8899

I always thought that the OEM sound system in my 2008 G55 is pretty ok. I'm not familiar with the different systems that were installed throughout the production cycle/years, but would be curious to know if folks have found something significantly better than OEM?

shiann

I think your description of the stock system is spot on. It's pretty ok. Nothing special, not terrible, just ok. I'm not sure, but I do not believe there were many major changes to the sound system between 2002 and 2012 (the major interior refresh) with regards to the Harmon/Becker 'upgraded' sound system.

My quest to upgrade the system stemmed primarily from 1 rear door speaker and the subwoofer being damaged/ripped. Knowing I had to replace some of the components led me down a rabbit hole of upgrades since I just can't leave 'good enough' alone and wanted to maximize the performance of whatever replacement components I would be installing. Also, I had several components already lying around from previous projects so getting them out of boxes

Funny thing is I don't actually listen to music much when I drive alone, which is rare anyway (not withstanding the crazy times we live in now). That's more for the wife and passengers. Even more ironic is I haven't even driven the truck much besides when I first purchased in March and drove from Baltimore back to NJ since I still haven't been able to register it.

I think most people would be happy to just replace components and retain the factory head unit/amplifier/wiring setup. That is a much easier solution and probably less expensive too.

shiann

When I removed the brush guard for maintenance/refinishing, I found that all the hardware was mismatched, rusted, and in an overall pretty sad state. The plan is to replace it all with 316 stainless steel fasteners and upgrade some of them to a better design.


This is the hardware shown above in item 12 used to mount the bull bar brackets to the front bumper. This is not available from Mercedes that I can find (nor do I want to know the cost)

I went through and measured/sourced all new replacement hardware. Details are shown below along with part numbers from McMaster-Carr.


Since the purchase quantity of fasteners of each different kind does not correspond well to how many are actually required, there is a large price discount for purchasing 5 sets vs 1 set of hardware.

The cost of the fasteners is high and having used McMaster-Carr for years now, I understand their strategy (low quantity, higher price), but I am infinitely more confident with the products they source than anything I can find on Amazon or the like.

If anyone else has an earlier G500/55/550 with the older style bumpers and wants to refresh their brush guard hardware with 316 stainless steel, please let me know and I can put some kits together and ship out at cost.

shiann

Finally received all the parts I've been waiting for to complete the audio system mounting/design. It's been a lot of work up to this point, but it's all been worth it!

Started off by completing the head unit wiring cleanup. Added the same RC power plugs that I used for the speakers for a few wires that needed to be run to other areas, such as power (to the fuse box), amp remote power (to the DSP and amps), and 2 wires for the steering wheel control adapter. This will allow the entire head unit to be disconnected with wiring harness in tact if needed. Held off wrapping it all up with Tesa fabric tape but that will probably happen in the next day or so before I install the center console back.


Ran independent power for both amplifiers from the battery. It's great that there's plenty of space next to the battery for things like fuses and wire routing. Went with 8AWG for the PBR-400X4D (400W) and 10AWG for the PBR-300X4 (300W) and ran both under the carpet to the space under the driver side seat.


Made a custom mounting plate for the DSP and Amplifiers. Also designed and 3D printed out some spacing brackets that will attach directly to the OEM amplifier mount in the truck. The assembly is very simple which is what I was going for.


Here is the the DSP/Amplifier mounting plate test fit under the driver seat. Everything fit perfect with enough clearance under the DSP and above the Amplifiers to allow for plenty of room for the seat adjusting movements. Below is the setup viewed from the rear seat area.


Below is how the setup looks like from in front of the drivers seat. Everything fits great, exactly how I designed it to.


After test fitting the setup, I disassembled everything and put some paint on the panel, flat black.


Also was able to install the Polk Audio DB652 speaker grills on the rear door speakers before putting on the door panels. These speaker grills are actually used for more than cosmetics. They allow for the proper speaker height above the door mounting panel (as I designed the speaker mounting adapter), which seals against the foam ring on the inside of the door panel. This allows for more of the sound entering the cabin vs just ringing in the door.


Below is the setup in the passenger foot area laid out upside down to allow for adjusting the DSP. I laid out all the wiring placement and lengths to allow for the system to sit out like this to fine tune everything since everything will be impossible to reach when mounted. All wiring on the left side is final (power, component input,and speaker output). All wiring on the right is temporary, which is DSP ouput to Amplifier input.


