# DIY - Disconnecting Sub-Woofer



## MisterJJ (Jul 28, 2005)

I did not like the thumping and fluttering sound of the sub-woofer so I decided to disconnect it. This is on a base stereo system, non-Bose.
Here's how:
Tools and supplies: T20 Torx Driver, Electrical Tape, (2) Cable Ties
1. Remove cargo cover and cargo floor.
2. Remove screw by the cargo light:








3. Remove center-rear cover, the one that has the opening for the hatch latch. Just pull straight up. There are four metal clips (red arrows) that go into four slots (yellow arrows). Driver's side shown but passenger side is the same. This is one of those "just pull" items. You might be able to get your hands up underneath and squeeze the metal clips but I got it by just pulling.








4. Get the rear lip of the drivers side cargo area panel loose by pulling it out from under the rear hatch seal.
5. Pull the rear of the panel away from the side and press down on the plastic part that is level with the cargo cover. There are two tabs that should be pressed downward to get them to release (red arrows). DON'T pull too hard. You'll need to disconnect the cargo light and it's on a pretty short leash (yellow arrow).








6. There is another "just pull" metal clip towards the front (red arrow).








7. That's as far as you need to go with removing the panel. You can now remove the four screws that hold the speaker and cover. Remove two speaker terminals, one from each side that are the same type. I.E. both narrow terminals or both wide terminals. Here's a pic showing the terminals removed:








8. Tape the loose terminals out of the way with electrical tape and put a cable tie around it to prevent the electrical tape from coming loose.








AIROR (Assembly Is Reverse Of Removal)
When installing the center-rear cover, be sure to get the two slotted tabs on the cover to go behind the two posts before snapping into place.
Results: Much better sound. I had a CD playing during the entire process (Styx - The Grand Illusion) and as soon as the speaker came loose of its plastic enclosure, the heavy thumping and fluttering went away. The plastic speaker enclosure appears to be the cause of the problem. I've now got bass at +3 and treble at +2 and it sounds darn good to me. Plenty of good bass sound without the annoying thumping and fluttering. I cranked up "Castle Walls" and










_Modified by MisterJJ at 7:49 AM 7/31/2006_


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## xt0rted (Jan 8, 2006)

*Re: DIY - Disconnecting Sub-Woofer (MisterJJ)*

First....GREAT cd choice there, I thought castle walls sounded great with the sub...but that’s just me. Now I need to go listen to this cd. 
Second...you could of just unplugged the 4 wires going to the enclosure. When looking at the enclosure it's about....mid-right on the front. just pull it out and the bass is gone. A bit easier then disconnecting the wires from the sub, easier to re-hook up also.


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## MisterJJ (Jul 28, 2005)

*Re: DIY - Disconnecting Sub-Woofer (xt0rted)*


_Quote, originally posted by *xt0rted* »_Second...you could of just unplugged the 4 wires going to the enclosure. When looking at the enclosure it's about....mid-right on the front. just pull it out and the bass is gone. A bit easier then disconnecting the wires from the sub, easier to re-hook up also.


I tried that and it took out the speakers in the rear doors as well.


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## xt0rted (Jan 8, 2006)

*Re: DIY - Disconnecting Sub-Woofer (MisterJJ)*

hmm...never noticed if mine did that. i don't think it did though, i have the bose symphony ii setup, well...as of this past wednesday it's now all pulled out so i can't go try it.


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

I don't own an A3 but I am thinking about purchasing one and have been floating around these forums recently.
What size sub is in the car? does anyone know how much power is going to the sub? 
The stereo is something I always mod, but I would like to keep an OEM look, and it looks like swapping the sub for an aftermarket one will fit my needs.


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## judgegavel (Apr 26, 2002)

*Re: (nemo1ner)*

Looks 8" from the pics.
JJ is your system a Bose or stock, also where was the amp from there?


