# 2006 Audi A3 Subwoofer and Amplifier Installation Help



## SanRob (Sep 16, 2011)

Hi all, 

I am new to doing car modification on my own and i was wonder if anyone has done an install for a sub and amp on a 2006 audi a3 and i was wonder where i would be able to route the powercable(if there is any existing gromets or would i have to drill) and how would i beable to hook it up in genereal. 


Thanks in advance


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## NYCameron (Nov 17, 2010)

SanRob said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I am new to doing car modification on my own and i was wonder if anyone has done an install for a sub and amp on a 2006 audi a3 and i was wonder where i would be able to route the powercable(if there is any existing gromets or would i have to drill) and how would i beable to hook it up in genereal.
> 
> ...


I have! First question, are you driving a manual or dsg? If dsg, you lucked out! Right where the clutch pedal would be, there is a grommet in the hole, so you can just pass your powerwire right through there (i accidentally punched the whole thing out, so watch out for that). Then you just run the power wire along the side of the car. It is pretty easy to do, the side panels you can just literally pry at and take off. Just make sure you pull straight up. If you mess with the side panel behind the rear seat, make sure all of the clips are back on the plastic part before you try to lock it back in. Then you can remove the styrafoam in the trunk and run your power wire under there into the spare tire well.

At least that is what I did


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

NYCameron said:


> I have! First question, are you driving a manual or dsg? If dsg, you lucked out! Right where the clutch pedal would be, there is a grommet in the hole, so you can just pass your powerwire right through there (i accidentally punched the whole thing out, so watch out for that). Then you just run the power wire along the side of the car. It is pretty easy to do, the side panels you can just literally pry at and take off. Just make sure you pull straight up. If you mess with the side panel behind the rear seat, make sure all of the clips are back on the plastic part before you try to lock it back in. Then you can remove the styrafoam in the trunk and run your power wire under there into the spare tire well.
> 
> At least that is what I did


Yep, pretty much exactly this, assuming you are on a 2.0T with DSG. I ran my power wire through the grommet where the clutch would go. If you look at the floorboard by the pedals you will see the big soft rubber piece that covers the grommet up. I removed the rubber piece temporarily by unscrewing those oddly shaped nuts that hold it in place. I removed my battery too, and then pushed a coat hanger through the firewall from inside the car out towards the engine bay. Taped my power wire to the coat hanger and pulled it back through. From there, just route it over to the driver's kick panel and then down the side trim of the car like he said and up into the trunk. Piece of cake :thumbup:


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## NYCameron (Nov 17, 2010)

TBomb said:


> Yep, pretty much exactly this, assuming you are on a 2.0T with DSG. I ran my power wire through the grommet where the clutch would go. If you look at the floorboard by the pedals you will see the big soft rubber piece that covers the grommet up. I removed the rubber piece temporarily by unscrewing those oddly shaped nuts that hold it in place. I removed my battery too, and then pushed a coat hanger through the firewall from inside the car out towards the engine bay. Taped my power wire to the coat hanger and pulled it back through. From there, just route it over to the driver's kick panel and then down the side trim of the car like he said and up into the trunk. Piece of cake :thumbup:


Haha. I didn't know I could actually take off those nuts for the rubber piece. It looks like a screw with like a 1-way locking thing on it, because it looks like it punches through one way, then bites the other, so you can't remove it. That is how I lost the grommet and broke the rubber piece
And I lucked out...when I pushed my power wire through the hole, it just fed itself right behind the battery. So all I had to do was pull it a little farther and put my fuse on it


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

NYCameron said:


> Haha. I didn't know I could actually take off those nuts for the rubber piece. It looks like a screw with like a 1-way locking thing on it, because it looks like it punches through one way, then bites the other, so you can't remove it. That is how I lost the grommet and broke the rubber piece
> And I lucked out...when I pushed my power wire through the hole, it just fed itself right behind the battery. So all I had to do was pull it a little farther and put my fuse on it


Yeah I had to sort of bend the prongs on those weird lock nuts so that I could unscrew them. And my power wire is smaller (8 gauge) because I'm not running a huge amp, and it is pretty flexible, so I don't think I could have pushed it through on its own. Oh well, it works :laugh:


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## SanRob (Sep 16, 2011)

man i have manual haha no luck thanks for rply though


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

SanRob said:


> man i have manual haha no luck thanks for rply though


I think there is another grommet or rubber nipple you can use a little higher up under the dash. Not sure how big of a wire you can get through there though.


