ICE install - planning

[faboka vrs]

Are you thinking of easily removing your amp?

Stu

& sub box Yep. But been thinking over the weekend of a new build now

[stuart.cookson]

False Floor - you know it makes sense! Then you can leave the amp and all the wiring underneath then only remove the sub when you need more boot space. The way I'm going to do it is with a couple of hinges so I can still have access to the spare wheel if I need it.

Stu

[faboka vrs]

Been there done that. still want easy access to the spare plus it has to come out easy for track days.

Thinking a sub box on the left hand side pointing to the right. On the right side a amp enclosure. Would mind creating a 2 cubic ft box as well Mate had it like that in his corsa done by sql plus. It was nice and tidy.

[stuart.cookson]

Sounds like a plan. I can understand you wanting to take it all out now - you don't want to be hauling half a tree round a track, do you?! I'll ask my sound tech mates if they've ever come across a quick-release connector for that size power cable. They're more likely to know than anyone.

Stu

[faboka vrs]

Cheers. The problem I find it none car stuff can't take the amps. I'm looking at 60amps for my Apline M500.

[stuart.cookson]

John,

I asked a friend if he's come across a quick release power connector but he can't help I'm afraid; he doesn't use power cables much. Sorry about that.

Can anyone offer any suggestions about powering the fans? Will I get away with just running them straight from the head unit's switch feed? One person I spoke to said I'd be able to, but he's the same guy who once ran an amp (somehow successfully) straight from a head unit feed!

Stu

[faboka vrs]

Cheers anyway.

Fans. I think the best way involves using a relay switch and your power cables from the battery but I cant remember how its setup.

Edit just found this False floors and fans - Talk Audio Forums

[stuart.cookson]

Thanks for that, John. I've come across that thread on Talk Audio Forums before. I'd just rather do it without a relay if I can. Maybe I'm just being picky, but I'd rather the mamoth power cable coming from the battery went straight to the amp, and not via a 50p box with a couple of spade connectors in it! A relay sounds like a great idea if I was running more than one amp, or adding neons and suchlike, but I'm only adding a couple of small fans!

I think I might just try wiring the fans straight to the head unit's switch feed and if it blows a fuse so be it! That's what fuses are for, I guess.

Stu

[stuart.cookson]

I needed something to do last night while my wife watched the Brits:thumbdwn: so I thought I'd do a more detailed 3D model with the correct sub:thumbup:. See below...!

What's underneath...

Stu

[stuart.cookson]

Right - I have begun! I'm going to do it in stages, as I have the time. Today I spent an hour or so running the power and switch cables down the side of the car, and the power cable through the bulkhead. Thanks to tfboy for a great step-by-step guide of how to do this and, in particular, where to go through the bulkhead.

I haven't connected the cable to the battery as yet. I hope someone can help me; can I just connect it to the bolt circled on the photo below or should I lift this plastic cover and fit it to the terminal itself?:confused:

Some other photos of the cabling process...

(Notice redundant CD changer now removed - pm me if you'd like it.)

Cable through bulkhead...

Cables down side of car...

Stu

[vrs-si]

did you drill a hole to create a hole in the bulkhead. didnt notice a grommit there before

[faboka vrs]

did you drill a hole to create a hole in the bulkhead. didnt notice a grommit there before

Think I was one of the first to find this gromet years back. Was very pleased when I found it. Fits a 4awg nicley.

[stuart.cookson]

did you drill a hole to create a hole in the bulkhead. didnt notice a grommit there before

Nope, found a grommit, as John mentions above. It's a Fabia, though - I notice you have an Octavia. Not sure whether or not the Octavia has the same...

Stu

[stuart.cookson]

Can anyone help me with this? (Oh dear - I'm quoting myself already!!)...

I haven't connected the cable to the battery as yet. I hope someone can help me; can I just connect it to the bolt circled on the photo below or should I lift this plastic cover and fit it to the terminal itself?:confused:

Stu

[faboka vrs]

Yes just fit it to what you have outlined. Thats where mine is.

