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Thread: Fried factory amplifier?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    St. Louis, Mo
    Posts
    94
    My Cars
    2001 BMW 330Cic 5spd, 1994 Nissan Sentra 1.6L I4

    Fried factory amplifier?

    I have this posted on E46fanatics too but haven't gotten any responses, so I thought I would try to get some help here:

    I started a sub/amp install in my 330CI convertible today. All was going well until I got ready to plug in the wires into the factory amplifier. I had tested the connections and inserted the fuse to the aftermarket amp in the proper sequence, however when I plugged the wires into the factory amplifier, I saw a bit of smoke (or at least what I thought was smoke - it was cold and could have been my breath) and smelled the gut wrenching 'fried electronics' smell. Now, when I went to test everything I didn't properly cover the spliced wires connecting the Line Out Converter to the factory amp, I just did the ole eyeball "oh they are not touching" and went about my business. Once I saw/smelled smoke I immediately removed the connections to the amplifier, but I am pretty sure the damage has been done. Thinking about it further, however, when I re-inserted the black and grey connections into the amplifier, I forgot to put them into the black bracket that holds them together. The black connector also ensures that the black and grey connectors are inserted into the correct side of the amp connection. So, could inserting the black and grey connections into the amp incorrectly have fried the amp? I am looking at the wiring diagram, and it looks like Pin # 5 of the grey connector is the (+12v factory amp +12v supply *Red / green), and the same pin on the black connector is the (Pin # 26 / DC ground factory amp/Brown). If these two pins are switched the ground from the amp would be connected to power, and the power on the amp would be connected to ground ... this would undoubtedly cause problems, correct?

    After I verified the connections and covered them properly, I turned the car stereo on. The only thing I am hearing is out of the sub I just installed, which is powered by it's own amp. Even after I unplug the connections from the factory amp I am still hearing the sub (which makes sense).

    Now, even though I am 90 percent sure I fried my factory amp, I still would like some input. What does it sound like to you?

    Here are a few questions I have for you:

    - The audio coming out of the sub is not just lows, it is lows, mids, and highs ... is this because the built in crossover network in the factory amp is not working because the amp has been damaged?

    - So, if I get a new factory amp, how should I go about making sure I don't have wrong connections that would cause this again? I have been using all the literature on this site and bsw.com to aid in my install, so I am thinking that my connections are correct ... (Grey to blue/black stripe, grey/black stripe to brown/orange stripe, white to yellow/black stripe, white with black stripe to brown with orange stripe.)

    Say I do have to replace the factory amp ... is the one in this link the one I need? I cannot really tell:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...id=p2759.l1259

    Sorry for the huge post!

    Kyle

    FYI - I received an answer via the other forum.
    Last edited by E46 Addict; 01-26-2009 at 12:26 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Chicago, IL.
    Posts
    5,983
    My Cars
    2001 330xi, E92
    It sounds like you blew the amp. You can try checking the fuse, but I doubt it will fix it.

    Quote Originally Posted by E46 Addict View Post
    - The audio coming out of the sub is not just lows, it is lows, mids, and highs ... is this because the built in crossover network in the factory amp is not working because the amp has been damaged?
    You should use the crossover on your new amp (if it has one).

    Another option is to replace the factory amp with aftermarket.

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