift up to remove seat cushion.
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4. Pry out front seat belt lower anchor trim cover to remove. I believe that you could also insert 2 small screwdrivers into the holes on the side to release it, but I opted to leave it fastened.
5. Remove Torx T-50 bolt securing rear seat belt lower anchor to body.
6. Fold both seats down. Remove 2x 16mm bolts on each side holding seat back to car body. Remove 1x 13mm bolt from bracket in between seat backs. Lift bracket upward, then lift out and remove seat backs.
7. Start at lower edge of B pillar, and pull outward to release clips. Continue up through seat belt trim to roof. Pull downward along roof to middle of backseat window, then remove seat belt trim. **BE CAREFUL when removing! The green clips that hold the panel in place are quite flimsy, and break easily!!
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8. Remove Torx T-10 screw and 1 center push pin clip exposed by removal of seat belt trim
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9. Pull slightly forward on friction clip securing rear ledge to rear seat belt trim on C pillar to remove clip. Carefully pry downward and towards the rear of the vehicle, and pull to remove 2 green clips. Feed rear seat belt through and remove trim. **AGAIN: Be careful with flimsy green clips!
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Vehicle door Automotive exterior Bumper Vehicle Car

10. Remove push pin clip exposed by removal of C pillar trim.
11. Starting where B pillar trim was removed, pry along top edge of rear panel to release clips holding panel in place.
12. Pull the panel straight out towards center of car.
13. On driver's side, unclip power wires from trunk light - skip step on passenger side
14. Panel may now be rotated/folded out of the way - front seat belt still attached through trim.
15. You can now drill through rivets securing speaker to factory bracket.

Once I got the panel off, you could see the strangeness that was the BOSE rear speaker. It looked to be about a 3" driver, mounted in a large plastic adapter ring to a 6.5" bracket. The wires running to it were absolutely tiny - no chance of re-using them even if I wanted to! They are attached in the back with a clip similar to the one on the front speaker - a little press with the screwdriver and they came right off.
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I drilled the 4 small rivets holding the adapter ring to the 6.5" bracket, and was able to remove the whole assembly. DO NOT drill out or remove the 3 silver rivets to the 6.5" bracket! (At least, if you intend on using that bracket)

I chose the Kicker 11DS652 6.75" component speakers for the rear panels. Even though they say 6.75", the woofer fit perfectly in the factory bracket. I chose to run the separate tweeter up along the B Pillar, and mount it with double-sided tape right below where the seat belt trim panel meets the roof liner. Just pay attention to where the rear panel's clips connect back to the car - have to make sure not to run your wires through a hole that is already being used! I used double-sided tape to mount the crossover at the bottom of the cavity where the speaker is, lined the cavity with some sound-insulating material, ran some new 16 gauge wire to the amp, and was then able to start putting everything back together!

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#19 ·
This step was quite a bear, and easily took the most time in the entire process. It's not horribly difficult, (once you know what to do), but there are so many steps involved and such limited space in which to work that it ended up being the least enjoyable part of the process.

I've posted some of this before, but now I have pictures to back it up. ;)
1. Remove center push pin clip and Phillips screw on door scuff panel. Pry panel up to release clips & remove.
2. Remove 2x Phillips screws exposed by removal of scuff panel.
3. Remove 2x 16mm bolts below front edge of rear seat bottom cushion. Lift up to remove seat cushion.
View attachment 3689
4. Pry out front seat belt lower anchor trim cover to remove. I believe that you could also insert 2 small screwdrivers into the holes on the side to release it, but I opted to leave it fastened.
5. Remove Torx T-50 bolt securing rear seat belt lower anchor to body.
6. Fold both seats down. Remove 2x 16mm bolts on each side holding seat back to car body. Remove 1x 13mm bolt from bracket in between seat backs. Lift bracket upward, then lift out and remove seat backs.
7. Start at lower edge of B pillar, and pull outward to release clips. Continue up through seat belt trim to roof. Pull downward along roof to middle of backseat window, then remove seat belt trim. **BE CAREFUL when removing! The green clips that hold the panel in place are quite flimsy, and break easily!!
View attachment 3690
8. Remove Torx T-10 screw and 1 center push pin clip exposed by removal of seat belt trim
View attachment 3691
9. Pull slightly forward on friction clip securing rear ledge to rear seat belt trim on C pillar to remove clip. Carefully pry downward and towards the rear of the vehicle, and pull to remove 2 green clips. Feed rear seat belt through and remove trim. **AGAIN: Be careful with flimsy green clips!
View attachment 3692 View attachment 3693
10. Remove push pin clip exposed by removal of C pillar trim.
11. Starting where B pillar trim was removed, pry along top edge of rear panel to release clips holding panel in place.
12. Pull the panel straight out towards center of car.
13. On driver's side, unclip power wires from trunk light - skip step on passenger side
14. Panel may now be rotated/folded out of the way - front seat belt still attached through trim.
15. You can now drill through rivets securing speaker to factory bracket.

