Fosgate amp and subwoofer install with pics

[TxRoadHawg]

I recently replaced my JBL head unit with a Clarion NX602 with Navigation. My 4Runner did not have the factory Nav and it’s something I thought I just had to have. I immediately realized how bad my subwoofer sounded, so that started me down the road to replacing the 8” factory subwoofer and adding a mono channel amp.
There are a lot of great threads on how to remove the trim panels so I won’t get into that detail but I was inspired to mount the amp somewhere other than under the seats. We primarily play at the beach so I get a lot of sand on the floor and I didn’t want it getting into the electronics. I also didn’t want to lose any cargo space. I saw somewhere here that someone had mounted their amp where the factory Nav unit would go. Since I don’t have the factory nav I have the storage compartment with door, I thought I would mount the amp under the trim panel and cut out the storage compartment for access. It turns out that the Rockford Fosgate Punch 300x1 is so small I didn’t have to do all that cutting, it dropped right in. As an added bonus, the Pioneer 8” shallow mount subwoofer dropped right in also, even the holes lined up. It was an easy install! And sounds great too. I had been thinking of replacing the door speakers also but they sound better now without the rattling bass I had before.
A couple things I did do differently than some of the other threads. I used the rear power port (cigarette lighter) as the remote turn on power supply and I used the rear seat latch for the grounding location after I ground it clear of the galvanized coating.
Heres some pics…

 

[TxRoadHawg]

This is my first thread with pictures, not sure its working out so great since I cant add comments to each picture, but here are some more pics of the install.

 

[LTDSC]

the amp doesnt get to hot there? Seems like it would get a little warm.

 

[TxRoadHawg]

Not that i've noticed but I will have to pay more attention. I just finished the install yesterday and to tell the truth I havent checked yet, we just loaded up the SUV and headed to the beach, it was a beautiful day here in Texas!

 

[riceandpho]

did the amp come with a birthsheet? i wonder if it do over 75w at 4ohm, the punch pbr amps are small, i thought you were going to use the p300x1 , little bit more power and you could hide that under the seats.

 

[RCs4Runner]

The amp is going to need airflow. That's really not a good spot for it, especially if you leave the lid closed. And from my experience with RF amps, they tend to run on a little on the hot side.

 

[gshadow325]

since you were running a power cable, why didnt you just runa rca from the radio to the amp along with a turn on wire instead of grabbing signal off the JBL amp. It would sound much better and more control of the sub thru the headunit.

I also would have ran the power cable out the passenger side grommit then across the cowl and zip tie the power cable to the oem harness already running across. right now you have it going under the passenger seat up and over the center console hump and out the driver's side grommit correct?

I think your tiny amp should be fine in that little space.

 

[TxRoadHawg]

I must not have mentioned but I did run a RCA pair from the subwoofer output on the head unit, behind the glove box and down the passenger side cable tray. I didnt run the blue/white remote 'on' from the head unit because it was such a clusterf**k behing the HU and I knew the rear power port is switched. I ran the power like you said because I didnt want the RCA and power next to each other. I hear that may cause interference.

 

[TxRoadHawg]

Not sure what a 'birthsheet' is but from the discription on sonic Electronix...
•RMS Power Rating:
◦4 ohms: 75 watts x 1 chan.
◦2 ohms: 150 watts x 1 chan.
◦1 ohm: 300 watts x 1 chan.
•Max Power: 924 watts x 1 chan

The unit is the PBR300x1 and one of my goals was to not have it under the seat due to sand and dirt.
I did check it today for high temp and it was actually cool to the touch after being on for about one hour. I have enough wiring behind the panel to mount it on the wheel well or maybe make a slotted lid for the storage compartment if necessary, but so far so good.

 

[gshadow325]

I must not have mentioned but I did run a RCA pair from the subwoofer output on the head unit, behind the glove box and down the passenger side cable tray. I didnt run the blue/white remote 'on' from the head unit because it was such a clusterf**k behing the HU and I knew the rear power port is switched. I ran the power like you said because I didnt want the RCA and power next to each other. I hear that may cause interference.

one wire ran from the radio to the amp will not make or break the install.

interference MIGHT happen with bad quality RCA's, and 99% of the time never happens with subwoofer applications. using the switch 12v in the back does not allow the sub amp to turn off with the radio thus leaving the amp on whenever the vehicle is on. This is not a good way to install especially if you have a aftermarket headunit with a switched 12v amp turn on.

