Bose Speaker Relay location, '85
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Bose Speaker Relay location, '85
I have an aftermarket receiver with a Soundgate adapter. I had been having problems and ended up putting the Bose back in (but it has a volume pot problem doesn't always work... have to jiggle the volume to get it to come back on). Anyway, I'm making a short story long. I put in a different aftermarket unit (since I had put my original one in my wife's car in the interim), so I know the problem isn't the receiver.
The problem is that the aftermarket unit plays for 5-10 seconds, then the fronts cut out, then 30 seconds later the rears cut out. I bought a cheapo adapter ($20 from Wal-Mart) and it did not correct the problem, so it wasn't the Soundgate unit. Next, I checked the power from the antenna lead and it does not drop off, so I got a new relay.
I can't find the old one, though. I have the electrical shop manual supplement for an '84, and the under-dash stuff should be about the same in the '85. My problem is that I can't tell what I'm looking at. I removed the "knee panel" under the steering wheel and poked around for quite awhile. The book shows the relay bolted to a dash support, but I can't really see it.
Has anyone replaced this relay? If so, can you give me a hint (or a photo!) to help me out on it?
Thanks,
Alan
[Modified by Alan LaRue, 11:03 AM 12/3/2001]
The problem is that the aftermarket unit plays for 5-10 seconds, then the fronts cut out, then 30 seconds later the rears cut out. I bought a cheapo adapter ($20 from Wal-Mart) and it did not correct the problem, so it wasn't the Soundgate unit. Next, I checked the power from the antenna lead and it does not drop off, so I got a new relay.
I can't find the old one, though. I have the electrical shop manual supplement for an '84, and the under-dash stuff should be about the same in the '85. My problem is that I can't tell what I'm looking at. I removed the "knee panel" under the steering wheel and poked around for quite awhile. The book shows the relay bolted to a dash support, but I can't really see it.
Has anyone replaced this relay? If so, can you give me a hint (or a photo!) to help me out on it?
Thanks,
Alan
[Modified by Alan LaRue, 11:03 AM 12/3/2001]
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From: Windermere FL
Re: Bose Speaker Relay location, '85 (Alan LaRue)
Not your problem. Your problem is that you think the $20 adapter will work. It won't unless it converts the power to the appropriate strength. The bose system works on a different power level from every other system. I have never seen the adapter, no matter how cheap or cheaply made, go for below $50. And those have noise up the wazu. What you probably have is a wire harness adapter. It will clip into the stock harness and provide wires to hook your deck to. In a Bose equiped car, this will work for only the power hookups. If you hook up the speakers, you will either fry your bose amps or your deck. If you fired the deck, $100+ to fix. If you rehooked up the deck and it is still having problems, you probably fried something else. I don't think you could fry a relay as the amount of power needed to do that is not present.
Replace that crappy system the right way already. The CD is a sucky panisonic parts one, the speakers cost $5 each in 1985 and are cheap paper cones, and the amps are not compatable and made as cheaply as possible and prone to frying. Get two sets of speakers for $400 total and it will sound great!(If you didn't fry the deck)
92TripleBlack :rolleyes:
Replace that crappy system the right way already. The CD is a sucky panisonic parts one, the speakers cost $5 each in 1985 and are cheap paper cones, and the amps are not compatable and made as cheaply as possible and prone to frying. Get two sets of speakers for $400 total and it will sound great!(If you didn't fry the deck)
92TripleBlack :rolleyes:
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Re: Bose Speaker Relay location, '85 (92TripleBlack)
Well, the adapter (offhand, I can't think of the brand) is specifically designed to connect an aftermarket reciever to GM Bose amp/speaker applications. It is made to either drop the level to match the Bose needs, or (using a second set of output wires) to drop to line level for an external amp. It has pots for each channel to make the appropriate adjustment.
Not that I'm saying it's ideal, but I suspected that the "good" adapter, which is several years old, was the on the blink. Turns out not to be, since the new one has the same symptoms.
I'm not going to ever get "hi-fi" sound unless I line the inside and outside of the car with Dynamat and replace the glass packs with quiet mufflers. Right now I'd just like to have more than 30 seconds of sound. Before I spend thousands (or even hundreds) on the audio system, I need to have the power steering fixed and install new shocks, and probably bushings, get the A/C fixed by next summer, then get it painted if I can ever afford it! About this time next year it'll reach a quarter-million miles; gotta do maintenance before toys. But my commute is 35 miles each way, and I'd really like to get the stereo going.
Thanks anyway.
Still... can anyone help me locate the relay?
-Alan
[Modified by Alan LaRue, 4:30 PM 12/4/2001]
Not that I'm saying it's ideal, but I suspected that the "good" adapter, which is several years old, was the on the blink. Turns out not to be, since the new one has the same symptoms.
I'm not going to ever get "hi-fi" sound unless I line the inside and outside of the car with Dynamat and replace the glass packs with quiet mufflers. Right now I'd just like to have more than 30 seconds of sound. Before I spend thousands (or even hundreds) on the audio system, I need to have the power steering fixed and install new shocks, and probably bushings, get the A/C fixed by next summer, then get it painted if I can ever afford it! About this time next year it'll reach a quarter-million miles; gotta do maintenance before toys. But my commute is 35 miles each way, and I'd really like to get the stereo going.
Thanks anyway.
Still... can anyone help me locate the relay?
-Alan
[Modified by Alan LaRue, 4:30 PM 12/4/2001]
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From: Portage Mi
Re: Bose Speaker Relay location, '85 (Alan LaRue)
Still... can anyone help me locate the relay?
On my '89, the speaker relay is sort of behind the idiot lights in the center of the
dash, but , you can't reach it through the front. I think it's about ten inches
or so back inside there, and it's fastened(two screws) to part of the aluminum dash support.
You might be able to get to it by removing the top of your dash and going down
from above, but you will probably have to remove some of the vent ducting as well. My
whole dash is out of the car right now, so I could try to get you some pictures this
weekend, if you still need them. :cheers:
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Re: Bose Speaker Relay location, '85 (Black 'n Blue)
Okay, that makes sense. The electrical supplement for the '84 shows it attached to a dash support, but I just couldn't see it. (There's a short story as to why I have an '84 shop manual when I have an '85.)
Anyway, I was going from the bottom, and had the dash pad removed, but nothing looked quite like the drawing. Hopefully your description will help a bit.
Thanks a bunch!
Anyway, I was going from the bottom, and had the dash pad removed, but nothing looked quite like the drawing. Hopefully your description will help a bit.
Thanks a bunch!
