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Comments
Yeah. A different dealer.
While you're at it, I would make as big a stink as you can about how you were treated. Write the owner of the dealer, the better business bureau, GM corporate, etc etc etc. (I think you're probably mad enough to do this too, aren't you?).
Once you've done that, find another dealer. Maybe someone here on the list has had a successful amp replacement experience at a dealer close to you?
Good luck.
Brad
Remember, harraka, YOU are the customer. YOU put your trust and hard earned money into the product and deserve better from the dealer.
Raise hell and take YOUR business elsewhere - that will hit the dealership where it hurts and when the bottom line suffers... well, the rest is history.
Later,
RR
Let me give you some background information: I have 2001 Impala LS, and I am very unhappy with the factory sound. So, I am planning on adding new components, and replacing others. My setup will be. (At this point) An aftermarket amp will drive the front speakers and a sub, and the factory amp will drive the back speakers.
I have the 104 amp, Model# 10432572: Ref# CY-BG2911ZC.
My questions are:
1. Is there a noticeable difference in the factory sound from the 104 to the 103 amp? (As long as I have the bass and treble turned up all the way, it doesn't sound bad, and it doesn't sound great either.)
2. What is wrong with the 104 amp? (Defects or problems)(Post #170 by smithy_101 explains some, can anyone add to this?)
3. The head unit in my car gets quite hot at times. I read a post here, but can't find it now, that said the 104 amp causes the head unit to become hot. True or False? If so, will the 103 fix this?
4. Should I get the 103 amp before I add or replace any of the components?
I have tried talking to GM, and they have been rude, and short. They have also said that the only way I could get the 103 amp is to purchase it. I talked to my service manager and he said that he hadn't heard of this, and called GM. And the circle goes on.
I apologize about this post being so long. I just wanted to see if it is really worth all of the effort. Thanks in advanced! Kimberly
Chris
http://members.home.net/chrbut/
We have found that LS's built after 12/00 have the 103 amp.
LS's built between 11/00 and 12/00 have a mix of 104 and 103 amps.
All LS's built 10/00 and before have the 104 amp amp.
Build date is found on the Driver's side door.
Those are my comments and observations, perhaps a bit different from some of yours but I too am less than overjoyed with the stereo system in this car. I have yet to return to my dealer for anything, but I do have a couple items that need attention, and I will be discussing the radio/amp issue with them when I do.
The people who would not help me out were : MJ Sullivan in New London, CT.
The dealership that gained my business is Bob Valenti Auto Mall in Mystic, CT.
Thanks everyone for your help!!!
Risky business I might add...
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/impala/
Even thought I am mainly a lurker in both the Impala forum's I've learned a great deal from you folks and I really appreciate it! Thanks!
I'm glad you're going to write those letters. There are still too many dealers (and other non-auto companies) that just don't realize that customers won't stand for shoddy service anymore. Of course, a lot will depend upon what GM corporate decides to do. Good luck!
Brad
I think it is called a "booster" in the GM parts literature. I guess it literally "boosts" the already-amplified signal from the in-dash unit. :-)
No, the only warning chime is lights on, engine off, key in ignition. The chime comes from the rear driver's speaker. Interestingly if you run the fader all the way to the rear, the sound goes away and if you run it all the way to the front it gets louder in the rear. Chevy must have somehow reversed the speakers output front for rear somehow.
I have been told that part of the police package deleats the sound from the front speakers and that there is a connector somewhere that needs to be un-plugged to enable the front speakers but no one seems to know what connector.
any help would be appreciated.
Tell your dealer to look at volume 3 of the service manual, under entertainment, page 8-447 (regular speaker schematic) and page 8-449 (Speakers SEO). The page numbers may be different because I am using a '01 manual and you'll need a '02. I don't think the information is gonna be different, though.
If you want to do this yourself, e-mail me and we can discuss it. My e-mail address is on my Impala page. http://home.hawaii.rr.com/impala/
Thanks for the info!!! Next week I will pull the radio and check it out. I have the tools and ability to make the mod myself.
