I own a 1988 corvette (35th anniversary edition) and I am having electrical problems which seem to be related to my stereo, the original Delco Bose.

The local dealers do not have much experience with this problem.
I have talked with technical support at Ecklers and Mid America Corvette parts, and they mentioned it is probably a bad amp relay or maybe I need a noise suppressor.

If you have the time could you please answer a few questions.

Does your car have a switch in the convenience/glove box (near the hatch release) which allows you to lower the antenna
when the radio is on ? One mechanic thinks this is normal, the other thinks this may have
been an add on and perhaps adding to my stereo problem.

Have you had any problems with your stereo ? If so, has adding a noise suppressor helped ?
Were you able to trace the problem ? Perhaps to a bad amp relay ?

Thanks in advance
Ray

 

Check out these guys:
http://www.doctordons.com/

They rebuild the Delco/Blose radios and know more than anybody (probably)

Check over on the Audio/Electronics board here on the forum....lots of really sharp stereo guys....

I just pulled out all my Blose crap and replaced it but since you have a 35th Anniversary I can see why you would want to keep it original.

The Bose system was outdated when they even put it in the Corvettes....the speakers are paper cone garbage that cost GM $5.00 a piece....yup $5.00. They each have indiviual amps that when they go cost $140 EACH (I know because I bought one....2 days later after replacing the amp the CD quit...)

Doctor Don rebuilds the head units for about $150 and its a one day turnaround.

 

The switch you speak of is not stock at all. It is a common add on that people do because they don't want the antenna up when listening to CD or cassette.

What kind of problems are you having?

 

I agree with Bodhi try talking to Doctordons.com or Tel # 963.435.1811 he is the BEST when it comes to Bose radios. You could also go on the audio/electronics forum.

But in any case my 86 did not have an antenna switch I added one from midAmerica. And as far as I know the 88 did not have a switch. As far as the amp relay goes usually when they crap out they go all the way, and it is a royal pain in the AZZ to replace.
But again when I had Bose problems I got tons of help from Don. :

 

Here are some more details on the specific problem I am experienceing with my 35th anniversay.. I bought the car 2 years ago, and after about a year of owning the car my battery kept draining and my rear speakers were humming.

On several separate trips to the dealer I followed their advise and let them replace the alternator, then the batterry, ... then a short in the dash, ...
now we are up to the radio.

The radio was sent out, a different one was returned and the front speakers and antenna stopped working. The rear speakers were on with bad humming and a lot of cracking. The batterry no longer seems to be draining.

They called the GM radio repair had my radio returned and say that the antenna is still not working. One guy said he thought whoever wired the antenna override switch may have hosed things all up, another thought that was OK.

All I know is I have had the car for 2 years. I do not drive it often, the battey started draining, I have had it at the dealer more than not for the last 6 months and they do not seem to know what is wrong. Evertime I get the car back, the stereo is working worse.

I think they may have blown the front amps and antenna when they plugged in the wrong stereo, but I really do not know much about these stereos.

I talked with people at Mid America and Corvette Central, who said I should get a noise suppressor and a new Amp relay. I passed this on to the dealer, but he is skeptical.

He mentioned that the power line is spliced where the anteena switch is, and that also 1 rear speaker line is spliced and rewired. He thinks that whoever tampered with this may have messed up the radio.

I just know the radio worked fine for over a year before I started having any trouble, so I thought the wiring might be OK.

I looked at all the old repair records. It looks like in 1990 the previous owner had problems with the battery draining and went through an alternator change and then some radio work. But I do not think anyone has touched the radio since, until now.

Any ideas? :hat

 

The Problem: Bose.....they go bad for no reason at all except that they are old and out dated. Expensive to repair and they don't sound all that great compared to what you could have. I believe that the speaker wires from your head unit to the door and rear units are nothing more than "line out" wires since the amplifier is next to the speakers themselves. If your having problems with your battery draining....I would look to see where all of your powered wires are and make sure that there is nothing grounding out(I have been down that road). A hot wire touching a ground or metal will surely cause a drain. Good Luck

 

Check these out for help on your problem! http://12.212.62.128/old_proj15/old_proj15.html http://www.zr1.net/amp.html http://www.zr1.net/Bose2.pdf https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...D=91&TopicID=2 https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...D=58&TopicID=2 :cheers:

 

I also have a 35th. and have had all the problems you have, except the antenna. It's all junk but "original"