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18 or 20 guage wire. Others use single strand
higher gauge. Does anyone have a feel for what
would be the best gauge and or stranded vrs non
stranded wire. I'm gonna do this, but I have to
make a trip to Radio Shack first to get my wire.
People who have done the bypass have used various thicknesses and types of wires. All you need are 8 short strands stripped at both ends to be inserted into the C1 plug.
The wire will cost about $3 max at a Radio Shack or Pep Boys auto store - much less than replacement speakers or a new trunk amp.
Unsure? Buy 3 feet each of various thicknesses at an electrical supply store or home supply store.
I used wire I already had around the house - stranded, probably 20 gauge. It's been in place since 6/10, sounding good with no problems to date.
Others have used thicker,(lower #) solid wire with good results. If you try something and it doesn't work, try something else.
This isn't rocket science.
jmahler deciphered the wiring diagram about a month ago.
Jump to his original post # 176. Print it out for easy reference.
Another owner kindly posted the schematic on his webpage:
http://members.theglobe.com/reimanjw/
Frankly, I could not figure it out. It had terminology I've never seen before as well as some typos.
Good Luck !
After looking at it again and comparing it to mahler's solution, I think the drawing (chart)is WRONG.
I recall it stumped me the first time around.
Maybe it was an early edition drawing that was later revised.
Fact is, at least 16 of us have followed mahler's numbers and they work.
You hit on my solution. Relatively thin wire, stripped and folded on the ends and squshed into the same holes that would plug into the amp.
My wires are short and the picture was posted earlier. I did not use any tape.
Hey - I always said this was an imperfect solution. The least GM could do is send us all a pre-wired mating bypass plug.
You could always go back to using that trunk amp full time - just kidding Don.
I went in through the back seat but working on ANYTHING overhead is a pain to me.
PS I got the crackling sound too when I first turned on the stereo, it was from loose connections, thus the cable tie.
Duraflex, I'm sending you an e-mail with my e-mail address (I think you can proably click on my name and get my e-mail too, but no big deal). You can count me in!
is beyond compare. The amp bypass is confusing
to many posters adn it shouldn't be. There are a couple of ways to do this. The initial solution
was inserting jumpers into the connectors. This will work for awhile until vibration or a poor connection causes problems. I posted earlier about another solution of using type 557 3M Scotchlok connectors which work fine. Another solution is to cut the wires one pair at a time,
slip heat shrink tubing over one wire, twist wires together end to end, and solder. After soldering together slip heat shrink over wires and use a heat source, lighter, etc, to shrink tubing over the connection. I did this for a friend, cut the remaining wires and used heat
shrink to protect the ends, then tie wrapped the bundle next to the amp. If you do this just leave
enough wire from the connector to resolder if GM
has an actual solution to a problem they do not recognize, and then you can reconnect the amp that doesn't work. The remaining wires that are not used for the bypass are power and a switched
antenna lead which I can't find in the manual !!
As long as the power lead is isolated from the body, which would result in a short, there should be no problem with this solution. The choice is up to you, either jumper the connector,
use a pigtail connector, or cut and solder. The solder solution is time consuming, but still should not take over an hour. I have a factory manual, and if anyone wants additional wiring diagrams, I can scan them and email them. Just dont ask for the whole thing, after al its 1500 pages.
So, count me in for the list being sent to Chevy. I'm already convinced that I'll be quite happy about the adjustment.
As for those of you looking to change speakers...
Go to my web site,, I have many pictures of My Impala taken apart. You can clearly see the speaker locations there... Give ya a good idea if what you will see when you upgrade...
http://www.myloudcar.com
P.S.
If you can not stand to see a brand new car sitting in peices,,, Don't go there..
I still haven't given up my search, though!
In the meantime, I think what I will end up doing is soldering each end of the wires to small pins that can be inserted into each of the holes. That should keep things secure until something better can be found.
Dann
I was waiting to hear from you before I ordered one.
Dan
Got my new LS on Wednesday and I'm loving it. The stereo doesn't sound as bad as on some of the ones I'd test-driven. Maybe I'm just blocking out the poor quality since it's mine, now. I'll check on the model # of the amp and post it here. Maybe they fixed the problem on later-built cars. I will say, however, that the sound is still not GREAT, though. And I'm gonna try the bypass anyway, if for no other reason than to listen to the difference. I'll keep you posted.
But he said he'd do it for me! He wants to get the right type of wire, then hopefully I'll shoot up there and have him do the deed. Hopefully by August, I'll be a bypass fan as well.
Wish me luck!
Cookie.
