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Comments
Can you or anyone else tell me if their Impala has the same gap between the fuse cover and the side of the dash?
I am thinking about putting some dampening material like DynaMat on the cover's edge so that when the door is closed, the gap is sealed.
Thanks!
RR
Doing it one time is forgivable, but you've done it twice in two different forums now, and it looks like it's becoming a pattern. There's an entire forum dedicated to posting photos, perhaps you could post there?
The suggestion to post the photo once in the Photo Gallery on the Owner's Club Board (instead of as a sig to each post) is an excellent one.
2k_impala_ls, just follow the link to Cheverolet Impala Owners Club at the top of this page - there you'll find the Photo Gallery.
Thanks.
Pat
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Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
Now your Impala is finally COMPLETE!!!!
I put a printable sheet on my website that you can take to the dealer with all the info you will need to get your amp replaced. visit my website
http://www.luckyjdr.homestead.com/impala.html
WOOOO HOOOO doesn't say enough!
I'll bet this doesn't become an epidemic for GM, but those who know about it are getting a better radio. Thanks for the info folks.
I was able to do the replacement from the trunk. I cut off the fastening tabs, the AMP came right out and the new one went in. Total time to replace is less than 5-minutes. FYI, my 103 AMP came with 4-new fastening tabs, so cutting the old ones to remove didn't matter to me.
I know that I should of kept it for the service manager, but he asked and I thought maybe he cared. I hate being wrong about these guys. I always feel like crap after going to the service department and I'm going to let the service manager know about this.
I hope the service manager is a better man.
wwnf
2k_impala_as - I live up in Clifton Park; may I ask what dealer you are going through? I bought my Monte at North star. Thanks.
I'll be making an opointment with my service manager before I go to another dealer. I'm hoping the guy at the front desk is the only jerk. *laugh*
feel free to visit my website, my email address is on there. http://www.luckyjdr.homestead.com/impala.html
another 1000 miles roundtrip for my 2k and performed flawlessly, certain cd's on the stereo now have to be played at the lowest volume setting because the amp/booster is finally performing like it was supposed to all along!
WHOOOOOOOO-EEEEE!
Magnificent. The booster is only for the rear speakers but I swear it changed the way the fronts sound. IMO that 104 not only didn't work, it also HURT the rest of the system's sound.
I owe this great pleasure to the people on this forum. Thanks!
When the guy at my dealership who handles warranty claims called the technical service people at GM, they verified the fact that the amplifier was redesigned mid-year 2001. They told him that the reason for the redesign was to change the way some of the components were wired to fix intermittent "popping" sounds and sound fading in and out. Maybe some people having difficulty getting their service managers to replace it under warranty for poor sound quality can complain of popping sounds or sound fading in and out in order to have it replaced under warranty.
By the way, the new amp was in stock and he had it in three days.
Curious thing is, the 'amp' was actually called a "antenna booster" by my dealer. It'll be interesting to see if it helps reception. Has anyone else noticed an affect on reception?
-When I purchased my '01 LS back in April, the first Impala I test drove after test driving a Monte Carlo SS must have had the 104 amp you spoke of. I commented to the salesman, and he agreed that there was something wrong with the stereo. I asked him to look for another blue LS with a properly working stereo. While we were looking, I saw the silver LS that I now own/lease. I would not have selected any car with a stereo that sounded like that.
-Even with the better amp, the sound system still leaves a little to be desired. It is almost too bassy. Or, I should say, boomy, as the bass needs to be tighter. Also, there is a definite lack of mids, which provide the presence in the vocals and guitars, and a lack of crisp highs, which give strings, vocals, keyboards and almost everything else a light airy quality.
-I would recommend, for those who are still unhappy with their stereos after the upgrade, to consider replacing the speakers. They really are fairly poor. A pair of good 3way 6x9's for the rear can be had for under $100. As a matter of fact, Fry's (a local electronics chain) often has the JBL GTO 930 for $50! Also, Radio Shack (Yes, Radio Shack) often has their top of the line 6x9's on sale for $50. I put the RS speakers in my Grand Am, and they sound very very good. I put the JBL's in my Honda Civic Hatchback. Sounds great! Blaupunkt has many affordable 3 way 6x9 models, as well.
-The factory front speakers are no better than the rears. They are easy to replace, as the grills pop right off of the door panels. They do not use the standard 6.5" size. They use what is referred to as GM-oversize 6.5", or sometimes referred to as 6 3/4". If you own your vehicle, I recommend component speakers which have separate tweeters which can be mounted in the upper door. If you lease, you can add surface mount tweeters to the upper door panels or even the dash. I recommend silk dome or soft dome tweeters. They are not as harsh sounding as titanium tweeters.
-For those that need a bit more punch, upgrading the amp to a 4x50 or 4x75watt (RMS)amp would add the ability to add more volume without adding distortion. I'm sure there is an aftermaket wiring harness to simplify the installation. www.crutchfield.com is a great place to find that sort of stuff.