Took the time to properly adjust the amplifier gains, which was complicated because the Kicker Front Row DSP has input and output gains. I set the gains to match with the power rating for the speakers by playing a 50Hz test tone and measuring AC Voltage. This took more time than doing it by ear, but it is more reassuring that I won't have any distortion/clipping with volume 3/4 of max (I wont' even reach 1/2 volume ever) and won't overpower the speakers. If I do end up replacing the front speakers, I'll have to recalibrate the gain for that channel, but that shouldn't be an issue.

Plugged the speakers in, and everything WORKED PERFECTLY. The clarity of the sound is improved considerably and the additional bass frequencies from the properly powered subwoofer really round out the sound profile. The Kicker Front Row DSP allows for TOF adjustment to center the sound stage, as well as filling in the missing frequencies from compressed Spotify music. Also there is a surround effect mode that really makes best use of the forward firing rear cargo speakers. Super impressed with the DSP and the Polk speakers do sound significantly better than the OEM speakers. Clarity is the biggest difference between the OEM system and how my system performs now. Notes and voices are crisp and really well isolated and all bass hits and mid-bass taps are tight. The Kicker CompRT 6.75" subwoofer properly powered at 150W @ 2ohms DVC really shines and not only adds the low end frequencies (down to 35Hz), but adds in the added punch most people want from a subwoofer. Best part about the subwoofer upgrade is all this is done without any loss of storage space.

Now the biggest issue with the system is I can actually hear the difference between how crisp and clear the rear speakers are, and how muffled/muddy the front speakers+tweeters are. This was somewhat expected, but now I want to upgrade the front speakers as well, but know I'll have to wait for a while since I need to stop spending money on the truck! With my amplifier setup, the front OEM speaker set is powered with 50W @ 2ohms (adjusted down from 100W max), so that will limit my options for upgrades since most component sets operate at 4ohms, but maybe saving up for a set of Focal K2's is a good move. That's a money problem for later though. I'll enjoy the system as is for now.

To finish off the system wiring, I made some custom Molex to RCA's to clean up the temporary wiring in the photo above that will connect the DSP outputs to the Amplifier Inputs. I purchased some high quality twisted pair RCA's from Knukonceptz and pinned them using crimp connectors for the Molex Mini-Fit Jr. Connector family. This is the exact connector used by the Rockford Fosgate PBR Punch amps.



And below is a picture of all the custom Molex to RCA's completed. Makes the OCD side of me very happy. I ended here tonight and will install everything back in the truck tomorrow hopefully for the final time in the near future.


When painting the DSP/Amp speaker mounting panel, I also refinished the center AC vent stack. I first tried a satin clear coat (over the flat black paint I finished the part in previously) but it looked terrible. I ended up masking the vent areas and plastidipped the piece. Didn't take any pictures of the piece mounted back in the truck, but the plastidipped black color matches really nicely with the G interior. The plan is to refinish both the driver's and passenger's AC vents the same way in the future.


For reference, this is the center speaker P/N: A463 820 15 02. This center speaker is a weird size so there's no chance I'll ever upgrade it. It's wired in parallel to both the left and right front door and dash speakers, so the setup is really strange.


Put some of the center console lower area back together with the plastidipped shifter surround and the finish is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the suggestion! It beats the wrong direction carbon fiber vinyl and matches really well with the interior.


Took 5 minutes to install the 911 Motorsports front license plate mount. Hoping that the NJ Motor Vehicles offices open on Tuesday for real this time so I can get the truck registered and get a temp license plate. This mounting bracket is excellent quality and fitting for the G. Great purchase and highly recommended if you need a front license plate.


Installed the plastidipped front signal guards also. They look great and fit in better than the chrome. When businesses start opening back up and money frees up a little bit, I'll have all the chrome bits powder coated locally to keep the look and make it much more durable.


Also installed the plastidipped tail light guards. I really like that the matte black helps them blend into the black truck but keeps the classic look. Adjusting these to be level and sit at the right distance from the vehicle is a real PITA. The mechanism is simple, just being 2 bolts, but there is pretty much infinite adjustability so getting the position right while holding the 20lb guard in place was a fun task. They do look great though.


And that's it for now. Hope to be finished with all the interior mods/repairs by this weekend, and finish the chrome delete next week. The next task is to tackle the suspension. I'll be swapping out the G55 OEM shocks for G500 yellow/blue Bilsteins to soften up the ride a bit. If, after putting some miles on the truck, I'm still not satisfied, I'll go with spring spacers or thor springs and Fox 2.0 shocks, but that will be at a much later date.

More to come. Any comments/suggestions/feedback is appreciated!

almostordinary

Everything is turning up aces!

The interior and exterior mods look amazing! Sound system is next level!

