Quote:
Originally Posted by trhaverstock
I will start there, but is it a safe assumption that removing/replacing the factory amp would be pretty impractical/resource intensive due to how deeply it is embedded in the factory wiring to the speakers?
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I wouldn't say so at all. If you wanted to retain the factory head unit it then I think it would be a challenge.
BMW generally didn't mess with the wiring it was directly connected from point A to B. However the signal coming from their amps they've usually manipulated, but since you're bypassing them that shouldn't be an issue for you.
My general rule of thumb has always been to tear out all the factory BMW audio. Even the best option they offer brand new from the factory was pathetic so no reason to try to make the drive through speaker sound its best.
The factory amp setups had weird xovers and their speakers had non standard resistance...which isn't that big of a deal but still. Weirdness for no reason other than German
I like to keep things as simple as possible and it seems like you're more than capable to play with the wiring so here's a few things you can try
First off double check you have the correct wiring. Physically look at the wiring that's connected to the speaker in the door. Seeing someone's been in there before let's assume it's been tampered with.
When checking wiring I like to use a AA battery and make sure the driver actually moves. This way I know for sure I have the right wires. You can also check the phasing this way.
If you have a volt meter, check the ohms of the speaker. Usually it will read 3.4-4 ish ohms for a 4ohm speaker. Whatever that reading is shouldn't be much different when taking a measurement from the back where the speaker wire originates. It should be sliiiightly higher because of the resistance from the wiring, but nothing drastic. If you have a noticeable variance that could suggest some xover in line somewhere.
Most head units won't have outputs for tweeter, midrange, midbass. It will be front L and R and rear L and R so if you are connecting your speakers to the outputs from the head unit you WILL need a crossover between your tweeter and mid, so that's where the rockford xover should come into play.
Xtron speaker front output -> rockford xover -> interfacing with the factory speaker wiring in the back -> split signal from xover to tweeter and mid -> factory wiring to tweeter and mid respectively
I hope I'm making this simpler for you