Well it all started the other day when I got in my car, started it, and heard some static sounds from the lower dash. I thought it sounded like electrical shorting... so I freaked out, turned off the car, felt around, and did not feel or see anything abnormal. So I turned the car on again, and there was no more abnormal sound... everything seemed fine.
Same thing happens again later on in the day... I find out the sound is coming from my radio (front left spkrs) making weird hissing/buzzing sounds for the first few seconds after switched on... but fades away a short while later.
Over the past two days, this problem progressively got worse, and for most of yesterday, I had no sound from any of the speakers except the driver's side dash and door speaker, and it wasn't even music... just a static pattern sort of sound. During this time, I couldn't get any music to play, and my sub woofer was turning on and off (playing the actual music, well it was only thumping bass!!!)... but nothing else would play! So I basically just kept the stereo off.
Well today the stereo has been working on the front right side and in the trunk (sub) ONLY. Occasionally I get a few weird quirky noises from the rear passenger side door, but that's it. And the front driver's side speakers are still making the weird static(ky?) noises... so I have unplugged them both.
How my stereo is working as of now: (When car/radio is first turned on, only the sub plays for a few minutes, then the front pass. speakers kick on) Front passenger door and dash speakers work, along with the aftermarket sub & amp. Sometimes only the sub will play, and the pass front speakers won't even turn on until I fiddle with the F/R & L/R controls.
I thought it had something to do with my aftermarket sub and amp, somehow screwing with the system... so I left it over at Circuit City today (where I had the sub installed about 50,000 miles ago). Their conclusion was that it was either the stock BOSE amp switching off some channels (for protection?) (IE only one output plays...'pass front spkrs'), or it was the stock head unit. They said that they had replaced a few Mercedes Bose amps previously with aftermarket units... which work like original (he said about $250 for this). I know the guy (that does the car stereo installs) fairly well, so I do not think that I am being lied to (but I do have an open mind....).
Do either the BOSE amps or the Blaupunkt (?) head units go bad ever? He said that since I am pulling more power from the MB head unit (sub and amp), and always turn it up, it is possible. Does this seem plausible? What do you guys think I should do?
(BTW, my aftermarket Subwoofer (with 250W Amp) gets audio directly from the head unit.... meaning it bypasses the factory BOSE amp, supplying the sub with it's own power (avoiding MBenz's unique ohm/stereo conflictions).
THANKS.....
BTW, This applies to a 1995 C280 with premium BOSE, in the US...
I know this "should" go in stereo section, but I want all the knowledge I can get. Thanks again.