For the 911 front license plate holder, can it be easily taken off once installed? I haven't put mine on yet, debating whether I should get it painted first.

shiann

Thanks Ian! we went different routes in the beginning of our builds, but we may end up in the same place down the road!

The sound system upgrade got way too complicated considering the initial plan. Goes to show that once you dive down the rabbit hole don't be surprised if you end up replacing everything by the time you come out the other side.
Just having a proper amp to drive the Kicker 6.75" sub will probably be enough for 99% of people looking to do an upgrade, filling out the low end of the system. The mod would also be quick and easy as the RF amps I used would be perfect for it, mounting the amp in the sub compartment and just having to run power from the battery. (using the subwoofer high level inputs for sound source and amp turn on, grounding to a nearby chassis ground, and running speaker wires to the sub). Wouldn't require any modifications to the factory wiring harness and allow full control from the head unit.

The 911 Motorsports front license plate mount takes about 5 minutes to install, and uninstall. Just 2 screws and some loctite. Since it'll be behind the license plate anyway, I don't think it would make sense to paint it body color, nor if you're planning to black out any of the other chrome bits.

mrtonyn

That solid black center console shifter area looks very nice in the picture 👍.
I really like it, and of course not Dizzy and Busy 😋 as before.

shiann

Thanks for the suggestion! Definitely cleaned up the look and makes the carbon vinyl warp more subtle.

Had some time today after the rain stopped to finish up the sound system install.

Bolted the DSP/Amplifier plate to the 3D printed spacer brackets, plugged everything in and fired it up. Worked like a charm!

Here's a view from the rear passenger area of the setup mounted under the driver's seat with all wires plugged in and cleaned up. With the driver's seat in a normal seating position, you can't see anything under there at all. (except the power lights that I may just tape over)
I"ll finish up the wire cleanup by fabric taping the remaining wires at a later date since I will eventually be replacing the front speaker setup with components and will need to reconfigure the amps and DSP.


Here's a picture of the setup from in front of the driver's seat. You can't see much under there in a normal seating position, but I may make a splash shield to prevent any water from hitting this area in a worst case scenario. I do have weathertech floorliners with a lip on the back so this may not be an issue. Also, I had to move the front seat wiring harness from behind the round bar to in front of it to allow for more space for the amps and to prevent any wire pinching during seat adjustment.
The Kicker Front Row has a remote adjustment module that I may choose to mount somewhere else more accessible in the future (glove box, storage compartment, arm rest,etc), but it's pretty much a "set it and forget it" type of system, so the priority is pretty low.


Cleaned out everything else from the truck, put the rear seats back in, and cleaned out the cargo area of all other random parts, tools, scraps, etc.

For anyone curious about the sound system layout as it currently stands, I drew up a quick diagram to make it easier to read.

The Amplifier configuration may change when I eventually decide to upgrade the front speakers, but that will have to wait till some later date as the system as a whole is performing pretty well. I am debating whether or not to splurge for a high end set of front component speakers (thinking Focal ES 165K2 or ES 165KX2) since they're two of the very few 2ohm designed component sets and I can drive them with 100W @ 2ohms with the current amp configuration. The other option is to swap a few amp channels around and get the matching set of Polk Audio DB6502 Components and drive them with 75W @ 4ohms. I'll cross that road when I get there.

If I was going to do this whole system from scratch again (without having any pieces already purchased), I would probably NOT do what I ended up doing, and go a completely different route. The real only reason I used the pieces I did was because I had more than half of them at a sunk cost. I would spend a little more and go with the AudioControl D-6.1200 (6ch amplifier with DSP built in, 125W RMS x6 @ 4ohms OR 200W RMS x6 @ ohms) and replace all the speakers at once, running speaker wire to each set. Then a small separate mono amplifier for the subwoofer. This AudioControl amplifier is far superior to the pair of Rockford Fogate Punch amps I used, and the built-in DSP is much more configurable and easily adjusted than the Kicker Front Row. Being all digital is also a huge plus for configuration and convenience. Maybe this will be an option for the future if I'm looking to update the system more down the road.

The last part of this project is to finish wiring up a spare 12V lighter socket inside the glove box, as well as another 12V lighter socket behind the glove box (power for the 2ch Dash Cam/Rear View LCD Cam) and install the Kenwood remote microphone, but that will all happen when the headliner comes out to be redone. I will also have to fix the glove box opening lever as it is broken (after being poorly "fixed" at some time in its past life with a metal L bracket and screws and nuts) so I'll have to be clever and come up with some fix as the tabs are all broken off on both sides.

