FAQ: Reasons for not installing anything underneath the seats.

RedGTiVR6 · 07-14-2006, 07:56 AM

Reasons for not installing anything underneath the seats.

There is no place to properly ground anything underneath the seat. Most people would try and use the seat bracket bolts. These are not good grounding points for a few reasons.
- Usually these bolts are covered in grease, grit, or grime, thus making the ground a bad ground.
- These same bolts are usually covered in paint, as is the threaded part that the bolt goes into.
- Those mounting points usually have carpet underneath them, meaning that the ground is not solid.
That dirt, grit, and grime got there somehow. That same dirt, grit, and grime will get in whatever piece of electronic equipment you put underneath the seat.
Cokes, fries, onions, chili cheese dogs, cheetos, twizlers, etc. all end up under the seats. Do you really want that right next to your expensive electronic equipment?
If passengers can see it, they will mess with it. I know that we all like to think we can trust our friends. The fact of the matter is that people are curious. If they see a bunch of wires sticking out they will play with them. Not only will you risk having your passengers pulling things apart, you also risk them shocking themselves. Though you might think “Good, they deserve it then”, you can still be held liable. Sucks, but that’s the truth.
Even if you ask people to watch their feet, it’s like a magnet. Their feet will find their way under the seat. In doing, so they will break wires, break solders on boards, and introduce all kinds of foreign objects from their shoes that you don’t want around electronics.
The seat moves, you can try all you can think of, but it moves. There are things beneath the seat that will catch wires and pull them out. Moving pieces are never a good thing to mount next to or around unless you have the proper materials, and 9 times out of 10, you won't.
Do you really hate your equipment that much that you want to fart on it?! I'd sure hope not!

This is a general standard that many of the car audio shops follow. These are the reasons for that.

It's not a suggested practice.

Cheekz185 · 07-14-2006, 08:48 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Red GTi VR6

Reasons for not installing anything underneath the seats.

There is no place to properly ground anything underneath the seat. Most people would try and use the seat bracket bolts. These are not good grounding points for a few reasons.
- Usually these bolts are covered in grease, grit, or grime, thus making the ground a bad ground.
- These same bolts are usually covered in paint, as is the threaded part that the bolt goes into.
- Those mounting points usually have carpet underneath them, meaning that the ground is not solid.
That dirt, grit, and grime got there somehow. That same dirt, grit, and grime will get in whatever piece of electronic equipment you put underneath the seat.
If passengers can see it, they will mess with it. I know that we all like to think we can trust our friends. The fact of the matter is that people are curious. If they see a bunch of wires sticking out they will play with them. Not only will you risk having your passengers pulling things apart, you also risk them shocking themselves. Though you might think “Good, they deserve it then”, you can still be held liable. Sucks, but that’s the truth.
Even if you ask people to watch their feet, it’s like a magnet. Their feet will find their way under the seat. In doing, so they will break wires, break solders on boards, and introduce all kinds of foreign objects from their shoes that you don’t want around electronics.
The seat moves, you can try all you can think of, but it moves. There are things beneath the seat that will catch wires and pull them out. Moving pieces are never a good thing to mount next to or around unless you have the proper materials, and 9 times out of 10, you won't.

This is a general standard that many of the car audio shops follow. These are the reasons for that.

It's not a suggested practice.

This looks familiar!

RedGTiVR6 · 07-14-2006, 09:13 AM

yeah - I've been seeing a lot of people want to do it that way and not understand why it's not a good idea, so I decided to post it up here.

RedGTiVR6 · 07-14-2006, 09:24 AM

added a few other things in there as well...

breaker021 · 07-14-2006, 09:26 AM

gti - very nice list of reasons!

- sh00k

RedGTiVR6 · 07-14-2006, 10:18 AM

hehe - it happens, same here at my job, people just get ahead of themselves....no biggie! - deleted that post of mine since piabu PMd me and told me he deleted his to help keep this thread clean.

