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Stereo system troubles, stereo peeps please take a look

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Old Aug 1, 2012 | 09:25 PM
  #1  
George's Limited XJ's Avatar
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From: NJ
Year: 2000 Limited, Black
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Engine: V12 Dual Turbos
Default Stereo system troubles, stereo peeps please take a look

Hi everyone,

From what I've read so far this is a pretty common problem. I just finished installing an Alpine 133BT and four Kicker speakers in my 2000 XJ that was originally equipped with the infinity sound system (still has the amp). The head unit powers up fine and plays perfectly on AM/FM radio, but when I go to use the aux, usb, or cd features the head unit recognizes the devices and shows them playing, but no sound is present.

Another thing I want to add is that the driver's side speaker hasn't played for a few years and still hasn't once the new kicker speaker was installed which leads me to believe that there may be a bad connection to that speaker-could this also be affecting the situation with the new head unit? Even when the old speaker was hooked up to that wire with the old head unit, the system would play fine with cds and tapes.

If anyone could help me get sound back while I play cds, use the aux, and the usb port, that would be awesome.

Thanks again,

George
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Old Aug 1, 2012 | 09:32 PM
  #2  
Jeepxj1234's Avatar
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From: NC
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 L
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Idk about the aux or cd stuff, but when I replaced my speakers and head unit, neither of the front speakers worked because the wires were broken in the rubber boot due to the opening and closing of the door. We just ran new speaker wire from the door speakers to the head unit.
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Old Aug 2, 2012 | 12:02 AM
  #3  
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From: Arlington, Texas
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
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All of your sound sources within the radio, including the FM/AM tuners, CD, and auxiliary inputs all must pass through the amplifier at some point before they reach the speakers. If sound is coming through on the radio but not the other source inputs, its going to be a problem with the head unit or some setting on it that isn't correct. Once your source material makes it through the radio's internal amp and to the speaker wires, it's all the same analog audio signal, so it shouldn't matter to anything else in the Jeep. In the speaker wires, noise is noise, no matter where it originated.

My first check would be to see if there is any kind of gain or level adjustment for different sources. My Dual receiver has that so that I can adjust the radio, aux, cd, and sd card slot to have the same relative volume. Perhaps the level settings for your cd and aux are set really low.

If there is no level adjustment for different sources, eliminate any other possibilities in the jeep by hooking up a known working speaker with a short length of speaker wire to each pair of speaker leads in the back of the receiver in turn. If you have sound at each one, and on each music source, you should have it at all four speakers in the Jeep as well. Like I said before, once it's reached the speakers wires coming out of the back of the radio, it's all the same kind of signal, so anything further down the chain should react the same way to any source input you choose.
If you aren't getting sound at your test speaker on all four pairs of speaker wires when you have it set to CD or AUX, you have a head unit problem.

Regardless of what you find, I'd probably do some rewiring or get a bypass adapter (if they make one) to take the Infinity amp out of the loop. It's designed to work with a different impedance signal from the stock head unit, and to send power to the stock Infinity speakers, which I believe are 8 ohm. Your aftermarket stereo is designed to work with 4 ohm amps and speakers.
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Old Aug 2, 2012 | 06:12 AM
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From: Williamsport, Pa
Year: 1997
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Actually your problem is quite simple. You're using the power antenna lead to turn on your amp instead of the remote turn-on lead.
As for the speaker problem, the wires are probably broken in the door jam boot.
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Old Aug 2, 2012 | 07:39 AM
  #5  
Jeepxj1234's Avatar
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Originally Posted by Cherockee
Actually your problem is quite simple. You're using the power antenna lead to turn on your amp instead of the remote turn-on lead.
As for the speaker problem, the wires are probably broken in the door jam boot.
Sounds right
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Old Aug 2, 2012 | 10:45 AM
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From: Onancock, VA
Year: 1990
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Originally Posted by Cherockee
Actually your problem is quite simple. You're using the power antenna lead to turn on your amp instead of the remote turn-on lead.
As for the speaker problem, the wires are probably broken in the door jam boot.
Also agreed.
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Old Aug 2, 2012 | 11:49 AM
  #7  
Lowrange2's Avatar
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From: +34° 25' 35.67", -81° 21' 12.04"
Year: 1993
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Originally Posted by Cherockee
Actually your problem is quite simple. You're using the power antenna lead to turn on your amp instead of the remote turn-on lead.
As for the speaker problem, the wires are probably broken in the door jam boot.
THIS!

