Automotive audio guru's. any in here?

#1
Obsessed

Obsessed

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#1
Car in question:

2003 mustang cobra convertible with mach sound system.

I bought car used and noticed that while the music is cranked up the bass would just die.
I did some reading and it pointed out that I must have aftermarket speakers because the mach system is a 1 ohm set up. (Aftermarket speakers are 4 ohm)

Pulled door panels and sure enough. 6.5 jvc component speakers. So in essence the amps (stock) shut down. My goal is to put in new double din receiver and let it power the speakers then a single 12 in the trunk with a amp.

I've tried my best but to no avaiable have I found this mysterious amp bypass harness that will allow me to remove factory amps and still use existing wires.

Any help or guidance will be appreciated.
 
#6
#6
Obsessed said:
I've tried them as well (online) and only show option for standard audio system. Thanks though. Ill call them tomorrow and see if they can help me out if no one has any ideas on here.
Click to expand...

None of the mustang forums have any idea? I get confused about ohms.
 
#7
#7
Nerd-Vol said:
None of the mustang forums have any idea? I get confused about ohms.
Click to expand...

I have found older discussions on it that will have links to said harness. But links are no good now. I guess I could start a thread on one of them and see.

My understanding of ohms is lower the ohm the higher quality the sound ie: Bose Mach and jbl car audio set ups.

I just want to use factory wiring. Take forever to re-wire.
 
#8
#8
There are sometimes harness options, but 99.9% of aftermarket car stereo gear is 4ohm, which basically never plays well with 1ohm (Bose, Mach, etc).

There are ways to get decks to interface with 1ohm, basically by converting speaker line to RCA then back into 1ohm speaker line, but it sounds like crap.

Unless there's an aftermarket module I'm not aware of (sometimes there is), your best options are basically to either reinstall the stock gear, or if you want aftermarket, running new speaker wire for the whole car, which is a pretty big task.
 
#9
#9
Obsessed said:
I just want to use factory wiring. Take forever to re-wire.
Click to expand...
You're basically gonna have to find the stock components, and in decent shape.

Hate to say it, but with any car that old, if it has any sort of premium sound system, it's going to be a PITA.

1ohm does provide better sound but stock materials still aren't that great, car stereos of any variety have a hard time making it past 10-15 years.
 
#10
#10
milohimself said:
There are sometimes harness options, but 99.9% of aftermarket car stereo gear is 4ohm, which basically never plays well with 1ohm (Bose, Mach, etc).

There are ways to get decks to interface with 1ohm, basically by converting speaker line to RCA then back into 1ohm speaker line, but it sounds like crap.

Unless there's an aftermarket module I'm not aware of (sometimes there is), your best options are basically to either reinstall the stock gear, or if you want aftermarket, running new speaker wire for the whole car, which is a pretty big task.
Click to expand...

That's the problem. I have upgraded aftermarket speakers. The amps are factory and designed for 1 ohm. They see 4 ohm and the bass shuts off. The mustang forums speak of a harness called a amp bypass harness. But search nets me little info. I've started a thread on a mustang forum. Hopefully it will get me the results needed.

There has to be a way to bypass these amps and remove them. Stock speakers to go back in are high, especially to only net a average at best sound.

Thank you for your response though.
 
#11
#11
You can bypass them with your own amplifier, but the wiring situation still wouldn't be optimal. It's not just the components that are 1ohm; the entire system is designed for it.
 
#12
#12
2nd and last paragraph is what I'm after except I have no desire to run amps for replacement speakers that are in car. Will let head unit run them and I'll put a mono amp in to run the sub in the trunk.

I just want to do away with factory amps with out having to re-wire. Seems to silly to me to use a 10 year old system.

Engine/tranny/suspension are getting upgrades. Might as well do the sound system too.

Metra Electronics - Products

The picture has 3 harnesses in it. The first two harnesses are for your head unit. The gray rectangular harness is for the power to the head unit (12V constant, switched, ground, amp turn on, illumination, etc). The square black harness is for the speaker wires that connect to the head unit's harness.

The third harness in that picture with the two plugs on it is the amp bypass harness, and that's what you'll use to integrate those aftermarket amps into the factory ford wiring. Cut that harness in half, because you're not bypassing any amps, you're replacing them and using this plug as an adaptor so the aftermarket amps' inputs and outputs plug directly into the ford input and output harnesses. One side will connect to the line-level input harnesses that come with the amps and will plug into the speaker harness coming from the head unit, and the other side will connect to the speaker outputs of the amp and will connect to the ford plug that goes to all the speakers.

I think you might need to find the amp signal wire in the harness that comes from the head unit that plugs into the factory amp, because that amp bypass harness doesn't have a provision for that.

