Help Please!!!! I'm Stupid...

[_goREDgo_]

ok guys, so i got Red about 2 years ago and have never head ANY sound come out of the speakers in the dash or those tweeters surrounding the windshield.

Red is an 01 gls with the monsoon package. a cpl of months back i installed a new head unit (a kenwood kdc-x493) and had some problems with it. i had no idea that the monsoon package included an amp. so when the good ppl at crutchfield told me, i was pleasantly surprised.

unfortunately, it seems there is power going to the back of the car (to the amp and the 9v jack) but the amp does not turn on or atleast that's what crutchfield thought.

could this be why i have yet to hear any sound out of the front or that my speakers sound only ok (they're not cheap but kenwoods).how can i tell if the amp is even on?

i just purchased a used amp from a fellow org-er, GINA and would like to hook that puppy up. stupid question, but will i have to re-wire everything or just hook it up the new amp? if this will not be a go, then can you suggest a good amp wiring kit?

thanks for the help!!!

[sean_fabanich]

ok...well when you wired up ur new radio did you wire the blue (or possibly blue and white) wire to anything....thats the wire that tells the amp to turn on...its called a remote turn on or amp turn on lead....and is the amp thats wired up the factory original amp or an aftermarket amp????

typically if you replace your headunit you would want to bypass the factory amp...however the issue with that is the kenwood can only safely run 4 speakers....if you dont bypass the amp then u end up sending an amplified signal out of the kenwood to your factory amp...whose imputs where meant to recieve a low power pre amped signal...so basically your factory amp is recieving an amplified signal...and could be the cause of poor speaker performance....on top of all that...tuning the radio and amp is more of an art than a science...if you dont have experience you probably dont have a clue where to start or what to adjust.

how many speakers are in the car?
i have a 99 non monsoon system which ive completely replaced....my suggestion is that once you start to replace factory stereo parts...especially when a factory amp is in play....then you replace all the parts....let me know how else i can help

[_goREDgo_]

i'm not sure about that blue or possibly blue & white wire. i'll have to check it out to see if that could be it. i checked out the amp in the trunk and its the one that came with the car (it's so small!)
as for the speakers i have 4 (2 in the front doors and 2 in the back). oh and i just remembered that they're not kenwoods but polks. duh! sorry about that

this car is really nuts. i got Red from a mom & pop dealership and have had the weirdest stuff ...

the battery wasn't the correct one (it didn't fit the housing for it but instead looked like a motorcycle battery), Red had 4 different brands of tires on him, the dipstick has a screw for a ring (i guess it broke off), there is bondo on the front grill near the fog lights, there were only 2 speakers in the car (2 in the front doors) and there was even a custom housing made for the 2 speakers. no CD player though it was supposed to have come with one. oh and if you open the car and sit it in or something without locking it or unlocking it, it'll lock itself. or if you leave the keys in the ignition with the car off the alarm goes off. also, the panic button on my remote does not work. oh and it only came with 1 remote and that's all. i'm just confused...

[sean_fabanich]

well actually some of those issues are not issues. the doors locking things...thats normal...so you dont leave it unlocked. the rest i cant say much about...haha. but the stereo...i can probably help.

ur best best would be to bypass the original amp and hook up a new one....dont bother hooking up a new stock amp...as that amp was designed to push the original speakers which probably had a weird impedance...and ran at 20-25 watts rms. your polks are probably a 40-50 watt rms speaker.

couple other questions....are the front speakers component speakers? (do you have speakers in the door and also a smaller tweeter in the sail panel above the dash..?) did you install these polks....? if so did you check wire colors to make sure the pos and neg wires are hooked up correctly? and explain the custom housing....are the speakers still in the door, still 6.5".

by the way u should be looking for the blue wire....the blue white wire is for a power ant. which you dont have. im not sure which wire in the original harness is the amp turn on wire that you need to wire it to....but honestly its probably not worth the time...as that amp really will never run those speakers to their best potential...in a lot of cars that wont make much difference...but due to how the speakers are placed in the car...unless properly powered youll never get great response.

let me know if you need direction install the other amp you purchased...which im curious about...what is it?

[_goREDgo_]

yep, the fronts are component speakers but as for the rest of them (ones in the dash and the tweeters near the windshield i have no idea.) they came with the car and for all i know, there's nothing even in there. again, maybe that's why i haven't been able to hear anything out of them. lol.

my sis' husband owns an auto shop and he installed the polks for me. he didn't charge me anything so i'm not sure if they're even hooked up right. i really couldn't complain, again since he did it as a favor.

the custom housing for the speakers was pretty simple, wood box with a big hole in the center to hold the speakers in place. one of the original speakers (ones that it came with from the "dealership") was blown, a cheap jensen and it didn't even fit the custom housing. i think that when they were gonna sell the car they just parted it out.

the polks i have are 6.5'' and they don't fit that custom housing. the one on the passenger side tends to rattle (the screw doesn't reach to the hole in the box) when i listen to things with a lot of bass.

the amp i just got from GINA, a fellow org-er is...
Sony XM-4045 -
- 4/3/2 Channel power amp
- 40W x4 at 20-20,000Hz, .04% THD

she has pics posted on the thread...
FS: 2 amps, sold as-is

i'm really gonna need help with that install, so if you got tips, i'm all ears!!!

thanks!!