Hope to be able to register the truck on Tuesday so I can legally drive it FINALLY.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone.

Limey Hooligan

Amazing build....

So for those of us who have limited skillz in electronics and wiring, you mention that a simple subwoofer amp and speaker upgrade would do a lot for the sound... Can you spell out exactly what type of each you would recommend, and maybe a little wiring info for us lay-folk?

On a side note, I've previously seen some folks recommend the Skar Audio EVL-65 6.5" subwoofer, which seems like it would nicely fit in the available space, any comments?

shiann

Hey Limey,

Good question to ask.

I'll preface this by saying 2 things.
1. I have no idea how the whole MB Harmon/Becker sound system actually sounds in its entirety with OEM Head Unit, amp, and ALL speakers working. It may well be significantly better than I am thinking. My 2005 G55 sound system came to me with a Kenwood single DIN head unit installed, OEM amplifier, 1 rear door speaker ripped, the subwoofer cone completely separated, and one of the rear cargo speakers working intermittently, in a pretty bad overall state.
2. Simple amp+subwoofer upgrade may be trivializing it a little bit. I'll say it's simple compared to what I ended up doing, but much more complicated than dropping in a replacement subwoofer and connecting exactly in the OEM configuration.

I originally found the options of subwoofer replacements from this thread:
https://mbworld.org/forums/g-class-w...subwoofer.html

It seems like several other members have replaced their subwoofers using a drop in solution and they have been very happy with the overall sound quality, so your results may vary. I found that the Kicker 6.75" 43CWRT672 that I purchased (and several other members have also) DID NOT drop into my 2005 as it was slightly too large for the cutout on the MDF panel, but other members with 2008 vehicles had no issues.

Other options like the Skar Audio EVL-65 D2 may fit better but I have not tried it. As long as the subwoofer is sized at 6.5" or 6.75", has a mounting depth of less than 3.5", and a Dual Voice Coil setup @ 2ohms each coil, it will be a direct plug and play replacement for the factory subwoofer. If it is a DVC @ 4ohms each coil, it will work fine also, but won't perform as well. You cannot have a subwoofer with a DVC @ 1ohm as that will probably fry the factory amplifier. Using a mid-bass woofer may work as well, but obviously not as well as a designed subwoofer.

The subwoofer replacement is half the story as the MB Harmon/Becker sound system amplifier supposedly only drives the subwoofer channel using 10W. I have not confirmed this by any measurements, but the audio output after hooking it up was pretty weak.

If the only thing wrong with my sound system was the subwoofer being blown and I wanted to add the new subwoofer and a small amplifier to properly power it and integrate seamlessly into the factory sound system, this is how I would do it.

Of course, your results may vary. Do this at your own risk. I"m not responsible for any damage anyone does to their trucks.

Tools you'll need:
(Auto Self-Adjusting are the best)
- Soldering Iron
(not needed but highly recommended)
- Plastic Panel Removal Tool Sets (I got the yellow set of several pieces at Harbor Freight)
or Oxygen Free Cooper Speaker Wire
- Assortment of Heat Shrink tubing
- Lighter or Heat Gun

Other things you'll need:
- A basic understanding of 12V wiring and best safety practices (like unplugging the negative battery terminal any time you work with power)
- A basic understanding how to solder wires
- A basic understanding how to use a multimeter to measure voltage and resistance.
- Ability to remove both rear seats. They're heavy and awkward to remove and reinstall.
- Not be afraid to remove panels and/or carpets
- Lots of zip ties
- Tape (electrical or Tesa fabric - recommended)
- Empty jars or boxes for organizing the fasteners you remove
- The ability for the G to be down as you are working on wiring as, in most cases, it won't be safe to power up the vehicle before the wiring is finished if any 12V wires are exposed.

