Sub and Reverse cam install - pic heavy

[MrP_ 296]

Fitting sub power and signal, and reverse cam the really long winded way… Unless you’ve ripped a few apart, they are not the most obvious cars of how to get power or signal around the car.

Whilst all underseat subs are not blessed in the looks department, the Kenwood seems to be the least blessed, looking a little bit 80’s – certainly not matching anything in the Exige. I wasn’t sure if it was going in the footwell, or behind the seats – but I knew in the footwell it’s very obviously aftermarket, and behind the seats it’s better hidden but much the same. So I decided to carpet it with acoustic carpet (which should be fine for the frequencies it handles. Case was opened up, and the top carpeted, tacked with Tesa double sided carpet tape and then screwed back together:

It now looks like this – some kind of carpeted lump, much less obvious:

 

I wanted it behind the seats, so on to the fitting. I knew the Elige platform reasonably well, and knew I had a few options for power. For power the options as far as I know are:

1.    Distribution leg on left hand hand side of chassis (under dash) for positive, and then a ground point I could find.

2.    Gromit on Left hand side of chassis (under dash) to the front jumper posts

3.    Gromit on Left hand side of chassis behind passenger seat to the engine bay (need to remove bulkhead panel) and onto battery. Either direct wire earth, or find another one

4.    Follow the line of handbrake cable under the chassis, taking earth off an existing point. Need to remove ‘transmission’ tunnel, under trays etc

I figured that for what I needed, the best option was behind the seats. The undertrays were coming off to fit the rear-view camera, so I figured I would power it with either option 3 or 4. With signal going down the transmission tunnel, up to the dash, along the dash via the vent pod, then back through the dash to the radio.

So first thing, seats out (unbolt seatbelt, 4 bolt to floor and lift out, take off the roof to make life easier):

Trinket tray out, remove all screws and lift out, centre trim out, remove rear bulkhead trim, remove screws and then pull out. The Gromit labelled here is a route

Assuming you are not going through the gromit (as I didn’t want to make the hole too big as a phono would be going through), now put the sound insulation and bulkhead panel back…

If you look just under the carpet on the lower backwall, you will see a grommet that carries the handbrake cable and shifter cables – this is what I picked to go through. Here it is pulled out the way with a power cable shoved through

Remove the undertrays and rear diffuser – lots of bolts, but pretty obvious. You should now be able to see this bundle of cables on the other side

As I was adding a rear view camera, then I added the video signal cable but taping it on and pulling it through

Cables now through the other side

Now cover the cable in tubing to protect it and route it over the shear panel, across to the passenger side and into the engine bay, go over the wheel arch and be prepared to not be able to see anything for the next bit so no proper pics. 

There are two gromits behind the battery, you are aiming for the one on the outside

 

 

You can squeeze a cable through, it take lots of wiggling but you can get through. Once through, pull through to battery, place an inline fuse and terminate to the battery.

You will also have the video cable if being fitted, where the battery cable goes through the boot wall, take the video cable down and over the wheel arch. Again you’ll need a stiff cable, tape it on and pull it through. Remember to place in tubing to protect it.

You now have power to battery, and the video signal cable in the right places. The final step at the back it to power the camera. This is done from the reverse lights. On the boot floor you will see the cable for the parking sensor, squeeze another cable through this and it should come out the other side

You now have power to the camera

Now wire it all up, and place your camera. I chose to mount in the diffuser trim like this:

Now back in the cabin, route it all through the sleeving, punch through the gromit and the back end is done

Now you need to route the cables down the centre spine, with the other cables and up to the dash. So trim out, gear stick surround out and you are aiming for this ali section:

Normally you need to just send the remote signal and phono, but I chose to route two power cables and place a fused distribution point under the dash with one of these, that way I can power more things should I need to in the future (gauges, dash cam, timer etc): https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product/1060/category/63

So I was sending two bunches through, one for power (remote, main power, sub power), one for signal (audio and rear video). To get the through ali tunnel and up, it was easiest to use this tool from Park (https://www.parktool.com/product/internal-cable-routing-kit-ir-1-2 ) which took about 30 secs, it’s normally used for routing cables in carbon bikes.