Once I got the panel off, you could see the strangeness that was the BOSE rear speaker. It looked to be about a 3" driver, mounted in a large plastic adapter ring to a 6.5" bracket. The wires running to it were absolutely tiny - no chance of re-using them even if I wanted to! They are attached in the back with a clip similar to the one on the front speaker - a little press with the screwdriver and they came right off.
View attachment 3694 View attachment 3695 View attachment 3696

I drilled the 4 small rivets holding the adapter ring to the 6.5" bracket, and was able to remove the whole assembly. DO NOT drill out or remove the 3 silver rivets to the 6.5" bracket! (At least, if you intend on using that bracket)

I chose the Kicker 11DS652 6.75" component speakers for the rear panels. Even though they say 6.75", the woofer fit perfectly in the factory bracket. I chose to run the separate tweeter up along the B Pillar, and mount it with double-sided tape right below where the seat belt trim panel meets the roof liner. Just pay attention to where the rear panel's clips connect back to the car - have to make sure not to run your wires through a hole that is already being used! I used double-sided tape to mount the crossover at the bottom of the cavity where the speaker is, lined the cavity with some sound-insulating material, ran some new 16 gauge wire to the amp, and was then able to start putting everything back together!

View attachment 3697

I'm totally torn about whether to do the rear panel. In other cars, I find no matter how nice an upgrade I do in the back speaker zone, I end up using the fader pretty much full forward -- to preserve precise sound staging.

But it sounds like you deliberately constructed something like surround sound, which is a whole 'nother thing.

If you use the fader all the way forward, does the system tend to feel flat, or do you still get forward depth?
 
#7 ·
A-Pillar Tweeters:

Removal of the A-pillar trim is pretty straight-forward:

1. Starting at top edge, carefully pry out pillar trim panel to release clip. (Headliner is inserted into slot in pillar trim panel - you kind of have to push it up out of the way as you go)
2. Push down on end of pillar trim tether to release, then push tether up to remove
3. Lean trim towards center of dash, and pry tweeter out of clips. Disconnect harness, and remove tweeter

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I actually ended up *NOT* replacing the factory tweeter. It appears to be roughly a 1" tweeter, but it's got an integrated "ring" on it that lets it snap into the plastic fingers on the trim piece. Since I didn't have a way to remove that little "ring" to use it with another tweeter, I decided to take a bit of a chance:

Tweeters don't actually require all that much power to drive them. As a matter of fact, most tweeters, if properly crossed over, can be run with rather low wattage - even if they are rated for high wattage. So I decided to give re-using them a try!

Since I'd already taken the trim off, I could now see that the tweeters' wiring actually went to the BOSE harness and connected right to the amplifier. I ran 18-gauge wire from the amplifier to the wiring harness directly. Yes, I know this is in the back of the car... but knowing that BOSE typically uses very low impedance drivers, I figured a little extra impedance in the wire wouldn't hurt. I didn't see any type of crossover on them, so I made a rather simple 6db crossover using a 30uF capacitor connected to the positive feed. I tinned the ends of the wire to make them stiff, and inserted the wires into the harness where the tweeter wires connected.