You "could" use the power and ground wires for the factory amps, but I don't know how thick they are. Plus, you'd have to splice into them, and the whole goal of this is to not cut any of the ford wiring. It's just better to run an 8 Gauge wire from the battery and use a distribution block to split it to both amps. Then, you'll also need run two short 8 gauge ground wires from each amp to somewhere in the trunk near the deck or the front of the wheel wells. There might be some factory grounds in there somewhere.

The other option is to run RCA's and an amp turn-on wire back from the head unit instead of using the ford wiring. This will probably give you a little better sound quality depending on the head unit you choose. Here's a nice set of 4 channel RCA cables that have an amp signal wire built into them (notice the extra wire in the picture).

StreetWires ZeroNoise® 9 Series 4-channel Patch Cables High-performance cables with superior noise rejection at Crutchfield.com

The important thing here is that regardless of the option you choose, you still don't have to run wire to each individual speaker.. you can just use the ford wiring for that.

Homer
 
#13
#13
To be clear, I have done that on a few cars using a line amplifier, but those 1ohm systems (pretty much all my experience involves Bose) require a huge input, and that's why the speaker wires themselves can be problematic.

The only semi-effective way I've worked around it is using a signal cable to speaker wire line amplifier (most decent aftermarket decks have a 6v pre-out), but most of your premium stereos have more than your typical four speakers, even when accounting for components.

At best your only options are sorta half-assed workarounds. As a mobile installer, I only had one person that actually sprung for a full re-wire, which tends to be the only optimal solution in this sorta situation. Most people don't care to spend the time/money to get that done, and it's a pretty massive job if you want to do it right; typically requires a full disassembly of the interior, including doors, etc.
 
#14
#14
So it's your opinion that my only 2 options are either find and put stock speakers back in or re-wire car?
 
#15
#15
Another option is to find the factory amp and remove it and replace it with a 5 channel amp for your speakers and your sub. You should be able to tone the factory speaker wire by taking a battery and touch the exposed speaker wire to it. Once identifying the wires mark them, run your amp kit power and remote wire on the side of your car the battery is on, run your RCA's from your aftermarket headunit on the opposite side of your power wire.

When it comes to ohms that gets confusing for a lot of people here is what I have in my car. My sub amp is 2600 rms at 1/2 ohm, my subs are dual 2 ohm wired down to 1/2 ohm to match maximum output of the amp to the subs. My 4 channel amp is 4x560, my speakers are 3ohm and i am pushing 100 rms watts to my speakers due to the impedence of 3 ohm from my speakers.

I have provided a link to an amp that is affordable and offers enough power to your speakers so your sub will not drown out your speakers.

Killer Outlet
 
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#16
#16
GmanTN said:
Another option is to find the factory amp and remove it and replace it with a 5 channel amp for your speakers and your sub. You should be able to tone the factory speaker wire by taking a battery and touch the exposed speaker wire to it. Once identifying the wires mark them, run your amp kit power and remote wire on the side of your car the battery is on, run your RCA's from your aftermarket headunit on the opposite side of your power wire.

When it comes to ohms that gets confusing for a lot of people here is what I have in my car. My sub amp is 2600 rms at 1/2 ohm, my subs are dual 2 ohm wired down to 1/2 ohm to match maximum output of the amp to the subs. My 4 channel amp is 4x560, my speakers are 3ohm and i am pushing 100 rms watts to my speakers due to the impedence of 3 ohm from my speakers.

I have provided a link to an amp that is affordable and offers enough power to your speakers so your sub will not drown out your speakers.

Killer Outlet
Click to expand...


Thanks gmantn.

My rear amps are easily avaiable to try this method. I assume you are not aware of this harness I'm looking for?

The mach system seems to be a real pain to upgrade.

Thank you again
 
#17
#17
Obsessed said:
Thanks gmantn.

My rear amps are easily avaiable to try this method. I assume you are not aware of this harness I'm looking for?

The mach system seems to be a real pain to upgrade.

Thank you again
Click to expand...

I called my car audio guy and asked about the harness and he told me the only harness shown for your mustang is a Metra harness stock item # 1771
 
#18
#18
This sounds like the sort of issue I would have if I want to replace the junky Bose system in my Mazda.

Obsessed, you need to just run some straight pipes, and strip out the interior and get to racin! :cool:
 
#19
#19
Nerd-Vol said:
This sounds like the sort of issue I would have if I want to replace the junky Bose system in my Mazda.

Obsessed, you need to just run some straight pipes, and strip out the interior and get to racin! :cool:
Click to expand...