[stuart.cookson]

Cheers, John. I figured it would be right, just wanted to be sure.

Stu

[stuart.cookson]

I ordered the carpet for the boot build yesterday from here: BASS BOX ACOUSTIC CAR CARPET ROLLS IN GREY on eBay, also Sub-Woofers Tubes, Speakers, In-Car Entertainment GPS, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 27-Feb-08 02:07:18 GMT). I think it should come today or tomorrow. I bought the fans yesterday too.

I fixed the fans together last night and wired them to a connector block:

Next on the list is to run the phono cables down the O/S of the car and get them and the switch cable into the back of the Head Unit. Should get round to that on Saturday if not before.

Stu

[stuart.cookson]

It's been a productive day today. Got everything wired in and working (ish). Pics will follow; I'm only on my PDA just now so can' deal with pics. I haven't built the full MDF structure yet - I'll get to that as soon as I get a few hours free. But I wanted to make sure everything worked before wrapping it up, so to speak.

The 'ish' is due to the fans. They work when the head unit is on and stay off when the head unit's off, as desired. The problem is this: while the fans are on a buzzing interference can be heard through the sub. Disconnect the fans and the buzzing stops.

It strikes me that the most likely problem is an earthing issue but I'm confident that it's earthed properly. It's earthed to the same point as the amp - might this cause the interference? It's the only thing I can think of!

I hope someone can help.

Stu

[stuart.cookson]

Pics as promised... Anyone any ideas about the interference of the fans?

Don't need this anymore! It's the practically useless bit of plastic at the back of the Head Unit, and it just gets in the way if you've got too many wires!

The only shot of my RCA cables running down the O/S of the car:

Power cable and fuse connected to the battery:

Everything wired up in the boot:

Stu

[stuart.cookson]

One more pic - I started building the structure...

Is it possible to change the name of a thread? Are there any moderators reading this that could do it? Just thinking that it's not 'planning' anymore - it might be better to call it 'ICE Install - in Progress' or something...

Stu

[twonks]

Looks good so far. (And I have just ordered some of that carpet from ebay. )

The fan noise could be brush commutation in the motors. Try take the earth off and connect it outside the car straight to the battery negative.

If that doesn't work, you might need a filter circuit on the fan motor.

Look up EMC and back EMF filters to find out more if this is the case.

[stuart.cookson]

Thanks for your reply, twonks. The carpet is great - pretty good quality from what I can tell, and it seems to match very well with the OEM carpet in the car. Thanks for your suggestion about the fans, but I think I just might have solved it anyway:

I tested the fans powered from the battery cable and they worked fine with no humming through the speakers. I don't know exactly why, but it seems wiring them straight into the head unit cable has sent interference back down the cable to the head unit, which then transmits it as a hum through the speakers.

So, I'm now going down the relay route, only using the head unit's cable to switch the relay. The power will come from the battery feed. I'm going to get the necessary parts from Maplin this evening and hopefully get the bulk of it finished over the weekend. Can't wait!

Stu

[stuart.cookson]

Progress photos...

I've been soldering this evening, to put the relay together, and the Neutrik connector. It took a bit longer than I'd hoped. The solder didn't really want to take to the spade connectors so each one took a while but it's done now!

The relay all wired together:

The overall amp 'box' ready to under the new floor:

Fans installed:

Hope you like the pics!

Stu

[stuart.cookson]

The build is just about complete now. It's all fully wired in and working (even the fans!). I still need to trim the carpet properly, and add bolts and straps to hold everything down in the event of an accident, but other than that it's spot on.

For anyone still following this thread I'll post a few completed pics when the last bits and pieces are finished off.

A couple more pics from just before I put the carpet on and the sub in...

Before the floor went in:

False floor cut to fit:

Stu

[Tom_vRS]

Looking good Stu, impressed so far!!!