Chevrolet Impala Audio

02lssport

Hey anyone that has replaced the rear speakers I have a quesion -

Do you think that the radio is louder and sounds better with the new rear speakers?

I notice on my car when I increase the volume to the very top past a certian point it actually starts to lower the volume. I think it is getting to a certain point and it thinks that the speakers can't handle any more volume. Does anyone else notice this and does this happen with the new speakers?

atbear

I changed my rear speakers. It actually made the volume go down, rather than up because the factory speakers have tons of bass and boom. My new speakers can go louder, but click for click on the dial, they are quieter. They're much more clear. Get yourself a good set...

otto42

The reason the volume seemingly goes down again is that the bass is going past a certain point. You're overdriving the speaker. Lower the bass level before you crank the volume and you'll notice a big difference. This applies to any speaker in there, BTW, not just the factory ones.

02lssport

Hey I'm not a car audio freak so I have a very basic question. How much power is being sent to each read speaker with the Impala LS stock 200 watt applifier.

Is it 50 watts???

I am think about upgrading the read speakers with the pioneer ts-a6990r 5 way 6x9" speakers. I don't want to replace the factory amp. The recommended power rage is from 2 - 80 watts and peek is 400 watts. I'll get the speakers baffles with it too and the wiring harness.

All this for under $200 shipped from www.crutchfield.com

Any thoughts....

b4z

It is doubtful that the Impala's amp can produce
200 watts. Maybe if it was rated at 1 Khz with 10% distortion. I am doubtful.

back in the early 80s I had a a/d/s Powerplate 100 that had 50 wpc. With 2 a/d/s speakers it would run you out of there. And the a/d/s speakers were not very efficient.

02lssport

Yea maybe it can't make 200 watts. I heard it from someone. The 04 SS is rated at 200 watts.

So what if I leave the stock system alone and add a second amp with two extra speakes in the rear. I wonder if I could mount two extra speakers back there next to the stock speakers. I would have to cut out the holes but I don't know if there will be anything in the way.

Has anyone done this or concidered it?

I haven't really examined the area yet so if this is totally off the wall let me know. Peace.

leemg1

After figuring out how to remove my backseat and the rear deck, I have decided I would very much like to replace my 6"x9" speakers with something better.

I ran down to the local car audio place near my work and bought a pair of Pioneer TS-A630P at the suggestion of the guy behind the counter. His theory being that if I do not replace the head unit these would be the best. They suck... the factory speakers are better...

So, I am looking for advice. I will probably buy my next set online to save some money, so I can afford something a little better.

I am not planning on replacing the head unit or the factory amp, but would like that option in the future.

In short, What 6"x9" speakers should I get if I want an improvement in overall sound quality AND hopefully some improved bass.

Thanks...

02lssport

I am upgrading my rear speakers and factory amp this weekend. I'll let you know how it turns out. I brought the following items on ebay for like half of what I would have paid in a store:

$90 Pioneer TS-A6990R 5 way 6x9 80watt/400watt
$80 Pioneer 400 watt 2 channel amp
$25 4 gauge wiring kit

I also picked up a pair of 6x9 speaker baffles that fit around the speakers to increase bass response.

I think you are wasting your time replacing the rear speakers and not the amp. The factory amp has no power so any speaker is not going to give out enough sound. I'll post here when I complete the upgrade.

bikenliftr1

Can anyone tell me where they mounted their aftermarket tweeters in the doors?

02lssport

I have the installation about 60 percent completed. I just have to run the power cables and the system control wire. The factory 6x9 was very weak looking. I'm sending 75 watts RMS to each speaker. The Poineer 5 way 6x9's can handle 80 watts RMS and 400 watts peek so this thing should rock. I have speaker baffles installed behind both speakers so the bass response should be tight.

Anyone have any tips on running the power cable through the firewall?

01_1mpala

02lssport

Hey this info might help you. I tried like almost every configuration so I can make some good comparisons.

1) New 6x9's on factory amp - not bad but not enough bass

2) New 6x9's on new amp - good bass, very loud but fronts get overpowered and I had some interference on some radio stations. This seemed like a decent setup while not speading too much except for the damn radio issue but it could have been something I did. I spent about $200 on E-Bay for everything.

3) New 6x9's on new amp AND new front speakers ($90) still running off the factory amp - What I found is that the front got even weaker because the factory front speakers are 2 ohms while my new speakers were 4 ohms. I did not have to remove the door panel, the speaker grilles popped right off. I had to laugh at the pathetic tweaters mouted in there. They hardly made any sound! GM should be ashamed.

