2003 Pilot EX-L Subwoofer questions

[brooklynbear]

Hey, y'all! Just joined up, and am SUPER PUMPED that Piloteers exists!

Anyways...

Got my Pilot used back in November, and quickly jumped to figure out how to upgrade the audio. It's VERY important to me. I wanted something that sounded great and had the functionality I needed. I landed on the Clarion CX609 at Crutchfield, and so far it's been great.

Now, I knew going into it that replacing the factory HU was going to terminate the subwoofer, but I figured out a "cheat" around that; namely, I was able to jump the sub from the rear right speaker, because it seems the sub's amp needs a speaker level input to kick the amp on (right? I'm still not sure; it seems like voodoo to me).

The results have been...not that great. I definitely get more bass, but I feel like I'm taxing my entire system by having to feed this extra speaker / amp. Plus, there's no crossover, and there are definitely mids getting through the sub, muddling up all the audio.

But what I'm really confused about is how the factory sub is hooked up in the first place, and if it IS powered, where the amp is located. I've pored over schematics, sat on the phone with Crutchfield tech support (who were equally as baffled as I am)...all to no avail.

Anyway. I'm finally at the point where I'm ready to replace the sub with a shallow mount and power it up. The Clarion has dedicated outs for a sub, as well as an internally programmable crossover, so all I should need is the replacement sub and an amp of some kind. The questions are:

1) what is the depth of the factory sub? Is there any wiggle room that will let me install a slightly deeper sub, or is it tight as it is?

2) Is there any place behind the panel to install a small amp, so it can be hidden/discreet? I live in Brooklyn, and people look for any excuse to break into your car and steal stuff.

3) As the Clarion has a built-in crossover, is getting an amp with one or even a separate crossover overkill? I believe it is, but installers I've talked to think it's a good idea... I think they're just trying to sell me more crap I don't need.

Any advice / help is much appreciated in advance.

THANKS!

BEAR

[rlapid]

i am by no means a professional, but hopefully this will help. there is no external amplifier for the factory sub. it gets its juice from the factory HU. from what i have read, honda dropped the ball when they set up the pilot's sound system -- as far as i know, the sub is basically hooked up like a normal speaker, which is why it sounds so terrible. if i were you, i would have left it disconnected!

1. i am not sure of the exact depth, but it is a pretty tight fit. however, there are a couple remedies that i've read about here. one would be to purchase a shallow-mount subwoofer. i've heard lots of great reviews about pioneer's, and i am sure there are many other manufacturers who offer shallow-mount subs. you can also buy or fabricate a spacer to fit over the stock location and add just a bit more clearance, although you might have to modify the grill to accommodate it.

2. many members of this forum have installed aftermarket amps in the storage space behind the third row, where the third row headrests are usually kept when not in use. when the lid is down, an amp is fully concealed and fits surprisingly well in the compartment.

3. from what i'm reading it seems you won't need another crossover, since the clarion has one built-in. but don't take my word for it, see what other members have to say first.

have you replaced the 4 door speakers? if not, you should definitely look into that, as well.

[brooklynbear]

I definitely changed out the factory speakers with these:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_130TSA6...43P.html?tp=95

Although, the right side one seems to be farting out on me now, and they're only 4 months old! I think it could be a result of hooking up the "sub" to the right side, creating more power demand than the speaker are ready for. Either way, I haven't really been driving any of these speakers properly, and I'll probably have to replace them all.



Anyway, I've settled on this 3.5" shallow mount Fosgate sub:

http://signature.crutchfield.com/s_5...10.html?tp=111

It should mount and work well (Still haven't figured out what to use for baffle yet, but I have some ideas). I'm expecting it any minute from UPS, and then it's time to wire! Still have to get a proper amp and a wiring kit, so it'll probably take a couple days, plus I'll also want to replace the blown speakers while I'm at it, but I'll take some pics and let you know how it goes.

PS - I found an amp that fits right where those headrests go, so thanks for that advice! Should keep everything nice and discreet...