1. Get the Kicker CompRT 6.75" 43CWRT672 Subwoofer for $110. This is the easiest "drop in" solution (unless you have a 2005 like mine). I would probably go with a more custom route and get a JL 6W3v3-4 and fabricate a custom mounting plate to replace the MDF panel. The JL is 4.25" deep, so will not fit in the compartment without modifying the top plate.
2. Install the sub and wire it exactly the same as the factory subwoofer using the factory connectors. Test the system and if you're happy, then congrats, you're DONE! If not, then you have a long way to go.
2a. Get a mini amplifier to power the subwoofer. My suggestions below (Must provide ~75W x2 @ 2ohms or ~150W x1 @ 4ohms to be best paired to the subwoofer, speaker level inputs, and an auto-remote turn-on feature without having to run a separate remote wire)
- Rockford Fosgate PBR-400X4D $165 (This is the one I used to match the other RF Amp I used, but this one has 4 channels)
- Rockford Fosgate PBR-300X2 $150 (Similar to the one I used, just 2 channels)
- AudioControl ACM-1.300 $280 (This is the one I would get as a best choice) More on this amp here:
3. Get an amplifier wiring kit with higher quality components. A 10AWG wire kit will probably be enough, but an 8AWG kit is a safer bet.
- Rockford Fosgate RFK10 $25-35 (I used this to power the PBR-300X4)
- Rockford Fosgate RFK8 $70 (I used this to power the PBR-400X4D but the cables wouldn't fit into the amp connector easily)
- Knukonceptz Bassik 8AWG Amp Installation Wiring Kit $11.50 (I haven't' used their wiring kits, but I did use their RCA cables and the quality is excellent)
4. Choose the amplifier mounting location
- Easiest location would be in the subwoofer compartment. The RF PBR amps will both fit easily and the ACM-1.300 should fit without an issue. This is the cleanest and easiest location as there are wire passages under the passanger driver's side carpet for wire routing into the compartment for the power from the battery and ground. This would come at a sacrifice of the amp possibly overheating depending on how hard you drive the sound system, and your location/climate. I would just mount these to the floor of the compartment using 3M VBH foam tape.
- Second best location would be in the CD Changer Compartment. You'll have to run a lot more wires though using this location, but have much more space and easier access in the future.
5. Cut the 4 wires from the OEM subwoofer and strip the cable ends. (they're both exactly the same so no need to remember which one is which)
6. If using a Rockford Fosgate Amp, solder the wires directly to the input wires. You'll have to cut off the RCA plug part of the adapter that plugs into the RF amp. If mounting in the CD Changer area, you'll have to solder and extend the 4 speaker wires from the sub enclosure to the CD Changer area.
6a. If using the AudioControl Amp, crimp wire ferrules to the speaker wire ends and connect to the speaker level inputs on the amp (doesn't matter which one is channel 1 or 2, but make sure you get the +/- orientation correct - black is +, black/green stripe is -). If mounting to the CD Changer area, you'll have to solder and extend the 4 speaker wires from the sub enclosure area to the CD Changer area.
7. Run power to the amplifier. The fuse can be mounted in the battery compartment like I did it pictured a few posts above. You'll have to pull up the carpets and run under the plastic wire panels and into the speaker enclosure. If mounting in the CD changer area, you'll have to remove more carpets and side plastic panels and run the power wire all the way back there.
8. Connect the ground to the nearest chassis bolt. Use multimeter to make sure this chassis bolt is connected to the battery grounding plug
9. Connect the speaker to the speaker outputs. This will be easy if you're mounting in the subwoofer enclosure. You'll have to run longer wires back to the subwoofer enclosure if you're mounting in the CD Changer area.
- If you're using the RF amps, then each channel will be wired to each voice coil.
- If you're using the Audiocontrol amp, then you have to wire the subwoofer voice coils in Series and connect only 2 wires to the speaker output on the amplifier.
10. Set the amplifier to turn on with the OEM head unit
- on the RF amps, there is a yellow dial labeled HL Adjust. Turn the OEM system on and adjust this screw until the amplifier turns on (LED light)
- on the AudioControl amp, there is a switch labeled GTO Signal Sense. Just turn this on.
11. Setting the gain on the amplifier. There are a lot of different ways to do this but this is how I did it
- Disconnect all the other speakers
- Disconnect the Subwoofer or disconnect the terminal wires
- Play a 50Hz test tone through the system
- Turn the volume up to 3/4 of max volume
- Use the multimeter and measure the AC Voltage with the 50Hz test tone playing. Adjust the gain setting until you read the correct voltage. The number you should be looking for would be voltage = sqrt(power*impedance)
- For the RF amps, this would be 75W per channel at 2ohms, so V = sqrt(75W x 2ohms) = 12.25V on both channels.
- For the Audiocontrol amp, this would be 150W at 4ohms, so V = sqrt(150W x 4ohms) = 24.5V on the single channel
- An alternative to measuring the AC Voltage would be to slowly adjust the gain until you see the clipping light warning, then back off slightly. (The PBR-300X2 doesn't seem to have a clipping warning light. The AudioControl ACM-1.300 has this labeled as the Maximized LED)
- Turn the volume down to normal listening levels
- Shut off stereo
- Plug in all speakers
12. Put everything back together, use zip ties to clean up any wiring, use fabric or electrical tape to cover up any wiring that you want to, and you should be done.

