I just got my 60GB Rio car and tuner the other day (haven't plugged it in yet, just took it out of the box and stared at it with a goofy grin on my face). I have a few questions that still remain unanswered,( that I'd really like to know before I start tampering with my baby). I'll be doing the install myself, I've never done an amp before, but doesn't look like more than I can handle. I've settled on a Blaupunkt PA4100 for an amp. I'm looking to totally bypass the factory speaker wiring (as VW can be real p**cks about warranty work if any wires are cut) and install two sets of Blaupunkt PCci650 speakers in the factory holes. Crutchfield says they will fit into the front doors with minimal fuss, but don't show anything as fitting the rear seat side panels, because the factory speakers are only 1.6 inches deep. These particular speakers are 2.2 deep, and the area sounds pretty hollow by knocking on it. Is it just empty space in there?

As for the amp installation, anyone tried under one of the front seats in an A3 platform car? Any advice on amp placement? I'd really rather avoid the trunk.

My other concern is the ground wire coming out of the back of the docking sled. If I just plug it into the factory wiring harness (which is ground to the chassis) is that OK?

I also know I have to reverse to pins in the ISO connector. Can some one tell me which two, and offer any tips on how to do this?

As the car has no power antenna, can I just clip this and run it straight to the amp as an on/off lead, or is there a better way?

Yes, I am ordering some master shhets from crutchfield ; )


-Heather

In reply to:

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As the car has no power antenna, can I just clip this and run it straight to the amp as an on/off lead, or is there a better way?

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are you talking about the blue wire on the tuner or on the sled ?

you should use the blue wire on the sled for the amp turn on if you used the one on the tuner the amp wouldn't come on unless you used the radio

If you have a somewhat recent VW/Audi it's a good chance that the antenna has
an antenna amplifier that needs to be fed +12V to operate. This commonly
requires an adapter from VW which you put inline on the antenna lead and has a
wire which you connect to the blue lead on the tuner (the adapter I got also had
male and female ISO-plugs, which you would put between the head unit and the
car wiring, so that you could get power that way, but it was way to much junk to
put in when it's so easy to connect the single wire...

/Michael

If you are getting your stuff from Crutchfield, they will include some great documentation that will help you properly install things like speakers and the dash unit.

I recommend using the factory speaker wires, harnesses, and connectors wherever possible because that will be the easiest and least invasive to install. Again, if you get your stuff from Crutchfield, you will get these adapter plugs for free.

Do not clip off the power antenna wire, Volkswagens need the antenna amplifiers to be powered. You might need a special adapter for this depending on the model of VW.

no amplified antenna in the cabrio, thats only in the VW's with the roof mounted antennas. Called Crutchfield, they told me that cutting the power antenna wire off of the head unit and running that to the amp was the easiest way if there is no remote on wire in the back of the head unit. The sad part is that I work in a VW dealership and still can't get an answer on the space behind the rear speakers.

As for using the factory wiring, the easiest way, yes, but like I said, total pricks about aftermarket equipment in VWs and honoring the warranty. Plugging in the ISo to the factory harness is OK, cutting a factory speaker is not. In the long run, I'll probably save a lot of headaches by running new wires. One of our techs has offered to run the power wire to the battery for me (he knows I'd rather learn how to do things myself than let someone else do it for me) as that's the only thing I really feel uncomfortable doing myself.

Thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it : )

Crutchfield will give you harness plugs for the speakers too. You won't have to cut ANY wires at all.

you probably have to work for VW in germany to get any information

Yeah, what he said. That's what I was trying to say.

And a car dealership can't (if I recall correctly) legally refuse to honor the warranty based on an aftermarket stereo installation. Assuming the aftermarket stereo was installed correctly (i.e., it uses those connector plugs properly, etc.), then unless they can PROVE that it was your aftermarket wiring that caused the problem, they have to honor the warranty on everything else.

tell me about it. they told the public about a recall before they told the dealers, or the fine folks at 1 800 DRIVEVW. So I get about 10 calls a day to which I have no answer except "it's OK, you're not in any danger, it's nothing safety related" and get to feel like a moron. Typical. My car was manufactured with a bad batch of vacuum hose in the power door locks and they told me I (and the tech who called for help after he tried replacing everything else) was crazy and imagined the door reopening itself, until after try #3 when 5 more came in behind it with the exact same quirk. And I work there. And I can make a phone call and get our area service rep over to my car in a day (and have, he's great!). [censored] like this makes me feel really sorry for customers sometimes.

But I do love these cars, that's why I sell them!

the blue one on the sled.

I'll look at the master sheets when they show up, as I can't figure out where to splice into the factory wiring to run the amp into them, or where to put the crossovers if I do it that way. Wiring from scratch is easier to visualize for me.

And I watch them ream people all the time with aftermarket amps in the car (speakers and head units with connectors they ignore). Considering that every department in the dealership hates each other for the most part (I hear it from other places too at training seminars), getting stuff out of another department usually resembles the feeling of root canal. And from what I hear from the other salespeople, I'm well liked in parts and service. Scary.

I'll look at the master sheets when they show up, as I can't figure out where to splice into the factory wiring to run the amp into them

In theory, there should be no splicing at all. You'll either be running fresh wires to the amplifier, or connecting to the snap-in connector in the dash. Make sure to check out the installation section of the FAQ for some illustrations on how the wiring connectors work.