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1

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: Interior Light Oddity

« on: 17 August 2009, 00:29:01 »

Thanks for that chaps.

Main think is that I have not messed anything up that is unexpected.

Worth updating the post with the Boot release mod though, to avoid confusion.

2

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: Interior Light Oddity

« on: 14 August 2009, 09:35:51 »

makes sense that there is a switched live - will check that , thanks.

3

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Interior Light Oddity

« on: 14 August 2009, 02:43:18 »

Normally would expect the interior light by the rear view mirror to be on a delay when you close door.

This works as expected.

and would also expect that as soon as you turn the ignition key it would go out straight away.  This is not happening,  so it always stays on for the full period until it automatically times out. Could live with it, except for when setting off in the dark, its distracting.

I do confess to having pulled most of the trim out of the car, been running new wiring in the car, have had the steering cowl off to fit cruise control and have cut what I believed to be the correct wire to make the remote boot release work "properly"

2003/03 2.2DTi CD Saloon

Any pointers what bits of wiring might affect this?

4

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: Cruise Control - 2.6 CD Auto

« on: 13 August 2009, 22:55:23 »

My 2.2DTi CD 2003, just plugged in the stalk and cruise all worked as expected, no need for ECU update.

5

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: 03 2.2DTi CD - Replace CDR 2005 and add Amp

« on: 12 August 2009, 11:56:55 »

I`ve had good results with Focal and MTX speakers on Caliber amps with chart pop and heavy rock music. I would avoid Infinity or JBL with that amp.

Suggest to nip down to your local car audio store to hear a few and get some model numbers of those within the budget and that you like the sound of.

What size (diameter and depth?) would be direct replacements for the current door speakers,  or a fit for the rear shelf?  Or is there an FAQ on this site with those details - not noticed one yet, but there is a lot to get through 

6

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: 03 2.2DTi CD - Replace CDR 2005 and add Amp

« on: 12 August 2009, 02:06:08 »

Rally Caliber CA-4520
Box says 520W, 4x130W @ 2 ohms

Click on model number on this page if you want full specification:

http://www.caliber.nl/info_pages.php?pages_id=2&language=en

In no way going for volume, the phonos/speaker wire won't that anywhere near what the amp might claim it can do.

Majority will be whatever is on Radio 1 playlist, and top 10 albums at the time.  Mixed with Bad Company/Free/Lynard Skynard, and more recent USA stuff like Matchbox20/Live.

7

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: 03 2.2DTi CD - Replace CDR 2005 and add Amp

« on: 11 August 2009, 17:07:55 »

New speakers and tweeters all round then

 

Damn you and that ball.

So while I still have the car in bits, what can I replace the rear speakers with in a mid-price range:

http://www.dndservices.co.uk/speakers/

More interested in something that will look stock and not need modifications to the car.  So either a direct replacement for the rear door speakers (assuming its not a big job to strip the door), or rear shelf speakers that will fit under the parcel shelf I have removed, but somehow clear the metal underneath.

8

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: 03 2.2DTi CD - Replace CDR 2005 and add Amp

« on: 11 August 2009, 11:43:37 »

New speakers and tweeters all round then

 

you really do have a crystal ball

I have wound the amp up for the rears to 1/2, leaving amp for fronts set at ~1/6th,  its the only way the rears sound anything other than nasty.

This will result in you being right again as

a) rear speakers will blow

or

b) I will get hacked off with the sound, and itch to change the rears.

You are a wise man.

9

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: 03 2.2DTi CD - Replace CDR 2005 and add Amp

« on: 11 August 2009, 11:40:55 »

Check the polarity of all the cables you have run to ensure that +ve and -ve do not change over anywhere or you will end up with a phase imbalance, and yes, that can sound awful.

