# 2012 VW Passat (B7) SEL SQ Install



## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

Hi!
After a lengthy period of collecting equipment and supplies, I've finally started installing a system in our 2012 Passat. 
The car came from factory with Nav and the upgraded Fender system. Although the system sounds ok ( 8 speakers plus a 10" sub), it is severely lacking in the highs, the lows, clarity and staging. So it needs to go.

The goal is to install a stealth 3 way + sub system while retaining the oem deck and retaining as much trunk space as possible. Ohh, I have to keep the spare tire and keep it easily accessible so the wife can use it if need be.

So on to the equipment:
Deck: VW oem RNS510 double din Nav.
Twitters: Vifa XT19 from 4khz up
Midrange: Wavecor FR070W01 2 3/4" from ~250 to 4000 hz
Midbass: Seas Excel W18NX 7" from ~60 to 250 hz
Subwoofer: JL Audio 12W7 or pair of ED E12.22
Amps:
McIntosh MCC404 running twits and mids
Arc Audio 4100SE bridged running mid bass
Arc Audio 2300SE running sub
Processor: Alpine H800 with Rux
Sound deadening: Dynamat Extreme, Acoustiguard M100D
Wiring: KnuKpncepts for speakers, Kicker Hyperflex for power.

That's all the time I have for today. Will update with pics and progress reports as I move along although I think it will be a slow build.
Thanks for looking!


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## Mless5 (Aug 21, 2006)

Exciting list of equipment that's for sure!


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## ws6drop (May 2, 2009)

Very nice. Who makes the oem deck?


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## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

Thanks... I'm a big fan of all the equipment I'm planning to use. I used to also have a Mcintosh MCC602TM but the thing was too big to fit anywhere without adding a few inches to the floor. It also weighted 52lbs of pure sex. I eventually sold it. 

I think the unit is made by Continental AG, who bought the business from Siemmens VDO. Not 100% sure. I think the speakers and oem amp are made by Panasonic. I'm at the hospital at the moment... Will post some pics soon 



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## virulentv (Apr 26, 2010)

poochieone said:


> Hi!
> After a lengthy period of collecting equipment and supplies, I've finally started installing a system in our 2012 Passat.
> 
> So on to the equipment:
> ...


Very interested in this build as I have the same car. Where (location) do you plan to add the Midrange ? 
I can't seem to find a spot for those, as driver kick panel has big hood release and a-pillar are obstructed by tweeters behind and window defroster.


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## hot9dog (Mar 23, 2013)

VW / AUDI freak here, so i have to watch this one. Lol


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## Shapin (Jun 23, 2015)

Any updates?


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## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

Hey, 
Yes I did manage to get some work done but stopped and didn't post for a variety of reasons. I'll be adding to the build log very soon. Stay posted!



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## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

Hi, I'm back after being way for a few months. When I started doing the install, I had some spare time as I took a few weeks off work to help my dad in his battle with cancer. I was on call during that time, but in between doctor/hospital appointments I managed to keep my mind busy with this install. Sadly, my dad passed away about a month after being diagnosed with lung cancer. It was a big shock to me and the family and I stopped working on the system at that time. 
I've gotten going again in hopes of finishing it before winter fully hits (or at least to have working system until I can finish it in the summer). I'm dedicating this one to my dad so I'll make it the best my humble fab skills and equipment can dish out. 
So here it goes... 

Given that there are very few build logs out there specifically for B7 Passats, I will be as detailed as possible. Since I've been taking lots of pictures along the way, I'll be posting lots of pics as well. I may get wordy with the hopes of giving others with intentions of doing an install in a B7 Passat some guidance and hopefully make it easier. 

Because my car is a daily driver, I have to do the install in small pieces and have it driveable should the wife need to use it. My fabrication skills are pretty basic as are my tools and work space so I won't be doing anything exotic.... But it will all be solid.

And on to the fun part... The pictures. 
This is the car. 




This is the oem deck.


This is what the stock trunk looks like. It's pretty big but I can't use up much of it. My plan is to only raise the stock floor by 1/2" while retaining the spare tire and oem cover. 