_Modified by judgegavel at 9:59 AM 7/30/2006_


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

That's cool if it's an 8 because I have a JL W3 that's that size...if I know how much the amp is pushing, I'll have an idea if I could get some good sound out of it.


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## xt0rted (Jan 8, 2006)

*Re: (nemo1ner)*

Brace your self for this one... It's a 5"








Yea, the woofers in the doors are larger by 1.5 inches.


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## limesparks (Apr 15, 2004)

nice work, added to DIY







*sparx*


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## nemo1ner (May 5, 2004)

*Re: (xt0rted)*


_Quote, originally posted by *xt0rted* »_Brace your self for this one... It's a 5"








Yea, the woofers in the doors are larger by 1.5 inches.

hahaha....nevermind then







5"...


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## GGVDub (Apr 8, 2004)

*Re: (nemo1ner)*

Does anyone know what the ohm load is on the sub? I am guessing either a dual 2ohm or 4ohm, since there are 4 wires.


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## xt0rted (Jan 8, 2006)

*Re: (kdoerner)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kdoerner* »_Does anyone know what the ohm load is on the sub? I am guessing either a dual 2ohm or 4ohm, since there are 4 wires. 

I'm prtty sure mine was stamped with a 2ohm load, which would make it a dual 4ohm coil wired in series. atleast that's how most dual voice coil subs come. But this is bose we're talkin about, the woofers in my door were an odd ohm rating as well when I pulled them out.


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## MisterJJ (Jul 28, 2005)

*Re: (judgegavel)*


_Quote, originally posted by *judgegavel* »_ JJ is your system a Bose or stock, also where was the amp from there?


Stock (added that info to original post).
I think the amp is located inside the plastic speaker enclosure. I spotted a few cooling fins just above the speaker opening.


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## xt0rted (Jan 8, 2006)

*Re: (MisterJJ)*

Mine is the Bose and the amp was mounted on the other side of the car in the same spot as the sub. From what I can tell with the wiring of these systems if you don't have Bose the front speakers run off the radio, then two pre amp outs run to the back of the car where there's an amp to power the rear speakers and the sub, and I'm guessing the center channel too, unless that’s powered by the radio directly. I'd take a look on the passenger side for the amp. The Bose system how ever uses all 4 pre amp outs and is powered by a larger amp in the trunk, along with a built-in sound processor, which runs to all of the speakers in the car.


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## GGVDub (Apr 8, 2004)

*Re: (xt0rted)*


_Quote, originally posted by *xt0rted* »_ I'm prtty sure mine was stamped with a 2ohm load, which would make it a dual 4ohm coil wired in series. atleast that's how most dual voice coil subs come. But this is bose we're talkin about, the woofers in my door were an odd ohm rating as well when I pulled them out.

Thanks for the info. In the sub a true 5" or is it a 5 1/4" driver? I am wondering If I could just upgrade the driver (sub) with a more efficient and better quality one. Or, try and cut some of the speaker surround and fit a larger (6.5") sub.


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## judgegavel (Apr 26, 2002)

*Re: (kdoerner)*

More importantly what would be the maximum mounting depth in the current sub location.


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## frozenrubber (May 1, 2006)

*Re: (judgegavel)*


_Quote, originally posted by *judgegavel* »_More importantly what would be the maximum mounting depth in the current sub location.

I'm wondering the same thing...boy would I love a free-air mount. Can someone please measure the depth available where the current Bose sub is now?


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## judgegavel (Apr 26, 2002)

*Re: (frozenrubber)*

Yes I was hoping to fit something like this:
http://www.woofersetc.com/inde...=3370


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## MisterJJ (Jul 28, 2005)

*Re: (kdoerner)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kdoerner* »_
Or, try and cut some of the speaker surround and fit a larger (6.5") sub.