4) All new speakers all running off a new amp. This is the only way to go IMO. Sounds so much better and louder with great bass. No rattles and the radio interference disappeared. I wish that I would have brought a nice 4 channel amp but I didn't know at the time that I would end up replacing everything. Oh well it sounds good anyway just no front / rear fade. It didn't cost me too much more because I had some Best Buy gift cards that I used for the new fronts.

I'm using all Pioneer stuff and while it's not top of the line I think it's the best I could get for how little it cost. I'm sending about 100 RMS to each speaker so I had to turn the gain way down.

aquaknot2000

Does anyone have a 12-Disc (or 6-Disc) CD-Changer mounted in their trunk on a 2003 LS. My Dealer tells me I cannot install a trunk mounted cd-changer in the LS> It is not available> Can someone let me know how to acomplish the purchase and installation. Joe

txguy

I recently had the windows in my 01 LS tinted with a Llumar metallic tint. One installer said it would interfere with the rear window antenna, another said it wouldn't. I went with the second installer (besides it was much cheaper). It does reduce AM reception a lot once you get out of the city and FM to a lesser degree. I'm looking at a stubby Euro style antenna for either the leading edge or back of the roof or a window mount that looks like another cell antenna. Has anyone tried one of those little black boxes that mounts on the dashboard? It's supposed to be an amplified antenna. I can't find any performance data on it. I figure the amplifier will only increase the background noise. Are there any AM engineers out there?

r00t

jl audio 6.5" up front

kicker 1" tweets up front

jl audio 6X9" in back

these are running off a kicker 1225xi

(2)jl audio 12w3's running off a memphis st-1000d

razzi ground kit coming soon

http://www.sarakaitis.com/car.htm

tgp1810

How is the sound quailty out of the 03 LS's? Pretty good? Better than the Mailbu?

oatmealer

As you all probably know, the vehicle's radio for some strange reason is the adjustment for many of the vehicle's functions... I have talked to 2 different major GM dealerships in my area, and got 2 different answers... And there are only 2 possible answers to my question.

Can I replace my factory radio with an aftermarket top-of-the-line cd player?

I am very experienced in electronics and quite an audiophile... I just do not want to tear everything apart to find that the vehicle needs the radio to maintain the settings...

Anyone have any info? I have checked some strings, but all I see are words words words!

dgonzalez13

Mount it in the trunk just to be able to program those functions, then replace it in the dash with any radio you like. Check out impalahq.com 's directions in the How To section. He really documents the heck outta everything people do to there Impalas.

oatmealer

Thanks for the info Dgonzalez13. That is what I will end up doing, but what happens if I took it out all together? Would the settings stay at what they are set at now? Or would they all go back to factory default? Or would they not work at all?

dgonzalez13

But you would have to reset the Oil Life indicator using some other method someone mentioned but I have not tried, it involved a sequence using the brake pedal and light switch or something like that. The settings do hold with the radio removed. I have to say that after printing out the instructions on that web site for pulling open the dash, it is pretty easy to do if you havent done it already. And so is removing the rear seat cushions, allowing you access to run the cables and mount the factory radio Horizontally in the trunk under the rear shelf. The only problem I ran into regarding the radio removal and replacement was the possible crimping/breaking/shorting of cables behind the dash when the radio was pushed into place. I bought $3 plastic cable loom from Radio Shack and wrapped it around the wires, and my problem was fixed. That cheap little wire loom would have saved my car stereo guy from a lot of angry calls from me when he shorted out my system by leaving wires crimped and exposed.

kenneymac

does anyone know where i can get a cheap cd changer that will work with the stock radio? that is not expensive relatively cheap?

mfx007

I have the same comment as the person that started this discussion group in 2000. The sound from the upgraded sound system is just plain poor - still.

The sound is just not full and seems to have no range. It sounds as if it is not even stereo - sort of like in older cars when a radio signal gets weak and the stereo indicator flickers out.

I do not want to put in anything aftermarket - I just want to sound as least as good as any other GM car that I have owned - including a 86 cavalier. Hell, I had a 1984 Olds Delta 88 junker with a stock radio just a few years ago that sounded better.

Has anyone succussfully got the dealer to "fix" anything? Is it the fault of the reception? The radio sounds a bit worse than a CD. Can you put a real antenna on it (like a cell phone antenna)?

I did not search through everything, but apart from the "bad amp" discussion in 2000, I have not seen anything that suggests that there is something that the dealer can "fix". Just does not make since since I have owned many GM cars and the radios have always sounded decent.

tepst12

I bought my Impala used a few months ago and was complacent with the factory system for a while....

