Subwoofer help

[Goonowsky]

I have a 91 explorer that had the "premium" audio system back in its day. I bought a sub to put in and i took the stock sub and amp out. My amp powers up but my subwoofers doesnt make a sound. Does anyone know whats wrong? i think that the signal is still going to the subwoofer that isnt there but i'm probably wrong. I need help! thank you
-josh

 

[Goonowsky]

I have a 91 explorer that had the "premium" audio system back in its day. I bought a sub to put in and i took the stock sub and amp out. My amp powers up but my subwoofers doesnt make a sound. Does anyone know whats wrong? i think that the signal is still going to the subwoofer that isnt there but i'm probably wrong. I need help! thank you
-josh

 

[tmh6202]

I have a 91 explorer that had the "premium" audio system back in its day. I bought a sub to put in and i took the stock sub and amp out. My amp powers up but my subwoofers doesnt make a sound. Does anyone know whats wrong? i think that the signal is still going to the subwoofer that isnt there but i'm probably wrong. I need help! thank you
-josh

Did you just pull the old amp and sub out, then put the new amp and sub in, connecting only the power?

If so, you have installed no path for the audio signal to get to the new amp, so the condition you are describing, amp on no sound, is exactly what you would get. If you are using the stock HU and the stock wiring, you would have to use the extra two wire harness that carried the audio signal to the oem amp to carry that signal to your new amp. You can do that by connecting it to a high level input (if your new aftermarket amp has them), or use a converter to make a low level type connection that would be compatible with your new amp. Once completed, you should get some sound from the sub system.

 

[Goonowsky]

No i put an RCA cable out the output of my cd player and to my amp. Its not a factory HU by the way. And still no sound. I dont know what to do. It might be my HU?

 

[south59]

No i put an RCA cable out the output of my cd player and to my amp. Its not a factory HU by the way. And still no sound. I dont know what to do. It might be my HU?

Sometimes you need to browse through the headunit menu and turn the sub output on or the volume up.

 

[tmh6202]

^^^^^^^what he said^^^^^^

maybe even a glance at the, cough cough, instruction manual, cough, cough, might help....lol

 

[Goonowsky]

^^^^^^^what he said^^^^^^

maybe even a glance at the, cough cough, instruction manual, cough, cough, might help....lol

not neccessary.

i looked at the manual. my deck isnt that new so its not that advanced. i read through the manual. Anyone else have help that isnt a smarta.ss?

 

[tmh6202]

not neccessary.

i looked at the manual. my deck isnt that new so its not that advanced. i read through the manual. Anyone else have help that isnt a smarta.ss?

Wasn't intended as a smart a$$ remark, most people don't look at the manual, but since you have an older unit, and it doesn't allow an on/off condition for the sub, then you might have one of the following or any combination of the following

1. Bad RCA output on the head unit.
2. Bad RCA input on the external amplifier.
3. A bad RCA cable.
4. A bad amplifier.
5. A bad audio amplifier within the amplifier itself.
6. A bad thingamabopper in the whosiewhatsit.

Oh, I'd rather be a smart a$$ than a dumb a$$ (not saying at all that you are, even though you seem to think I am a smart a$$)

So much for taking time out of my life to offer some advice. Good luck Goon...

 

[wingot]

hey dont insult people that are trying to help you. Check to make sure that you have your amp tuned right... make sure all cables are in 100% contact etc. Did you turn up the bass knobs on your amp? did you plug the speaker wires in on the right spots. if its a multichannel amp you might want to make sure that the rca's are in the right spot.

 

[4r100]

if you are using a dual voice coil sub, it will not work if the polarity of the wires is reversed, ie. you want the positive wire on the amp to meet up with positive terminal on the sub as with the negative wire. almost all regular single voice coil speakers will work no matter what way you plug the wires in. I have had this problem with past sub installs espesially if the amp is not located near the sub. also if the sub is in a box, take it out and make sure none of the wires are mixed up inside as well.

 

[Goonowsky]

sorry if i made anyone mad, i was really frustrated with my subwoofers cause i couldnt figure this out. Sorry for calling you a smarta.$$. I figured out what was wrong, i tested the RCA cables at the end of them and they arent gettin any volts cause the Preouts on my deck are bad. Thanks to everyone. I'll keep my anger off the site next time

 

[thetad45]

I had similar issues when I installed a Sony deck into my brothers Ranger, I wasn't getting any sound out of the speakers. When I double checked the wiring harness instructions, it turned out I had to re-hook up one of the factory wires. Something to do with the "premium" set ups, I was confused as hell why it wouldn't work, but when I double checked the harness instructions, low and behold I found the problem. It's been awhile, so I apologize for being so general, but if you still have the little insert that came with the harness it could save you a ton of time in rewiring.

 

[Goonowsky]

I had similar issues when I installed a Sony deck into my brothers Ranger, I wasn't getting any sound out of the speakers. When I double checked the wiring harness instructions, it turned out I had to re-hook up one of the factory wires. Something to do with the "premium" set ups, I was confused as hell why it wouldn't work, but when I double checked the harness instructions, low and behold I found the problem. It's been awhile, so I apologize for being so general, but if you still have the little insert that came with the harness it could save you a ton of time in rewiring.

do you think you could figure out what you had to do or explain a little better cause i bought a new deck and it still didnt work! thanks

 

[kelly2]

bought a new deck and the sub still didn't work? or the interior speakers?

 

[Goonowsky]

bought a new deck and the sub still didn't work? or the interior speakers?

nope subwoofer didnt work, internal speakers are fine.

 

[kelly2]

you sure the amp is good? the sub good? the amp is turned on? if the amp is on, it's not going into protect? you have the RCA's coming from the output on the deck and going into the input on the amp?

i have had to troubleshoot other installs for some of these things easily overlooked.

 

[Goonowsky]

you sure the amp is good? the sub good? the amp is turned on? if the amp is on, it's not going into protect? you have the RCA's coming from the output on the deck and going into the input on the amp?

i have had to troubleshoot other installs for some of these things easily overlooked.

amp is on and not going into protect, subwoofer is brand new and good, recieving four ohms and the rca's are hooked up right. i have no idea why im not getting anything, i swear its cause of the whole premium audio thing in the first gens.

 

[kelly2]

shouldn't be the premium thing at all. best buy can bench test equipment for about $16. might try that amp. it just needs constant, ground and remote. then some rca's of the deck. the premium system won't affect the rca out on an aftermarket radio

 

[thetad45]

Kelly is right, I apparently misunderstood. My issue was with the internal speakers. If you have an aftermarket deck and an aftermarket sub, and all the wiring is aftermarket, then the premium sound system wouldn't have anything to do with it. I vote for the best buy bench test as well.