0l33l · 07-14-2006, 11:41 PM

Add another one: people will intentionally kick it to see if it restarts

lostreception · 07-15-2006, 08:58 PM

i happen to agre with many of the reasons but i have my case bolted to the top of the seat and there is a bumper on the back of the case i know that the bumper doesnt protect from everything but it does protects from cheetos coke dirt etc

and a good fart every now and then cleans the heatsink its a good thing

turbocad6 · 07-15-2006, 10:27 PM

hey, I have a ton of equiptment on sliding drawers under my 2 rear seats!!! I even built new seat mounts to accomidate these... the brain of my iva-d300 is under there, with the brain of my h700... the d300 expansion module, a 4 into one unilink box & the video box for my 15.4" overhead dropdown!!!!

I ALSO have a bunch of equiptment under the front passenger seat including a netgear dual hardrive network enclosure and a kyocera kr1 wireless router!, I'm adding another motherboard under there soon probably as well...

If I couldn't put equiptment under my seats I'd have no room for passengers

ah... maybe I should mention that my car is a minivan & the seats are a bit higher than an average car... PLUS I have stripped my interior to the bare & everything is prepped to accept this setup properly.... I even built a center wire tunnel that runns the center of the truck for the many wire harnesses that I have going on..... I can run a wire at any time from the front center console to the rear of the truck with a snake through a tunnel

the end story is, although everything you guys/gal has said has merit, there can be exceptions to the rules

red has pointed out how grounding points can be problematic under seats, & while this can be true, & a seat bolt can usually be less than ideal, this doesn't mean you can't run a ground TO under the seat along with whatever power your running...., & have it come from a good grounding point..

I'd also say that the biggest problem I see with under seat installs is that there not done right most of the time.... but if done correctly they can provide valuable space

you have to realize how much the center of the seat can come down when ocupied(a lot!), & you have to make sure you have more than adiquate clearance for FULL sliding back & forth, & up & down if applicable.... I have had situations that I have utilized this space & have had to limit the travel of the seat mechanically to accomidate it.... NEVER just trust that no one will move it!!!

most of the time to do this properly will involve removing the seat, & possibally building a mounting board, or pedistal brackets..... under the seat is NOT where you just want to slide something under there..... laying on the carpet.... that's what gives underseats a bad rep, is because most of the times it's done sloppily & you have to also account for bad weather conditions..... you'd be surprised how trashed the underseats can get in snow & stuff... if you use a bit of forthought the seats can be a good place for equiptment, if done properly...

also keep in mind that equiptment that requires good airflow can be problematic, amps can be problematic.... under seats is usually not an ideal space for equiptment, but not ruled out either......

Squidge · 07-25-2006, 02:55 AM

Another point to consider (as pointed out by my mechanic brother) is that newer cars actually use the underseat space for electronics such as the weight and airbag sensors in my 2005 Hyundai. This is becoming more and more common apparently. You don't even want to mess that kind of stuff up.

Flibblebot · 07-25-2006, 04:11 AM

My 4x4 came with the factory-installed CD autochanger mounted under the driver's seat. I was planning on ripping it out and putting the carputer there instead. I'll have to take a closer look to see what kind of protection it has.

LayinLo · 08-25-2006, 01:51 PM

Snow, ice, and rain also.

oz_moses · 01-01-2007, 06:20 PM

I do a lot of river crossings in my 4x4 and anything under the seats is likely to be flooded! Roof install for me on a custom tray that goes from the rear view mirror mount to the room light mount..

Pokiarchy · 02-01-2007, 03:04 PM

I believe my car is an exception. But please prove me wrong.

DodgeCummins · 02-24-2007, 07:25 AM

Unfortunately, my pickup does not have a trunk. The sub is under the rear seat.

So therefore the two amps, and computer go under the two front seats, and center seat respectivly...grounded to the large bolts that hold the seats in place.

The amps have been there since 1995 (truck was built fall of 95). The computer only since last year.

But to be fair...I hope to mount a new amp...to replace the others ON/IN the Sub box.