where is the factory amp...

Topic: where is the factory amp... (Read 16160 times) previous topic - next topic

where is the factory amp...

March 06, 2005, 05:32:59 PM

and can I remove it, or bypass it, and still use the factory speaker harness, or will I have to run new wires to all the speakers?
My speakers are popping and fading out, and I replaced a coupla, they still do it, have a new cd player, as well.

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #1 – March 06, 2005, 05:53:43 PM

the factory amp, if your car uses it is behind the metal pan bolted to the back of the rear seat in the trunk. there is a hrness already in your car that bypassed the amp. the end of it should be taped up somewhere behind your glove box. if its not there its now that hard to run new speakerwire.

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #2 – March 06, 2005, 06:32:44 PM

thanks man-just wanted to find out if there was, before I took stuff apart.

EDIT-the car did have a AM/FM/Casette player in it, factory radio...

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #3 – March 06, 2005, 07:33:15 PM

the amp has 5 wires running into it, this is the standard audio system, right?

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #4 – March 06, 2005, 10:40:02 PM

Quote

the amp has 5 wires running into it, this is the standard audio system, right?

actually i dont realy know. chances are your car has the standard setup with the trim level you have. if its the premium sound there will be a "premium sound" badge on the doors speaker covers. i have never used the factory wireing in any of my tbirds. i think the only differance between premium sound and the regular setup was the dash speakers, the EQ, and maybe the use of the amp. i have heard reguardless of what you have there is a parralell harness that just goes directly too the speakers from behind the dash. like i said befor it should be taped up somewhere behing the glove compartment. if you are installing a newer aftermarket radio/cd player than i would first go looking for the harness. if you cant find it, id run new wires. the amp has no "performance" capabilities. i guess you could take the wires going into it and out of it, cut them and splice them byppassing the amp. i might even go looking for that harness tomorow out of curiosity. if i do find it im gonna be a little peeved at myself. i allready wired up the entire car for the amps, speakers and subs.

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #5 – March 07, 2005, 01:01:12 AM

if the amp isnt behind the rear seat, try behind the dash behind the radio... out of the 3 premium sound tbirds i'v had. thats where i always find em... dunno why lol.

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #6 – March 07, 2005, 03:46:37 PM

yeah, that little flip-down plate has this little plastic box up in the corner, I guess this is the amp, it has five wires....
I did look for a minute behind the glovebox, but didn't have a lot of time, it was raining, and the race was on-(NBS)-didn't find it, I'll look again when it warms up again outside.

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #7 – March 07, 2005, 04:20:30 PM

The amp isn't plastic, it's metal. It's kinda octagon shaped with millions of holes in it, and it will have way more than five wires. I've never counted 'em, but you should have five inputs, eight outputs, a ground, a power and a switched power at least.

Are you sure you've got premium sound? If you aren't sure, just look at the speaker connector coming from the radio. Premium sound will only have 5 wires (a common ground plus each speaker output) while the non-premium will have eight (a positive and negative for each speaker). Also, non-premium-sound cars don't have any speakers in the doors.

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #8 – March 07, 2005, 04:44:03 PM

nope, no premium sound fer me...

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #9 – March 08, 2005, 01:01:06 AM

Quote

nope, no premium sound fer me...

then you are probably better off. means you dont have a common ground setup wich is no good for aftermarket radios.

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #10 – March 09, 2005, 08:41:52 PM

well, the wierd thing is, none of the radios I have, (Ford, or aftermarket) will work unless they're installed in the slot in the dash.
Seems like, that if the radio itself isn't grounded, it doesn't work, so for now I've got the stock am/fm/cassette player back in, albeit with some cleaning, and a new bulb in it.
Waiting till I get the car legally on the road before I get the radio mounting kit from the local Sprawl-Mart (yeah right, already put 250 miles on the car, just on gravel roads!!)
So, basically, to my thinkin' I have a of a sound system! LOL
I got a Sony Xplod cd player, Legacy 800 watt amo, and a (3 ton) bandpass box with Swiss Audio subs...need a smaller box, the 'Bird trunk isn't nearly as big as the backseat of my SuperCab F-150...

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #11 – March 09, 2005, 09:45:46 PM

The big red wire on the back of the original radio must be connected to your replacement. It is the ground wire (why Ford used red for ground I'll never know...)

If the red wire isn't there you'll have to drill a small hole in the radio support bracket and screw a ground wire to it, then connect that wire to the radio. Relying on the radio contacting the dash to make the ground is not, well, reliable.

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #12 – March 09, 2005, 09:59:38 PM

Mine had a metal bracket attached to it that slipped into another slot which was used for a ground. It completely cofussed the heck outta me and my friend. Ended up just making a new ground else where on the dash frame. Oh, don't use the orange/white or orange black (can't remember which) or you'll be wondering why your dash light fuse keeps blowing out when you turn on the headlights.

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #13 – March 19, 2005, 02:46:53 PM

yeah, I ran a wire from the back of the radio, to a screw into the metal bracing of the dash, radio works, but the dang Sony lost it's left front audio output, so I'm fixin' that now.
Thinking about using the car's factory speaker wiring to run the dash and rear speakers, and run new wires from an amp in back up the doors, and put in some good speakers there, as the Sony has RCA outputs on it. (Which I also use to get the signal to the amp for the bandpass box)

Re: where is the factory amp...

Reply #14 – April 01, 2005, 06:48:53 PM

I've been messing with my sound system too and just in case you're interested here's a pic of that extra harness behind the glove box...note the location of the fuel and trunk release buttons for reference. I've been trying to find a way to run all six speakers in my car with a positive ground CD player...I've got a py Pyle head unit right now. When I first attached it to the shared ground harness it treated the dash speakers as the front and the door speakers as the rear. The REAL rear speakers got nothing. Plugged into the auxilliary harness with the the 8 wire hookup ALL the speakers worked. Problem I'm having now is the thing seems to be having some kind of interfearance or something. It pops and hisses and makes horrible noises when you turn it on or change radio stations...any ideas on that? I'm wondering it I just didn't splice all the wires very well or something.