Everyone on this forum has been great. I know have my 1989 convertible running and looking great. I am now down to the radio as the only problem.

I want to keep it original. I am getting sound from only one speaker (Passanger door) and it lasts only about 15 seconds then it goes out. I replace the speakers in both doors and had the same results.

First question, do I now replace the radio (I'm going to stick with cassette only).

Second. are the speakers different between the coupe and convertible. Looking at pictures it appears that the coupe has oblong cover while mine has rectangle.

Finally, everyone mentions each speakers have their own amps. Where can you find the amp in the car. I don't see it in the door speaker.

Sorry for the dumb questions, but everyone has been great in helping me here. I will post pictures of my baby!

Jim

 

If the radio and speakers are stock, there Bose, yep, each speaker has its own amp, I went with an after market stereo and door speakers but kept the Bose speakers in the rear.

 

I sure the others will chime in I don't think the speakers are different between the coupe and convertible...same same.

Sounds like you have one good speaker/amp and the rest are busted. The actually bose speaker is the same for the left/right front and rear. Maybe you can alternate a known good speaker for one of the others to see if it is the amps that have failed or just the speakers. There are common failure points that crap out in these amplifiers.....they had a bad run of capacitors that got installed from the factory.....check them and replace them if they are busted. The rear amp/speaker is easy to remove so I'd start there....the fronts will take quite a bit more effort to get out. Oh by the way - you also have a "bose power relay" that's (supplies all these amps with 12 volts) behind your radio...you should change that for sure.

You can buy a cheap ($20) service manual for this type of stuff and it sould be in there. Or you can buy the manual from Helm Industries for $100+ and fix all your cars problems....trust me you'll nedd it!

Good Luck

 

If your bose system is the same as the 90 coupe...here is the setup

4 speakers
4 amps
1 head unit
1 receiver

each enclosure is a speaker and an amp

the amp is located inside the enclosure held down by 4 screws, it looks like a computer board, a little bigger than a deck of cards


The bose speakers rarely go bad. The amplifiers that run those speakers fail frequently, the receiver that sends the signal to those amps also fails . I bought my vette about 2 months ago and had similar problem. My right front was the only speaker that worked. I had to have 3 amps and the cd/cassette/radio repaired (the cd player didnt work). to troubleshoot a bose system try this: Take the other speakers enclosures and plug them in one by one at the location that works in your car. If they all work you need to have the receiver repaired ($90- $150) the ones that dont work you need to have the amplifier repaired ($50-$75) each. Its not uncommon to have 4 dead amps and a bad receiver.

From what I found doing a google search, The general did put a non bose system in the corvette. If the information is right, you could have the non bose system. You might have the ac delco factory non bose system. The ac delco system does not have individual amplifiers and all the info above does not apply to you. If thats the case its time to replace the radio as your system has only 4 speakers and a cassette radio.

good luck

 

Once again this group has come through.

 

There is also a speaker relay. THe amps use so much current that the General decided to get the power from somewhere outside the radio. The speaker relay is located behind the DIC even with the left side of the breadloaf. When the speakers just stop, try smacking the bottom of the passengers lower carpet area just under the dash. If the rest of the speakers come on, then quit, the relay is bad. i pulled my dash apart, and ended up not being able to reach the plug to disconnect the relay, and used a srewdriver of major proportions to pop the catch on the relay and pull the connector out of the relay.Then I plugged in a new relay, and Voila! music every time the key is turned on. I tucked the new relay and the connector under the removeable portion of the passenger's kick up area and now if the relay fails, It's just a 10 minute swap.