I have a 97 SC 400 with the Nakamichi sound system. The prior owner of my car had an after market pioneer sub and amp added to the system to replace the factory sub. When I bought the car, the sub worked great. After a few months, it quit working. However, if the car is hot from sitting in the sun, it will work for a while until the car cools off. Once the car is cool from the A/C, the sub stops working. For the past several months, the sub hasn't worked at all. Today, in a sunny 65 degree setting, the sub worked again, for about 10 minutes. I tried to replace the pioneer amp with another amp that was compatible with the sub but it didn't work. I did this in December when it was cold out.

The only thing I can think of is that I have a loose connection somewhere and when the trunk temperature is hot, the connection is fine but when it's cool, it isn't. I talked to Pioneer and they thought it was a short in the amp. Like I said, I replaced the amp, but the new amp didn't work either. I ended up taking the new amp out and putting the old amp back in. Today, when it worked briefly, the old amp was in the car.

Any ideas? Is my car haunted?

Thanks.

 

You have a loose connection somewhere. On the days that it doesn't work, get a volt meter and check your power wire before the fuse and after the fuse. IT should be constant. Also when it isnt working, check EVERY wire and fidle with them.

 

I took the back seat out today to get to the sub and mess with the wires. I found an output adapter next to the sub. I don't know much about electronics, but from what I've been able to find out, the output adapter was used when the prior owner added the new amp and sub.
I did wiggle and jiggle every wire I could find, but to no avail.


Does anybody know if the output adaptor could be the cause of my problems with the sub working intermittantly? Maybe there is a short in that part?

One other question, off the sub topic. One of my rear speakers finally blew. When I had the back seat apart, I looked at the speaker set up. It looks like I have room to drop 5.25 inch speakers into the "holder" (the black cylinder screwed down to the back dash) I've read you can do 6.5 inch speakers easily in the back. I'm guessing I have to remove the "holder" to do that? Or, can I just screw the 6.5's into the holder? (Obviously I don't know much about this, so any advice will help)

Thanks.

 

That "holder" has an inside diameter of less than 6 inches. Remove it to use 6.5" speakers. Be prepared to drill extra holes in the sheet metal of the rear deck to secure the larger speakers. Plenty more info has been posted previously.

 

Success at last, at least for now.

I switched out the output adaptor and the sub works. My fingers are crossed in hopes that it will continue to work...