HOW TO: LS430 Mark Levinson EVERYTHING w/Pics & part#s
#91
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Subwoofer repair and/or installation:
What to consider when Looking for a replacement aftermarket sub:
* 8" sub so it can fit in the factory spot
* Infinite Baffle/Free air design, if you want it to sound properly
* Try finding closest to 16ohm, so you will not trip your system protection
* You can have 8ohm dual voice coil ran in a series to make it a 16ohm
* RMS under 100, To keep your amps life longer and not killing it
Here is good and cheap replacement ($80 per pair from www.crutchfield.com)
Power requirements are ok to work with factory amp w/out adding much more stress on it.
Brand: Kicker 10C88 Comp 8" 8-ohm subwoofer
Size: 8 -inch
Free-Air: Yes
Impedance: 8 ohms
RMS (Watts): 50-100
Peak (Watts): 200
Cone Material: Injected Polypropylene
Sensitivity: 85.6 dB at 1 volt
Dual Voice Coil: No
Surround Material: Ribbed foam
Top Mount Depth: 4 1/16 inches
Frequency Response: 30 - 500 Hz
What to consider when Looking for a replacement aftermarket sub:
* 8" sub so it can fit in the factory spot
* Infinite Baffle/Free air design, if you want it to sound properly
* Try finding closest to 16ohm, so you will not trip your system protection
* You can have 8ohm dual voice coil ran in a series to make it a 16ohm
* RMS under 100, To keep your amps life longer and not killing it
Here is good and cheap replacement ($80 per pair from www.crutchfield.com)
Power requirements are ok to work with factory amp w/out adding much more stress on it.
Brand: Kicker 10C88 Comp 8" 8-ohm subwoofer
Size: 8 -inch
Free-Air: Yes
Impedance: 8 ohms
RMS (Watts): 50-100
Peak (Watts): 200
Cone Material: Injected Polypropylene
Sensitivity: 85.6 dB at 1 volt
Dual Voice Coil: No
Surround Material: Ribbed foam
Top Mount Depth: 4 1/16 inches
Frequency Response: 30 - 500 Hz
#92
Moderator
Its likely that any 8 ohm sub woofer will run OK , just don;t get a 4 ohm one as that will definitely cause problems.
Another alternative is to have current speaker repaired -
http://www.parts-express.com/speaker...nter/index.cfm
Another alternative is to have current speaker repaired -
http://www.parts-express.com/speaker...nter/index.cfm
#94
Driver School Candidate
#95
#97
No mods @ all, it literally dropped in the slot. One thing though, I did not put the top bracket back on that holds the speaker down but the speaker fits snug in the bottom bracket anyway. The JL sounds about the same or a little better (matter of opinion). I just didnt want to spend the $350+ that the "stealership" wanted for a replacement. I found the sub on ebay for $65 & it took me about 2 hrs start to finish.
#98
I just installed the Kicker 8 Ohm Sub. You can tell by comparing the Kicker versus the Mark Levinson sub that the Kicker has way higher construction quality. To use the Kicker sub, you have to drill holes in the metal deck to anchor it down. There does not appear to be a way to use the OEM mounting hardware. I used #8 stainless steel 3/4" sheet metal screws with thread locker glue to screw it to the deck. You need one of those mini cordless drills to drill the holes because the clearance between the deck and rear window is too small for a full size drill. I placed the Kicker sub in the speaker deck and used a fine point sharpie to mark all 8 mounting hole locations. It took me a few of tries to get it perfectly centered but you need to pay attention to this step or you will be drilling in the wrong places. I actually wiped off the first 2 marking attempts with a little acetone on paper towel because I wasn't satisfied with the alignment. After I got 2 holes perfectly aligned, I screwed down both holes and then drilled the remaining 6 holes right through the speaker anchor holes for perfect alignment. I vacuumed the drilling metal chaff out of the speaker deck and off the sub before moving on with the install. BTW, removing and replacing the rear dash panel was the most difficult part of the project. The project did have me cursing at times but the new kicker sub has a great sound to it. I haven't cranked up the volume yet because Crutchfield suggests a 20 hour break in period before playing it loud. The Kicker 8 ohm was the closest spec brand new sub I could find to the 12 ohm OEM. All the stereo experts I consulted told me that it was highly unlikely for the 4 ohm difference in resistance (8 vs. 12 ohm) could cause a problem with the amp (why would Lexus use something as obscure as a 12 Ohm sub??)
#99
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BizEagle, Thanks for posting your installation procedures and outcome. I think I will try this but was initially concerned since it did not have the dual voice coil as described earlier. Did the wires clip on the new sub easily or did you have to purchase new hardware for that as well. Thanks
#101
BizEagle, Thanks for posting your installation procedures and outcome. I think I will try this but was initially concerned since it did not have the dual voice coil as described earlier. Did the wires clip on the new sub easily or did you have to purchase new hardware for that as well. Thanks
Also, one more step I did not mention earlier is that there is thick foam insulation on the rear dash cover and when you remove the dash cover, the foam may come loose from the dash cover. Mine was loose but I suspect the mechanic who replaced my rear struts actually pulled it loose because you have to pull the rear seat and dash to get to the bolts atop the rear struts. To reattach the foam, I used 3M Super Trim Adhesive. Follow the directions on the can which will tell you to spray the adhesive on both surfaces and let it cure for at least 4 minutes before pushing the surfaces together. I also put some pressure on the bond to be sure the surfaces stuck together.
Another helpful point was that I put the seat bench in the car to sit on while I drilled out the deck and re-installed the rear dash. It was a lot softer than sitting on the bare metal in the car. Again, it was a bigger project than I anticipated but if you have the time, it was rewarding. I just parked my LS430 for a few days and drove my other car so I would not be under any time pressure. If you have any other questions, just leave them on here and I will check back in a few days.
#104
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Just installed my Kicker sub and it sounds great. Not an easy job. Took every bit of 3 hours from start to finish but I could easily do it in under 2 hours now that I know how everything comes apart. I completely took out the entire rear seat out of the car (much easier with two people btw). All in all, I am very happy with the effort and love the quality sound I have now. That crackling was annoying enough that I never turned music on. Thanks to all who contributed to this thread. Anyone else needs help, let me know.