The build begins in the trunk by removing the floor and then trim panels prior to deadening. The panels can be easily extracted by unscrewing and removing black plastic rivet like trim holders. this step is easy and self evident. 
At least there's some stock deadening but not much. I deadened some areas with 50% coverage, some (long, straight unsupported) with 200%. It all depends where it was most effective. 
I forgot how big a pain in the rear it was to deaden a car properly. Since I couldn't find a roller, I used some mechanic's gloves to help my hands slide and press the dynamat into the nooks and curves without slicing up my hands. Life savers! As was a heat gun (it was chilly out and the mat was a little stiff) to help soften the mat and spread it around. I also used aluminum tape to cover over some of the exposed butyl areas and pretty it up (a trick I learned on DIYMA).

that's all I've got time for today. I'll be posting some more as time allows.


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## vwdave (Jun 12, 2013)

Ohh how I don't miss that trunk. I had a 2013 CC, very similar. The build sounds to have some very solid equipment. You might decide to scrap that head unit, I had the RNS-315 and I hated it. It worked well but never sounded right. I also never got a good 12v turn on from it, I ended up using the line going to a cig lighter in the trunk for turn on since they turn on with the ignition. I also ran a mcintosh in mine, it was the MC440 though.

Sorry to hear about your dad. That's never easy, but it's nice that you have car audio to turn to as a way to deal with it.

I'll be watching this one for sure.


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## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

VWDave, thanks for the heads up. I would like to try and keep the head unit due to the solid bluetooth pairing and integration with vehicle functions (displays temp changes, heat/AC settings, etc). Its mostly for the wife as i hate the slow reaction time the unit gives to inputs. I have a quad lock wiring adapter i'm hoping will pull the right turn on signal from the unit... time will tell. if its a bust, i'll just put an aftermarket Alpine in the double din space. I've since updated the equipment a little and will post a new list later today.


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## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

The trunk lid also received a treatment of dynamat wherever I could reach with my fingers. Again, the mechanic's gloves saved my hands from nasty scrapes on the sheet metal edges.









Once the spare tire well was done, I moved to the rest of the trunk and area under the rear seats. The large semi-flat areas in the rear quarter panels have 2 layers of Dynamat, even in areas not captured by the camera. The Dynamat made an impressive difference in the knock test. 












The area over the wheel wells didn't receive much treatment as its very structurally stiff and sound already.



Here is the Acoustiguard CCF/Mass Loaded Vinyl combo with 3M adhesive velcro tape. 



T

The intent was to stick this to the rear quarter panel. It didn't work and eventually fell down. The adhesive was not nearly strong enough to hold the MLV vertically... even smaller pieces. To get around it, I used Dynamat to hold the MLV in place. 





Here is the area under the seats. You have to be careful not to cover any fuel tank related openings.



Some more MLV around the wheel wells:





And now the oem deadening on top of it all:


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## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

Almost forgot to give credit where its due. 
The MLV/ Closed Cell Foam product I used is made by Acoustiguard , a local wholesaler, and is 1lb/ sq ft. The CCF is pre glued to the MLV so it's super easy to apply. I got the idea from MapleTech on this forum.


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## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

Next came the removal of panels and routing the wire. 
What a pain!!
I've taken apart dozens of cars, but this one was especially difficult. Lots of pulling and yanking for no good reason. While pulling some panels it felt like they may still be attached by a screw or something...when they weren't. Some needed strong yanks to get free. Patience is key when removing panels in this car. The kick panel area was especially painful to yank out. 
Once the panels were off on both sides, I ran 0 gauge power wire, bass gain for the Arc and the RUX cable on the driver's side. 
Here's the Kicker power wire:


The 0 gauge wire was inserted into the engine bay via a hole that I think is used for the manual transmission (mine is an auto). The hole is plugged with a rubber grommet:


to get to it from the engine bay, you remove the battery and pull back the firewall lining (arrow). The grommet area is highlighted in the circle.



I cut out hole in the center and used it to protect the wire from the firewall's edges. The hole can be accessed by removing the trim panel below the driver's side dash and above the pedals. You'll have to cut through the sound deadening on the inside of the cabin. A sharp X-acto knife will do the trick. The following are upside down pics of the area.