So even this simple setup would be a lot of work for anyone who is comfortable with 12V wiring and probably out-of-scope if you're not comfortable with 12V wiring. If I was going to do this again (knowing what I do about the truck and having all the parts and tools in hand), this is how long things would take:
- Just installing the subwoofer: 15 minutes as long as you don't have to make the opening larger.
- Installing the subwoofer and amp in the factory subwoofer enclosure: 3-5 hours
- Installing the subwoofer in the factory location and the amp in the CD changer area: 5-10 hours

Hopefully, just dropping in the Kicker subwoofer as an OEM replacement will be enough for a majority of people.

If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer as much as I can.

Limey Hooligan

Wow, thanks for the detailed description, good info! I'll save this for reference when I look at upgrading. I appreciate the effort to compile this information, cheers!

OK, ordered the Kicker sub, we'll see how it sounds with no other changes... (hopefully it fits OK).

shiann

I think you should be fine with the Kicker since Ian in his 2008 had no issues and yours is a 2012. Definitely let us know if it fits and if it's an improvement when you get a chance to drop it in!

almostordinary

Mine popped right in there. It sits a little higher, so I no longer have the stock sub cover. I did attempt to use nylon spacers, but figured I would keep it exposed. My only concern was if I flipped the seats then the dogs could step on it. But I don't drive with the seats entirely folded so it's out of harms way.

Limey if you do install the amp, let me know your thoughts.

I am happy with a simple Bluetooth over FM receiver that I plug in and the new sub... Like Shiann mentioned, I can definitely tell there's a lot of power left on the table w the sub as other systems I've had go far beyond this, but for plug and play I'm happy.

If you do see a massive gain w the amp, I do have a spare laying around that I could go down a rabbit hole with... but I have other things I'm still knocking out.

shiann

That's strange that the Kicker doesn't sit flush in the subwoofer cutout in your 08. I wonder if maybe they changed the subwoofers between 05 and 08 and somehow the mounting flange was more shallow in your 08. After routing the opening in my 05 MDF panel (unchanged mounting depth), the Kicker sits completely flush and the OE sub cover plate fits on just like from factory.

My 05 subwoofer P/N A463 820 17 02. The mounting height above he flange is 11.5mm.

Limey Hooligan

OK, received and installed the Kicker sub. It fit exactly... and I mean tight. After test-fitting it, the only way I could pry it back out was with allen keys through the mounting holes. I was able to get the original cover back on, so I'm left with the OEM speaker itself and the plastic retention ring that was holding it in. Must say, I was surprised at the weight of the OEM, not far off of the Kicker in terms of magnet weight.

Impressions: a minor improvement, there is more bass at certain frequencies and in some music I can hear the beat more now. Before, bass was not pronounced, it was just a flat deep sound. Now at least I can hear and feel some beats. The greatest road racing song of all time, "Thunderstruck", sounded a little better. I was able to turn bass up to a setting of +8 which was something I couldn't do before. However, I think you said that the rear door speakers act as mid-subs as well, and trying to make the most of the Kicker leads to overloading those speakers and getting some door rattle. I also keep my treble around the same setting. Since you said that the sub is only powered to 10W, not surprising...

Overall, in my opinion the stock system even with the Kicker is only good to around 30-35% of max volume, after that it starts to distort. At 35% it's reasonably loud enough to enjoy music on the freeway but you're not going to feel immersed in a concert hall that's for sure.

Worth the $110? I'd say just about due to an increase in sound richness (you need those beats!), but I wouldn't spend much more than that for a new sub (with no amp) for the gain in sound quality.

shiann

Thanks for sharing your results Limey. It does seem like the sub could use more power to round out the bottom end still, but if it improved on the OEM setup in any way, I guess it's an upgrade? If the only speakers that are rattling with the bass increase at louder volumes are the rear door speakers, it may be worth it to just unplug them (since they do little to nothing anyway) and see if your bass frequencies sound more clear at higher volumes. You can unplug the rear door speakers without taking the door card completely off, just unscrewing the 3 main screws, and popping the bottom panel clips off. The speaker plugs are
at ~10 o'clock on both rear door speakers.

I did some more digging and found these little guys from Rockford Fosgate PM100X1k. They're SUPER interesting from my point of view for something like the G subwoofer since these small amps get their power from the stock amplifier speaker wires, so there is no need to run a separate power wire from the battery. These little amplifiers are also small enough you could 3M foam tape them down to the metal in the subwoofer compartment and they would most likely be fine. I sort of wish I found these before I went down the rabbit hole of my setup since it would have been so much easier.

