Jump to content

Does my XE 1995 have a OE Amplifier?


Xmas
 Share

Recommended Posts

According to the wiring schematic, it depends on your speaker set-up. There's only one amp for the 4-speaker set-up and two for the 6/8 system (this includes tweeters).

 

The FSM shows the front amp mounted vertically in the dash behind the stereo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This front amp is apparently the one giving me my headaches. My front speakers come on and off at THEIR convenience. I have re-traced all my wiring and found them to be fine,so apparently its the amp cutting in and out!

 

It looks like a PITA to remove. Please let us know how it goes.

 

Mine work fine, but that's a problem in itself. I can turn my Sony head unit past +3 volume without it overpowering the speakers. It's very hard to find a happy medium between too quiet and pounding.

I'm afraid to disconnect them though. I don't know how it will effect the factory speaker wiring and I don't want to have to reroute the whole system.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This front amp is apparently the one giving me my headaches. My front speakers come on and off at THEIR convenience. I have re-traced all my wiring and found them to be fine,so apparently its the amp cutting in and out!

 

I have exactly the same problem in a '94 XE. I have 8 speakers (4 crappy ones and 4 tweeters) and I never even knew there was a second amplifier for the fronts. That would explain a *LOT!* My goal is to rip the stock amplifiers out completely and rewire directly to the head unit.

 

Mine work fine, but that's a problem in itself. I can turn my Sony head unit past +3 volume without it overpowering the speakers. It's very hard to find a happy medium between too quiet and pounding.

 

I ran into this, too, when I redid my stereo. The front/rear/left/right speaker wires in the wiring harness actually go to the amplifiers. Switch from your powered speaker outputs to line-level outputs, and they'll work fine. To say that differently, I got RCA-to-bare-wire adapters and connected the line-outs from my deck to the "speaker wires" in the harness, and the stock amplifiers are much happier with that signal. The volume control on the deck is now normal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To say that differently, I got RCA-to-bare-wire adapters and connected the line-outs from my deck to the "speaker wires" in the harness, and the stock amplifiers are much happier with that signal. The volume control on the deck is now normal.

 

I'll give that a shot. Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got a 94 with the 8-speaker setup. I started stock with a stock amp in back (which I cut the wiring and bypassed eventually), and I believe another stock amp up front that was killed when the stereo was installed. Now the only stock parts left now are the rear tweeters, but I've run a few different wiring configurations along the way. I now have some aftermarket tweets up front, Infinity Reference main speakers, Rockford Fosgate Punch 500.2 for the main speakers, and an Alpine 1000 watt amp with a 1 farad Monster capacitor to a single Fosgate HX2 DVC 12" sub.

 

First was a new stereo head unit (Eclipse) and the 4 bigger speakers (Infinity's), with stock amps. Volume control was an issue, as has been noted by others. Next was pulling the factory amps, cutting the harness and testing by trial and error to re-route those stock speaker wires around the amp. Finally I bypassed all factory wiring, and ran new and heavier gauge wire all the way around.

 

Anyways, enough run-on by me, sorry. Just saying, been there, done that. The last version, simply running all new wire, is by far the best as far as quality, and in all honesty, if you're already going in there to do any surgery (remove stock amp or even just put in an aftermarket one), it will most likely be just as easy or even easier to simply run new speaker wires altogether, rather than messing around with the stock wiring and cutting it up. You'll end up with bigger gauge wiring for better sound and quality. Plus, you could return the system to stock much easier if you wanted to for some reason, as the stock wiring isn't cut up into confetti. Just my 2 cents.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well apparently the stk amps are grounded thru the mounting tabs that hold them in place. I have removed both, and sanded the painted metal down to bare metal where the brackets hold and replaced the amps. Works perfectly now!! Hope this helps others,Good Luck!!

Easy enough to get to: Remove inside pass side rear trim(top and bottom) and both amps are held to body by phillips screws towards rear hatch!!

Edited by 95shakinPF
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with Mr.pickles the best sound will come from bypassing the stock system entirely. The little stock Clarion amps(both front and rear speaker amps are located in the rear on the passenger side above the wheel well) are a hindrance with a new deck and new speakers. They put out less power then most of the new decks out there. Remember these amps were designed to power crappy paper cone stock speakers. Running new wires to the front and rear speakers is a bit of work but getting mostly any panel off in these trucks is like two screws and a couple of clips at the most, it took me about 4 hrs to replace all the wiring but it was worth it. Now the stock tweeters will not work anymore as the high pass modulators that send the higher frequencies to the tweeters are built into the stock amps. I'm currently using dual channel speakers so the tweeters are built in, but i will eventually change to a component system. Oh one heads up for anyone running a sub put the power cable that runs to the sub on the opposite side of the truck that you are running any audio signal cables. The high power in that cable can cause distortion in the audio cables, but you know I'm just picky.

Edited by daver123
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...