Here is what it looks like in the engine bay.



The power wire was then run around the battery to its front where the positive terminal is. I fabricated a mounting platform to mount the inline fuse holder (no pic).

Everything was zip tied every 6 inches or so, and to factory locations where possible. The car has a fairly large OEM channel to run wire so it comfortably accommodates all the wiring without creating any bulges once the trim panels and replaced.



Rear passenger area:


Tucking it all in, and although I don't show it, all the zip ties we trimmed.





The passenger side accommodated 6 runs of speaker wire (14 gauge for midbass, 16 gauge for midrange and tweet) as well as a 9 conductor speedwire from Stinger. The speedwire will connect to the OEM headunit via the Quadlock adapter to carry the high level outputs to the back of the car into the H800. I will probably use some stinger RCA tips I have laying around for custom RCA's.


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## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

Here's the Speedwire and speaker wire bundle being run on the passenger side:


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## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

And now back to the trunk. The idea is to keep it looking OEM looking without adding height to the floor, while hiding the Mac, H800, ground and distribution blocks, and eventually an Airenabler for wifi streaming. All this while retaining the spare tire and tools, and making them both easily accessible to the wife, should she ever need. The trunk is fairly large and has some wasted space which is occupied with molded foam inserts which create a flat surface for the trunk floor. I will replace all of these with some 1/2" birch which will also be cut into pieces for easy removal and access to the underlying equipment. Initially, a single large board was measured and cut to snugly fit into the trunk. 



Next, it was cut into 4 pieces, one of which will be the base for the amp rack in the spare tire well. 
Three of the pieces will be attached to the car's body via threaded rivets. This will keep them fixed and stable, as well as supporting the larger piece to act as support for the swiveling amp rack.





 

That's it for now. Gonna be a few days before I can update the thread. 
lmk what you think.


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Looks great brother, good looking list of gear as well. Sound deadening is fantastic. I am so glad you are doing this build log as a passat is on my list for possible next vehicle.

That trunk is huge lol. Keep up the good work as I am tuned in for this one.

**My prayers will go out for you and your family.**


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## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

Thanks for the thoughts and kind words #1BigMike. 

Over the last several months, as I wavered from continuing the build with the big Mac and Arc amps, I picked up a pair of JL Audio HD's (750/1 and 600/4) due to their compact size (making it way easier to install, and rated power at a variety of impedances. As equipment hunting kept my mind off things i accumulated some more (its a condition I think). I also picked up a brand new Arc 4200SE and more recently a pair of the KAXBLTWT tweets. They sound good and play way lower than the Vifa's so I'll eventually put them head to head and pick a winner for the front. The loser might get installed in the rear doors.
So the final equipment is still up in the air with the following choices:

Source: OEM RNS510 plus AirEnabler to feed hifi via wifi with optical out 
Processor: Alpine H800 with RUX remote.
Front tweeters: Vifa XT19 or KAXBLTWT
Midrange: Wavecor FR070W01
Amp: Mcintosh MCC404 / Arc 4100SE / JL HD600/4
Midbass: Seas Nextel W18NX
Amp: Arc Audio 4200SE bridged
Sub: JL 12W7 or EA12.22A x2 (undecided).
Amp: Arc Audio 2300SE / JL HD750/1

I'd be curious to know what combos people recommend... keep it all Arc? Use the MAC? slip in the JL's to save space and the electrical system?
let me know your thoughts.
Marco


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## virulentv (Apr 26, 2010)

poochieone said:


> Thanks for the thoughts and kind words #1BigMike.
> 
> Over the last several months, as I wavered from continuing the build with the big Mac and Arc amps, I picked up a pair of JL Audio HD's (750/1 and 600/4) due to their compact size (making it way easier to install, and rated power at a variety of impedances. As equipment hunting kept my mind off things i accumulated some more (its a condition I think). I also picked up a brand new Arc 4200SE and more recently a pair of the KAXBLTWT tweets. They sound good and play way lower than the Vifa's so I'll eventually put them head to head and pick a winner for the front. The loser might get installed in the rear doors.
> So the final equipment is still up in the air with the following choices:
> ...


Really sorry to hear about your father. My condolences to you and your family.