Essentially, the PM100X1 amplifiers come in a pair, one for each voice coil on the subwoofer (OE or Kicker). You set them to 2ohm operation, set the crossover to 80 or 100Hz, and wire the inputs directly to OEM subwoofer speaker outputs (4 leads you had to cut off your OE subwoofer), and connect the amplifier outputs to the subwoofer in the same configuration. Running a ground wire to somewhere on the body would be the most difficult part. (The easiest location would probably be one of the D-ring screws right behind the driver's side rear seat outside pivot point. You can snake small wires through a small opening on the front of the subwoofer enclosure and under the carpet to the d-ring screw) There would be no cutting of factory wires and minimal removing of carpeting. I'm not sure how much power these would actually generate from the stock amplifier, but there are a few youtube videos floating around that show it basically doubles to triples the output power of the signal from the factory amplifier, without introducing any new load to the amplfier.

The reviews (how very few of them there are) do seem very mixed so the tech may be relatively new and unreliable. Also seems like these are basically discontinued so maybe they will come out with a newer better version in the near future. If they work though, this may be the best solution for a simpler install to give the low end a boost while keeping a majority of the factory setup intact.

shiann

I FINALLY received the material to replace my droopy and saggy headliner. I originally ordered it on April 3rd only to have processing and shipping slowed due to Covid. Then USPS lost it for over a month and didn't care to look into it. Finally a week ago USPS admitted it was probably lost and confirmed with Headliner Magic to send me a second one.

I purchased the material from here

The material itself looks good, and the color is overall a good texture and color match for the G wagon light grey OE material. The color is a little bit lighter and more 'brown' in hue, but it may actually match the OE plastics better than the OE headliner color. For reference, my headliner has been replaced in its past life at least once.

One word of advice if anyone else will be doing this themselves, purchase MORE material than 120". I originally purchased before I had a chance to measure the vehicle due to being in quarantine. 120" length will cover the entire headliner, but you WILL NOT have enough for the sunroof. Purchasing 180" is probably the best bet as the cost is only ~$20 more. Also, if you can get material in 64" width, it would be better too. 60" width will just make it I hope.

This is probably the better sized material to purchase, in either Light Titanium or Ox Gray (not sure what the difference is to what I received)



I should have some time this weekend so I'll start tackling it and see how far I get. The plan is to also add sound deadening material to the roof skin while the headliner is out.
I've purchased , as well as .

In other good news, NJ Motor Vehicles did not open this past Tuesday (no surprise). Their tentative opening has been pushed back again to June 8 (originally closed up shop on March 17 - I picked up the truck and drove it home from Baltimore on March 19). Crossing fingers and hoping I can FINALLY register the vehicle and legally drive it.

For those wondering, in NJ they do not offer temp tags unless you buy from a dealer. If you purchase private party, you have to register in person at the DMV as there are a few forms you need that they do not provide online, ever, even during this highly unusual time, and they have to verify all your documents. There are some third party options but they basically pretend to be a used car dealer and use their online temp tag channel to the MVC to register and get plates for you. Some of them had success in the beginning of shutdown, but now they've all been shut down. So now I just continue to wait until the MVC opens up again so I can wait in line for hours and hours as the case backlog is almost 3 months long at this point.

almostordinary

Awesome news!

The 60" width will do the job, I had about 3/4" overhang on both sides.

Let me know how you get the sunroof headliner material out. I couldn't figure it out. I think the upholstery shop will be taking it down and out for me, but I just stared at it and gave up.

The trickiest part to me was that for the rear panels in the truck they are actually held in place by the rubber seals for the windows, so you'll definitely want interior pry tools to take that out.

The front passenger seat is a pain too, you have to remove the plastic cover for the components under the seat, they are held on by 4 plastic riv-nuts. Even with proper tools all but one came out that is salvageable. I'll be replacing these with screws.

There is a connector for the electronics close to the trans tunnel, make sure to disconnect this first. I didn't see it after removing the four bolts and snagged a cable, so I have a small wiring job once I get things assembled.

Give a shout if you run into any troubles!

shiann

Didn't get much time this weekend to work on the truck. Needed to tackle a few other things like cleaning/organizing the garage, replacing valve cover gaskets on the zero-turn, and taking care of the parents' cars.

Ironic that I just finally got the truck put back together after the whole sound system upgrade, just to take different sections all back apart to do the headliner. The repairs and modding never ends.

I did get 30 minutes or so to start the process of removing/refinishing the headliner. I've been putting it off since I really just don't want to do it, but it really does need to be done. And I'm not (yet!) willing to pay someone to do it. haha.