[sean_fabanich]

ok...well im a lil curious about the front speakers. the original speakers are riveted in place...so alot of people arent sure how to install something else...maybe thats the reason for the custom boxes...if i were you id take out the boxes.....then all you need is a set of plastic speaker spacers that metra sells. they make a half inch and a ful inch spacer...i used the full inch..but either should work....i think they typically are used for chrysler vehicles. all you do is cut off the mounts on the sides of the spacer and use a few self taping screws to mount the spacer to the door...then mount the speaker to the spacer...or just get longer self tapers and drill straight from the speaker thru the plastic to the door...be careful not to drill into any wires...and dont use screws that are too long..remmeber your window rolls down and needs clearance.

anyways. the sony amp isnt a bad choice...but typically sony amps are somewhat overrated in power....and usually dont have the best clean amplification....(keep in mind your talking to an installer and im kinda picky) its just that we have a car that is not easily made to sound good. the doors provide little back pressure and the rear speakers float...so there is very little bass response...especially if the windows are open and youre on the highway.

ur best bet would be to add a sub. id take pics of my install but i recently removed it to sell...then the buyer of course backed out....so now its just sitting in my living room(im recently unemployed due to the closing of circuit city...so i thought id suffer with no bass and sell the amp and sub till i get a new job)..and i hate driving around cause i cant get any decent bass. anyways..moral of the story...u probably wont get any decent bass unless you have a sub...even if you amp the speakers.

the secret to any install is to make sure at least 3 of your 4 pieces are of decent quality. so you have a good headunit. a good set of speakers. and a mediocre amp...so id be sure to use higher quality rca and power and ground wire. (plus you need ot make sure the speakers are hooked up right...or as a pro would say....in phase...not out of phase...basically check the wires and make sure they are positive to positve and neg to neg....

beyond all that i have to be honest...doing the amp install is detailed..and without install experience this can be quite a challenge. if you arent an installer youll probably never get the best sound from the system without having a "pro" tune your radio and amp once it is installed...so go check at a local shop and ask them how much they would charge to tune a radio and 4 channel amp....then ask how much theyd charge to do the full install. if its affordable...have them do it.

beyond that..when picking equipment...like an amp...it is really tough.....rms wattage is the only thing on a stat sheat of amp that should be right...althou better brands usually well surpass there supposed ratings...while lesser brands barely make it. for your everyday affordable stuff id suggest brands like mtx, kicker, kenwood. the sony amp...while i hate to sound rude...is more on the lines of a jensen kinda of quality. so again...to be honest...once you get it hooked up it probably wont sound much better than what the kenwood headunit can do. especially since the car is not sound freindly.

you have a few options....

1...bypass the amp and use the kenwood to power the speakers...
2. install the amp...but again it probably wont sound any different then just using the kenwood....or atleast the difference between the two wont be worth the cost of an ampinstall kit and the amp...and the frustration of the install.
3. drive to pittsburgh and ill do the install for you...haha. i have plenty of free time.

ill help you as much as possible....i just want you to understand what your getting into before you go and do it and arent happy with it.

i would suggest getting a 5 channel amp (one that can run a sub and door speakers) and a capacitor (as the cars alternator is not strong enough to charge the battery and power any decent amp....youd notice lights dimming and probably have to replace the battery or alternator sooner)and also a subwoofer....a simple ten in a box designed for a truck will work well....or just go crazy and buy my set up..haha

either way..youll need a ton of patience to do the install and you probably dont have the tools to do the job more easily or correctly...last thing you want to do is try to improve your car and end up breaking a panel or scratching it up.

let me know how i can help

[a_happier_me]

goRed, I have only one suggestion, and it comes from working with my hubby who is a professional audio sparky...

If you're not absolutely 110% sure of what you're doing, you are much better off letting someone who does do it for you. In the end, the cost of having them do it right the first time very much outweighs the cost of them having to fix something you may screw up. I can only speak for our engineers, but a fair amount of them won't 'fix' problems caused by the consumer, because if they are to take responsibily for anything going wrong with the system, they will only undertake this project from scratch. If you're unsure of the cost of having them do it, ASK!! Most places will give you an estimate free of charge before they even start. A good installer will either have, or be able to get the correct spacers for your speakers, have a supply of the correct self tappers and the correct amp leads for your beetle. They will also be able to adjust your bass...etc...

Better to be safe than sorry.

[sb_beetle]

Originally Posted by sean_fabanich

typically if you replace your headunit you would want to bypass the factory amp...however the issue with that is the kenwood can only safely run 4 speakers....if you dont bypass the amp then u end up sending an amplified signal out of the kenwood to your factory amp...whose imputs where meant to recieve a low power pre amped signal...so basically your factory amp is recieving an amplified signal...and could be the cause of poor speaker performance....on top of all that...tuning the radio and amp is more of an art than a science...if you dont have experience you probably dont have a clue where to start or what to adjust.

If done properly there is no reason to bypass the Monsoon amp.
I've been running an Alpine 45w through my amp no issues for 5 years.

My guess is that when the "component" speakers were installed they took the dash speakers out of the equation and disconnected them altogether. Like the American in Ireland suggested... get someone with experience to have a look.

[_goREDgo_]

how would i know they actually disconnected the dash speakers? where would they connect?

thanks!! i love all this feedback guys!

[sb_beetle]

Originally Posted by _goREDgo_

how would i know they actually disconnected the dash speakers? where would they connect?

thanks!! i love all this feedback guys!

If it was done right they pulled the lead right off of the plug from the amp or pulled the leads off of the dash speakers and backed them up through the harness to the door location.