Excellent Build! Go with MAC as much as possible. No comparison. 

Where are you going to install the Wavecor mid-range?


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## hot9dog (Mar 23, 2013)

I like where this install is going!!


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## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

I'm thinking of installing the wavecor and tweets on the A pillars. Currently hunting for an extra pair to do the fabrication without parking the car.

Thanks hot9dog... I've been following your install since the beginning . Nice work!


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## BumpinJetta (May 17, 2013)

Use the JL HD's. They dont get enough love on this forum. Cant beat the compact size vs performance. A 750/1 on the 12W7 will beat that trunk up.


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## GotaCC (Sep 13, 2013)

Looks like things are moving along nicely! How did you tap the HU for signal?


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## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

The JL's are seriously appealing to the practical side of me that just wants tunes in asap. 
I haven't tapped the signal yet, but will be using an Enfig adapter: 
http://enfigcarstereo.com/ENFIG_AAI4_VW12.html


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## jay.ulch (Jul 4, 2011)

poochieone, with the Alpine DSP did you maintain factory volume controls? I am looking for a DSP that I can keep the use of the factory head unit and steering wheel controls.


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## CozzaP (Dec 7, 2015)

sweet!


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## atownmack (Mar 20, 2013)

Im gonna steal some of these ideas for my build in my 2010 Passat. Ill be sure to post a build log.


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## jay.ulch (Jul 4, 2011)

Has anyone else used the ENFIG adapter? I used it and thought that I would retain factory volume control. Anyone else have any experience with these?


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## atownmack (Mar 20, 2013)

Did you ever get around to installing he xt25's? I purchased a set myself, but curious to see where you mounted yours.


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## atownmack (Mar 20, 2013)

How did you get the speaker to through the door rubbers? Did you drill through the plastic molex connectors?


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## jay.ulch (Jul 4, 2011)

Yes, I had to drill through the Molex connector...Wasn't too difficult.


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## Black Rain (Feb 27, 2011)

poochieone said:


> Next came the removal of panels and routing the wire.
> What a pain!!
> I've taken apart dozens of cars, but this one was especially difficult. Lots of pulling and yanking for no good reason. While pulling some panels it felt like they may still be attached by a screw or something...when they weren't. Some needed strong yanks to get free. Patience is key when removing panels in this car. The kick panel area was especially painful to yank out.
> Once the panels were off on both sides, I ran 0 gauge power wire, bass gain for the Arc and the RUX cable on the driver's side.
> ...


What did you mean by "Quadlock Adapter" ??

Also, do you have any new updates on the VW?

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## Jaloosk (Jan 13, 2010)

Black Rain said:


> What did you mean by "Quadlock Adapter" ??
> 
> Also, do you have any new updates on the VW?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


It's the molex plug that connects to the back of the factory radio.


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## Jaloosk (Jan 13, 2010)

Oops sorry I posted this in the wrong thread /dumbass


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## Black Rain (Feb 27, 2011)

Poochieone.... are there any updates on this build? How is the Enfig adaptor working out?


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## Black Rain (Feb 27, 2011)

poochieone said:


> Hi, I'm back after being way for a few months. When I started doing the install, I had some spare time as I took a few weeks off work to help my dad in his battle with cancer. I was on call during that time, but in between doctor/hospital appointments I managed to keep my mind busy with this install. Sadly, my dad passed away about a month after being diagnosed with lung cancer. It was a big shock to me and the family and I stopped working on the system at that time.
> I've gotten going again in hopes of finishing it before winter fully hits (or at least to have working system until I can finish it in the summer). I'm dedicating this one to my dad so I'll make it the best my humble fab skills and equipment can dish out.
> So here it goes...
> 
> ...


I'm about to start deadening my B7 trunk. What did you do about the denim insulation padding that VW installed in the trunk cavities? Did you reuse it after the Dynamat?

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## Black Rain (Feb 27, 2011)

Poochieone.... Whenyou worked on your door speakers, did you encounter any issue? I now have a Door handle sensor problem..... just seeing if it something I did or something common?


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## Black Rain (Feb 27, 2011)

PoochieOne, are there any updates to this buildlog and/or pics?


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