Anyone know if the factory radio or the Nav unit have pre-amp outs for installation of an amplifier...if the nav unit is made by Alpine as I think I read on here somewhere it should...not sure about the factory radio though...anyone know what the wattage per speaker is on the factory and nav...

Also wonder if enough bass would act like a bulbous bow and help propel the car with better fuel economy by vibrating the car enough to help the air not "stick" to the surrounding areas...ok...I know...but it sounds good anyhow...

No.

And HELL NO.

The weight of the speakers actually will lower FE over time....

Humm...
.... raising the power drain on the electrical system by adding additional load will worsen your fuel economy for sure. It is not just the extra weight brought in by the additional audio equipment but also because it will inevitably affect your IMA battery state of charge. More juice for audio could mean a little less EV assist for your driving. If you notice the 12V battery in the engine bay is certainly not adequate to support higher loads over longer periods of time - so suplemental power would have to flow from IMA.

Cheers;


MSantos

True, very true. Forgot about that.

I understand that great mileage is one of the primary reasons people buy these cars, but worrying about changing the audio system cramping your high mpg rates is getting out of control. I viewed this thread in hopes of getting some information about upgrading the god awful sound system in my new car, and all I get is three replys mocking the poster for possibly harming his mpg by adding an audio amp.

Crazy.

Sorry, but that was definitly not mocking.

Many owners modify their vehicles with extra/alternate equipment often eroding the primary benefits/potential of their vehicle. They are definetly free to do that, but then by mainstreaming it, we would be defeating the principal goal of this forum - which is to help people meet and exceed the potential of their cars with (hopefully) good advice.

Of course, not everyone's primary benefits are centered on fuel economy, but it is nevertheless, THE ISSUE that concerns the majority of owners in this forum, so an answer emphasizing FE is not just normal, it is expected!

Regretfully, there are very few "enhancements" we can do to these cars that do not have a negative impact - Adding a higher power drain on the electrical system is just not one of them.

Cheers;

MSantos

tiggere,

Can't answer your questions, BUT you might check out www.crutchfield.com . They also have a toll free # 1-888-955-6000. I have found in the past, they know more than the car dealers about your car's electronics . They may be able to help you pick smaller yet better speakers, amp etc. I see no reason not to want to improve your sound - you still will get superior mileage if you drive carefully.

Regards,

Don
Best tank 67.5 mpg (555.5 mi.)
Best trip 91.5 mpg (42.2 mi.)

I just thought I'd share this info with you if you haven't discovered the answer, I have the HCHII without Navi, however I have added an infinity 10" with a 2 channel Fosgate amp bridged (900watts), I am still using the factory deck that came with the car, unfortunately there are no pre-amp outs for the install of an amp, you'll need to purchase that piece seperately (futureshop has a few pre-amp out products available), I believe the wattage per speaker is 50 maybe less. I just use the amp to power my lil sub and a half cap to buffer the extra amp requirements when I need that little bass kick. Over all my system sounds nice but if I had an aftermarket deck I'd be rolling in the bass.....unfortunately I have to turn the gain all the way up on my amp just to get the nice little kick sound I'm listening for.

Anyways good luck with your search

I have the Factory Alpine Navi head unit. I am trying to find photos of the back of the unit to see whats going on back there. I am going to be putting a small powered sub woofer under the passengers seat and want to find the easiest way to get the audio signal back to that seat. I think I can take power from the power plug in the center console.

anyone had this head unit out and snap a photo of it?

I have a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. I added a sub woofer box with 2 12"
Rockford Fosgate HE with a P5100 Amp that is 2 x 250 watts RMS. It
has TONS of bass. I have had the car since March 15th 2006. I have 20,500
miles. I have had the speakers in since June and have noticed to difference in my mileage. I average 50 MPG driving 65 mph on the highway (100 mile round trip to work everyday) Only thing I need to fiqure out is how to get the plastic rear deck lid from vibrating. With the bass turned up you cannot even hold it down !!! And no, I'm not a teenager. Just a 37 year old that like BASS in his music.