Not sure what a 'birthsheet' is but from the discription on sonic Electronix...
•RMS Power Rating:
◦4 ohms: 75 watts x 1 chan.
◦2 ohms: 150 watts x 1 chan.
◦1 ohm: 300 watts x 1 chan.
•Max Power: 924 watts x 1 chan

The unit is the PBR300x1 and one of my goals was to not have it under the seat due to sand and dirt.
I did check it today for high temp and it was actually cool to the touch after being on for about one hour. I have enough wiring behind the panel to mount it on the wheel well or maybe make a slotted lid for the storage compartment if necessary, but so far so good.

Your Pioneer TS-SW841D is way way under powered with this amp. The Pioneer will be ok with 200w rms @4 ohms. Your tiny little amp is giving it only 75watts.

Your amp probably will never heat up with it not even stressing out at 75w @ 4ohms. It will create lots of heat if it was doing the 300w @ 1 ohm

 

[TxRoadHawg]

thats a good point about power to the amp with the radio being off, hadn't thought about that one. but wouldn't that be a no load situation, meaning its on but not powering the sub, kind of like 'stand-by' mode?
I agree that subwoofer is under powered, I can hear it back there but it sure wont rattle the windows. It probably sounds better sitting in the rear seats (maybe I can get my wife back there if i try that line on her...hmmm). Does adjusting the gain give it more power? or just distortion?
This was all a christmas present not of my choosing, but it will fill the need. Besides, i mainly listen to AM radio with the ocassional CD.

 

[gshadow325]

thats a good point about power to the amp with the radio being off, hadn't thought about that one. but wouldn't that be a no load situation, meaning its on but not powering the sub, kind of like 'stand-by' mode?
I agree that subwoofer is under powered, I can hear it back there but it sure wont rattle the windows. It probably sounds better sitting in the rear seats (maybe I can get my wife back there if i try that line on her...hmmm). Does adjusting the gain give it more power? or just distortion?
This was all a christmas present not of my choosing, but it will fill the need. Besides, i mainly listen to AM radio with the ocassional CD.

btw- i am not ragging on your install, just giving you pointers from a pro's perspective. i install 12volt stuff all day everyday

yes turning up the gains probably will not do much besides distort the sound. that little amp will not do much damage. some more power will make it sound better. Although no matter what, that little pioneer 8" will not set off alarms or anything its good for rear bass fill. believe it or not, a real nice set of 6x9 in the front on some decent power will outperform what you have now for a sub and amp!

 

[Dusty Driftwood]

[MENTION=82992]TxRoadHawg[/MENTION]
How do you like the NX602?
I started a thread about a year ago and that unit was at the top of my list. I never pulled the trigger on anything, life happens. But, now I am getting ready to make my purchase and I'm still leaning heavily towards the same HU.
Couple questions,
- Do you have an Android phone?
* If so, how is streaming and can you still use Pandora via bluetooth if not through the Pandora App?
- Do you find the system lagging, or does it boot right up when you start the car?
- Is everything (ipod or thumb drive cable, steering wheel control, satellite radio) included in the box or did you have to buy additional adapters?
- Does the unit fit the space perfectly, or did you use a dash kit?

Any/all help/advice is appreciated.
Thanks

 

[TxRoadHawg]

I really like the Clarion NX602. I had a Jensen VM9725bt right after my JBL died and I had nothing but trouble with it, mainly system error stuff that would prevent any operation at all. They had me return it so I exchanged it for the Clarion NX602 and never had a lick of trouble. It dropped right in, but I did already have a face plate trim panel from the Jensen.
If you have the JBL 10 speaker system you need a TYTO-01 adapter to use the JBL amp and a seperate Axxess SWC adapter. You can see both of them in the fifth picture. They take up quite a bit of room behind the head unit and it makes it a tight fit. I put the TYTO behind the climate control panel because it has a gain adjustment that you might need to tweek and I didnt want to pull the whole console just for that, just pull the climate panel to get to the adjuster.
I do not have an Android phone but the blue tooth works well, dont know about streaming. The HU has a USB input that I ran behind and down inside the center console to the small compartment next to the shifter, drilled a hole and passed it thru so I just open the lid and plug into the USB.
The system does start right up, takes about 10 seconds and it's playing. One thing I like is that if I was using the Nav feature when I shut off the car, it starts back up in Nav mode with the tuner or CD playing in the back ground.
Overall I would say a good unit for the price. Alot of people like the Kenwood but thats a lot more money. This one has all the features and is easy to operate.
Hope that helps.