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#20 ·
Removal of the A-pillar trim is pretty straight-forward:

1. Starting at top edge, carefully pry out pillar trim panel to release clip. (Headliner is inserted into slot in pillar trim panel - you kind of have to push it up out of the way as you go)
2. Push down on end of pillar trim tether to release, then push tether up to remove
3. Lean trim towards center of dash, and pry tweeter out of clips. Disconnect harness, and remove tweeter

View attachment 3701 View attachment 3702

I actually ended up *NOT* replacing the factory tweeter. It appears to be roughly a 1" tweeter, but it's got an integrated "ring" on it that lets it snap into the plastic fingers on the trim piece. Since I didn't have a way to remove that little "ring" to use it with another tweeter, I decided to take a bit of a chance:

Tweeters don't actually require all that much power to drive them. As a matter of fact, most tweeters, if properly crossed over, can be run with rather low wattage - even if they are rated for high wattage. So I decided to give re-using them a try!

Since I'd already taken the trim off, I could now see that the tweeters' wiring actually went to the BOSE harness and connected right to the amplifier. I ran 18-gauge wire from the amplifier to the wiring harness directly. Yes, I know this is in the back of the car... but knowing that BOSE typically uses very low impedance drivers, I figured a little extra impedance in the wire wouldn't hurt. I didn't see any type of crossover on them, so I made a rather simple 6db crossover using a 30uF capacitor connected to the positive feed. I tinned the ends of the wire to make them stiff, and inserted the wires into the harness where the tweeter wires connected.

View attachment 3703
It has been six months.... still satisfied with the existing tweeters?

Do you think the manner in which they were tough to replace was based on them being the Bose tweeters, or that that is what one would find in a base system, as well?
 
#8 ·
Amplifier: LOC

Although this wasn't the hardest part of the installation, it did require the most planning. Since I wanted to retain the original head unit, I had to figure out how I was going to make everything work while not losing a whole bunch of space mounting extra components.

I started by mapping out as many wires as I could from the harness that plugged into the BOSE amp. There are 3 molex-type plugs going into the Bose amp. They seem to go in order from left->right by wire gauge - - after a good bit of trial & error, I've mapped out the important wires. There are some that I still haven't identified, but I got all the important ones I needed.

1. Left plug - very small wires. (About Cat-3 size) Carries signal from head unit.
- Yellow/Yellow stripe - Left Front
- Purple/Purple stripe - Right Front
- Grey/Grey Orange stripe - Left Rear
- Green/Green stripe - Left Rear

2. Middle Plug - roughly 16 gauge wire, with a few smaller ones interspersed. Mainly speaker outputs -
- Red with Yellow Stripe - +12v Amp Turn-on signal (from head unit)
- Black - Ground to head unit
- Yellow/Yellow stripe - Front Left (not used in my install)
- Purple/Purple stripe - Front Right (not used in my install)
- Brown Yellow Stripe/Brown Red Stripe -Right A Pillar Tweeter
- White Blue Stripe/White Green Stripe - Left A Pillar Tweeter

There were quite a few other wires on this plug, but it seemed that the rear speaker output used some sort of funky common ground? Since was replacing the speaker wire anyway, I didn't bother trying to identify them all.

3. Right Plug - Largest wires. Power & subwoofer, were what I identified. Again, there were other wires, but these are the ones I needed:
- Red/White Stripe - +12V always on
- Black - Ground to car body
- White Black Stripe/White Red Stripe - Subwoofer Out (not used in my install)

Since I was going from speaker-level wiring (albeit tiny wires!) to preamp level, I needed a line-level converter. I chose the AudioControl LC6i, since it seemed to do everything I wanted and was reasonably priced.

I'd already picked out the Rockford Fosgate P400-4 channel amp and a 1-farad stiffening capacitor, but trying to figure out where to mount all this was tricky. After careful measurement, I decided to mount the amp & capacitor under the passenger seat... since I wasn't going to need the BOSE subwoofer anymore.

First, the LOC:
1. Carefully pry off the plastic cover from the BOSE amp in the trunk area.
Vehicle Car

2. Remove 3 10mm bolts holding it to the mounting bracket.
3. Unplug the 3 wire harnesses from under the BOSE amp.
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4. Remove 3 10mm nuts holding the mounting bracket onto the frame.