-It isn't necessary to spend thousands of dollars to get an accurate, fairly loud sound system for your car. For the most part, the whole "audiophile" thing, for both car and home, is really just a manifestation of "The Emperor's New Clothes". (What? You can't hear the difference? Oh. You mustn't have a very good ear, then.)
The preceding was only MHO. You can take it or leave it. But, just so you know, I was a concert soundman for 20 years. I didn't measure my sound systems in watts. I measured them in Kilowatts.
Kudos and huzzahs.
Very COOL post. As for mounting front speakers - can you explain more? I was a former classical musical student who may be looking to do some cheap upgrading of teh stereo w/ a little impact as possible - how can you mount the separate tweeters in teh upper door? I own my '01 LS, picked it up Memorial Day.
Although I'm still dickering with my dealer on the 103 amp, if a guy with your background thinks it's too much bass, I will take your experienced word for that. I'd rather continue to live with the bypass than overly "boomy" sound. I do agree with you that mid range is lacking and vocals still leave something to be desired. But if you think it's bad now - singers literally did not even sound like themselves on the 104 amp - Denver, Sinatra, Martin, Rimes, Streisand all seemed more like impersonators than the performers themselves. Yes - it was that bad.
Good point too about the soft dome tweeters - others can be very shrill.
For the sake of future resale, I will continue to pursue the 103 amp and I am curious to hear it for myself. Nothing could be worse than the 104.
Keep posting - I enjoy your good info.
It was as simple as that. I would suggest doing this, but through a different dealer if possible. I think the key is having that file number so that you can keep following up on your issue until it gets resolved.
I hope this helps, as I've been helped many times by this message board and all of the great participants.
Thanks
wwnf
I just can't believe GM's attitude - I'm otherwise 100% satisfied with the car and just because of this little thing they made sure I'll probably never buy a GM car again.
As far as I am concerned the Customer Assistance Center is a lost cause and a waste of time>
I have never heard an Impala stereo with the bypassed amp, so I couldn't give you a direct opinion on that. I can, without a doubt, tell you that the JBL GTO930's will sound better than the stock speakers, which are equivilent to a pair of $20 2way coaxials with a paper tweeter.
How can I be so sure? Why, I'll tell you. I removed the stock speakers and put in a pair of GTO930's just moments ago. The bass is much tighter. I can hear vocals now, too, with the improved mids and highs. I can't tell you whether the 620's will fit up front. I'm gonna try that tomorrow. There is a very good chance that it won't. I fear they are too small. GM uses an oversize speaker for their fronts. They are often referred to as "GM Oversize" as well as 6-3/4".
You really need to find a dealer to replace that amp. You don't use it anyway, so I suggest you fry it. They would have to replace it. As I understand, the GM parts database now shows the 103 "booster" as the replacement part for the 104 amp.
When you write that the bass on your new 6x9s is "tight" - what exactly does that mean - more realistic? less artifically boomy? Do the JBLs give a warmer more realistic sound to vocals?
Buick Regals I had test driven had wonderful sound - rich, warm, natural. I wonder if buying their speakers would work.
A word of warning: Removing the rear deck is a pain in the butt. Much more complicated than it need be.
Another good place is on either side of the upper dash. You could run the wire down the sides, jammed in out of sight, and splice into the wires before they go out to the door. I remember reading someone mounted them to the front pillars, as well. Lanzar's are good because they can be tilted slightly which gives you more placement options. They also have a few different soft-dome models from $25 - $40 at millionbuy.com.
For flush-mounting, you would need to cut holes in the door panels. You'd have to remove them first, and find a spot where the metal door frame has the space to accomodate them. Then, cut a hole in the door panel to match that location. If you mess up the cut, you gotta spring for a new panel. I think the dealer charges $87,000 for a new door panel, if I'm not mistaken. The screws that hold it in are well over $400 each. ;-)
I'm going to use 620's because I already have a pair in my Civic. If the 630's go on sale locally, I'll put them in the Impala, and return the 620's to the Honda. I'm gonna need the 930's to go back on sale too. Otherwise, I've got two big holes in the rear of my Civic. Maybe I'll put the Impala speakers in there for now.
I love Crutchfield's web site, but I haven't bought there 'cause they're usually so darn expensive. They are by far the best auto sound web dealer for the novice, though.
Thanks
wwnf
I also took the GTO930's out of the Honda, and put them in the Impala. The system sounds much better now than with the factory speakers. No additional amp was needed beyond the factory "103" amp.
The low end is much tighter, less boomy. The mids are fuller, and the highs are crisper. My girlfriend commented right away about the difference. As an added bonus, the Auto Tone is now actually useful.
They've ordered a new amp, I'll post my results when it arrives.