Oh first thing I did was a slp loudmouth catback. 4" tips. Got the off road x-pipe to go on now.
Blower is sent off for a race port. Should net 40 hp at the tires. Putting on a smaller blower pulley that will bet 50 hp to the tires.

Then a 6lb lower on the crank. Should net another 50 or so and backing it up with meth. (40 more)
Pushing to a 600hp eaton car. Most guys go whipple 2.3 to get there. I want a 10 second eaton.
Should make 17-18 pounds of boost through this set up. The meth will help keep the iat's down so I can push more timing
Then it's vette killing time.
 
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#20
#20
OK,
Audiophiles, a couple of questions...I have a 2003 Denali XL, when I got back in from 8 days in Disney, my battery was dead, (I left the Garmin, on and plugged into the cigarette lighter)..
I got a jump from an airport worker, and everything worked fine except for the Radio..It won't power on..I can get the time display to come up for 3-5 seconds, then it fades back out. I googled it, and it says the Bose system in this model has a LOC feature and you need to have a dealer reset it.
I stopped at the dealer, on the way to work this morning and he couldn't get the LOC code to show up, and after checking with another service tech, told me the radio was fried from getting jumped...I was in a hurry and didn't want to get into with him, but I thought that was odd. Shouldn't the fuse blow before the whole unit gets fried, but he told me the fuse had to be good, because it was getting enough power for the clock to hold time, and come up if only for a few seconds. A replacement from GM for a rebuilt unit is $475...
I then stopped at an independent car audio store, and he told me the same thing...So this leads to my questions.

1) Does that seem legit, to blow a radio from getting your car jumped?
2) What reco's do you have for an aftermarket if I have to go that route. Would have to be XM capable and have I pod adapters

Thanks
 
#21
#21
GM body electronics are goofy as hell, always have been. It's more likely that the stock deck just happened to coincidentally take a dump, but anything is plausible with GM.

The iPod adapter would be whatever comes with the deck, the stock GM one probably won't work with a Pioneer or what have you. That's not an issue with aftermarket.

Whatever you go with, I generally recommend Pioneer. It's been a minute since I've been slinging decks, but they tended to have the cleanest amps and outs if you want the option of building a system down the road. Expect ~$200-250 for a solid deck installed. GM's around that era typically need an extra adapter for door chimes/alarms whatever else, that can run $50-100 depending on the model.

Another thing to consider would be the rest of the system; do you have a stock DVD player, or anything else? Also IIRC from 1/4 tons of that era, I had to cut the cage a bit to fit the deck. If you're dealing with a competent installer, they'll know about that.
 
#22
#22
vol_in_ar said:
OK,
Audiophiles, a couple of questions...I have a 2003 Denali XL, when I got back in from 8 days in Disney, my battery was dead, (I left the Garmin, on and plugged into the cigarette lighter)..
I got a jump from an airport worker, and everything worked fine except for the Radio..It won't power on..I can get the time display to come up for 3-5 seconds, then it fades back out. I googled it, and it says the Bose system in this model has a LOC feature and you need to have a dealer reset it.
I stopped at the dealer, on the way to work this morning and he couldn't get the LOC code to show up, and after checking with another service tech, told me the radio was fried from getting jumped...I was in a hurry and didn't want to get into with him, but I thought that was odd. Shouldn't the fuse blow before the whole unit gets fried, but he told me the fuse had to be good, because it was getting enough power for the clock to hold time, and come up if only for a few seconds. A replacement from GM for a rebuilt unit is $475...
I then stopped at an independent car audio store, and he told me the same thing...So this leads to my questions.

1) Does that seem legit, to blow a radio from getting your car jumped?
2) What reco's do you have for an aftermarket if I have to go that route. Would have to be XM capable and have I pod adapters

Thanks
Click to expand...

Anytime you have an amplified system whether it is stock or aftermarket and you have to be jumped off it is always wise to turn your headunit off to avoid frying the headunit. As far as a replacement unit goes i would suggest looking at the Clarion NX602. This unit not only has Ipod hookup it also has SD and USB, hd and sirius ready, plus bluetooth and built in Nav that works really well. This is the headunit I have and it produces good sound quality with a built in EQ that allows the user to really dial the headunit in to get the best sound possible. Here is a link to the headunit.

Clarion Nx602 6.2" Double-Din Navigation Multimedia Station With Dvd Player
 
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#24
#24
I stopped again at the independent Audio shop, and found out that any aftermarket unit I put in, I won't be able to use the rear radio, that's part of the factory set up..So I'm going to call the dealer tomorrow and go with a refurbished factory unit...
I use that rear radio all the time when we travel, so I don't really want to lose that as an option
 
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