I've just been in the back of my car changing the seat belt and it required me to take the subwoofer out.

I got a bit confused when taking it out - there's a box on the top of it that has nothing plugged in to it:

There is a smaller multiplug coming out of the join where the top part of the box meets the lower part (you can see where it comes from in the first image, above):

This connects to a loom that runs towards the front of the car somewhere.

The sub works, I can hear it changing the bass as I play with the settings on the radio.

Does this sound right?

Someone has definitely been in here before me (I'm finding this with everything I need to work on so far....) as one of the top mounting nuts is completely missing and the other one wasn't even finger tight. All four screws holding the CD changer cartridge in are missing too.

Hmm, looks like you've got a mixture of old and newer, on mine it doesn't have the box, amp is inside screwed to speaker base, just googled the number on box, it's says door amp ! Another possibility is your sub is from a disco,,

Certainly sounds as though the sub has been changed. As David's car is one of the very last P38s, I would have thought it would have the DSP system. That would have involved the black box with a 40 odd way connector. Maybe someone has tried to use a door amp to drive the sub and then found it isn't necessary? Or it's one of Marty's prototypes.......

To be honest, I thought I did have the DSP system.

The button on the radio that cycles through treble and bass etc has an option for DSP and it makes the radio sound such better.

I'll have a play with the button tomorrow in case I'm remembering it wrong.

The DSP system has a hoofing great DSP amp lurking behind the sub that connects to all of the speakers rather than individual amps in each door. You may well have one which further confirms the sub has been changed.

I wasn't really paying attention what was behind the trim panel when I had it off. I had a quick scan around for a large white plug, couldn't see one and got on with replacing the seat belt and putting it all back together.

I might have another root around behind there when it's back from the MOT station tomorrow.

That is one of the later subwoofer units, with the monster sized amplifier bolted to the back of the speakers. What has probably happened previously is the subwoofer has failed, and someone has bought that one as a replacement (as it has the twin woofer speakers) and the amp bolted to it, then realised the connection is different and transplanted the proper amp into the woofer box.

Whilst the amps all have the same E26640 label on them, there are differences between the front/rear/subwoofer versions.

If you have the later amp/sub arrangement like that, and you have a DSP option on the head unit that makes it sound better, then you are in the lucky minority of P38 owners who have the later Premium (DSP) sound systems that still actually work..

I guess that explains the slightly less than OEM look of the wires coming out of the sub. It looks like someone has drilled a hole for the cables then tried to seal it black sealant.

That makes sense if they've fitted a different amp inside it.

Used cars are full of mysteries from previous owners!

RutlandRover wrote:

I guess that explains the slightly less than OEM look of the wires coming out of the sub. It looks like someone has drilled a hole for the cables then tried to seal it black sealant.

That makes sense if they've fitted a different amp inside it.

Used cars are full of mysteries from previous owners!

I think the crap drilling and black sealant is factory, unless the same guy owned mine aswell

Me too. I've got a couple of the early single speaker subs and they also feature the sealant round the cable hole

Yep, the wiring in through the join of the sub cabinet and black sealant is how they came from the factory....

Fair enough. Land Rover build quality I guess!

I played with the radio button this morning, on the way to the MOT station.

I have a treble setting, a bass setting then a DSP setting. Setting it to DSP Spatial sounds the best. That it's there and makes a difference suggests I do have the DSP system.

In other news, only two advisories on the MOT. Rear brake pads getting low and brake fluid reservoir getting low. Only really one thing there. Replacing the brake pads will push the fluid back to where it should be.

I'm happy with that!