If you look at the last two pictures you can see that there is a 1/2"+ recess in the enclosure that the speaker fits into, making it hard to just cut a bigger opening. Not sure why you would want to keep that thing anyway as it is the cause of the problem. With the speaker out of the enclosure it sounded like... well... a speaker. With it in the enclosure it sounded like someone pounding on a drum with a damp sponge.


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## frozenrubber (May 1, 2006)

*Re: (MisterJJ)*


_Quote, originally posted by *MisterJJ* »_If you look at the last two pictures you can see that there is a 1/2"+ recess in the enclosure that the speaker fits into, making it hard to just cut a bigger opening. Not sure why you would want to keep that thing anyway as it is the cause of the problem. With the speaker out of the enclosure it sounded like... well... a speaker. With it in the enclosure it sounded like someone pounding on a drum with a damp sponge.

I'm looking for the depth of the space between the trunk carpeting and the outside frame. I would like to take the stock Bose sub unit out completely and was wondering what the depth of that area actually is.


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## MisterJJ (Jul 28, 2005)

*Re: (frozenrubber)*


_Quote, originally posted by *frozenrubber* »_
I'm looking for the depth of the space between the trunk carpeting and the outside frame. I would like to take the stock Bose sub unit out completely and was wondering what the depth of that area actually is.

xt0rted should be able to help. Check this thread:
http://forums.fourtitude.com/zerothread?id=2706676
I'm thinking about removing that plastic box and just mounting the amp and speaker in the same location using a wood frame. Not sure if it would matter though since the speaker seems to have little power without the artificial amplification of the plastic box. Couldn't hurt to try!


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## GGVDub (Apr 8, 2004)

*Re: (MisterJJ)*

I wounder how much power the amp actually kicks out to the sub. IF you removed the plastic, and put a wood frame, you could you a 6" Kicker Free Air Sub. They use an infinite baffle and can really sound good with clean power.


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## PD Performance (Jul 1, 2004)

*Re: (kdoerner)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kdoerner* »_
Thanks for the info. In the sub a true 5" or is it a 5 1/4" driver? I am wondering If I could just upgrade the driver (sub) with a more efficient and better quality one. Or, try and cut some of the speaker surround and fit a larger (6.5") sub.


I am doing this with mine. Going to use the 6.5" elemental designs woofer.
The way it sits in the Bose, not sure about the standard, you will need to cut out the hole for the stock woofer then probably attach a piece of MDF to the front of the enclosure to get an area that will fit the larger woofer.
I have not decided 100% what we are doing but I am probably gonna block off the port and glass the whole outside of the box to make sure its stiff enough. We are also gonna cut a hole in the actual driverside trunk lining so that the sound actually has a place to escape from, but then recarpet over it so that you can't see the hole.
Going to use elemental components in the front with elemental amps, I get a little obsessive when it comes to this stuff and the more that is one matching brand the better.
The rest is a secret for now







hopefully I can get it all done before H20


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## GGVDub (Apr 8, 2004)

*Re: (PD Performance)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PD Performance* »_
when it comes to this stuff and the more that is one matching brand the better.


Elemental is good stuff. Any chance your going to be selling the stuff through your website? Its hard to find them in the Bay Area. You would always opt for cutting out the lining, than placing a custom grill over the area. that way you get more sound traveing though, and it might look cool to have a custom speaker grill in the trunk. Just a thought. 
Can't wait to see it http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## aeitingon (Mar 21, 2005)

For those considering this mod, perhaps wiring in a double pole/double throw switch would be a nice addition - you could just stash the switch in with the spare tire - then you could always turn the sub back on if you got the urge....