I used a thin piece of wood to create a simple mount that connects the LOC to the existing bracket. Then came the fun part - hooking it up!
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Being a computer geek, I noticed that the holes on the harness carrying signal from the head unit looked to be about the same size & spacing as the holes on an ATAPI cable. Turns out, they are *EXACTLY* the same size & spacing - which made things a lot easier.

I first obtained a 40-pin male to male IDE/ATAPI coupler. I got mine from work, but they can be found on eBay for only $2-4. There are 12 "holes" in the existing harness, so I used a sharp knife to cut the coupler, leaving 12 pins.
Metal


Then, using some old jumpers and motherboard connectors, I fabricated a plug that would connect into the existing harness. A couple of old audio cables from a computer CD ROM would work as well. I could have also cut the wires, but this way I could preserve the harness & reattach the BOSE when I eventually sell the car.
Wire Electronics Electrical wiring Cable Circuit component


Now it was time to hook it up to the LOC. It was tricky - I'd identified which wires went with which channel, but I hadn't identified which was positive and which was negative. You'd think that if you stick with all solid=positive, striped=negative you'd be safe.... but BOSE apparently doesn't like to do things that way. What seemed to work well for me is an alternating pattern:

-------------------------
| LF+ | RF- | LR+ | RR- |
| LF- | RF+ | LR- | RR+ |
-------------------------

I tapped into the existing power, ground, and remote-on from the harness. Once I was satisfied that I had wired everything correctly, I used a liberal dose of duct tape to hold all the wires in place. Low-tech, but it did the trick?
Electrical wiring Electronics Wire Electrical network Technology


I then ran the RCA cables, routed all the wires, and mounted the LOC neatly into place.
 
#21 ·
Although this wasn't the hardest part of the installation, it did require the most planning. Since I wanted to retain the original head unit, I had to figure out how I was going to make everything work while not losing a whole bunch of space mounting extra components.

I started by mapping out as many wires as I could from the harness that plugged into the BOSE amp. There are 3 molex-type plugs going into the Bose amp. They seem to go in order from left->right by wire gauge - - after a good bit of trial & error, I've mapped out the important wires. There are some that I still haven't identified, but I got all the important ones I needed.

1. Left plug - very small wires. (About Cat-3 size) Carries signal from head unit.
- Yellow/Yellow stripe - Left Front
- Purple/Purple stripe - Right Front
- Grey/Grey Orange stripe - Left Rear
- Green/Green stripe - Left Rear

2. Middle Plug - roughly 16 gauge wire, with a few smaller ones interspersed. Mainly speaker outputs -
- Red with Yellow Stripe - +12v Amp Turn-on signal (from head unit)
- Black - Ground to head unit
- Yellow/Yellow stripe - Front Left (not used in my install)
- Purple/Purple stripe - Front Right (not used in my install)
- Brown Yellow Stripe/Brown Red Stripe -Right A Pillar Tweeter
- White Blue Stripe/White Green Stripe - Left A Pillar Tweeter

There were quite a few other wires on this plug, but it seemed that the rear speaker output used some sort of funky common ground? Since was replacing the speaker wire anyway, I didn't bother trying to identify them all.

3. Right Plug - Largest wires. Power & subwoofer, were what I identified. Again, there were other wires, but these are the ones I needed:
- Red/White Stripe - +12V always on
- Black - Ground to car body
- White Black Stripe/White Red Stripe - Subwoofer Out (not used in my install)

Since I was going from speaker-level wiring (albeit tiny wires!) to preamp level, I needed a line-level converter. I chose the AudioControl LC6i, since it seemed to do everything I wanted and was reasonably priced.

I'd already picked out the Rockford Fosgate P400-4 channel amp and a 1-farad stiffening capacitor, but trying to figure out where to mount all this was tricky. After careful measurement, I decided to mount the amp & capacitor under the passenger seat... since I wasn't going to need the BOSE subwoofer anymore.

