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I know at least one member had installed the CW spare tire sub in his GLE and said the sound was ok. Although I'm not an audiophile I do love good sounding tunes. The quality of the Burmester system did not provide what I wanted as compared to the Sony system in my previous vehicle. So I took the plunge.
I apologize but I don't have any photos other than the final installation. I just wanted to share what I encountered and how I got it installed.
Thankfully, I was able to get some info from a post in the GLC forum from the first post here. The only piece I used from that post was in regards to obtaining a power source. Luckily, the GLE also has a 4 gauge positive feed to the rear fuse block. That is where I connected the positive line to. I used a post in the same area for the ground. You have to remove the fuse block in order to get access to the positive terminal. This requires removing 3 nuts. Two are easy to get to and the third not as much. So, the third one didn't get reinstalled. Maybe I'll try another day but not now.
I tapped into the front left foot well speaker, AKA wanna be sub. I was planning on using a line out converter but it appeared to not work once all of the other connections were in place. I then tested with high level inputs and the sub fired up. I tucked the speaker wires under the interior trim along the doors and routed them to the rear up along the rear seat between the seat and door frame. I still need to solder the speaker wires to the sub's wiring harness speaker wires. For now, they're connected with twist on wire connectors. The front taps used T taps and the power and ground line were soldered and shrink wrapped.
I followed a similar path into the rear for the sub's remote. Since I don't have a final location for the remote, it's just sitting on top of the center console at the moment with the excess wire laying on the back seat floor. I'll have to disconnect it at some point once I determine where I'll mount it. I'm guessing in the center console storage.
The part that everyone wants to know, how does it sound? If you're looking to fill in the lower end a little bit better with just a little punch, I think you'll be pleased with it. If you want to bounce quarters off of the roof like my friends did back in the late 80s and early 90s, you'll be disappointed. I am pleased with how it sounds and find it to be worth the cost and time it took me to install it.
I know at least one member had installed the CW spare tire sub in his GLE and said the sound was ok. Although I'm not an audiophile I do love good sounding tunes. The quality of the Burmester system did not provide what I wanted as compared to the Sony system in my previous vehicle. So I took the plunge.
I apologize but I don't have any photos other than the final installation. I just wanted to share what I encountered and how I got it installed.
Thankfully, I was able to get some info from a post in the GLC forum from the first post here. The only piece I used from that post was in regards to obtaining a power source. Luckily, the GLE also has a 4 gauge positive feed to the rear fuse block. That is where I connected the positive line to. I used a post in the same area for the ground. You have to remove the fuse block in order to get access to the positive terminal. This requires removing 3 nuts. Two are easy to get to and the third not as much. So, the third one didn't get reinstalled. Maybe I'll try another day but not now.
I tapped into the front left foot well speaker, AKA wanna be sub. I was planning on using a line out converter but it appeared to not work once all of the other connections were in place. I then tested with high level inputs and the sub fired up. I tucked the speaker wires under the interior trim along the doors and routed them to the rear up along the rear seat between the seat and door frame. I still need to solder the speaker wires to the sub's wiring harness speaker wires. For now, they're connected with twist on wire connectors. The front taps used T taps and the power and ground line were soldered and shrink wrapped.
I followed a similar path into the rear for the sub's remote. Since I don't have a final location for the remote, it's just sitting on top of the center console at the moment with the excess wire laying on the back seat floor. I'll have to disconnect it at some point once I determine where I'll mount it. I'm guessing in the center console storage.
The part that everyone wants to know, how does it sound? If you're looking to fill in the lower end a little bit better with just a little punch, I think you'll be pleased with it. If you want to bounce quarters off of the roof like my friends did back in the late 80s and early 90s, you'll be disappointed. I am pleased with how it sounds and find it to be worth the cost and time it took me to install it.
Hi,
I am new to this forum and also just picked up my 2021 GLE450. As to my surprise I am seeing many people disappointed about the sound system just as myself and I am thinking about installing a Subwoofer and Amplifier.
I have a few questions if you don't mind me asking?
Where did you get your signal from? I was told to take it from the amplifier which is in behind the rear driver side panel near the spare tire. I was also told to take it from the subwoofer under the dash but I figured if I could get it from the amplifier that would be an easier shorter run.
For Power and Ground you took them both off the Fuse panel in the passenger side panel beside the spare tire?
"I tapped into the front left foot well speaker, AKA wanna be sub. I was planning on using a line out converter but it appeared to not work once all of the other connections were in place. I then tested with high level inputs and the sub fired up. I tucked the speaker wires under the interior trim along the doors and routed them to the rear up along the rear seat between the seat and door frame."
"I tapped into the front left foot well speaker, AKA wanna be sub. I was planning on using a line out converter but it appeared to not work once all of the other connections were in place. I then tested with high level inputs and the sub fired up. I tucked the speaker wires under the interior trim along the doors and routed them to the rear up along the rear seat between the seat and door frame."
That is what I was thinking. So you tapped into that for the signal, correct?
What wire(s) did you tap into?
Sorry never done this before so trying to understand as much as possible before attempting to tackle this.
I don't recall which wire I tapped into but I used a volt meter to find positive and used that one. I didn't want to use any of the speakers in the back in case the signal was cutoff at the head unit. Knowing the front foot well speakers are woofers, I knew there would be a low frequency signal there.
I don't recall which wire I tapped into but I used a volt meter to find positive and used that one. I didn't want to use any of the speakers in the back in case the signal was cutoff at the head unit. Knowing the front foot well speakers are woofers, I knew there would be a low frequency signal there.
Do you recall what the voltage was so I know what to look for?
Was the wire connected to the subwoofer? I would expect that there would only be 2 wires going to it would it not?
Don't recall the voltage but it's obvious which is which once you have the volt meter on the right setting. There is a plug for the speaker. Just unclip it and test at the end of the plug to find which wire to use. I used a T tap an inch or two from the plug.
Don't recall the voltage but it's obvious which is which once you have the volt meter on the right setting. There is a plug for the speaker. Just unclip it and test at the end of the plug to find which wire to use. I used a T tap an inch or two from the plug.
That makes more sense. Do you recall what setting to have the volt meter on and what the voltage should be? I am assuming 12v or higher?
It needs to be set on DC volts and at whatever level it needs to be to start reading a value. It doesn't matter what it is as long as you can determine what is positive and negative.
It needs to be set on DC volts and at whatever level it needs to be to start reading a value. It doesn't matter what it is as long as you can determine what is positive and negative.
That helps a lot, thank you.
I have 2 other questions for you if you don’t mind:
1. Where did you get your Ground from or where did you Ground to?
2. Is your battery under your Drivers Front Seat? How did you get you Positive Power from it did you have to take the seat out?
If not where did you get your Positive Power from?
The stock woofers are on the outward part of the foot wells under the carpet where the foot rest is. I pulled the carpet down towards the floor from just under the dash to expose the speaker on the driver's side.
09-13-2021, 07:46 PM
