I just got a 230 coupe yesterday. It's fantastic. It has the stock sound system, and I'd like to add a subwoofer. Someone told me that I can add a subwoofer to the stock system, without having to add an amp. Anyone know if this will work? Thanks.

 

I never seen anyone install a woofer and not install a amp. I think it can be done, but your car is going to sound like ****.
How much you planning to spend on your sound system.

 

I actually have a good amp and a 12" subwoofer I took out of one of my other cars. I'd probably go with a smaller subwoofer, though. I could use the amp, but it the system is already set up so one isn't needed, I'd probably do that. I think I saw that at least some of the earlier 230s had a bose amp already. I'm not sure what the current set up is.

 

I mounted a sub in the trunk and then cut a hole in the area were the rear arm rest folds up. Then I mounted a speaker grille. Works well. I also wire the amp to my cars amp. Accoding to what "standard" system and the year, it can be done as long as you don't get a hugh sub. I have the Bose system in my 99 and I wired the sub into the amp behind the trim inside the trunk left hand side. You will need some testing equipment for hot lead, ground, etc.

 

What year is your car? Does it have a factory sub?

Are you saying you want to replace an existing subwoofer with your 12", or that you want to connect your subwoofer to a left or right speaker output? If the former, it should work okay although a 12" may be too big for the wimpy factory amp to drive. If the latter, it won't work as a subwoofer. It'll just be a big lunky full-range speaker that sounds like it's cuttin' the cheese all the time.

If you want to connect your amp to the factory head unit, it will need "pre amp outs" or "line level outs." I've never seen a factory head unit with these outputs. I haven't seen everything, though. Any other connection is inferior to the extreme if even it can be made to work. Avoid these.

If the factory head unit does not have a subwoofer or pre amp outs, you need to get a new head unit.

 

Is is possible to take the right or left speaker output and put it through another amp and then to a 12 inch sub? Would this even work, or would is just sound bad?

 

I have a C320 and i was looking at the same thing to do in my car and if i were you i would go with one 10 inch sub or 2 10's with an amp. Iguesseach speaker has its own amp in the stock system. You want that amp to support your subs and if you don't have an amp for the subs it will probably cause poor sound and will not give you the full power of your sub. keep the subs at like 10's because you don't to have your subs suck out all your batteries life

 

so i could hook up a 10" with amp to lets say the rear right speaker output and it would sound good?

 

well if i were you i would connect it to the flip down center console in the back seat with its own ampand when your ridin dirty flip down that center console