Swap the blue wires in the radio harness.

Then fix the break in the wires in the door jamb.
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Old Aug 2, 2012 | 12:36 PM
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macgyver35's Avatar
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From: Arlington, Texas
Year: 1998
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Originally Posted by Cherockee
Actually your problem is quite simple. You're using the power antenna lead to turn on your amp instead of the remote turn-on lead.
As for the speaker problem, the wires are probably broken in the door jam boot.
Brilliant!! It's been so long since I've had a vehicle with a power antenna I didn't even think of that being the issue. Great call!!
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Old Aug 2, 2012 | 12:59 PM
  #9  
Cherockee's Avatar
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From: Williamsport, Pa
Year: 1997
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Wink

Thats 20 years in the business being put to use.
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Old Aug 2, 2012 | 05:26 PM
  #10  
George's Limited XJ's Avatar
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From: NJ
Year: 2000 Limited, Black
Model: Cherokee
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Originally Posted by Jeepxj1234
Idk about the aux or cd stuff, but when I replaced my speakers and head unit, neither of the front speakers worked because the wires were broken in the rubber boot due to the opening and closing of the door. We just ran new speaker wire from the door speakers to the head unit.
Originally Posted by macgyver35
All of your sound sources within the radio, including the FM/AM tuners, CD, and auxiliary inputs all must pass through the amplifier at some point before they reach the speakers. If sound is coming through on the radio but not the other source inputs, its going to be a problem with the head unit or some setting on it that isn't correct. Once your source material makes it through the radio's internal amp and to the speaker wires, it's all the same analog audio signal, so it shouldn't matter to anything else in the Jeep. In the speaker wires, noise is noise, no matter where it originated.

My first check would be to see if there is any kind of gain or level adjustment for different sources. My Dual receiver has that so that I can adjust the radio, aux, cd, and sd card slot to have the same relative volume. Perhaps the level settings for your cd and aux are set really low.

If there is no level adjustment for different sources, eliminate any other possibilities in the jeep by hooking up a known working speaker with a short length of speaker wire to each pair of speaker leads in the back of the receiver in turn. If you have sound at each one, and on each music source, you should have it at all four speakers in the Jeep as well. Like I said before, once it's reached the speakers wires coming out of the back of the radio, it's all the same kind of signal, so anything further down the chain should react the same way to any source input you choose.
If you aren't getting sound at your test speaker on all four pairs of speaker wires when you have it set to CD or AUX, you have a head unit problem.

Regardless of what you find, I'd probably do some rewiring or get a bypass adapter (if they make one) to take the Infinity amp out of the loop. It's designed to work with a different impedance signal from the stock head unit, and to send power to the stock Infinity speakers, which I believe are 8 ohm. Your aftermarket stereo is designed to work with 4 ohm amps and speakers.
Originally Posted by Cherockee
Actually your problem is quite simple. You're using the power antenna lead to turn on your amp instead of the remote turn-on lead.
As for the speaker problem, the wires are probably broken in the door jam boot.
Originally Posted by Jeepxj1234
Sounds right
Originally Posted by KotaKid287
Also agreed.
Originally Posted by lowrange2
THIS!

Swap the blue wires in the radio harness.

Then fix the break in the wires in the door jamb.
Originally Posted by macgyver35
Brilliant!! It's been so long since I've had a vehicle with a power antenna I didn't even think of that being the issue. Great call!!
Originally Posted by Cherockee
Thats 20 years in the business being put to use.
AHHH THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I read about this but didn't quite get what the remote wire was for (I thought it was for remotes lol) so I left it unconnected. I'll give it a shot tonight.

THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE!
George
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