OK, so my strong points are engines and suspension; stereos... not so much.
In my new VE I have the OEM Bose system with radio and casset player. I can't afford to get a new system now so I'm trying to fix it. The antenna on my car is broken and I thought that was why I couldn't listen to the radio. However for a few mins every once in a while the sound comes on and it is so damn clear. In addition I can't listen to my cassette player either. The radio works, just no sound out of the speakers. Is it just the connection from the deck to the speakers that is messed up? Is it something that can be fixed easily and cheap. I don't want to take my front dash apart and find that there is nothing I can do. If there is an easy solution then I will try to fix it, otherwise I will keep a driving a silent car until I can afford the new system. Thanks guys!

 

Odds are the amps are blown, you could also just check some fuses, there is a 3 amp one on the back of the HU if IIRC, otherwise the best thing to do is to rip it all out and get new stuff, rewire too...thats what I did...

 

Damn, I guess I'm musicless(I just coined a new word!) for a while huh?

 

I know having limited budgets suck, but bose is a real PITA. It sounds really good for a stock system, but once you start having problems, it is just not worth it to fix it. I would say start saving up for a new aftermarket HU and aftermarket speakers, amps, subs, whatever.

I don't know what blew on mine first (speakers or amps) but they got extremely quiet and fuzzy and would sometimes pop. I would listen to AM radio with the treble turned up all the way and the bass all the way down.

I would be guessing that like DMad said, your amps/speakers are blown or a connection or connections are loose. If the fuse was blown, I don't think you would get any response ever. I think the front connections are at the HU and then in the door panels where the amp/speaker pods are. In the rear, the amp is also right there on the speaker and there are connections (plugs) there, too.

 

Oh crap, I think it's not worth going to all of this trouble then. So when I get a new HU(Head Unit???) can I just get two rear speakers and reuse the BOSE ones that are already in the door panel? Do I have to buy amps and subs as well? I really have no experience with sound systems, I have always been a performance guy and until now, speakers and subwoofers have just been "additional weight" in my cars and I have promptly removed them. Now though, I have to drive quite a bit everyday plus the girlfriend begins to complain that there is no music in the car (and she doesn't seem satisfied when I replace the radio by singing myself ). I guess I better start saving up!

 

Well you're gonna need a new HU (yes, Head Unit) for sure, there sell adapters for the Bose speakers/amps, but since they're probably blown, and the adapter is like $50 don't even bother. Go the ghetto way, I got a really cheap HU (like $130) and ran off 2 front speakers for about 3 months, you're also gonna want to rewire if you want any sound quality at all..."rewire" might sound pretty iffy...but trust me, just run speaker wire, under the carpet, or floormat if you really wanna be ghetto, to the new speaker. Running your new speakers off the old Bose wiring is pure crap. I rewired my back speakers with 16 awg. wire and it sounds at least twice as good, and I'm going to do the front this weekend.

 

Not really afraid of the wiring, just sound like it will take a lot of time, which i don't have. I guess I'll set some hours aside this summer and tackle the project. Maybe I'll lure my cousin with a free jack stand and force him to help me!

 

what happens (because I know from experience) is that EVERYTHING about the Bose system is shot. You need to replace the speakers, the wiring, the headunit, everything. so you're pretty much "musicless" until you gather the money to get everything new.

 

You can actually run off the Bose wiring in the car if you want, if you decide to do this its not hard to splice the wiring...you use 2 of 4 wires...it's just not preferred (by me, anyway).

 

I think I'll just wait until I can get a whole new system. They just had a full article on SuperStreet (yes I read the damn mag), and they showed an ok full system for $750. So I figure I can get by with something like that! Performance always comes first, so nothing too heavy!

 

You would probably be happy with a fairly decent powered HU and four good speakers. I would get some pods from James92SE to put in quality 2-way 6.5 inch speakers in the front doors and some 6x9s in the stock rear locations.

Here is a basic breakdown if you were to go to Crutchfield (I know you can find them cheaper, this is just a reference point) and I picked Alpine stuff, again, just as a reference point and I have a similar HU, which I like

Alpine 9827 HU: $259
Alpine Type S (SPS 170A) 6.5" 2-way speakers: $99
Alpine Type S (SPS 690A) 6x9" 3-way speakers: $119
Wiring harness: about $10-15
About $10 worth of wire for the speakers.
I think James wants around $35 shipped for the pods (don't quote me, though)

Total: around $550. You will be happy with the sound and the HU is decent, so it would be easy enough to add a sub later on if you want.

If you shop around you could get something similar or better for cheaper. Maybe Infinity, Kenwood or Eclipse stuff. I just picked Alpine because they are reliable and well known.