First, the LOC:
1. Carefully pry off the plastic cover from the BOSE amp in the trunk area.
View attachment 3704
2. Remove 3 10mm bolts holding it to the mounting bracket.
3. Unplug the 3 wire harnesses from under the BOSE amp.
View attachment 3705
4. Remove 3 10mm nuts holding the mounting bracket onto the frame.

I used a thin piece of wood to create a simple mount that connects the LOC to the existing bracket. Then came the fun part - hooking it up!
View attachment 3706

Being a computer geek, I noticed that the holes on the harness carrying signal from the head unit looked to be about the same size & spacing as the holes on an ATAPI cable. Turns out, they are *EXACTLY* the same size & spacing - which made things a lot easier.

I first obtained a 40-pin male to male IDE/ATAPI coupler. I got mine from work, but they can be found on eBay for only $2-4. There are 12 "holes" in the existing harness, so I used a sharp knife to cut the coupler, leaving 12 pins.
View attachment 3707

Then, using some old jumpers and motherboard connectors, I fabricated a plug that would connect into the existing harness. A couple of old audio cables from a computer CD ROM would work as well. I could have also cut the wires, but this way I could preserve the harness & reattach the BOSE when I eventually sell the car.
View attachment 3708

Now it was time to hook it up to the LOC. It was tricky - I'd identified which wires went with which channel, but I hadn't identified which was positive and which was negative. You'd think that if you stick with all solid=positive, striped=negative you'd be safe.... but BOSE apparently doesn't like to do things that way. What seemed to work well for me is an alternating pattern:

-------------------------
| LF+ | RF- | LR+ | RR- |
| LF- | RF+ | LR- | RR+ |
-------------------------

I tapped into the existing power, ground, and remote-on from the harness. Once I was satisfied that I had wired everything correctly, I used a liberal dose of duct tape to hold all the wires in place. Low-tech, but it did the trick?
View attachment 3709

I then ran the RCA cables, routed all the wires, and mounted the LOC neatly into place.
Wow that's a lot of good detective work.

But here I think my install will end up differing, since I don't have the Bose system, I think I can get an aftermarket harness and get the signals I need without sleuthing. Or so I hope!
 
#9 ·
And now... the amplifier!

The hardest part of installing the amplifier was finding a way to get all the wires that were needed into the same spot. I had already run new 16 gauge wire from both door speakers and 18 gauge for both A-pillar tweeters, the rear panel speakers, 2 sets of RCA cable & a turn-on lead from the LOC, but I also needed to run 12 gauge subwoofer wire, ground wire, and a 4 gauge power wire from the battery. Cramming this all under the seat was going to be quite a challenge! But, since I'm not one to give up easily... here goes!

1. Start by removing the passenger seat. There are 2x 15mm bolts in front, and 2x 6mm hex screws in the back. 2. Lift the REAR of the seat upward and slightly outward, and the seat should tilt forward.
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3. Disconnect the large wiring plug from the harness going into the floor. Seat can now be lifted out of the car.
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4. You'll now have to disconnect the subwoofer. It is connected in back with 1x 10mm bolt, and 2x 10mm bolts in the front. Remove the speaker plug, and you should now be able to lift the subwoofer straight out.
Hand Auto part Finger Gun Nail

5. Remove the subwoofer mounting bracket by removing 1x 10mm bolt holding it to the floor of the car.
6. You should now be left with a very bare-looking space where your passenger seat used to be!
Trunk Vehicle Auto part Car Automotive exterior

7. With the back seat out, I was able to run all the speaker wires, RCA wires, & remote turn-on wire under the carpet through the little "flap" left by the removal of the subwoofer bracket.
8. Once I had this much in place, I hooked the amp up to a battery charger to make sure I had all the speakers working correctly. They were, so it was time to run some power!
Trunk Technology Auto part Electronic device Wire

9. I connected a 4 gauge ground to the bolt which used to hold the subwoofer bracket in place.
10. I then ran a 4 gauge fused line to the positive terminal of the battery. It was a pain in the rear to get it all neatly in there, but I managed to feed it along the metal conduit in front of the radiator, then up through the fender well & into the passenger compartment through a plug behind the passenger door's speaker wire housing. I fed it along the path of the scuff panel, and then straight over to the amp.
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11. I mounted the stiffening capacitor to the front, and connected the 12v power directly to it. I ran power & ground from there back to the amp and grounding post, respectively.
12. Next, ran 12 gauge wires under the carpet back to the truck for hooking up the subwoofer.
13. After tidying everything up & tucking wires back under the carpet, I then mounted the amp in place.
Wire Electrical wiring Technology Cable Trunk