I had had a JVC head unit and 12 disc changer in my old car that I had removed before trading it in on the Impala. I do a lot of long distance highway driving, especially at night when no one is on the road. I found that changing CDs in the single disc factory head unit at night to be more dangerous than it needed to be. I also found the factory speakers to be tinny, dull, and frankly just plain bad. I had also had a decent set of Kenwood 6 x 9's that I had removed from my old car that were sitting around.

I was able to change out the 6 x 9's following the guide listed on impalahq.com. I happy for only a small moment. The new 6 x 9's had a richer, fuller sound. The bass hit deep when it should. Problem was that I had to crank the volume to get that, plus turn the bass way up.

I then went to AutoToys.com and purchased an RF modulator for my old JVC 12 disc changer. I installed it but ran into another problem. The sound from the changer was weak and I was very unhappy with it. I can attribute this to the fact that the changer signal is going through the antenna input.

Going back to imapalhq.com and this message board I tried the amp bypass. This greatly increased the "amount" of sound going to all four speakers. At low volume levels there seems to be a lot of bass, but little mid-range (voice) levels. As I turn the volume up the bass seems to drop while the mid and high ranges seem to overpower everything. It seems that there is some type of resistance on the lower bass levels as the volume increases, possibly some type of safety feature that is part of the factory radio.

Now here is what I am planning to do:

1. Install old JVC head unit and directly connect CD changer to it.
2. Head unit is 40 Watt per channel, however I am still not sure if I should use the factory amp or leave it bypassed.
3. Relocate factory head unit to continue using its features and door chimes.

I have seen several devices that recreate the door chime noise, and even some T cables that enable you to relocate your head unit. My question would be can I just run wires from the new head unit adapter to the factory head unit, and connect the front left speaker to both radios?

Any input would be appreciated.

aquaknot2000

tepsti2 - - What year is your impala. It sounds to me like your problem is the AMP.

tepst12

No,

I don't believe its just the factory amp. I do agree that the 104 amp is garbage.

My Impala is a 2000 base. I love the car, but with all the highway travel I do with it I also appreciate a quality sound system.

I bypassed the amp and was happy until I turned the volume up. I've read some of the posts on this board where others have claimed to have the same problem. They bypass the amp, then turn the volume up and the sound levels seem to drop on the bass end. Its as if the bass is limited by volume. I know my new 6 x 9's can handle up to 100 watts, and there is no distortion as I turn up the volume. Its as if the bass is lost in the mid to high range sounds. I did not have this problem when I had these speakers in my old car with the JVC unit.

I think I will replace the head unit and relocate the factory one as I have planned. I could replace the amp, but I am out of factory warranty. Will the dealership still replace it for me?

aquaknot2000

I have a 2000 also. And I had the same problem. Try going to various Chev. dealers. The dealer that I bought my car from would not even talk to me about upgrading my amp. Then I went to another Chev. dealer and they didn't even ask any questions - They ordered me the new Amp. The new amp. solved my bass problems.

teeninty

hey guys i've already done most of the stereo upgrades that ya'll want it goes like this:
ma 6.5 front speakers
ma 6x9 rear spearkers
ma 12" subs
ma 4 channel 800 watt amp to front and rear speakers
ma 1500 watt mono amp for 12" subs
the install was simple if you just read the how to @ hqimpala
it sounds a whole lot better and the sound is a lot cleaner

02lssport

Yea you don't need to replace the head unit. Just get a good aftermarket 4 channel amp and replace all four speakers.

mvanzante

I was just wondering if anybody knew of a good place to put remote tweeters in the front of an Impala LS. I know other car owners who've put tweeters in the door panel next to the mirrors, but my LS doesn't have room for them there.

If anybody has remote tweeters could you take a picture of your install and send it to me? mvanzan@nwciowa.edu

Thanks,
matthew

txguy

Does anyone out there in Edmundsland know how the antenna cable connects to the rear window and what path that cable takes to the back of the radio. This is on a 2001 LS. I'm going to add an external AM/FM antenna.

bmote

Does anyone have one of these installed? I'm trying to find the best location in the car to install it. There just aren't that many areas that it will fit into.

I need both +12V and Aux Switched power as well as a ground. Someone told me that the amp in the trunk has both, but I can't find a diagram that tells me which one is which (other than the speaker diagrams listed earlier in this forum).