 

[gshadow325]

Alot of people like the Kenwood but thats a lot more money.

Not if you buy it from the right place. Sonic Electronic is not a authorized online retailer for alot of the stuff they sell. Its a mess, something for another thread, LOL.

[MENTION=73750]Dusty Driftwood[/MENTION] if you are shopping for a headunit. Might give you a perfect reason to come to philadelphia. Make me a storage unit, we can trade off on equipment and my installation skills LoL

Seriously. Pioneer NEX headunits are going to be some nice units coming up for 2014 model year. Kenwood's New line up is nuts too. HDMI and MHL support on kenwoods DDX/DNX/DNN line up. Multi processor support so navigation will be smooth, no lags. BTW-Kenwood Excelon has industries only 2 year warranty.

Clarion didnt even display @ CES Show two weeks ago. So i dont know what the new 2014 offerings are.

We can meet somewhere in OH and we can swap out cargo boxes. do a quick radio, remote start install at the rest area and head back LoL

 

[Dusty Driftwood]

I really like the Clarion NX602. It dropped right in, but I did already have a face plate trim panel from the Jensen.
If you have the JBL 10 speaker system you need a TYTO-01 adapter to use the JBL amp and a seperate Axxess SWC adapter. You can see both of them in the fifth picture.
I do not have an Android phone but the blue tooth works well, dont know about streaming. The HU has a USB input that I ran behind and down inside the center console to the small compartment next to the shifter, drilled a hole and passed it thru so I just open the lid and plug into the USB.
The system does start right up, takes about 10 seconds and it's playing. One thing I like is that if I was using the Nav feature when I shut off the car, it starts back up in Nav mode with the tuner or CD playing in the back ground.
Overall I would say a good unit for the price. This one has all the features and is easy to operate.

Thanks for your quick response, I do not have the JBL system, so I guess the install/necessary adapters would be slightly different. It looks like the steering wheel controls are included when I put in my vehicle specs (4Runner w/o Nav or JBL) but its hard to tell. The Crutchfield guys have been helpful with online chat, but every time I think I've asked all my questions I come up with others and have to start a new chat session lol

[MENTION=73750]Dusty Driftwood[/MENTION] if you are shopping for a headunit. Might give you a perfect reason to come to philadelphia. Make me a storage unit, we can trade off on equipment and my installation skills LoL

Seriously. Pioneer NEX headunits are going to be some nice units coming up for 2014 model year. Kenwood's New line up is nuts too. HDMI and MHL support on kenwoods DDX/DNX/DNN line up. Multi processor support so navigation will be smooth, no lags. BTW-Kenwood Excelon has industries only 2 year warranty.

Clarion didnt even display @ CES Show two weeks ago. So i dont know what the new 2014 offerings are.

We can meet somewhere in OH and we can swap out cargo boxes. do a quick radio, remote start install at the rest area and head back LoL

Haha, as tempting as that sounds, I'm pretty limited on vacation time this year since I just started a new job. I've been putting this off long enough and I'm ready to just jump in and take a chance. Even though I was originally (a year ago) looking at a Nav unit, I wasn't even considering it this time around because the Google Maps app I have on my phone works just fine. But I did want a full screen display because I find it annoying that song titles get cut off if they're more than a few words. So, that led me to the
Pioneer AVH3500BHS
and the
Kenwood DDX470
Both are nice units. But I thought, if I'm going to spend $320 on the Kenwood, I may as well go back to the Clarion for only $180 more sinc eit includes all the features I want, most of the adapters and Nav! These things can really be a slippery slope and I don't want to spend any more than $500 on the unit because I also want a back up camera and dedicated in car hard drive (thumb or ipod) for just music. I probably wont even use the DVD feature until my sone is older. And, when that time comes, the Clarion has the 2 zone setup, so that seems like ti would be pretty cool.
I don't really need the best of the best, just something that will work when I need it to and not be frustrating to use on a daily basis since my 4Runner is my DD now. With all that said, if you want to take a trip down to StL for a mod party, my garage is always open :thumb3:

 

[gshadow325]

both are those are old units.

DDX 491HD with HDMI to MHL cable, and you got a afford able bt, usb, dvd unit with your phone as a nav unit for occasional use.

Personally, I am not a fan of Clarion. Would buy Pioneer way before clarion. What ever you choose, PM me before you buy. I am sure i can save you a bunch of money since i am a Pioneer and Kenwood Excelon retailer