Diagnose my Subwoofer problem

[Ozz]

Greetings,
I am having a problem with my stock subwoofer and I don't know if it's the woofer or the amplifier.

I have noticed a couple of things lately:
1. At low volume levels, the sub seems to work alright.
2. When I turn it up loud (over 1/2 way or so) it does a couple of things -
a. During short bursts of low frequency sound (bass drum or similar) the woofer seems to 'clipping'... sound is weak and distorted... not crisp what so ever but not muddy either... just attenuated and acompanied by a 'clap' sound.
b. During longer bass sections (bass guitar, etc), the sub just seems to shut down and all I get are midrange and high frequency sounds.

I can actually slowly turn up the volume and hear the sub slowly fade away the higher I turn it up.

I do not hear any scratching or popping which would indicate a woofer issue....

Is this an amp issue? Any chance I can get a stock replacement or a Plug N' Play aftermarket amp for a reasonable price? I am not familiar with what the MM has for sub inputs so hopefully there is an easy to hook up aftermarket unit...

If it's a woofer issue, it looks like the only subwoofers readily available (via Crutchfield search) are the Pioneer TS-SW841 (8" but I know for a fact it fits with slight enclosure mods) and the Kicker CVT654 (6.5"). It appears that the tried and true Rockford Fosgate RFP4406 and Kenwood KFC-W1703 are no longer around....

THANKS!

[Pops]

I have amp and sub here used. 100.00 for the 2 pieces or 50.00 each. Plus shipping.

John

[Ozz]

Now that was a quick reply... I just sent you an email about this...

Any idea which part is shot?

[Pops]

It could be either one. I have seen subs do what you have described. I could send you both parts and you could return the one you dont need. You are not that far from South Haven so shipping should not be bad.

John

[Ozz]

I'll play around with it a little more to see if I can narrow the diagnosis and get back to you ASAP. I'm going to make sure there is no crackling or scraping going on... obvious things like that...

I'd assume the amp would be cheaper to ship, right? If so, I'll probably start there. If it's the woofer, I may consider upgrading.

THANKS

[Pops]

If its either one you should consider aftermarket. You can call me at 269 637 1994.

John

[GreekGod]

Basically, the factory amp and sub are OEM crap-ola (official audio terminology). They are not worth trying to upgrade (or replace with another OEM unit), especially if you would like a better sound. They will not ever play loud & clean.

[Ozz]

The more I check out my problem, the more it looks like an amplifier issue.
I'm going to get the stock amp that John (Pops) has and see if it fixes the problem... if not, then I'll replace the stock woofer with an upgrade.

Thanks.

[4play]

I dont think I can even hear my sub, it's there but compared to an aftermarket sub it's nothing... or maybe mine is not working. how can i tell if it is lol

[Svashtar]

I know this is not your problem, which I think you have correctly diagnosed, but as to the sub sound, remember that in 2004 a bunch of us found that the idiots installing the sub-woofers hadn't taken out the 1" thick foam padding protecting the speaker during shipment.

I crawled into the trunk with a 12mm socket and removed the sub-woofer assy and sure enough there it was, a slab of foam, right on top of the speaker. What doofs.

While I had it out I ported the side with a 2" speaker port I picked up (from JC Whitney? Can't remember now.) and once I got it back in it was like an entirely different system, with way more bass "ooomf" to the sound.

I'm no audiophile but think mine sounds great. My only complaint has been with high volume some of the mid-ranges aren't optimum on the door speakers, which I'd like to upgrade someday. But for now it works for me.

Norm

[GreekGod]

... remember that in 2004 a bunch of us found that the idiots installing the sub-woofers hadn't taken out the 1" thick foam padding protecting the speaker during shipment.

I crawled into the trunk with a 12mm socket and removed the sub-woofer assy and sure enough there it was, a slab of foam, right on top of the speaker. What doofs. Norm

The foam has no effect on the sub's sound...it is not a mistake to have the foam...it is designed to be there...the OEM speaker is crap, along with the OEM amp.

-----------------------------------------

[Ozz]

What's the correct port diameter and length for our stock setup? While I'm messing with the Amp, I might as well pull the enclosure down and add the port. How low a frequency can we tune the port to with good effect?

[pantheroc]

Before you jump the gun, look into this to make sure the connection is clean. May not be your issue.
http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=2&Number=1848748&Searchpage=1&Main=105102&Words=subwoofer&topic=0&Search=true#Post1848748

[Ozz]

I'll do that too....
Thanks.