Should be able to get it out tomorrow and start prepping it for the new fabric.

Also, my glove box handle broke off when I was removing it for the sound system project. Turns out someone tried to fix this previously (the metal bracket on the back of the handle was glued on)


The plan is to design a few new hinge points so the mechanism is stronger, and 3D print a part to glue onto the back side of the handle and mating part to be glued onto the glove box side. The whole thing will be attached with a single long screw going across the entire handle and screwing into an encapsulated nut or brass threaded insert. I'll also be installing a 12V panel mount lighter socket in the back of the glove box to allow for USB charging things in there. Previous owner cut a small hole in there already to pass through the stereo USB connection, so I'll just be reusing this hole for the socket mount. Now just debating 1x 12V socket, 2x, or just getting a panel mount USB charger to skip the 12V to USB adapter.

Also pulled the trigger for all the 316 Stainless Steel hardware for mounting the brush guard brackets, and a few other pieces here and there ($130 for nuts, bolts, and washers!). Will try to plastidip the brush guard and reinstall this coming week.

Cheers all!

almostordinary

Good luck w the headliner!

Let me know if you figure out how to remove the sunroof. My upholstery guy is going to be doing it, but I couldn't figure it out.

Lawrence1

Print 2 of these if you can ... mine is broken too and i don't think the handle is available for purchase separately from the entire glovebox assy on the newer (2002+?) cars. I'm willing to pay. The previous owner of my car attempted the same glue job, which has now failed. I was actually looking into this to make sure i can't find another handle when i found this thread so great timing.

shiann

Small update for today. Work has picked up the past few days (like it should be normally) so not much time to work on the truck.

Got the 316 Stainless Steel Hardware in. Spent a few minutes cleaning up the brush guard mounting brackets. Sad that these few packages cost ~$150.


Laid out the new vs old hardware below to show how bad the hardware that came on the car was. Rusted, pitted, bent, covered in melted rubber, etc.


All of this should go back on tomorrow. Should also have some time to plastidipp the lower skid plate + bumper bar, and the brush guard over the next few days.

I plan to use the OE foglights with OE halogen bulbs for now with an amber tinting film. The eventual goal is to purchase a pair of Baja Designs S2 Pro's in amber driving/spot configuration, make custom mounting brackets, and adapt to the factory rectangular foglight surrounds. That will have to wait till later in the summer though. May do those along with a full light bar across the brush guard and connect to the high beams. Still haven't decided on that yet.

Also got a chance to glue the e-brake boot back onto the frame. Mine was completely separated and it looked terrible. Cleaned and conditioned the leather, and used super glue to attach it back to the frame. This should be the last piece of the center console overhaul for a while, so hopefully won't have to take it apart again.


Also ordered a backup camera/rear view mirror screen + 2 channel dash cam. I have the Auto-vox X1 in my other car and it's worked pretty well overall. I decided to order this one:
based on all the Amazon reviews, and it being incrementally better than the X1, as well as significantly cheaper. We'll see how well it works and how long it lasts. Also purchased a hard wiring kit and the 3 year warranty, so shouldn't have an issue there. Will install all of this when the headliner project is completed and everything in the interior goes back together hopefully for the last time.

That's it for now. Hoping that NJ MVC decides to finally open on 6/8 so I can finally register the truck and drive it.

Limey Hooligan

Nice progress. I think front and rear dash cams are a must nowadays, with all the bad and uninsured drivers, road rage nuts, and general thieves. Not sure if the VanTop has it, but a cam with parking mode to record activity when parked is a good idea. And in that case, you'll want to consider a dedicated battery pack.

Love the BD lights, I went with the LP6 Pros also in amber mounted on the brush guard and they light it up, Ode to Joy style. For my fogs, I did a cheaper but seemingly effective swap out of the halogens with Hikari LED bulbs. Surprisingly (to me at least), no issues with installation and they are very bright.

almostordinary

Good stuff!

Curious about the cams. I've been thinking of getting some too.

All of my cars I swap out to Hella extreme yellow fogs, and run them all the time even in daytime.

Love the light output of these
I went LED at first, and got the strobing effect in my '08, I didn't want to do inline resistors, so went w the above.

Limey Hooligan

I went with these beauties for my fog light housings: The LEDs line up perfectly to where the filament of the old bulb was in the reflector, so the beam pattern is the same. Super bright, and a nice wide spread of white light to either side while my LP6's take care of the straight ahead lighting.
I think they have the built-in fans and resistors (no separate resistor wiring), so plug and play (at least for me) with no issues.