 

Checked 

For the Rear speakers made bugger all difference if I swapped the +ve and -ve speaker wires.  They just sound nasty.  Surprised it made no difference in the sound at all swapping them over,  your post implies something bad would happen if wrong way round  :-/

10

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: 03 2.2DTi CD - Replace CDR 2005 and add Amp

« on: 10 August 2009, 11:49:39 »

Speakers are rated at around 20W from new, and only just cope with the standard head unit - do not use them on your amp at all, or it will get VERY expensive as things rapidly start going bang.

 

I guessed that

Amp levels set to 1/5th power, and will stay that way.

11

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: 03 2.2DTi CD - Replace CDR 2005 and add Amp

« on: 09 August 2009, 23:18:44 »

Check the polarity of all the cables you have run to ensure that +ve and -ve do not change over anywhere or you will end up with a phase imbalance, and yes, that can sound awful.

 

Doh! It was getting dark, and I was sitting in the boot wiring the speaker cables to the amp.  /excuse #9872376

That would certainly explain the nasty sound.

I'm starting to think you already know what my next mistake will be and have the answer ready 

And yes, I was hoping to leave the speakers as standard.  Only having to run an amp as the head unit, I had spare in the garage and I want to use *only* has phono out.

Don't expect it to sound stunning, and wanted this to be cheap and look standard.

12

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: 03 2.2DTi CD - Replace CDR 2005 and add Amp

« on: 09 August 2009, 23:11:19 »

Didn't see it mentioned in other posts I read, but its a very tight squeeze to get another head unit it. Arranging the cables at the back of my single din cage is going to be tough.

Plus made life much easier to feed cables in, by removing the complete surround (incl. climate controls), and then the large plastic frame that makes the double din  support



Also the channel down passenger side of car is much neater for running cables and keeping them tidy. The cables running down drivers side don't have the plastic conduit for some of the way, so just tapped my phono cables to the existing cable run.

13

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: 03 2.2DTi CD - Replace CDR 2005 and add Amp

« on: 09 August 2009, 22:49:21 »

Mounting the amp will really depend on the physical shape and size of the thing. I always make up an MDF panel and bolt it in place, although I have seen others gripseal a panel in place also. But make sure to paint or seal the mdf panel so it does not get affected by moisture / damp in the boot. Upside down is really a last resort, as with hot air from the components inside rising, the heatsink being underneath them is not ideal - it will still work, just not 1st choice.

Amp bolted in under rear shelf, getting rear parcel shelf out was a bigger job than expected, as the guides/posts on this site suggest, must have been an excess of glue holding it in.

Depends what power you are running to the speakers. The original wiring is good enough for around 100W per channel - so easiest place to pick up speakers is the ISO block at the rear of the head unit, just run 4 pairs of wires back from the amp. If higher power, then best to run new cables to the speakers directly.

Cheers for that tip, did as you suggested. Not sure if they best thing to do, but ran those speaker cables down passenger side with the power feed. Ran the phonos down the drivers side.

Just got it all connected up, and working as started to get dark. I'm not after an expensive/loud system (just using spare bits of kit I already had), but the speakers sound woeful  :-/ on my first quick test. Amp has variable controls for low and high pass - should I be messing with those - or are the speakers in the CD really that bad?

Oh, and I have a dining room full of Omega interior that may take a while to put back. 

14

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: 03 2.2DTi CD - Replace CDR 2005 and add Amp

« on: 08 August 2009, 21:06:05 »

Small rubber bung was blending in with the darkness, muck and water in mine ( great guide to clearing out drain holes on this site  - which mind badly needed ).

Pulled the rubber bung with some pliers and neat little hole. Ok for my use as just running a small amp, may not be big enough for monster thick cable.  Made a 20 minute job take 5 minutes.

Need to add something around the wire to avoid it chaffing on the metal - will have a think about that tomorrow.



The white one is the top of the two that are behind the pollen filter, and just as you said this spare one is just a tad up from it.

15

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: 03 2.2DTi CD - Replace CDR 2005 and add Amp

« on: 08 August 2009, 17:39:00 »

Found it Andy - thanks

Will post a photo later.