Thanks again!!
The factory speakers bite. I highly recommend replacement. That is the single most improtant area, if you are looking to upgrade the sound in your Impala. I also recommend tweeters mounted obn the upper door panels, dash area, or A pillers. The low speaker placement in the front door basically kills the high end dispersion there.
The 103 amp is also pretty good. You might not need to replace it, depending on your need for SPL. If you do, make sure the new amp has high level inputs, as that is the signal from the head unit.
As for dB comparisons between 103 and 104 amps, I don't think that was really the problem. It was more of an equalization issue. The 104 seems to have a complete lack of low end. It sounds almost like it was internally out of phase. When the amp was bypassed, the bass increased dramatically, even though the power output and dB level were apparently lower.
The air bag is NOT part of the radio system.
You can relocate your head unit to the trunk and maintain a lot of the features. There are also ways to maintain the use of OnStar and the steering wheel controls. A lot of your questions are addressed in the Impala Radio FAQ. The FAQ is located on the How-To section of my page.
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/impala/
I didn't think it had anything to do w/ the airbag. Low Rider magazine said the head unit "includes a wire that can deploy the air bag if messed with." I never trusted that magazine fully anyway. - Impala_D
If you can address lighting settings & customization you mentioned, that'd be appreciated!
You can set the interior lighting, headlights, power lock controls, alarm, and a bunch of other things through the radio. It's all in the owner's manual. Granted, you usually only set these things once, then never again. I would pay the $80 and get the relocation kit, even if I didn't permantently mount the factory head unit in the car. If I ever needed to fiddle with the car's settings I could just plug in the radio. Without the harness, I would have to take apart the dash, remove the aftermarket unit, and plug the OEM one back in.
You can replace the poweramp and speakers, add subs, add tweeters, etc. without removing or replacing the head unit.
But, hey, it's your money. ;-)
Personally, I think the radio sounds great as it is and I have the 104 amp. Then again, my main interest is in performance, not audio. As long as it can drown out my singing, it's good.
Personally, cool LED's are...well....cool! I used to meet more girls when I had a spectrum analyzer hooked directly up to the output of my mixing board. Even though it served no useful purpose (A spectrum analyzer uses a mic to measure room acoustics, so a direct signal from the board is ppointless), girls would always come by the mix position and say "Oooh. What's that? That's cool!"
:-)
Select Interconnects & then FactoryLinx. They even got one designed for subs.
Also has any one seen a connector that mates to the speaker plug directly? (In the trunk to the factory amp.) Theoretically you could do the amp bypass or hook up an aftermarket amp without cutting anything or having issues with strappins falling out.
Also I heard something that the Impala amp or booster runs off rear channels from the head unit, can this be right? On a different note,there aren't speakers in the front dash, are there? That article in Low Rider said he replaced speakers in STOCK openings of front doors, 6x9's in FACTORY rear openings in the rear deck, & speakers in FACTORY openings in the dash. In the dash? Factory? Word on the aftermarket amp plug if anyone knows. Impala_D
Also, the volume level and sound quality between the front and rear speakers is roughly the same, taking into account the slightly different speaker designs. That is also an indication that all four channels are being amplified.
Also, the amp sensor you refer to sounds like it could be there to turn the amplifier power on and off. Most aftermarket power amps work that way.
Although, the line/speaker level switching scheme sounds goofy enough to be a GM/Delco/Delphi invention. It would probably be simpler and cheaper to simply have separate speaker and line level outputs.
I clearly remember the positive difference it made in the FRONT speakers when I first bypassed the amp more than a year and a half ago. With the original 104 amp - especially at low to moderate listening levels - there was virtually no bass on those front door speakers. The sound was incredibly thin, tinny and unnatural. HOWEVER, when I BYPASSED the amp - it made a world of difference on all speakers - FRONT and REAR.
I never got my amp replaced and am still running on the bypass.