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## SanRob (Sep 16, 2011)

*Man*

No One knows? haha man i havent been able to find a way for a month now haha


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## NYCameron (Nov 17, 2010)

SanRob said:


> No One knows? haha man i havent been able to find a way for a month now haha


if only you were closer to me, I might be able to help you.

But what I suggest is taking off the lower dash (by the knees), and seeing if there are more holes or grommets there. That would be your best bet


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## neu318 (Feb 18, 2003)

How about the AMP, where would you run the signal from if you have the BOSE amp already? sorry to threadjack.


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## daniel.ramirez (Nov 24, 2001)

I got the audio signals from the subwoofer itself, my Bazooka has high level inputs :thumbup: 

Getting the audio signals from the BOSE amplifier seemed a little complicated, connector is too crowded with many wires...


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## NYCameron (Nov 17, 2010)

neu318 said:


> How about the AMP, where would you run the signal from if you have the BOSE amp already? sorry to threadjack.


do you have an RNS-E or no?
I have an RNS-E and for me, I did a wire retrofit because there are already signal outs for all channels

not sure otherwise. There might be a harness from enfig that you could buy. Otherwise you might have to get something with high level inputs (although I think it cuts down on quality a little bit)


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## neu318 (Feb 18, 2003)

NYCameron said:


> do you have an RNS-E or no?
> I have an RNS-E and for me, I did a wire retrofit because there are already signal outs for all channels
> 
> not sure otherwise. There might be a harness from enfig that you could buy. Otherwise you might have to get something with high level inputs (although I think it cuts down on quality a little bit)


Unfortunately I don't have an RNS-e. I have a symphony II.


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

neu318 said:


> Unfortunately I don't have an RNS-e. I have a symphony II.


Do you want to keep the Bose amp and just add a new amp for the sub, or do you want to add new amps for everything? If you just want to add a new amp for the sub, it's probably easiest to grab the signal going into the Bose sub.

I had non-Bose, and I installed new amps for everything, so I just wired in RCA plugs to my Dension iPod gateway harness to get the line level outputs from the back of the head unit. With Bose, the line level outputs for front and rear are used, and the Bose amps amplify all the speakers. With non-Bose, the front speakers are powered off of the head unit and the rear line outs go to the amp in the sub which powers the rear speakers and the sub itself. The challenge you have is, if you want line level outputs and you want to keep your rear door speakers, you either have to grab the signal coming into the sub, or splice the signal (which I probably wouldn't recommend).

If I were you, I would tap into the line out for the rear speakers at the head unit and run that to your new sub amp. This would mean you would no longer have your rear door speakers, but I don't have them in my car and I don't miss them at all, especially with upgraded front speakers.


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## SanRob (Sep 16, 2011)

Well if anyone knows it would be greatly appriceated.
does anyone know if there is a way to get the wire the through under the
plastic tray where the wipers sit


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## NYCameron (Nov 17, 2010)

SanRob said:


> Well if anyone knows it would be greatly appriceated.
> does anyone know if there is a way to get the wire the through under the
> plastic tray where the wipers sit


what are you talking about?
the wires behind the headunit can be easily hidden by routing behind the glove compartment and under the trim panels


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## SanRob (Sep 16, 2011)

no i mean through the firewall.


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## NYCameron (Nov 17, 2010)

SanRob said:


> no i mean through the firewall.


I don't believe that has been tried before

you can be the guinea pig

and have you taken out the knee dash yet to see if there are any openings around there?


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## TBomb (Sep 23, 2009)

NYCameron said:


> and have you taken out the knee dash yet to see if there are any openings around there?


This. Dude, just pull out the driver's side under-dash and stick your head up there and look around. It's three bolts and some tabs, then a couple of wiring connectors. It will take all of 5 minutes. I know there is at least one additional rubber grommet/nipple that is unused. Depending on the gauge of power wire you want to run, it shouldn't be too difficult to get it through.


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