2000 Pathfinder SE stereo system

[samino]

Hey I'm new here hoping someone can provide some helpful information. My speakers (with the exception of my tweeters) keep cutting out, they come back for a while then cut out again. Originally I thought it was the head unit (factory clarion) but not the case. I purchased a new sony head unit and am having the same issue. So I'm thinking that is the factory amplifier. Does someone know where I can locate the factory amp and how I can just bypass it? The new head unit will pump out plenty of power for my needs and just assume not spend the money to replace the amp.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

-Mark

Modified by samino at 11:56 AM 7/15/2008
Modified by samino at 12:04 PM 7/15/2008

[slickroger]

okay there is three amps

1 in each of the front doors and one behind the driver side rear quarter panel.

i believe the factory speakers are 2 ohm speakers so bypassing the amp might blow the head unit because the speakers will be drawing too much current (amperage).

if the amp is your problem i would look for another 2 ohm stable amp to replace it or completely replace the component speakers.

the amp in the front doors control the tweeter in the pillar and the speaker in the door so if the tweeter still works then it might not be the amp.

anyway i hope this helps if you find anything new ill try to help.



hope this helps

[samino]

Thanks for the info but here is what I found.

I popped off the door panel on the driver side and did not see an amplifier. The speaker is a 4 ohm factory clarion. I followed the wires from the speaker and they run straight through the door and into the interior.

I didn't have much time yesterday to trace the speaker wires where they come into the interior of the vehicle. Kind of a rats nest in there will take some time find out where they go once inside the vehicle.

I haven't popped off the rear quarter panel yet to see if there is an amp back there. Suppose I'll try that next.

[slickroger]

alright i have a 2001 pathfinder LE

the amp in the back is supposed to control the speakers in the rear doors.

in my front door the amp is right beside the speaker. this would be real easy if you had a multimeter with a continuity test function. this way you could just check the wires from the door with the back of the deck.

goodluck still

[samino]

no amp in the rear quarter panel either

god i hate intermittent problems

your pathy probably had the bose setup thats why you had the 3 amps.thats my guess anyway. i have the non-bose setup

not sure if i should bother checking the passenger side door i have a feeling its not going to be there.

not sure where else I should look.

thanks for the tips so far.

[samino]

more developments... is it possible there is no amp?

with the vehicle off i tested continuity from the right front speaker(+/-) to back of stereo (+/-) and I get continuity on both lines.

now maybe i'm mistaken but if there is an amp then without power there should be no continuity right?

[timmack]

if its without the bose system, im 99.9% sure its a standard setup with no amps, from clarion like you said. therefore you would be okay just swapping whatever with new components. but one thing, do all the speakers cut out at once or one at a time, randomly? if its an all at once thing, your problem might be in the wiring, not the speakers. i.e. loose wiring harness or something.

[samino]

the speakers randomly cut out. almost always in the morning everything except the tweeters are dead. The tweets for some reason never cut out. It's the door speakers that randomly cut out. And if there is wet weather outside the door speakers almost always are dead.

i think you might be right it could be a wiring or connector issue.

it looks like it may be time to run some new wires.

do the tweets run off of the front speakers?

[timmack]

if its random, it might be the speakers going bad, especially since you mentioned it was worse in wet weather, i have heard of moisture and humidity having weird effects on speakers, even though theyre not directly in contact with the water.

[samino]

well i believe you are correct. got in my car this morning and left front was working right front was not. i pulled off the door panels and swapped the front speakers. and guess what ... the problem was reversed.

i tested continuity across the speaker's +/- the good one had continuity the bad one .... you guessed it did not.

i'm actually relieved first off that the problem has been found and second i dont have to rewire my pathy

thanks every one for your help ... now i guess it's time to go speaker shopping wooo hoooo!!!!!

thanks again everyone