Duraflex and others...I finally "Tinned" the Wire tips on my Byass jumper wires and it is secure now! Thanks for all the Tips! take care Don
I've noticed a vibrating sound coming from my left front speaker...I'm going to check the connections, but I don't think that's it. Anyone have any ideas? I haven't pushed the system to even come close to blowing it, so I don't think that's the problem...
Using the fade and balance controls, you can isolate the FL speaker and silence the other three to confirm that IT is the source of the vibration noise.
On the Impala, the front 6.75s are held in with some light glue and 4 torx screws. The 1"tweeters are glued in to the plastic speaker mounting frame.
If you go to this link
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/impala2000
and go to "photos" and look for duras impala, you will see what it looks like. (2nd pic)
Perhaps a retaining screw is loose. Or maybe you did blow a speaker. Although they sound okay withOUT the trunk amp, they are cheaply made.
Also, the Impala does not have speaker enclosures or any surrounds on the speakers. The audio catalog people CRUTCHFIELD offer such things and call them "waterproof foam baffles".
On the Monte, do you have to take the whole door
panel off to get to the front speakers?
Good Luck and please post your results.
Looking in the Service book, they are both assembled the same way... Just a bunch of plastic pins holding the panel on...
Does the vibration occur at certain frequencies - like just certain high or low sounds? If so, my guess would be that you might have blown either the large or small speaker on that left side. If the vibrations are on random frequencies, it could be just about anything.
If you can't find the cause, the simplest solution might be to undo the bypass and take the car back to the dealer - probably for a replacement speaker.
Incidentally, do the Montes make engine cradle noises like we're writing about on Impala VII?
Does the vibration occur at certain frequencies - like just certain high or low sounds? If so, my guess would be that you might have blown either the large or small speaker on that left side. If the vibrations are on random frequencies, it could be just about anything.
If you can't find the cause, the simplest solution might be to undo the bypass and take the car back to the dealer - probably for a replacement speaker.
Incidentally, do the Montes make engine cradle noises like we're writing about on Impala VII?
The vibration is only every now and then, and it's really hard to detect; the noise kinda blends in. I don't think I blew the speaker...I never listened to anything too loud. I don't recall clipping the sound, and that would have been the first sign of trouble. I gotta play with it more.
As for the engine cradle, I've heard something on the Monte board about the Impalla, but I can't say that I hear any noises. Does the Impalla engine have two mounting points or one?
www.townhall-talk.edmunds.com/engaged/edmund.cgi?c=Sedans&f=0&t=3690&q=139
Read Post 139
Seems to me, if you're ripping apart the dash, you're going to have to spring for the factory service manual - about $130.
For me, that pre-bypass radio sound overshadowed the car's qualities for months from February to June. I'm glad we put our heads together and the patch was as cheap and easy as it turned out to be.
My wife noticed the big difference too and finally forgave me for fussing about and spending so much time on this site until we came up with the bypass. Now she hears what I was after.
Had it not been for the internet and this forum, it could and would not have happened.
I worked for a big computer company in the 1980s in the earlier days of "data communications" and I do NOT take any of this amazing technology for granted.
I will never forget Joe Mahler for figuring out the exact jumps. Thanks again Joe!
Incidentally, teo is another satisfied bypasser. He did his on 6/18 and let me know by e-mail.
There are probably others.
Enjoy!
duraflex
However, if I could substitute those 8 little jumper wires with a good plug, I'd feel better about it.
Thanks.
duraflex
Dan
I never did attack the antenna problem but it continues to be a pain - especially on distant AM stations. The signal fades out or gets severe interference at the worst times - like in the middle of a big news story or a stock report.
This is most noticeable around power lines next to two lane roads - especially out in the country. My wife's Camry (also with window antenna) is not nearly as susceptible to the same problems on the same roads. Other posters have service manuals that detail the wiring.
The schematic on the main plug that someone sent me seemed NOT to match what the actual wiring in the car. I do know that the first generation of service manuals was replaced. Maybe that schematic was from an early edition.
me seemed NOT to match what the actual wiring in
the car turned out to be.
I do know that the first generation of service manuals was replaced. Maybe that schematic was from that early edition.
Sorry about that.
You mentioned schematic - I found the schematic drawing worthless. The jumps I first tried based on the drawing did nothing.
However here's a copy of POST #176 from jmahler. He was an engineer for a big telephone company. Joe decoded the thing and these are the jumps we used.
He wrote:
"I have a copy of the Amp. Plug wiring diagram
and suggest you use these strappings for an
8-speaker system with amp.
Left spkr Right spkr
B1-to-B9 (LF-) A1-to-A9 (RF-)
B2 to B10 (LF+) A2 to A10 (RF+)
B3 to B11 (LR-) A3 to A11 (RR-)
B4 to B12 (LR+) A4 to A12 (RR+)
END QUOTE