You can probably get away with using the stock speaker wires, but I would at least run new wires to the fronts and splice into stock for the rear. That's what I have in my car right now. Installation on the above mentioned set up is pretty easy. Since James' pods fit in the stock Bose location, it is pretty easy to drill the speakers into the pod and attach the wires -- same goes with the 6x9s, since there are already some in your car. HUs are the biggest PITA for me to install. I have done them in the past, but now I am old and lazy and I usually pay the shop the extra $40 or whatever to do it. Some places even have "free install" but make sure you pay for the wiring harness and tell them how you want it done. Otherwise, they will likely splice stuff up and just cram the thing in there any old way.

 

Also, the wiring harness at Crutchfield is free! Take that Red!

 

Yeah, that's right. Crutchfield charges you $300 for a HU you can buy for $220 or so from www.hookedontronics.com (bought mine there, excellent service) and then consoles you by offering a $6 harness for free. Bargain? I would be an idiot to call it that. And no, those MasterSheets they give are only good for someone who is a complete novice and scratches his/her head while looking at the dash screws surrounding the stereo. They target those novices, not us. That last line was a direct quote from their CEO, Bill Crutchfield, who came and spoke to our class last year.

 

I was just showing an example, anyway.

I have never bought anything from Crutchfield, but I use them as a pricing reference, because they are usually on the higher end of the scale.

It's probably going to be cheaper shopping around local car stereo places (Magnolia Hi-Fi, Best Buy, Circuit City, Car Toys) and seeing what they have on sale and what deals they are running. I personally don't mind buying new stuff that is last years model if it is going to be cheaper. Maybe the price can be less online, but by the time you factor in shipping, it is usually a wash. Either way, my example was just that.

 

Wow, I guess I'm one of the lucky few with a Bose system that actually works. Receptionm could bne better, but it does sound good for a stock stereo. Now I just need to velcro a Diskman somewhere and run a car kit adapter to the deck, ghetto-style.

I hope it dosnt break for a while, I dont want to drive without music and I really cant justify the cost of a new system right now.

 

I got my Bose fixed for free the other day. Just needed a new amp...Yaaay! 4 speakers work again! Yaay!





























(thanks david)

 

i did my speakers by myself. took some time though (around 10 hours [breaks included] due to harsh winter when it was 5degrees. plus i kept whipping my friend with the wires). the total was around 220ish. i got 60feet of 16gauge wire, 6 1/2" speaker bracket for rear, new kenwood cd reciever(100), 6 1/2inch pioneer speakers for rear(50), 4inch pioneers for front(50) and a antenna adapter. the hu and rear + front speakers i got all together for 180 cuz of discount coupon code (20%). i paid 15 for the wires,15 for bracket, and 15 for the antenna adapter. i removed all the bose stuff and put in new everything. rewired the rear speakers throguh the rear seats to floor panel. front speakers i put new wires through the rubber hole thing on door. sound quality is decent. only problem is i need to try to power the reciever from the stock wiring. prolly gonna do that next weekend. if you just want to listen to music, then my set up is cheapest and best for the price considering you can get the parts same price as mine or even cheaper. and liek everyone else said, your amps are prolly blown. prolly costs more to repair all 4 amps than to do my setup.

 

I'd definatly go with the whole new setup and if you have a smaller budget check out eBay. I just redid my whole system and its was not very hard at all im 15 years old (dont even have my lisence yet, but im gonna be prepared for the day). I had a small budget but i got by with $300 and half of that was 3 MTX subs for the trunk! I'm going to strongly suggest getting the 6.5in speaker mounts for the front doors from James it saves alot of time! I bought precision speakers (6x9's for rear and 6.5's for doors) and i crap you not for the sound you get they are well worth it they sound excellent!!! or check out volfenhag they make sweet speakers and they've got 4" speakers so front door mounting would be a snap! Your most expensive purchase will probably be an amp you dont want to go cheap or generic there i suggest MTX or Kenwood! its is seriously an easy job and if you dont want to spend a whole crap load on Alpine, Polk, or Sony speakers (which are great) seriously check out Precision especially the 6x9's they are truely awesome speakers for what you pay!

Drew

 

Thanks for the props Caleb Weird thing is, I opened up your amp and couldn't find anything cosmetically wrong with it, so I ended up just tossing it. I still have one working amp/speaker for one of the front doors if someone really wants it. My fronts are the only ones that worked when I got the car, and my tape player busted when I tried to jam the tape kit in there...I know how you feel Seyath, but after getting new HU, Speakers, and rewiring, it will sound 300% better than the Bose, 600% better for you.

 

You can always just get a cheap low end system to tide you over for a while.
Not everyone has friends like mine that give me free stereo equipment

 

I hate you

 

Jealous?
actually I did pay for my amp at one time.