jodester

You older guys probably know this, but it might help some newbies.
My front left amp on my '90 vert was out and driving me crazy, but I didn't want to drop $100-150 on a replacement, so I went to my local LKQ -pick your part, junk yard and found a '91 Caddy which had the exact same amp cards, I snagged all four, with metal housings and wiring pigtail(which I didn't need) for a whopping $23, and the best part is they have a return policy if they don't work! Got home, popped in the new card and BAM! I now have 4 working stock speakers, with replacements for any future amp card burnouts.

mike100

Good to know...I think I had heard about the Cadillac units somewhere. Also certain late 90's Nissans have compatible Bose amps. The last ones I bought were $3.95 each. I have successfully repaired amps in the past, but for $4-$8 I think it's just so much easier to buy junkyard ones from the later cars where the capacitors are better.

chadk

thanks

Paul Workman

Hello, Mike!
I've got a Bose amp that is fading fast, and so this thread is timely. But, are you saying the capacitors of late model cars are better than new ones? I musta miss-read that, no?

Paul

tbirdsps

There may be some Nissan units out there that are a match too.

mike100

Maybe... For sure the ones out of the 95-99 nissan maximas and infiniti clones are several model years newer, but also there has been documented cases of bad lots of capacitors hitting the market in the 90's and 2000's. Some of the capacitors were tantalum and not electrolytic, but electrolytics have had their issues, but I just can't say exactly what years are more suspect, nor which manufacturers in particular.

The one thing several people have noticed (myself included), is that I have yet to have found a bad, or even marginal, speaker amp from a mid to late 90's nissan. I think Bose probably improved their capacitor problem at some point.

My old 95 had bad speaker amps when I owned that and it was only 15 years old at the time. The stuff I'm plucking from the wrecking yard maximas are already 18-20 years old and I haven't got a bad one yet. For the price, I'm taking wrecking yard units. Don't forget the advice to tell the junkyard counter person that they are "speaker switches", because the word amplifier invokes a premium pricing schedule.