'99 STS Bose Speaker Problems

[submariner409]

A simple resistance reading across speaker terminals is not, by a long shot, the "ohms" of a speaker's electrical compound impedance. Impedance and resistance are two very, very different values. Impedance is a dynamic value by frequency, while resistance is static.

There are many ways of matching speakers to amplifiers for maximum power transfer.....but it's an electronic match, not electric.

BTW, speaker impedance mismatches, especially with today's switching power supplies, are one of the prime reasons behind complaints of "It doesn't sound right" or "There's no bass...".

[chubbyranger]

Originally Posted by derone

I'm thinking the extra 3.5" speaker(s) from the C5 may work as the center one in the dash...haven't verified that yet though.

The center dash speaker can be replaced by a 3.5" speaker; been there and done that. The dashpad has both Bose and non-Bose (standard round) screw hole patterns on the underside for speaker mounting.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by derone

The Seville Bose front door speakers(~7-8") may be classified as 2ohm impedance, but on a DMM they measure 0.6ohm, the same as the C5(~7-8" door speaker). Now the 3.5" C5 door speaker measured 3.5ohms via a DMM for reference.
Doug

.6 ohms + 3.5 ohms (wired in parallel) = 1.95 ohms (give or take)

[Kaline]

Ed: Did replacing the speakers solve your issue? Mine has begun to do the same, but is very intermittent. It is only on the front channels, and is not consistent (sometimes one door, sometimes both, sometimes the dash). Sometimes it plays just fine. That is making me think it could be the head unit (radio). How did you fix yours?

[SwampeastMike]

Originally Posted by dirtyguido

Gotcha. Good info to know... Also, since they make speaker adapters for the c5 to mount 6.5" components, this should also facilitate replacement to other brands... although our options are somewhat limited due to the fact that these are 2ohm drivers.

Take care and thanks for the info,

George

The grille for the middle dash speaker is larger, but the drivers for all three dash speakers are identical. There are though two different units used in the dash as the enclosures for the left and right are near mirror images.

Yes, you could use an adapter to install smaller diameter speakers in the front doors but mounting depth is a problem. The door speakers have an unusual design with the magnet in front of the cone (just like the subwoofer in the back). Replacements, even if of proper impedence, will not have the bass response of the originals. The front door speakers are woofers--nothing else. The rear door speakers are of conventional design and can be directly replaced, but they too have extremely low impendence.

[93eldodave]

Originally Posted by Alert

When I purchased my '99 STS (w/ Bose stereo) a few weeks ago I noticed the drivers door speaker emits no signal, just a constant buzz/crackle that is uneffected by turning the volume up or down. Now my front passenger door speaker is giving me problems. It sounds blown -- plays the signal and responds to volume control buts sounds horribly distorted. The whole stereo sounds bad now.

I checked out the cost of a new speaker (part #: 25717924).
- $102.75 at GMPartsDirect.com
- $118.56 at gmotors.com

Are these the best prices I'm likely to find? At the rate they're going, will I likely be replacing the rear two soon, also? What about the failure rate of the little dash speakers? They sound fine now...

I'd be willing to order two of these and put them in myself. My question is how hard is it to do? I assume getting inside the door and then putting it back together is the tricky part. Are wire connections to the speakers simple? Do they have to be soldered?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Ed

I had a bose in mine and replaced it with this, and with pulling the seats out to remove carpet the whole job took 1 sat ..

[Kaline]

I had the same problem with my '99 STS. Here is a link to my post, which has a copy of the GM Technical Service Bulletin explaining the problem and the new speaker part number that fixes it: http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...frequency.html (1999 Seville Bose Stereo Low-Frequency Response Problem)