Neal

Bump, still have alarm components for e46 for sale.

Welcome , the C1 is certainly a rare car ! Any pictures of some of the BMWs you’ve owned ?

Also spent time in the boot. Front doors are running active so tweeter and door midbass so get a channel each. Rear doors are mainly going to be used for rear fill or turn up a bit when passengers in the rear. So these are running passive crossovers. They might have fitted in the rear door card but learnings from my e46 m3 stereo was that hot glue and 3m tape only held for a few years ( although the crossover in that build were massive ! ) This time I thought I’d mount them into the boot. To be honest they are mounted a bit to close together with the coil spacing but mounting them vertically would inhibit airflow to amp. Each rear door has two sets of wiring for tweeter and mid bass. Cross overs have been set with 0 gain on tweeter settings and full range on midbass. Will use Mobridge to set high pass of 150hz instead .

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All adaptors have arrived. The door midbass adapters are really well made. The tweeter mounting rings were good but needs modification for rear f30 / f80 tweeter mounts. The front ones also would have need some tweaking . The focal tweetes cone with some mounting collars , but are 1 mm to wide and 2mm too deep for the BMW HK tweater mounts. I used a demel and took 1mm of each focal mounting collar and took 2 mm of the hieght at the clip points. The BMW brackets also needed some guides removed. Once done the collars clipped into the brackets and then the tweeters press fitted the collars.

They look great, better than any aftermarket adapters I’ve seen for e46. Really like how you’ve done the tweeter adapter to fit into factory mount points in door card. I used 316i blanking plates on my e46 and a 52mm holesaw . Didn’t look that flash !

Door speakers have arrived , change of focal dealer meant that NZ stock needed replenishment, apparently they had ordered a few containers worth. Looked into getting a 3D printer for making adapters for tweeter to fit into Harman Kardon mounts and door spacers . But took an easier route and brought some already made. The rings are via one supplier and door mounts via another both UK based. Easier than using hot glue to mount tweeters and using router to make spacers. Door adapter https://streetwise3d.com/products/bmw-focal-es100k-speaker-adaptors-pair Tweeter rings to fit in Harmon Kardon / Hifi tweeter mounts https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173714926626

And behind idrive, Green cable is only Most cable in NTB EVo with base audio. Will put in Y adapter to link to new Most Amp cable.

Over weekend completed installing cabin speaker wiring. Two pairs of speaker wire to each door connector for tweeter and door mid bass. Another pair to each underseat woofer position. F80 reasonably straight forward to run wires down either side. Getting to front connectors a bit more involved. The FEM modules covers passenger side and DAB tuner covers driver side. Due care required to move modules out of way for access to connectors. Install also reinforced using nothing larger that 18 awg / 0.85mm2 thin walled cable. Anything larger and it would be problematic fitting connector pins. Running the Amplifier Most cable to IDrive was via left side and firewall took time. Used Tesa tape rather than cable ties to secure as fibre easy to break and doesn’t like tight radius. Routed it underneath looms so no chance of pinching or pressure. 5 metre length was just enough at either end. When taking idrive out I wasn’t expecting to see an Most connection. But despite base audio the F80 LCI uses Most audio between cluster and idrive. Now need a Most Y cable to create a fibre ring between idrive - cluster - Mobridge Amp. Added a wifi antenna to the idrive unit. NTB Evo 4.1 doesn’t use wifi but seeing posts of software upgrades for 6.1 on the older units to enable car play etc. Possible future coding option but does render factory navigation inoperable. Learnings from the weekend is I need to chunk this down to 1 or 2 hour work bundles for health reasons. Super tired but did enjoy doing it.

Is Mike on here ? Previous owner of green machine . Looks great in the flesh

I’d double check the connector pins on the quadlock connector into the amp looking for corrosion. It wouldn’t hurt to give them a spay with silicone based electrical spray. The other cause if you have the factory nav version is the tuner connector. It’s actually has connectors in one. The two input connectors clip into tho the main connector and can become unseated by pervious owners. Have a close look at the connector and ensure that they are seated correctly and one of the pins are bent. It could be the same for the head unit connector if you have the basic cd version. I didn’t know either way as I haven’t had that version in an e46. One issue with e46 speakers over time is that they use foam surrounds which get brittle and start falling apart. I don’t think it’s your issue as they normally crackle on bass lines when they are break up. Surrounds can be refoamed but better to replace them at that point.

