ICE upgrade

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Wed 2 Aug 2006 00:06
ICE upgrade - Felix
Hi backroomers,

Contemplating changing cars soon, a nearly-new C5 or Skoda Superb are near the top of the shopping list, both big comfy diesels that depreciate like hell in their 1st year or 2. However both come with very average stereos as standard unless (in the case of the C5 as far as I can tell) you are lucky enough to find one with higher spec factory unit. So I was wondering how difficult it would be to discreetly upgrade a standard system - I'd want to retain the same head unit for obvious reasons, still want the remote controls and display to work - but perhaps get an amplifier and/or better speakers fitted. Anbody any good/bad experiences of doing this to their car (whatever make)? I think C5s have got multiplex wiring or something like that, I was wondering if that would make any kind of upgrade a no-no. The alternative that crossed my mind was whether, if I were to find a C5 in the Citroen dealer network, the dealer would be able to fit the "premium" head unit for a price.
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Wed 2 Aug 2006 00:11
ICE upgrade - Altea Ego
The price to upgrade with citroen bits would be high, VERY high.

Multiplex wiring is not implemented on the audio output side of ICE.
So that means any decent car hifi outlet can fit you out with output amplifiers, good speakers and a woofer maybe, All fairly easy.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Wed 2 Aug 2006 00:33
ICE upgrade - SjB {P}
I had a Rover 420 GSi from 1994 to 1997; happy memories of a reliable car that was fun to punt along, but which had a decidely dodgy standard fit Philips head unit. On advice from my ICE dealer, the problem was solved by Alpine amp and (Cobra?) speakers that I fitted with ease, the former out of sight under the dash and the latter under the original covers; nothing to tempt thieves or overtly advertise I'd hacked a company lease car I wasn't allowed to (yes, the bits came out just before Lex came calling and then gave service in the Vectra SRi V6 Estate that followed!).

In short I was staggered how just over £100 on 2x20 amp and some half decent speakers (I only touched the pathetic rear speaker circuits) could completely transform a humdrum system, even though the cheapo head unit, front speakers, and front speaker level of amplification, was still in place.
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