[STS1320]

I made a forum a while ago about my 96 STS battery dieing after sitting for a couple days. I bought the car from a Ford Dealership (that was my first mistake right there) and who ever owned it before put in a in-dash tv/dvd player and alpine front/ rear door speakers. I sent my car back to the dealership 3 weeks ago for them to find out what is wrong with the car and why the battery is draining..........
Ford sent my car to a Caddi dealership (and yes its still there) and they found out that it is the aftermarket audio that is causing the battery drainage. They said since whoever put in the aftermarket audio took out the factory BOSE Amplifier which is tricking the ECU causeing the current draw.

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!:want: So they had to take out my tv/dvd player and put in the factory BOSE cd player and kept the apline speakers but hooked them up to BOSE Amplifier.
So your saying we cant have any aftermarket audio in our cars without having a current draw, thats B/S!!! Or is the dealership lieing to me and just lazy to reinstall the aftermarket audio. Has anyone else added aftermarket audio to thier cars and had any problems. The only good thing is that i dont have to may i dime Ford is, but thats beside the point.

SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME OUT!!!!:banghead:

 

[powerglide]

Thats BS!

1-there's many folks with fully functionaly aftermarket dvd/nav/stereo units.

2-I think Bose amps require 6 ohm speakers, those alpines are most likey 4 ohms.

Dunno what to tell you, but the dealer copped out and took the 'safe' road......I bet you (or someone here) or a good installer could have figured it out.....sorry man.

On the upside, if ou really wan that stuff back in, you can get it installed correctly this time.

 

[terrible one]

That can't be right.

I've read somewhere about this and how to get it to work...

Did they let you keep the tv/dvd player?

 

[JC316]

You can hook anything you want up to the Bose amps, ohms do not matter because the bose speakers are VERY low ohm. You have a couple of options.

1. You can keep everything stock. (not very good).
2. You can rewire everything and put the stock player somewhere else in the car. (Decent idea, probably the least headache)
3. There is a guy that has instructions on how to rewire the harnesses so it will work.

 

[STS1320]

Hell yea they let me keep the tv/dvd player. Yea the guy said that i need to keep the bose amp so prevent the current draw. What if i got a aftermarket amp that puts out more watts would it do the same. If anyone can find instructions please send them to me. Thanks alot

 

[JC316]

Your best idea would be to keep the stock Bose amp and headunit, but rewire behind the dash or in the trunk. After you get it out of the way, you can add whatever you want. In the audio section there is a guy that tells how to rewire some harness so an aftermarket headunit communicates with the CPU. It should still be on the first page.

 

[CadillacSTS42005]

Ok i dont know why its doing this to your car however i do know something you can do to fix it. Install a kill switch in the car. Find the power wire (red) thats on the new HU. Rig it to a switch then connect it to the plug. When you turn the car off turn the switch off and it will kill power to the radio. GL

 

[DanDan]

Wow, most of you don't have a clue of what your talking about. Interesting comments though. I got a good laugh. You vehicle communicates with most of the modules in your car through Class 2 data. When your computers are active they talk to each other. It is called S.O.H. (state of health) When you turn the key off and leave the vehicle the computer talks to each of the modules checking them for SOH. When all things are clear they are told to turn off and the computer goes to sleep. That is when your current draw is at it's lowest. When they took out the Bose amp and radio you broke the chain and caused the problems. Your safest bet is to get the interface for an aftermarket radio and keep the bose amp. You don't have to use it but keep it plugged in. This way the main computer thinks everything is ok. You could remove both of them but need to keep the data link connected. A data wire goes in and one comes out and goes to the next module. If you break the chain problems arise. It is referred to as a star configuration. Now, if it is a 96 it is first year of OBD 2 and there may very well be problems when you start disconnecting things. The newer cars are a little easier to interface. More stable to things being disconnected. As far as the Bose speakers they are usually 1 or 2 ohms. Almost a dead short. You will burn up a standard amp by using them. Most of todays amps can sustain a 2 amp load so that will not be a problem. Remember that the lower the ohm's the more load you put on a amp. Oh, and forget the last post about the kill switch as that will do nothing to help you except waste your time.

DanDan

 

[JC316]

Pretty much what I said. You can be added to the not knowing stuff list, because in 96 each speaker has it's own amp. It is the headunit that is causing the problems, without it telling the computer that the power is on or off, it is constantly appling power to the non existant amps.