Mobridge amp/ arrived. Nice compact unit. Amazing that it can deliver 1.1kw RMS has a 10 channel DSP and can replace my previous 2 amp 1 dsp solution yet is about the size of an A5 diary. It easily fits into the factory amp location. BMW version came with AMP connector to Karman Kardon 20 pin patch cable , 2 6awg quick connect power patch leads and a 1 Meter Most fibre patch cable. Patch cable also has RCA out which can be configured as a center channel or sub output along with a remote on wire. I don’t intend to add a subwoofer amp as the unit has a bridged output channel that delivers 400rms into 2 ohms. That’s roughly high 120s DB on the sub so beyond my volume requirements. For the install you just augment the amp power with a 6-4 gauge power feed from the battery and add a similar cable for earth. The unit gets it’s power on signal from the digital Most connection from the IDrive. For my install the current base install uses the Active Sound Design module as a 4 channel amp. It uses the same bracket as the hifi option amp. I added some m5 rivnuts and mounted the Mobridge to the factory bracket. The factory bracket is of a good design and allows passive airflow to the underside of the amp. I’m not expecting the amp to get hot due to its Class D output stages and variable voltage power supply. Basically more output, less heat with these amps. Unlike earlier class D amps the distortion levels are really low. Expecting good results audio quality wise. Also spent a couple of hours twisting the silver tinned wire which will be used to connect the speakers to the amp. In a typical install you’d normally just augment the existing BMW speaker wire, However, I’m building a parallel loom that will utilize spare positions on factory door connectors. Very easy to return everything to stock at later date. Using 18 gauge to door speakers as this is the maximum wire size for the door contact pins. Wire is good for more than 225 watts as 4 ohms so more that enough for the 60rms / 130 peak focal speakers and amp channels Ran out of energy at this point. Going forward break the install in to a series of 1 – 2 hour work streams which I think I can manage to do the install work. It's a bitch getting older 🙂

Noico is another. But you do need to watch the glues used especially when sticking to hot inverted panels and some have an ongoing smell which happened to a colleagues audio build and his car still smells on hot days a couple of years after the install ( can’t remember the brand sorry ) Go over to diymoblieaudio.com and have a look at the CLD reviews. Some people have gone to great lengths to test the stuff. Personally I’d use Dynamat again for the glues used and no issues years after

Orders for hardware arrived Tweeter mounts for inside of rear doors In door speaker connectors MQS pins and sockets for door connectors for new looms ( 0.75mm2 / 18 gauage wire versions ) Underseat woofer plugs with pins to accept 2.5mm /13 gauge wire ( Standard bmw size and massively over specified ) 120 meters of single 0.75mm2 cable ( door speakers ) 40 meters of single 2.5mm2 cable. Was trying to get AVSS wire which is high temp thin walled insulated copper cable made for wiring looms . Settled on some esoteric wire that is oxygen free high grade copper plated in silver. It also runs thin walled teflon so rated to 150c . Ideally headroom for a car where the interior gets hot in the sun. I doubt I’ll be able to hear any difference between silver tinned and copper cable. But not much of a price difference between it and AVSS. 18 uf capacitors These are for bass blockers for tweeters that will be running active . I should have possibly used higher capacitance value for the 4 ohm tweeters which will run from 3500 hz. Should have used a value an octave down from this point , but read some bad advice for using a blocking capacitor that is twice the value of the FS or resonance of the tweeter. Will explain this a bit later when I do the house curves for each speaker.

I remember that the 1.9 litre version that I hired had a square setup with 4x225s back in 1999. Larger engined versions like the 3.0 had a staggered setup. I won a long weekend in one a couple years later. Rear rims should have size stamped on them on the inner spoke area. 7.5 will be 225 8.5 will be 245

Thanks Olaf The es100ks can be got for about $750 per pair at the moment. They jump to 900 -1000 on some of the NZ retailers at times. Not sure why. Focal also have a inside series for BMW as well ,around that $550 mark for components that bolt straight in and use factory connectors. Otherwise there is quite a few drop in solutions from other vendors. Interesting enough underseat woofers replacement seems to be varied in opinions. Some say the drop in replacements aren’t nessacary an upgrade if you have HK drivers as quite efficient and good in midbass region. Really undecided what to do. I tried to model up Stereo Intergity new TM8 but with the f80s shallow enclosure and low seat rail clearance was too marginal. Might be an option for the X3 ? Ideally need to model some driver behaviours based on TS parameters. Sounds like the BMW enclosure and vent into side sill equals a .6 cubic foot leaky sealed enclosure so a good sized area for a 200mm speaker.

