Is it the woofer or amp or both?

[TheVarmit]

I know this question has been asked many times before and I've spent hours combing through all the forums and I appreciate all the useful information BUT I can't find a direct straight answer....so here goes..

I have a 2001 Limited Explorer and my bass stoppped working. I don't think I have the Mach system since I don't have the mutiple disc player, just a single disc player so I'm assuming it's just a Premium system.

I have completely disassembled my back hatch area and I have the speaker box with the woofer and amp mounted on it in hand. How can I tell if I need a new woofer or a new amp or both? I plan on replacing whichever with factory IF the price isn't too high. One forum said Ford only sells the box, woofer and amp as a complete unit and its expensive...if so I'll replace with aftermarket BUT thats a whole different thread.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[toypaseo]

I would check wiring first...

 

[davesexplorer]

Check all the connections. Then grab a multimeter. Check all the inputs/outputs to the amp for voltage, check the subwoofers impedance to see if it's toast. I'd imagine the factory sub is 4-8 ohms or so?

With a little detective work you should be able to determine the culprit.

 

[TheVarmit]

Went to Ford dealership Monday, they want $110 for a new amp and $125 for a new sub. They wouldn't test either one for me, so I went to a local electronics store and they tested the sub, said it was ok but they wouldn't touch the amp. I cannot locate a stock amp on ebay so I guess I'll get one from dealership. Oh yeah, I checked all the connections and everything was fine.

 

[toypaseo]

For that price, I would consider going aftermarket.

I found a stock JBL sub enclosure in the junkyard for $12. I considered just wiring it up to make things easy, but I dunno if the amps are even working, and the stock wiring sounds like a huge headache. So, I am piecing together a "budget bass" system. I found a Rockford Fosgate 401SP on Craigslist for $50, but it is more power than I planned, so it might get sold off for profit. I am considering a sub from Parts Express, with prices from around $10.30 for a Goldwood to $39 for a Tang Band.