It was quite a challenge getting everything to fit in that small spot, but I managed to cram it all in there rather nicely. The amp & wiring are fully under the seat even when it's slid forwards, and there is enough clearance above the capacitor that it doesn't knock anything around when adjusting the seat.
Trunk Bumper Automotive exterior Auto part Vehicle


Before I put the seat back in place, I wanted to hook up the subwoofer and do some level adjustment. I figured with the seat installed, it would be rather difficult to reach & set the amp's input levels.

The subwoofer I chose was the JL AUDIO CP108LG-W3V3. I'm not normally a fan of ported speakers, but it seemed to put out the most bass for the space it took, and meets my goal of being easily removable if I need the space in my trunk. It also sounds surprisingly "tight" - just about as good as a pair of 10" I have in my other car. I had left some extra wire in the trunk area so I could move the sub around and find the best position - which turned out to be the rear driver's side corner. Not that there's a whole lot of space, but it sounded best there.

Finally, I adjusted the levels on my LOC & amplifier to balance the sound before replacing the passenger seat.
 
#22 ·
The hardest part of installing the amplifier was finding a way to get all the wires that were needed into the same spot. I had already run new 16 gauge wire from both door speakers and 18 gauge for both A-pillar tweeters, the rear panel speakers, 2 sets of RCA cable & a turn-on lead from the LOC, but I also needed to run 12 gauge subwoofer wire, ground wire, and a 4 gauge power wire from the battery. Cramming this all under the seat was going to be quite a challenge! But, since I'm not one to give up easily... here goes!

1. Start by removing the passenger seat. There are 2x 15mm bolts in front, and 2x 6mm hex screws in the back. 2. Lift the REAR of the seat upward and slightly outward, and the seat should tilt forward.
View attachment 3710
3. Disconnect the large wiring plug from the harness going into the floor. Seat can now be lifted out of the car.
View attachment 3711 View attachment 3712
4. You'll now have to disconnect the subwoofer. It is connected in back with 1x 10mm bolt, and 2x 10mm bolts in the front. Remove the speaker plug, and you should now be able to lift the subwoofer straight out.
View attachment 3713
5. Remove the subwoofer mounting bracket by removing 1x 10mm bolt holding it to the floor of the car.
6. You should now be left with a very bare-looking space where your passenger seat used to be!
View attachment 3714
7. With the back seat out, I was able to run all the speaker wires, RCA wires, & remote turn-on wire under the carpet through the little "flap" left by the removal of the subwoofer bracket.
8. Once I had this much in place, I hooked the amp up to a battery charger to make sure I had all the speakers working correctly. They were, so it was time to run some power!
View attachment 3715
9. I connected a 4 gauge ground to the bolt which used to hold the subwoofer bracket in place.
10. I then ran a 4 gauge fused line to the positive terminal of the battery. It was a pain in the rear to get it all neatly in there, but I managed to feed it along the metal conduit in front of the radiator, then up through the fender well & into the passenger compartment through a plug behind the passenger door's speaker wire housing. I fed it along the path of the scuff panel, and then straight over to the amp.
View attachment 3716
11. I mounted the stiffening capacitor to the front, and connected the 12v power directly to it. I ran power & ground from there back to the amp and grounding post, respectively.
12. Next, ran 12 gauge wires under the carpet back to the truck for hooking up the subwoofer.
13. After tidying everything up & tucking wires back under the carpet, I then mounted the amp in place.
View attachment 3717

It was quite a challenge getting everything to fit in that small spot, but I managed to cram it all in there rather nicely. The amp & wiring are fully under the seat even when it's slid forwards, and there is enough clearance above the capacitor that it doesn't knock anything around when adjusting the seat.
View attachment 3718

Before I put the seat back in place, I wanted to hook up the subwoofer and do some level adjustment. I figured with the seat installed, it would be rather difficult to reach & set the amp's input levels.

