Do I have the correct oem AM/FM/CD6 installed?

[EDC]

Hello,

There is A LOT of information on this forum and i've searched and searched to try and find an answer and can't seem to find what i need. So I am posting this question.

I've been try to determine if I have the correct HU installed in my 04 explorer. It sounds pretty bad. No bass or low sounds and I have the bass level all the way up. Everything i've read on the internet says that if you have 3 plugs in the back of the HU that one of them is for the factory subwoofer. As far as I can tell, I do not have a subwoofer. I have taken out the HU and I only have 2 plugs connected to the HU. I have looked all inside the dash and I do not see a 3rd plug. I have not attempted to remove the rear panel as I would have to remove the ENTIRE panel from 2nd row seat to liftgate. My guess is that there is not a subwoofer behind it. It has a few small slits back near the liftgate but upon shining a light in all i see are a few wires. nothing resembling a subwoofer.

The sticker on the back of my HU says 3L2T-18C815-FA and it is the unit that was installed when i bought my explorer. I bought it used so i don't know if anyone had ever replaced it. Could it be that someone replaced it with an incorrect HU?

The speakers in the rear doors had the original factory plugs. I replaced the speakers as they were starting to go bad. The front speakers have always been much louder than the rear even before i replaced them. Which is another issue that bothers me.

Sorry to be so longwinded. My main question is do i have the correct HU? The CD changer is broken and i want to replace it but i want to be sure i get the correct radio.

Thanks!

 

[waskly]

the internal amp can be blow in it.

 

[EDC]

What about the fact that the back of the unit has a place for 3 plugs but i only have 2 to plug into it?

 

[waskly]

What about the fact that the back of the unit has a place for 3 plugs but i only have 2 to plug into it?

thats because you dont have the premium sound system.

 

[Joe Dirt]

It's possible that whomever had the Ex before you had a custom sub in there, and before trading in removed the whole thing, especially if you have wires in there.

 

[Stic-o]

That system is not going to work right in your truck unless you have the sub woofer. I had the same problem. I tried to put a 6 disc changer from my wife's '06 EX in My '05 F150, but because my 150 doesn't have a amp, it sounded terrible, just as you described.

 

[waskly]

It's possible that whomever had the Ex before you had a custom sub in there, and before trading in removed the whole thing, especially if you have wires in there.

the radio is programmable, it has all the connection as for a premium setup some of them have 3 plugs but 1 of the plugs will not have pins in it. for the premium setup he don't have the wires he has the connectors on the radio.

 

[mic98xlt]

The problem is someone replaced your original radio with the premium upgraded radio that has a separate sub woofer output (bass). What is happening right now is your low frequencies are automatically being filtered out from the door speakers and being sent down the connector (3rd smaller one). The radio is looking for what is suppose to be the sub woofer (with separate rear external amplifier) that would handle normally the low frequencies (bass) output. You need to look for an oem unit that has only 2 connectors on the rear. The low frequencies in these are not filtered to the door speakers and they will play the full range including bass. I don't have the specific model number but someone here should be able to give you an exact model or a link to a website that sells oem radios. Ford mixed radios and some had different rear connectors so you have to be sure which connectors you have in your vehicle.

 

[EDC]

Thanks everyone. My radio does have the pins for the 3rd connector so I suspect that someone changed it at some point and put in the wrong one. But I'm no expert. Now I just need to figure out what is supposed to be in there.

 

[jrford]

couple of threads, where i did something similar.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204211
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246610

you can add it if you want. Or you will need a radio with only two plugs. Audiophile seems to cut 150hz and below to the door and pumps it to the sub. which you dont have.