Custom Subwoofer Enclosure and Amp Installed

[crystalworks]

Originally Posted by kado1976

Well I worked on every repair on the vehicle including:

Front Suspension overall
Water pump
Thermostat
Blower Motor
Alternator
4 window regulators
2 door handle carriers
Fuel Pump and Filter
DISA valve
Belt and pulley system
That dosent even include all the electrical gremlins I fought for years, Even sold it with the Key FOB and many minor issues.

I also did every oil change, Tune up and brakes my self.

Sure the motor is still running but its leaking like a sieve and I can hear the lifters pinging like crazy.

Then you were well on your way to owning a great example of an E53. All of those problems were because the owner before you did not care about the X5 and passed the expense on to the next owner. Pretty standard used BMW story. All of the repairs you listed above can be performed for less than $2000 doing the work yourself.

Don't blame the truck for being neglected. BMW's need regular maintenance beyond an oil change every 6500 miles. They need full suspension every 100k-120k. Full cooling system every 100k-130k. Plugs and coils every 100k-150k. Trans flush every 60k (despite what BMW says). DISA valve every 100k-120k. Oil seals (valve covers, timing, OFHG, etc) every 100k. Plus other known foibles like window issues, door handles, etc. All of the above can be done as preventative stuff... I don't usually wait for something to break. People ride in my X5 who don't know BMW's think it is a MUCH newer vehicle than it is.

^Yes, that makes them high maintenance. They are also more fun to drive than a Honda, Toyota, or almost anything in the same price brackets. I do not make excuses for them, they are high maintenance chicks, but if someone doesn't educate themselves to that fact before a purchase... I don't blame the vehicle, I blame the buyer.

[semcoinc]

Originally Posted by crystalworks

Then you were well on your way to owning a great example of an E53. All of those problems were because the owner before you did not care about the X5 and passed the expense on to the next owner. Pretty standard used BMW story. All of the repairs you listed above can be performed for less than $2000 doing the work yourself.

Don't blame the truck for being neglected. BMW's need regular maintenance beyond an oil change every 6500 miles. They need full suspension every 100k-120k. Full cooling system every 100k-130k. Plugs and coils every 100k-150k. Trans flush every 60k (despite what BMW says). DISA valve every 100k-120k. Oil seals (valve covers, timing, OFHG, etc) every 100k. Plus other known foibles like window issues, door handles, etc. All of the above can be done as preventative stuff... I don't usually wait for something to break. People ride in my X5 who don't know BMW's think it is a MUCH newer vehicle than it is.

^Yes, that makes them high maintenance. They are also more fun to drive than a Honda, Toyota, or almost anything in the same price brackets. I do not make excuses for them, they are high maintenance chicks, but if someone doesn't educate themselves to that fact before a purchase... I don't blame the vehicle, I blame the buyer.

Amen crystalworks!

Early BMW owners seem to love the BMW ride and prestige and sadly, some of these early owners are unwilling or unable to give them the maintenance that they require when approaching the 100K mile mark.

Many of these E53s are well into 100K mile territory now and if they had one of the unwilling or unable early owners, the new owners will either have to Cowboy Up or run the thing into the ground with more unwilling/unable maintenance.

Like you, people get into my E53 and also ask what year it is. It has an excellent exterior and interior and everything works and rides as designed.

Yes, I have a maintenance log book for all my vehicles and since 2014 (at ~78K miles) I have logged quite a few maintenance items for my E53: including full front and rear suspension makeovers, sound system upgrade, brakes & rotors, driveline fluids flush, trans fluid flush, brake fluid flush, SS brake lines, AGM Battery, new airbags and strut/shocks all around, every belt and pulley and idler and water pump/T-stat and water hose in the engine as well as a seized alternator replacement and blower motor "hedge-hog" resistor and driver seat module.

For me, a vehicle this luxurious and agile with no monthly payment will give me years of trouble free/low maintenance cost service, being just at 100K miles now.

Blame the prior owners for poorly caring for these machines, not the machine designers and engineers.

Mike

[Clockwork]

has anyone ever bought a pre-made box from online source?

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/MDF-closed-s...JclTaU&vxp=mtr

I have noticed the home made boxes are definitely more angular adn use more space than these, but I will be honest right now. I will be lazy with this one task. I love love love the external 10" sub and box in my trunk, but it takes up room that I'd like to have back and if I can put a good sounding, pretty looking sub box in the place of the factory (unused) sub, then heck, why not!

I have suber deep hitting bass now so I worry going to this smaller box with a shallower mount sub will not hit as deep. I'm not looking to enter a stereo competition but nice sound just makes a drive that much more enjoyable.
I am hoping to be corrected, but from the pics, it looks like a small square mounted to some wood that is not open/adding to the volume/capacity of airflow. Hope to hear differently

[crystalworks]

^Not personally. But I know someone running that particular box. Sounds good and fit well. Hopefully he'll see this and chime in.

[Clockwork]

hope so too. I dont really need to spend $250 on this, or more, as I'd need to buy a shallow mount sub then, but I'm open to the idea if its that good of a system. I should have bought the BSW box/amp set from the guy in Texas selling it on facebook. nuts.

[Mouse]

I had this box and it indeed sounded much better(than BMW stock "subs"). It is a VERY tight fit. So much I had to repair/modify my gas door actuator lock. I ended up replacing with the JL audio stealth box I was lucky enough to acquire later on that fit better. This fills the mid/low frequencies well, but misses the solid hits/thump from a larger sub box. Sub selection will also play factor. I'm using a Kicker Comp RT shallow mount which I would qualify as entry/mid level. I'm sure you could drop some cash on a better sub for even better sound. Just be sure to get proper measurements as this box will limit your sub selection.

[Clockwork]

thanks Mouse. I'll stick with the current set-up I have since that sub hits HARD, like Mike Tyson hard. I will just continue to live with the box in trunk.

EDIT: I made my own homemade box by modifying the factory box. removed both 6" speakers and cut off face to install MDF and 10" shallow mount and its incredible! SO HAPPY to have a full trunk space again and sub sounds about 80% as good as other 10" sub in external sub (which was over kill)

[Bmwe5320023.0]

I wonder which of these is better

https://www.crutchfield.ca/p_1369428...tealthbox.html

Or

https://ca.jbl.com/JBL+BASSPRO+HUB.html

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by Bmwe5320023.0

I wonder which of these is better

https://www.crutchfield.ca/p_1369428...tealthbox.html

Or

https://ca.jbl.com/JBL+BASSPRO+HUB.html

I cant imagine too much air flowing out of the spare tire well on an E53 (or anything that isn't a Dodge product). Whether load floor or not, the floor is made specifically to add support to the rear shelf for hauling and insulation from road noise way down there in the Bimmer nethers.

My 1st hand (ear) experience (ear-perience?) is with my own JBL Stealth box and a JL 500w amp. I've run it now for 3 or 4 years (maybe more?). I do use Focal's in the doors, so I have pretty decent quality there. They run off of a JL VX 800 which does a fine job as well.

[semcoinc]

What I did for adding a sub to my non-DSP E53 was to source an OE subwoofer enclosure from eBay and mount it into the OE location. It took a little bit of rewiring and termination work to go from this:



to this:



and connected that up to my separate amp that is located in the spare tire well



To my ears this has been an excellent subwoofer sound added right where the OE placement was located.

Mike