The subwoofer I chose was the JL AUDIO CP108LG-W3V3. I'm not normally a fan of ported speakers, but it seemed to put out the most bass for the space it took, and meets my goal of being easily removable if I need the space in my trunk. It also sounds surprisingly "tight" - just about as good as a pair of 10" I have in my other car. I had left some extra wire in the trunk area so I could move the sub around and find the best position - which turned out to be the rear driver's side corner. Not that there's a whole lot of space, but it sounded best there.

Finally, I adjusted the levels on my LOC & amplifier to balance the sound before replacing the passenger seat.
I think I should assume you removed the negative connector on the battery way back at the start, in part so as to not mess up any ECU codes, etc....
 
#10 ·
Finished Product:

Considering I don't have a garage in which to work, and had to deal with on & off rain and/or 90+ degree days, it was definitely quite a task to complete this install! I think the results were well worth it, however - the new equipment sounds GREAT, and except for the tweeters behind my head, you'd never know that it wasn't factory-installed just to look at it. I also got to keep the Blue & Me head unit with all it's functions.

Could I have made it easier on myself by replacing the head unit? Sure... but why lose all the hands-free integration, bluetooth, and Sirius radio if you don't have to?

NOTE: Remember to adjust the "speech volume" on your head unit! Otherwise, your first experience with "PLEASE SAY A COMMAND!!!" at 100db is not something you're likely to forget. ;)

I've included some pics of the finished install. I still have to tidy up the wiring at the LOC a little, but it'll do for now. I left the extra wire for the sub so I can take it out of the trunk and crank it if I want to.

The small speakers attached at the side of the back seat are connected to a Hafler circuit. It's old school, but hey, so am I! ;) And I enjoy the effect it gives... it somehow makes the soundstage seem far bigger than you'd think possible for a small car like the 500. I may re-position them so they're a little more out of the way... but for now, they're doing the job quite nicely.

Final specs:
13 speakers in total (6 tweeters, 4 midrange, 2 Hafler-effect midrange, and 1 subwoofer)
200W mono to subwoofer @ 4ohms
100W x2 to each channel @ 2ohms
50W to 2 Hafler speakers @16ohms (hooked up a 20 ohm variable resistor for level adjustment)

I hope this info can be useful for others out there wanting to improve the sound in their 500! It's definitely a lot of work to make it happen, but in the end, these cars really can sound pretty great. Thanks for reading!

Vehicle Car Automotive exterior Auto part Wheel
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Bumper
Subwoofer Vehicle audio Loudspeaker Audio equipment Trunk
Land vehicle Vehicle Car City car Car seat
Car seat Vehicle Seat belt Car Armrest
Vehicle Car Automotive exterior Auto part Rear-view mirror
 
#23 ·
Considering I don't have a garage in which to work, and had to deal with on & off rain and/or 90+ degree days, it was definitely quite a task to complete this install! I think the results were well worth it, however - the new equipment sounds GREAT, and except for the tweeters behind my head, you'd never know that it wasn't factory-installed just to look at it. I also got to keep the Blue & Me head unit with all it's functions.

Could I have made it easier on myself by replacing the head unit? Sure... but why lose all the hands-free integration, bluetooth, and Sirius radio if you don't have to?

NOTE: Remember to adjust the "speech volume" on your head unit! Otherwise, your first experience with "PLEASE SAY A COMMAND!!!" at 100db is not something you're likely to forget. ;)

I've included some pics of the finished install. I still have to tidy up the wiring at the LOC a little, but it'll do for now. I left the extra wire for the sub so I can take it out of the trunk and crank it if I want to.

The small speakers attached at the side of the back seat are connected to a Hafler circuit. It's old school, but hey, so am I! ;) And I enjoy the effect it gives... it somehow makes the soundstage seem far bigger than you'd think possible for a small car like the 500. I may re-position them so they're a little more out of the way... but for now, they're doing the job quite nicely.