Any thoughts?

mcdill

Weve got a 2000 Impala with the top of the line radio and I have read about the poor bass response and have read about the amp replacement and bypass , so I got an amp out of a wrecked 2002 impala to switch out with my old one ..... well to begin with the smaller plug on the car , (the amp power plug, orange , and black wire ) is to big for the new amp out of the 02' model , I thought for sure they were the same , can anyone help me ???? , also the amp that came out of the 02' has a model number # 10449235 does anyone know if this is the "GOOD " amp number ? Thanks

tommy42

TSB 01-08-44-012 Use Tech 2 to reprogram radio bass. Also you can go to web site impala hq. com How to section on amps.

eatmyshorts

I have herd that there is rca inputs for the factory amp and you can tap off of those for a aftermarket amp for my sub is this true? .. and where are they if so? any help ? also can i use the amp sensor wire to turn on my amp? 2001 base model thanks

eatmyshorts

if anybody knows about a tail light mod that can light up the inner reflectors please let me know anything u know about it thanks ...im on inpala hq all the time...great site...props

mfx007

TXguy: I don't have any info to halp you - but why are you adding an external antenna? It has seemed to me that for all but the strongest stations the reception seems to be poor. Not that there is static always - but kind of liek the old days where they had a "stereo" light on the radio that would go out if the reception got bad.

banker4

I have a 01 Impala. The radio is the RDS, with cassette and CD player. For the past several weeks, I have been having problems with the radio. Sometimes when I turn the radio on, it doesn't play at all for as long as I'm in the car. Other times it will come on immediately, but will cut out and come back on. When this is happening, the cassette and CD player will not have any sound when I insert the CD or Cassette. The media is playing, but no sound comes out. When I press the seek/scan on the radio, it will stop at the stations with strong signals, but no sound.

When the radio is dead, my warning chime for the parking brake, seat belts, is muted as well.

Has anyone encounterd this. I haven't contacted the dealer yet. Thanks for any suggestions.

eatmyshorts

Does anybody have a diagram for a 2001 impala with the premium stereo? I really need it.

gr8396

i had an aftermarket headunit installed. how do i go about resetting the change oil light? the steps outlined in the owners manny don't work now. i have heard there are other ways to do it ... anyone know?

txguy

After I added the Lumar metalized tint, my AM reception died. FM is still good but I notice some reduction in signal outside town. AM is borderline depending on station even in Houston. Out of the metro area AM goes away entirely. Unfortunately, I like to listen to AM on my long commutes. It appears to me that the metallic tint is blocking most of the signals to the window mount antenna. I still haven't pulled the trigger to drill the hole in the roof. Though I have looked at a mini antenna that looks like one of the satellite radio antennas.

etcarroll

Keep checking manual, there is another way by turning light on/off 3 times rapidly, or something like that.

ghostwolf

1. Put key in ignition and turn to the Run position. (Do not start the vehicle though.)

2. Press gas pedal 3 times in less than 5 seconds.

3. You are done, the light should not come on until the next time it is due to be serviced.
---
let me know if that works for you
gw

gr8396

yes it worked gw! thanks alot i really appreciate the tip. btw are there any impala clubs or forums online that have more activity / participation than this one? my wife and i just bought our 2000 impala ( love it so far! ). may put in a sunroof ... have questions about lots of stuff, from chips to exterior mods to maintenance etc etc.

Karen_S

Posting links to other auto sites with forums and/or encouraging others to leave the Town Hall is prohibited. Please check the Member Agreement (link in sidebar) and the Town Hall Rules of the Road(link at the top of hte page) for more clarification.

Thanks for your cooperation!

ghostwolf

gr8396

As I understand the rules I am unable to provide you with my email address or a link which leads to a website outside of edmunds.

Here is a trivia question for you though..
Do you know what the number one search engine in the world is?

Well if someone knew the answer to that trivia question and then they were to use that answer and type in 2 words... my nickname followed by the name of the vehicle we discuss in this forum then someone might figure out how to email me.

Take Care
gw

etcarroll

Knew it was 3 times in under 5 seconds for something.

Try impalahq.com

bradharmer

Hi,

I have a 2000 LS 3.8 with the worst radio reception. AM/FM both suck. I've seen many Impalas on the road that have an antenna on the back window positioned over the antenna leads. Has anyone done this? Does it help? Is there a model number/brand I can check out.

Thanks in advance.

BRAD

kenneth

Brad, I think the antenna you have seen is for the OnStar system. Have you taken the car into the dealer to have the radio checked?

I had a 2000 Impala LS and now have a 2002 Impala LS and I have never had the problem you are referring to.

theeman

Hey, did you add the external radio antenna? Did you need any adapters? Did you mount it in the trunk? Please email me at theeman@citlink.net if you could pass on any help. Thanks!

base02impala

I would like to know if anyone has added an amp to the interior speakers and removed the factory amp while maintaining the factory head unit. I am trying to add a 4channel amp and a single channel amp to my factory head unit but don't know what to do please help. MY email is M_ALLEN481@hotmail.com