Deck install

[MikesJo]

Going to get my new (used) alpine 9833 deck installed. The installer is trying to find out if there is a "common ground" or not. Is it harder to install if there is/isn't?!

Thanks guys!

[KenC]

I think there is a common ground for the stock premium system speakers.

[MikesJo]

Is that good or bad? I don't have the premium speakers. No amp and no a-pillar speakers. No components in the back.

[KenC]

You'll have to rewire the speakers if there is.

[Spencer]

So, if you have premium sound you have to rewire all the speakers? There is no other (easier) way?

-Spencer

[StereoInstaller1]

Going to get my new (used) alpine 9833 deck installed. The installer is trying to find out if there is a "common ground" or not. Is it harder to install if there is/isn't?!

Thanks guys!

Get your car away from that person.

IMMEDIATELY!

Any qualified professional installer should know immediately what to do with a BMW E30. You MUST run new wire to all 4 corners of the car or waste half of your decks power.

There are several pages listed on how to do that. If you need help, post your question here.

Seriously...unless that "installer" is a buddy, take your car elsewhere.

Luke

[Spencer]

You MUST run new wire to all 4 corners of the car or waste half of your decks power.

How does that work?

-Spencer

[StereoInstaller1]

How does that work?

-Spencer

Simply put, your deck has a 4 channel, non-bridgeble amplifier in it.

Most modern decks do. Some old school decks didn't. The factory BMW deck has a 2 channel amplifier in it. The fader that was above your factory deck location split those 2 channels into 4...to allow a "fade" between front and rear.

If you do not have the 4 speakers connected directly to the deck, you can only connect 2 channels to the deck, thus wasting half of your decks power.

If anyone tellls you otherwise, they are wrong. Call the manufacturer, ask for tech help. Trust me on this; I have been a pro for 25 years now.

Run new wire. You will be glad you did.

HTH,

Luke
Loud & Clear Car Audio
541-747-1171

[MikesJo]

How much time would that take to re-wire everything?! I don't have a fader switch on my dash.

[Eric Giles]

Let me preface this by saying I have rewired three E30's for myself and a friend for new stereo installs and have always ran new speaker wire. However, last fall I purchased another E30 M3 that the previous owner had installed some stereo gear in-Alpine head unit, Eclipse 2-ways in the front, factory speakers still in the rear deck but with the tweeter disconnected. At some point he had amps running the speakers, but at some point removed them before the sale.

Anyway, imagine my suprise when the dash fader control was working when I picked the car up-someone just rewired the Alpine to the factory speaker leads. It does lack for power a bit, but honestly sounds pretty darn decent! Needless to say, at some point (probably when I replace the head unit with one that is MP3 and XM ready) I will rewire everything and install ol' reliable-my a/d/s/ PH15 amp I have had since 1992.

Listen to Luke-he knows what he is talking about. 25 years, huh? And I thought that 'I' had some car stereo experience! It's now 21 years for me, and I am certainly not a professional-but I have put in countless systems over the years for my friends and I. How have you kept your sanity that long?? ;-)

[MikesJo]

If you run new wire once, even to the old speakers, I wouldn't have to do it again later right?

What coaxial type speakers would you recommend for up front. I don't really want to put in the components unless you guys think it's that big of a difference. What do you recommend for the rear? I only plan to be running them off of the deck.

[StereoInstaller1]

How have you kept your sanity that long?? ;-)

Ask anyone who knows me....I have none.

Luke

[DarkWing6]

Ask anyone who knows me....I have none.

Luke

qft


But he does do excellent installations. Alarm still working great!

[BMW03]

I was having a ton of trouble with the deck, so I posted on here and Luke gave me the advice to rerun speaker wire about 2 months ago, So I did, it took just a couple of hours, and now it sounds great. Good advice, just take a sat. or sun. and do it, its way worth it.

[BMW03]

O ya and for the ground, I just regrounded my deck, it gave more power to the speakers, somehow.