 

[CadillacSTS42005]

oh nothing really? works fine on my 97 ETC ty

 

[JC316]

DanDan, you are confused with the newer 98+ Bose sound systems. What you are talking about will work with the 98+ sound systems becuase they have a single amp. It will not work with the pre 98 because the headunit is what communicates with the computer. If we are wrong about something, it's not a big deal if someone corrects us, but if you come off with this "you people don't have a clue" stuff, it is going to spark some conflict.

 

[STS1320]

Thanks alot for your input guys but i think DanDan is right. The Cadillac dealership told me exactly what DanDan said. I must keep the bose amp. But my question is can i still hook my aftermarket tv/dvd and alpine speakers to the Bose amp with two more powerful amps (subs and alpines). How the hell would i hook up amps comming from another amp, doesnt make any sence. DanDan or anyone else can clear this up for me. And thanks alot you guys for all of your help

They still have my damn car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Week 3 and 2days

 

[JC316]

I am sure that in 96 each speaker has it's own amp.

 

[DanDan]

You can hook up your aftermarket radio to the bose amp with a special interface. I will have to call my distributor tomorrow and found out what PAC or Metra interface is available. You can also hook other amps as your radio should have low level outs to support it. Not hard to do at all. You could even eliminate the Bose amp, just make sure your data link is not seperated. In the earlier GM class 2 it is better just to leave it hooked up. You will find though that the Bose amp will not work well with aftermarket speakers. The ones you have are probably 4 ohm and Bose amps need low, low resistance. Usually 1 to 2 ohms. Infiniti works the same way. You will find the speakers not having enough volume.

DanDan

 

[STS1320]

So my speakers r ganna shound shitty. Oh so i dont have my tv/dvd player and not my speakers wont even sound right.......damn. What is the adapter that i need to buy to get rid of the bose amp and run my speakers off my head unit or another aftermarket amp

 

[STS 310]

I am sure that in 96 each speaker has it's own amp.

Your rite they do.

DanDanYou is correct in saying that the class 2 databus must remain "daisy".

There have been quite a many posts dealing with this issue.

 

[JC316]

Right, that is why I am thinking it's the headunit that has to stay and not the amps. Whichever one of us is right, you can still not use the amps or the headunit and put anything you want in once you bypass the factory crap and fool the computer into thinking it is still in use.

 

[DanDan]

jc,

Seems you just want to be right. There is only one Bose amp. It is behind the seat. I just worked on a 96 deville today that the customers friend burned out the IPC (Instrument Panel Cluster). He brought it in and they wanted me to check the radio wiring that they tried to put in before they replaced the IPC. They chopped off the radio plug and shorted the 16 volt reference voltage to ground. Pop goes the cluster. It was the worst job of installing I have ever seen. Melted wires under the dash from a botched alarm install. Before I worked on this vehicle I went and got the service manual from the library they have. Now on the new cars I usually work on the service manuals are available on the internet at GM dealerworld. Just so happens the manual covered the seville also. The radio does not need to be installed for the car the run and operate ok. But the amp is daisy chained in the loop. If you break the chain it causes problems. If you want to remove the amp that is ok but you need to take both purple data wires and tie them together. I don't recommend it as it being there not working will not hurt anything. After I worked on this car, the customer called me later in the day and asked me to install his amps and radio properly. I gave him the price I would charge and I could hear him cringe! If you want quality work you have to pay. Caddy's are a different breed. Want a tough car for electronics check out the STS. Unique to say the least.

Dan

 

[STS1320]

DanDan is right it is only 1 amp. So what about the bypass wire for the amp so i can run the speakers to the headunit or an aftermarket amp. I think i am capable of doing it myself. Do u kno where i can get a bypass wire.

 

[JC316]

You have figured me all wrong. I am just trying to help the original poster out, I have seen experts be wrong and the person asking the question get screwed because of bad information. The deville is a totally different car. I am 99% sure the 96 Seville has 4 amps, a headunit, and a control box in the trunk. You are sure that it has a single amp. Is there anyone out there that can confirm who is right? The original poster is saying that it has one amp and another poster is saying it has four. One of us is wrong and I don't care which, I only want the positive information, so I am not giving out bad advice in the future.