Final specs:
13 speakers in total (6 tweeters, 4 midrange, 2 Hafler-effect midrange, and 1 subwoofer)
200W mono to subwoofer @ 4ohms
100W x2 to each channel @ 2ohms
50W to 2 Hafler speakers @16ohms (hooked up a 20 ohm variable resistor for level adjustment)

I hope this info can be useful for others out there wanting to improve the sound in their 500! It's definitely a lot of work to make it happen, but in the end, these cars really can sound pretty great. Thanks for reading!

View attachment 3719 View attachment 3720 View attachment 3722 View attachment 3723 View attachment 3724 View attachment 3725
Bravo on retaining the original head unit and making it 90% stealth. That's no small thing and very commendable.

That sub is drool worthy, but alas very far down on my list after getting clean output from the factory head unit, running it to an aftermarket amp (something like a JLAudio 4 channel), and replacing the front door woofers and pillar tweeters on my base model with something like Focal.

Thanks much for posting this thread!
 
#11 ·
FANTASTIC thread, thanks so much!! I'm just getting ready to replace my speakers, and this is super helpful. I'm just going for replacing the front speakers, adding a small underseat sub (think a Pioneer SW841D can fit in a small box under the driver seat), and a small digital amp under the passenger seat.

I'm also interested in a bit more sound insulation, hopefully going to rip out the whole carpet and dynamat the floor along with some carpet or MLV to quiet things.
 
#13 ·
Thanks, I'm glad it will come in useful for somebody!

I honestly don't know about adding an sub under the driver's seat? I had originally thought of adding a sub under the passenger's seat, since it seems to sit higher and have more clearance than the driver's, but in the end I couldn't find a sub that I liked that would also fit. There's also the whole air pump/fix-a-flat kit mounted up under the driver's seat, or the jack if you have the spare tire instead. You'd have to build the box pretty small, but if you don't mind it sticking out into the space where the rear passenger's feet go, there may be room?

If you want sound insulation, I'd think the easiest thing you can do will be to line behind the door panels with dynamat when you take them off to do the speakers. The doors are covered with a very thin foam sheet, and that's about it. A layer of dynamat would go a long way in reducing that road noise. Even better would be if you lined the OUTSIDE of the door along the sheet metal as well. I'd tackle those first, and even the rear panels before attempting to get under the carpet. The rear panels have NO sound insulation at all, and lining them would make a world of difference.
 
#14 ·
I'm thinking something like this can probably fit - http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2239795

There is at least 5 inches of height under the driver's seat, and around 12"x12" of space from what I can tell (passenger seat has that big connector underneath it that seems to kill any options). The box would be fairly small, but should give a decent enough response considering it's so close to the driver. I'd relocate the tire kit.
 
#15 ·
I have an Ambisonic system at home, that I built with MilSpec components, with two Hafler 220W power amps, so I love good sound. The Bose in my 500C sounds just fine, given the high compression of most music sources I use in a car. Road noise and car interior acoustics, IMHO, don't warrant the expense and time for an upgrade. I do admire your work and I am sure it will give you a lot of enjoyment.
 
#16 ·
Sorry to necro-thread, but I need to ask; Is that foam and insulation behind the back speakers? I'm going to do my rears this Sunday and I want to dynamat and dynaliner the inside of the outer skin behind the speakers and I want to know how much time to dedicate to cleaning all that up. Thanks for any information.
 
#17 ·
"please say a command!!!" lmao! Great job man!
 
#29 ·
Hello; have a question??? Does the head unit have a sub signal out from head unit, Bose system? and if so do you remember wire colors at amp input? lol 2 questions. I just bought a kicker amp with (FIT) Failsafe Integration Technology, Basically converts head unit output signal into amp input signal without the use of line-out converts. Any help appreciated thank Kein
 
#30 ·
You can tap into any speaker wire for signal. I usually do sub because it's already crossed over and I believe it's stereo. I don't see why it wouldn't.

Stereo meaning that when music plays in stereo there can be left and right bass. If you where to tap into the right channel only you would lose some music as a result.

To "bypass" a LOC you can hack up some RCA's and wire them so that the actual RCA plug goes to the amp and the frayed wires stab and wrapped into the speaker wire.
 
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