Tape the cables on, route through and job done.

Now route the cables under the dash, to the passenger side pod. Pop out the cover on the shelf, and push the cables through

Now remove the cover the route the cables around the edge under the airbag and into the radio area. Follow the arrow on this pic

Tape up all the looms to look oem and prevent noise (its not pulled through, so looks a bit rough here)

Job done. In the very back corner is where I added my power block for future bits and bobs

Now tidy up the loom, protect it and it will look like this, all will be hidden by the seats. The extra cables are the heated seats I seem to have added for some reason when it was made (I didn't order them):

Sub in place looks like this, it’s near impossible to take a pic with the seats in properly. Plenty of hook and loop and its locked in place. You can now remove for track days should you wish.

Refit undertray, diffuser, gear surround, centre tunnel, seats etc and you're all done, just patch into the head unit.

Edited May 11, 2018 by MrP_

[KJD 97]

Excellent work Paul.

Which camera did you use?

I’ve got the same Pioneer head unit as you and was contemplating fitting a reversing camera but didn’t know what would fit.

Oh, and is it any good?

Is the view OK and does exhaust heat affect it?

Ta.

Edited May 14, 2018 by KJD

[Kristof Thys 182]

1 hour ago, KJD said:

 

Which camera did you use?

 

Is the view OK and does exhaust heat affect it?

 

Got the same kind of camera judging by the pics, which is a generic eBay 18.5mm one.

 

Has been on my car for over 2 years now without any issues with heat.  Does fog up a bit after washing the car, but nothing major.

Image wise... well, it does produce an image which tells more than the reverse sensors...

 

https://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/topic/67237-shes-here-military-grey/?do=findComment&comment=568379

 

Edited May 14, 2018 by Kristof Thys

[MrP_ 296]

On 14/05/2018 at 17:43, KJD said:

Excellent work Paul.

Which camera did you use?

I’ve got the same Pioneer head unit as you and was contemplating fitting a reversing camera but didn’t know what would fit.

Oh, and is it any good?

Is the view OK and does exhaust heat affect it?

Ta.

It’s an 18.5mm housing from eBay, pulled apart with a BMW f30 camera placed in. Better colour rendition as the eBay ones are a little vivid but they are still ok. 

On either the eBay one or the bmw camera both pictures are usable, the bmw one is a bit crisper, but more expensive if you buy new.

[Daveb99 61]

Looks like a great job.  Can I ask where you got your acoustic carpet from, and which sub did you buy?

[MrP_ 296]

6 hours ago, Daveb99 said:

Looks like a great job.  Can I ask where you got your acoustic carpet from, and which sub did you buy?

It’s a Kenwood ksc-sw11

https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-kenwood-ksc-sw11_p-31239.htm?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImc-eme2K2wIVjhobCh1x0AeWEAQYAiABEgISFvD_BwE

The carpet was from eBay 

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAN-CAR-CAMPER-BOAT-MOTORHOME-CARPET-TRIM-LINING-STRETCH-BLACK-GREY-ACOUSTIC-/282682035237?du=1&txnId=1821614041018

but any 4 way stretch auto carpet will do. Also useful to limit vibrations 

[DrTroy 6]

I tried to get to the power connector from under the passenger left speaker, there is one bolt holding a plastic box where the power cables go into but even though I removed the bolt it would not come off. Seemed to be stuck on, I am tempted to take power from between the seats but I'm nervous about overloading the cable?

[MrP_ 296]

Yes, the cable should be there, but if you can’t open it then you can’t. You might just be at a wrong angle.

 As for the between seats power, it’s rated at 20 Amps so should run a powered sub, as they are fused at between 10 and 15 amps and would rarely see peak power. It should work fine, just don’t add any more to it