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## PD Performance (Jul 1, 2004)

*Re: (kdoerner)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kdoerner* »_
Elemental is good stuff. Any chance your going to be selling the stuff through your website? Its hard to find them in the Bay Area. You would always opt for cutting out the lining, than placing a custom grill over the area. that way you get more sound traveing though, and it might look cool to have a custom speaker grill in the trunk. Just a thought. 
Can't wait to see it http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

I am not going to be carrying them. They actually do 10% off I think if you order an amp and a sub or components. Their wholesale structure was not that much better since they alreay discount directly from their website. Which is also why you don't find anyone local selling it.
The shop DTC designs that we just moved PD Performance in with does care stereo stuff and they are taking care of setting up the account to get my stuff. So they could get stuff for you. But with the discount from their website already I am not sure if they could do any better price.
As for the grill. I am trying to keep it looking 100% stock. We happened to even have some carpet at the shop that matched flawlessly. I have been tempted to even glass the back of the current side panel then sand down the existing carpet so the thicknes is not even any greater.


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## HotCtyPlaya (Feb 19, 2006)

*Re: (PD Performance)*

I know I am kind of late in this thread as I am in Greece right now but if I am following the conversation correctly you are looking for Elemental which I can look into when I get back to the shop (DTC) as I believe I have a friend over there. So we might be able to work out some pretty good pricing....
Im on vacation but I just can't keep my head out of the game lol...


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## mangs (Aug 19, 2008)

*Re: DIY - Disconnecting Sub-Woofer (MisterJJ)*

I just want to thank you for the subwoofer removal guide for the A3. I have one myself with the Radio Concert II stereo and want to have a better sound without changing too much. My idea was to first change the front speakers to a DLS speaker system and then to place a subwoofer in the trunk. Do you think it's ok to just take the speaker cables that is connected to this 5" and put them back to the trunk where I connect a passive subwoofer?


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## WISVW (Aug 25, 2003)

*Re: DIY - Disconnecting Sub-Woofer (mangs)*

It really is worth it to run some power back there and add an amplifier. Not to difficult. I don't think the power from the stock amp will power very much.


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## mangs (Aug 19, 2008)

*Re: DIY - Disconnecting Sub-Woofer (MisterJJ)*

OK, Now I have followed this guide and have pulled out both of the +/- wires to the speaker and extended them to my trunk. I have two cable pairs with one black/green and one black cable in each. Right now I have connected only one of the pairs to my single coil woofer. The sound is of course much better compared to the 5" plastic woofer.
My question is how I should connect the other cable if I only have one woofer?
The old speaker was a dual voice coal with 2*2 ohms. I'm not sure how they were connected to the amplifier but my guess is that it was not in paralell because that would mean a tough 1ohm and also it shouldn't make sence to use double cables from the amp.
What confuses me is that according to the concert II manual it says 40W for the Sub and not 2*20W or 2*40W. This would mean that the output is only one amplifier. Could it be that the two 2 ohms speakers were connected in serial so that the amp was facing one 4 ohms load? In that case it would be great for me because my new woofer is a single 4 ohm.


_Modified by mangs at 2:14 PM 8/20/2008_


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## [email protected] USA (May 17, 2007)

*Re: DIY - Disconnecting Sub-Woofer (mangs)*

I bridged mine but I honestly don't recall how I did it since it was over a year and a half ago. If I have my subout anytime soon, which I may, I will check the wiring.


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## mangs (Aug 19, 2008)

*Re: DIY - Disconnecting Sub-Woofer ([email protected])*

Hi,Thanks for your answer,
Please do so!
I tested my new Sub today and I think I will need to disconnect the rear speakers so I can run my front system on front and my Sub on Rear. This way I can adjust the level for the sub by use the fading wheel.


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## Shannon77 (Aug 29, 2013)

You can buy wheel balance within $54 dollars.


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## toastedzen (Feb 10, 2013)

I am not sorry for dead thread revival. I needed this DIY for research, and the coding is all hosed up in the original post. So I will just leave this here. So I can look at it later. 




MisterJJ said:


> I did not like the thumping and fluttering sound of the sub-woofer so I decided to disconnect it. This is on a base stereo system, non-Bose.
> 
> *Here's how:* Tools and supplies: T20 Torx Driver, Electrical Tape, (2) Cable Ties
> 
> ...


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