Have ordered a Mobridge Most25 8.1.1 Amplifier https://mobridge.us/product/mobridge-most25-amp/ This is a single box solution that contains 9 amplifier channels and DSP. It behaves in the same manner as the BMW Harman Kardon digital amplifier but has substantially more power. It’s also power efficient. Has some really nice features such as 10 channel DSP for time alignment and frequency controls on each amplifier. From an IDrive point of view Mobridge have coded the amplifier to be fully controlled by the IDrive. It supports all audio Sinks so you still get 4 channel PDC in surround, front audio for nav and telephone audio plus usual idrive music options.etc. All the factory sound controls functions work such as fader and equaliser. The two factory audio presets map to Morbridge DSP maps which is handy as I’ll be able to run 2 different Tuning curves so one for driver position and one tune for when passengers in the car. With the amp being MOST based music is fully digital from the idrive system. So Basically DDA in the audio path. Great for reducing system noise. Amp / DSP will be configured in the following way. Power is peak rating at 4 ohms Channel 1&2 Front L / R tweeters 150 watts x2 3500hz to 20;000hz Channel 3&4 Front Door L /R Mid bass 150 watts x2 150/200 hz to 3500hz Channel 5&6 rear door components running passive crossovers 150/200 hz to 20,000 hz Channel 7/8 underseat woofers 300 watts x 2 ( running 8 inch HK 7 ohm speakers so 150 watts expected ) 70-150/200hZ Channel 9 Boot subwoofer 2 ohm 800 watt. 20-70hz

NZ focals es100ks have dropped down in price again My final choice was focals for door components as price dropped. But if they hadn’t option would have been other companies drivers. Have two sets coming in March / April. Once they arrive will sort spacers / adapters.Would love to have a 3D printer at this point, but suspect I’ll use painted MDF in the doors and work out how to get the tweeter fitting in HK mounts.

Unfortunately new 8 inch driver didn’t work out, was too close to seat rail for comfort. Will try HK underseat woofers. FYI the distance between underseat woofer enclosure mounting face and seat rail is approximately 38mm. looks like any conventional speaker replacement limit would be a something that fits with no more than a 12mm spacer without raising the seat. Some people have managed an AD W800 neo driver which has 56mm depth, 18mm spacer , but it sounds like they raise the seat height with spacers on the mounts. Would require Cert process in NZ. Was interesting to compare HK subwoofer enclosure with 8 inch driver to base audio with 6.5 inch driver. Base audio is quite light and flimsy and baffle to side sill vent quite restrictive. HK has more volume, but is substantially stronger. Wouldn’t recommend base audio enclosure with 8 inch driver fitted. Suspect it would vibrate badly as per is added.

Transfers off and it’s not bad. Come to think of it…80s were worse.

Ordered some second hand F3x Harmon Kardon underseat 200mm woofers and enclosures These will replace the base audio woofer enclosures and their 17cm woofer. The base audio woofers sound a bit Bose esk with an overblown 80-90hz bass region and then roll off quickly. Will put in a box so I can revert system to standard as I did with last build. Hk enclosures have larger air volume than base audio although both vent into side sills. Apparently the combination of enclosure plus side sill gives a enclosure equivalent of 0.6 cubic feet ( info from Bill Fitzs on another forum ) The HK woofer size is ideally suited to that size. It’s close to 8 ohms and is run to about 125 watts on factory amp. Going to try and improve on the HK woofers although they do come up well and a number of drop in upgrades actually don’t model as well. Have chosen new after market SQ oriented 8 inch drivers and looking to run these from 55hz to 150-200hz. These will get roughly up to 300 watts so can be driven to mechanical limits with low distortion. The unknown is if I can get the factory grill to fit. Going to be tight fit ! TBA LOL 😀 Also brought F30 HK speaker grills for door midbass and rear tweeters. These look to be far more open than Stock / HiFi option First picture, base audio underseat woofer , Second HK.

You’ll need an aftermarket amp, new speakers or some passive crossovers for the existing and some rewiring of speakers. This will all depend on what system you had within the CCC line ( base audio , hifi or Hk ) , how many of the speakers were active and had dedicated amplifier channels. Also if you have underset woofers. Also with CCC some had fibre optic connections between idrive, amp , combo unit etc. basically nothing straight forward such as adding a aux cable.

Basically it gets to a point where it’s bad enough to require swap out with either a manual box or OEM German auto transmission. Have had two jerkco automatic e36s and both had issues , one at 80,000 (318i )and one at 120,000 (328i) The first one had a rebuild ($3k 20 years back ) and problem came back at 110k , second one made it to beyond 240,000 km with slight 1-2 jerk and gentle acceleration used most f it’s life. Best option for these transmissions is a 40 tonne catiplier bulldozer or a molten furnace.

They also do restomod jags like old mkii. Often trading in old jag projects. However , I don’t think I’ve seen any e type projects come up for 10k for quite a few decades

Here’s a picture from one of the pages from the e21 sales brochure. Sports pack option had Recaros , Leather steering wheel and optional LSD. I owned E21 323i in the 1980s and it had the sports pack Goid luck with the sale.