problem with new head unit and rear speakers

**woodsey** · 08-06-2009,06:17 PM

Hi all new to your forums so hello! I just got my self an audi a3 tdi sport with bose and brought an alpine head unit and installed it over the weekend
I just have a few problems with it and was hoping i could get some advice from you guys on here.
First of all i have put the bose loom in that i got from auto leads but i have to manaully turn the power off and on now and doesnt go off when i turn ignition off. secondly the rear speakers are very quiet?
can any one help me out on this
also the display doesnt dim when i activiate the lights??

sorry for all the questions just thought this would be the place!
thanks

**woodsey** · 09-06-2009,10:12 PM

any help any one??

**Skeelsie** · 09-06-2009,10:46 PM

The power off with the ignition problem is that different vehicles use the switched live and permanent live feed differently. These are the red and yellow wires, if you swap these over the unit will go off with the ignition and remember it's setting properly. Common problem.

Are the speakers you installed component types, separate mid bass and tweeter? These require more power than the standard speakers to get moving so will be quieter due to lower sensitivity, most people use an amplifier to drive aftermarket components and use co-axial units which are typically more sensitive if you are just using the feeble amplifier (4x10W in real terms not the 4x40 of whatever is plastered over the heaunit and the marketing blurb) in the headunit.

The dimming issue will be a loom issue, or a feature not supported or currently turned off in the headunit settings somewhere, get the manual out or download from Alpine.co.uk's support section.

**woodsey** · 10-06-2009,07:09 AM

thanks for your help.
Ihave used the wiring loom as it come but noticed when i was wiring it up that one of the audi leads whic i am guessing is the ignition live is in a different location in the iso block so mayhave to get my tester out and then move some of the wires.
I havnt installed any speakers its a bose system so i just brought the adaptor so i can use the exisiting speakers.
The fronts sound really good and the backs are just quiet i didnt know if it was something to do with my pre outs or something else i was going to buy some y leads and try and get all the spoeakers thru the same pre out see what that does.
if you have any more help or suggestions i would appreciate it
thanks

**QuattroMAXX** · 10-06-2009,01:54 PM

if your car uses can bus for the stereo you may need to get a can bus adapter for the these bits to work, lights, ignition, speed pulse etc

**woodsey** · 10-06-2009,06:43 PM

how will i know if my car has this? any way of finding out?

**QuattroMAXX** · 10-06-2009,07:56 PM

when i pulled my concert II out of my a4 and replaced it with a bluapunkt i had the same problem.

the concert II sticker had reference to can bus high and can bus low on it

**johnwintle** · 10-06-2009,08:56 PM

The correct Autoleads adaptor should have sorted the power out, commonly the power wires for Ignition and permanent live can be swapped around on Audi/VW I think.

If your A3 is after about 2003 then it will more than likely be CANBUS, and an adaptor may be required to get the illumination and ignition power off to work correctly.

**woodsey** · 10-06-2009,10:00 PM

yeah it is 2004
the autloeads adaptor didnt look like it would do much
where can i get one of the canbus adaptors from

any thoughts on why the rear speakers are quiet?

**QuattroMAXX** · 11-06-2009,09:55 AM

try connects2 web site they do all this stuff. it sounds like the rears might me amplified, does your cars harness have rca in there or is it all iso connectors