Well, two days of work later, my 10GB + Tuner is now installed in my Jetta.

First impressions: The fascia blends perfectly in the dash. The Empeg really looks like it belongs there. The sound is fabulous, and the controls are intuitive and easy to reach. I do think I'm going to try the magic marker mod, though. I saw it in full sunlight, and noticed the circuitry I've seen talked about. (I've also ordered a smoke faceplate, which may help a bit).

Installation: I replaced my front and rear speakers and added an amp as well -- the first time I'd ever done either. The Jetta's climate controls have a lot of empty space under the DIN slot (there's only one DIN on an A3 model Jetta), so the tuner and the bird's-nest...err, wiring, had someplace to get shoved. The Jetta has a standard ISO connector, but some of the wires didn't match, so I pushed the pins out of the Empeg's connector and reseated them where I needed them.

I also used the existing front and rear speaker wiring for the front speakers; I jumpered the front to the rear at the speaker ISO connector in the dash, and used the rear speaker wires in the trunk as the run for the front speakers. This saved a lot of headache.

I had to disassemble the lower part of the dash on both driver's side and passenger's side to run the speaker, amp switch, and power wires cleanly. I was worried about running the power cable through the firewall, but that turned out to be the easiest bit -- awl a small hole into one of the plugs and run the wire.

My new rear speakers don't quite fit the factory install spots -- they're a bit too small (thanks, Crutchfield. That's not what you said when I bought them!) so they're mounted using 3 instead of all 4 screws. I'm going to need to fix that.

The amp is currently zip-tied to the metal underside of the rear deck. This is temporary until I can get a drill down there with some nuts and bolts and firmly and properly mount the amp.

I also intend to call my dealership and inquire about buying a DIN cover for use when the empeg's with me.

I need to clean my car and go to the hardware store tomorrow, but I'll take pictures this weekend and post some install pr0n soon.

Great write up, thanks!

I also used the existing front and rear speaker wiring for the front speakers; I jumpered the front to the rear at the speaker ISO connector in the dash, and used the rear speaker wires in the trunk as the run for the front speakers. This saved a lot of headache.

Yep, that's a nifty trick. I did the same thing in my Accord. Saved running one set of speaker wires.

-- they're a bit too small (thanks, Crutchfield. That's not what you said when I bought them!)

This is a surprise. Crutchfield is usually pretty good about this stuff.

I also intend to call my dealership and inquire about buying a DIN cover for use when the empeg's with me.

I think I still have mine from my '88 GTI. If you have trouble locating one, I might be willing to part with it. On second thought, it probably wouldn't fit or look right, being from a decade-older model of car.

This is a surprise. Crutchfield is usually pretty good about this stuff.


Yep. I've puchased multiple items from them, and this is the first time I've
been surprised. The diameter of the rear deck holes was just large enough to make it impossible to secure the speakers using all four screws. In fact, only two are firmly screwed into the rear deck; the third is on the edge of the hole, and thus isn't firmly tightened down. The fourth just floats free, so I removed it.

The real problem is that the factory speakers came in a plastic enclosure with threaded rods built in, secured by nuts a good distance from the deck (at least 2"). I may buy some nuts and long machine screws and see if I can't use the existing mounts. Due to the slightly smaller diameter, it may put the screws at too great an angle, but we'll see.

I took it for a drive tonight and tried some fairly heavy bass at high volume (I don't have a sub, so the bass was hitting those rears) and didn't notice any rattling. I took it about as far up as I dared (75W/ch amp, 40W speakers). I still need to tune the amp and Empeg to something more realistic so I don't accidentally blow the speakers.


I think I still have mine from my '88 GTI. If you have trouble locating one, I might be willing to part with it. On second thought, it probably wouldn't fit or look right, being from a decade-older model of car.


Thanks, but I think an 88GTI is an A2 body type, which means it almost certainly won't fit. Shouldn't be a very expensive part. If I can't find one, I may hack together a fake map-holder to put in there instead.

You might also consider a VW storage pocket which should fit into DIN dash opening and the empeg cradle (once you've shaved of all parts that stick out". Take a look at http://www.tempsch.org, Misc. empeg part. The "support pillar" shown in the pic isn't necessary with the MkII cradle.

/Michael

Hey this sounds like my install I did 09/15/2000 !
Here

In fact, only two are firmly screwed into the rear deck; the third is on the edge of the hole, and thus isn't firmly tightened down. The fourth just floats free, so I removed it.

You might consider making an adapter ring out of plywood and sealing it to the speaker hole with RTV, then screwing the speaker to the adapter.

For rear deck speakers, your bass response is often improved by sealing around the edge of the speaker so that the cabin and the trunk are two different (sealed) air spaces. In this situation, the trunk becomes the speaker enclosure.

Well, I just called the dealer parts dept. and ordered a blank faceplate for the DIN slot. I gave them the part # you list for that map pocket, bu they said it wasn't valid.

Oh, well. In a week or so I should have the part, and it'll make me feel a lot better about it. Right now, I don't know if a thief would think, "Darn! Too late!" or "Ooh. There's a headend sitting in the car somewhere" if he sees the empty sled in the dash.

I gave them the part # you list for that map pocket, bu they said it wasn't valid

Well, it's possible that they've changed it - that one is a bit more than 1.5 years old, or they might use different numbers for Europe and the US...

Right now, I don't know if a thief would think, "Darn! Too late!" or "Ooh. There's a headend sitting in the car somewhere"

Probably the latter if he's been around a while, as when pull-outs were more common, many left them in the glove box, below a seat or in the trunk... Or possibly draw the conclusion that "Eew, a pull out - can't be anything modern..."

/Michael