# Audio Upgrade Project - Holden Astra Sedan MY18 (Rebadged Cruze)



## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

This thread references a Gen I US built Cruze, but I imagine a lot of it will still be useful:

[h=1]The SQ Car Audio Thread V2[/h]


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## tarlyncladdath (Apr 10, 2019)

Blasirl said:


> This thread references a Gen I US built Cruze, but I imagine a lot of it will still be useful:
> 
> *The SQ Car Audio Thread V2*


Thanks I had read through that one as well as the V1 part of that thread as well. Good info for sure....seems like XR has moved on to other things. If I was only doing this years ago...what a huge amount of knowledge he had.

Could use some of his advice on a very small sealed sq sub to look at for this build among other things!


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

tarlyncladdath said:


> Thanks I had read through that one as well as the V1 part of that thread as well. Good info for sure....seems like XR has moved on to other things. If I was only doing this years ago...what a huge amount of knowledge he had.
> 
> Could use some of his advice on a very small sealed sq sub to look at for this build among other things!


He has been pretty quiet lately, but he is still around.


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## Orangepeelmobile (Jan 9, 2018)

I have the aluminum version of those mids paired with the same tweeters in my trailblazer and I am very impressed with it! I also have the same mids paired with a set of css tweeters in my Cruze hatch and they sound great too. I prefer the sb tweeters though. For the sub, I have the 12" dayton reference HO in a ported 1.3ft3 tuned to 32hz. It's not an spl monster, but it sounds very clean and musical. I have also run it sealed at .88ft3 and it also sounded great, but it just wasn't enough output for me. In my other setup, I run a ported 15" idmax so I'm use to having more than enough substage. Also, I am running the dsp 408 and am super happy with it. Don't think you could do better than it with anything twice the price.


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## tarlyncladdath (Apr 10, 2019)

Wanted to give an update and some pictures of my progress to this point. Looking for good sources and prices on my listed parts and still looking for what sub and amps I want.

In the mean time I did install my Kicker Hideaway sub under the front drivers seat for that much needed boost to the stock system to get me by until I can get everything else rolling.

Unhooked the negative battery cable....believe it was a 10mm socket.














Then took out the drivers seat bolts so I could better access the space under the seat. Used a T50 Torx socket and a little bit of muscle but no breaker bar needed.


























I thought about completely removing the seat for complete access but I hit a roadblock in this yellow connector that I didn't feel confident enough about pulling on without knowing how it worked to mess with it so left it. Any help on how to disconnect this would be welcome for future reference.














I then started prying up the drivers side sill panel to run cables....find a ground...and hoped to see all the wires in the kick panel not knowing if it would be on the drivers side like it is in the Cruze or on the passengers side which would be the drivers side on the Cruze. Some pics of the connectors holding the sill panel in. No wires but a very nice ground to use!


























I ran the bass control knob up the drivers kick panel and into the little flip down storage cubby where I'll use a 3M pad to mount it in there which keeps it completely hidden.














Underneath the seat when test fitting the sub I realized there was a fancy cable tie thing stuck down just far enough to keep the sub from sliding in another inch or so which is certainly needed as the space is very limited under there. Cut that out and will just use a cable tie after install to keep the wires out of the way instead of this chunky thing hanging down in the way.














Ran the ground wire under the carpeting and foam to that before mentioned nice ground spot.














Ran the power cable back to the battery....again under the carpet and foam down the drivers side sill to the back seat. Went to the side/under the backseat just by pulling the wire through to the area where the battery is and connected it there. Will tidy up the wiring and cable tie it where needed. 10mm socket needed again from memory.














Continued........


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## tarlyncladdath (Apr 10, 2019)

Now needing to find somewhere to tap into the rear left and right channels for the high input on the sub I went over to the passengers side kick/sill panel and lo and behold I found the wires. Only issue is that its alot of wires and not much slack at all. Since I was wanting to preserve the rear speakers at this point and just tap into them I did not feel comfortable trying to fit 4 taps into that group of wiring so thought I'd look at the pillar near the rear speakers and see if it would be easier to do it there.








Wasn't too hard to take the pillar panel off....just the same connectors with two half hinge like pieces at the top.....getting it back on a completely different story. Don't attempt it unless you completely remove the seat as the angle you have to put it back on at is only possible when the seat isn't there. You have to put the top connectors into the holes at an extreme angle and then the rest just clips back on.














This exposes a hole covered over by tape where the speaker wires are. Again I was disappointed that its just too tight with no slack to get some taps in there comfortably.








As much as I was trying to avoid pulling the head unit I felt better about doing that and tapping into the wires behind it where I knew there would be enough room to work and install the taps comfortably. I took the drivers side center console panel off so I could run the high level wires behind the head unit.....just a few connectors. The wires run mostly under the carpet and foam to enter the center console area.


























How for the head unit....not alot of fun but at least there are some videos showing this. I'll post more photos of that process later but the two tricky parts is getting the main trim piece off without breaking it as its rather flimsy and the connectors are fairly hard to pop...hoping the next time they pop a bit easier and I'll have better tools. The other hard part is getting the two air vents out. There are two little tabs that need to be pressed down at the same time to slide it out...one is very visible and easy to see but the other is a bit hidden and may need a pick tool of some kind to actually hit it properly. A picture of the wired behind the head unit once you get behind it.








I tapped into the green(LR+) & green/black(LR-) as well as the white(RR+) & blue/black(RR-).

Tuned it up and everything works great!


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