Bose issues
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,964
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From: Pittsburgh PA
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 977
Likes: 147
From: Columbia MD
The BOSE amp relay controls the power to the BOSE amplifiers in each speaker. The head unit is on a different circuit. Since none of your speakers are working but the head unit is ON there's a good chance that the amp relay is failing to power your speakers.
-Wes
-Wes
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 210
Likes: 83
From: Phoenix, Arizona
I find it hard to believe all 4 individual amps are deteriorated to the point of no sound at all. 99.9% of the time youll have some of the caps go bad but you're still producing static of some sort.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,964
Likes: 28
From: Pittsburgh PA
So I have the knee bolster an the aluminum metal piece of the dash down under the steering column. Getting conflicting answers. Is the Bose relay on the left side next to the turn signal flasher or on the right side of the column?
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 180
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,964
Likes: 28
From: Pittsburgh PA
everything with the radio works, comes on, antenna goes up, clock is correct, you can change channels, just no sound whatsoever
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 977
Likes: 147
From: Columbia MD
Since you have a 1990 things are going to be different than the 1984 thru 1989 BOSE systems but I'm pretty sure with the correct wiring diagram you can apply a line level audio signal to your BOSE speakers and see if they are functional.
-Wes
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,964
Likes: 28
From: Pittsburgh PA
You can easily test the BOSE speaker amps. Take a look at this page to see what I went through with my BOSE experimentation's: The BOSE Audio Interface
Since you have a 1990 things are going to be different than the 1984 thru 1989 BOSE systems but I'm pretty sure with the correct wiring diagram you can apply a line level audio signal to your BOSE speakers and see if they are functional.
-Wes
Since you have a 1990 things are going to be different than the 1984 thru 1989 BOSE systems but I'm pretty sure with the correct wiring diagram you can apply a line level audio signal to your BOSE speakers and see if they are functional.
-Wes
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 180
Likes: 31
Those were the symptoms I was going by when I indicated it was most likely not the relay.
According to one previous post I was incorrect in my assumption though.
For full disclosure, my experience on 1990 sound systems is limited to the ZR-1, not base models.
I could be incorrect in assuming the sound systems are the same as long as they are Bose Gold systems.
According to one previous post I was incorrect in my assumption though.
For full disclosure, my experience on 1990 sound systems is limited to the ZR-1, not base models.
I could be incorrect in assuming the sound systems are the same as long as they are Bose Gold systems.
Last edited by fxkenny; Sep 1, 2025 at 11:57 AM.