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sound problems...

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Posted by: takeoff8

i have a 96 mark with the Jbl speakers and latley the sound from the left side of the car has been lower than the right side.... i talked too a guy today and he said i should probably get rid of the factory stereo and cd changer, he also said that by changing the radio it would get rid of the factory amp as well... does this sound right or is another audio guy tryin to stick it too me???
he said it could be the outputs of the amp,radio, or cd changer.... i dont kno what too do

Posted by: Frat-man-du

On my, now long gone but not forgotten, '95 base it was the amp.

I got one off eBay for $10 and it fixed the issue. I might have been a loose connection, but I figured for $10 why not jut replace it anyway.

I had the optional Mobile Phone and think the amps are different so make sure you get similar one for your applciation.

Posted by: takeoff8

does ne one know if its possible to just replace the factory amp by just changing the radio....

Posted by: Jibit

a radio would normally have its only internal amp. The factory amp has an internal crossover that you will need for the speakers. Even though it won't be on you'll need it for that purpose. You'll be able to get wiring harnesses for all of this. If you do a search before Ray chimes in you'll find links to all the harnesses you need.

Posted by: bufordtpisser

Quote:

Originally Posted by takeoff8

i have a 96 mark with the Jbl speakers and latley the sound from the left side of the car has been lower than the right side.... i talked too a guy today and he said i should probably get rid of the factory stereo and cd changer, he also said that by changing the radio it would get rid of the factory amp as well... does this sound right or is another audio guy tryin to stick it too me???
he said it could be the outputs of the amp,radio, or cd changer.... i dont kno what too do

My 96 had and still occasionally has the same issue. All I do is unplug the connectors at the back of the radio and on the amp and after plugging them back in, everything works OK for 4 or 5 months. It is usually the plug on the back of the radio that causes my issues.

Posted by: JMiles_T

Not to hijack, but my question may be of some relevance:

Don't you need the factory amp to be attached for the power antenna to extend and retract?

Posted by: 1wykdmk8

Quote:

Originally Posted by School_Zone

Not to hijack, but my question may be of some relevance:

Don't you need the factory amp to be attached for the power antenna to extend and retract?

Simply put...no.

Posted by: 1wykdmk8

Quote:

Originally Posted by takeoff8

does ne one know if its possible to just replace the factory amp by just changing the radio....

The only bad thing with the JBL system is you need to leave the factory amp in because of the crossover points that are in there for the factory system. You have seperate speakers that are controlled by the factory amp. You can leave the factory amp in, and purchase a new radio, but you run the risk of blowing up the amp because most of the radios on the market now have 4V preamp outputs that will eventually fry the input of the factory amp. The other bad thing is if you replace the radio and the amp you will either have to build your own crossovers for all the speakers in the car, or see if you can purchase a crossover for each of the speakers so you can run a different amp.

Here is a link to some of the connections you will need depending on what you plan on doing.

Posted by: takeoff8

ok thanks alot for the feedback but here is my kicker problem, the amp too my subs blows my alternators..... if i upgrade my alternator will this alleviate the power issue?? i know my battery is good but once my amp starts pulling off the alternator there goes my charging system.

Posted by: 1wykdmk8

What the hell kind of amp are you running, and what alternator are you buying....a new one, or a rebuilt one? I have had over 1400 watts running in my car in the past with the Cobra alternator in the car....and never had any problems.

Posted by: meangy9

Yeah thats pretty crazy. i got an 1100 watt amp with just the reg. old stock alternator. You must have some other weird problem.

Posted by: MarkVIII93

Quote:

Originally Posted by takeoff8

ok thanks alot for the feedback but here is my kicker problem, the amp too my subs blows my alternators..... if i upgrade my alternator will this alleviate the power issue?? i know my battery is good but once my amp starts pulling off the alternator there goes my charging system.

Are you running a cap? If not, it might be a good idea.

Posted by: takeoff8

well i guess they have been rebuilt ones, but does that make a really huge difference, my amp is i guess 600 watt duel channel, that is the only thing i can imagine that would be the cause tho.... evertything else is stock, i would have liked too start too mod but with these stupid little problems, i'll just be throwin my money into a bottomless pit....yeah im done with autozone and advanced auto--- certified B.S u guys know how it is

Posted by: takeoff8

im not running a cap either, what would be my best choice at this moment??, one of the biggest things for me is losing the look of a stock radio and having too deal with other problems down the road, like needing all new speakers or amps, i just want subs and a good feeling that i'll be set with sound for a good long time