Who has a 190 with factory amp and doorspeakers? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

brookspw · #1 01-02-2002, 09:40 AM

I didn't think I did (I just got the car at Thanksgiving) but in the process of changing out the head unit, Scott and LaJolla Audio -- that guy knows his stuff -- pointed me to the amp in the trunk.

I don't have any sound coming from the door speakers so he thinks the amp may not have power.

Just wondering who has this setup and how have you included it when installing a new head unit.

(My OEM head unit had a brown multi-wire plug that was junctioned down to one slip on plug -- this fastened to a plug on the middle, bottom of the original head unit. I do NOT have this wire hooked up at the moment. If it IS the amp power I'm wondering what I need to attach this to.

Thanks -- brookspw

hrbeckerna · #2 01-05-2002, 08:33 PM

The door speakers are subwoofers powered by that amp in the trunk, responding only to low frequency music content.

Badinfo · #3 01-10-2002, 09:42 PM

Hey, im not sure about the 190, but the 300E with the door speakers had the amps for the door speakers in the trunk. In order to install a new head unit and keep the speakers, one would have to order a cable converter from becker auto sound. It cost around $100, and basically allows one to use the preamp outs on your new head unit with the amp for the door speakers...

Badinfo · #4 01-10-2002, 09:48 PM

Actually, I just had a thought. I had talked to beckers months ago trying to pin down the adapter. I unfortunetaly lost the emails in a recent reformat... I however did remember this... http://www.beckerautosound.com/1492.html . That is the wiring diagram assosciated with the adapter from beckers. Im not sure if that is what the connector you described looks like, and I can't check if it is the same as the one in my car... because my car is in the shop. If the pin layout looks familiar however, we all might not need to buy that expensive adapter, we could just splice and solder acording to the pin-outs.

2phast · #5 01-11-2002, 02:29 AM

I have a 92 2.6 190 with the same sound system as yours.

The door sub's are powered off of a small amp located behind the passenger side panel in the trunk. The factory head unit is a 2 channel unit that routes power to a Y splitter, one set of high level speaker signals is diverted and run back to the rear amp, the other set of signals goes to the manual fader in your console and powers your dash and rear deck speakers.

You have several ways to deal with this, you can add a after market deck and wire it up to the speaker leads buy cutting off the connector and splicing into the wires. This way your door speakers will continue to work and you will have your manual fader control to adjust sound balence between your dash and rear deck speakers.

Your other option is to locate the speaker wires and trace them way back into the dash, you should be able to locate the Y split and you should also be able to find where your dash/rear deck speakers Y off, go to the fader then come back up into the dash area. You can cut the speaker leads at this point and tap into them if you want to bypass the manual fader (if you have a four channel head unit with its own internal fader for example).

On my system, I am running the factory head and factory Alpine changer. I replaced the dash and the rear deck speakers with Infinity Kappa's and also added a Infinity Basslink 10" sub firing up through the first aid kit area. I also disconnected the door subs as they are pretty much worthless for low bass.

You can see pics of the install on my web page, follow the link in my sig for some helpfull ideas.

brookspw · #6 01-11-2002, 09:19 AM

Badinfo, I really appreciate it. But the diagram has left me with the same question: Nothing on the diagram makes any reference to power, or to remote turn on TO the rear amp. Does POWER to the amp have anything to do with the new head unit, or is it supplied in a separate circuit?

I have my new head unit in, but I have NOTHING in the door speakers. Wondering if there is an inline fuse or something.

Thanks, brookspw

SCLJA · #7 01-12-2002, 02:47 AM

I looked at a 190e 92 with the same system as yours today and there is a 1/4" connector coming off the back of the stock head unit with a black wire and it goes about 4 inches and then Y's off to one blue wire( power antenna 12 volts ) and then the black wire continues along with the speaker wires to the fader control and then back to the amplifier. I can assume either you don't have the black wire hooked up behind the radio or you cut it inadvertently at the fader control when re-wiring.

Scott@LaJollaAudio

2phast · #8 01-12-2002, 05:19 AM

SCLJA: The black wire may follow the same path as the speaker wires but it does not connect or have anything to do with the fader. Just a FYI. The fader does not control the rear amp at all, after the speaker leads come out of the deck, they also Y with one set going to the fader and another set going straight to the amp. Next time your in there, disconnect the fader, you will loose the front/rear speakers but the door amp will continue to play.

Another test I did after I replaced my fader, I hooked it up and had no front/rear speakers installed at the time (pulled for replacement) the fader had no effect on the door subs. This prompted me to investigate and that is when I found the speaker Y and determined that the amp is fed directly and bypasses the fader.

If you grab the switched 12v lead from the deck plug, it should feed power to both the antenna and the amp. You can also disconnect the wire harness from the amp and check for voltage using a VOM. I don't remember the color of the wire though, I pulled my wire harness off to get at the switched 12v to power my Infinity basslink.

Good luck

brookspw · #9 01-12-2002, 11:18 AM

Thanks SCLJA and 2Phast. I'll check and report back. However, my original had the grayblue (antenna) and that black wire hooked in together (no 1/4" plug). I DO have a 1/4" plug with gray/blue/white wires into it.

brookspw

SCLJA · #10 01-12-2002, 04:08 PM

The gray blue is illumination not antenna so I don't know what you have done, also the white brown wire you were talking about is there for when you have a becker 1432 that has the anti theft trigger not for the amp turn on. The antenna wire is solid blue with a black vinyl sheath.2phast: I wasn't saying the amp turn on hooks to the fader control, I was just saying that sometimes people cut the amp turn-on wire not knowing what it is when they are rewiring past the fader control. As I have done probably 50 or more installations on 190e's I am not in need of any instructions on how to install a stereo in one! but thanks. I don't think your sub installation with wire ties is very sanitary.

Scott@Lajollaaudio

2phast · #11 01-12-2002, 04:39 PM

SCLJA: Your intitled to your opinion, but my sub does not move, those ties are very heavy duty. There was no need to drill any holes or fabricate any brackets and there was no way to attach the rear support to the gas tank without long brackets, the method I used is solid.

I used to own a car audio business and have been in the industry since 1984, so I can say that I have worked on most every make and model since that time period. I and myshop have had many cars featured in Car Audio & electronics and other magazines (if you bothered to look at my Porsche you would know this)

While my installation technics on this 190E may seem "un-sanitary" to you it is not a indication of my overall capabilities or my ability to analize a situation and provide advice. 50 Mercedes under your belt is nothing.

SCLJA · #12 01-12-2002, 07:07 PM

I didn't say 50 mercedes, I said 50 190e's. I work on mercedes every day of the week from 190's to cl 600's and every one in between.

Scott

brookspw · #13 01-13-2002, 08:50 AM

Alrighty now, guys. As the original poster -- I would love to have either of you come to my house and finish the installation! The issue here is, though, that I have performed less than 1 install ona 190 -- about 90% of my first one is complete.

SCLJA -- I just got the colors mixed up from memory. I don't have those cross-wired. Now that I've ruled out the alarm trigger wires (thanks) I only have the illumination unused. The antenna and that black wire are joined together on the original. That black wire is the amp power?

I am going to try to find power at the amp with a meter. I'll update with what I find.

Thanks, guys -- brooksp

#14 01-13-2002, 12:20 PM

Like you, I have worked on only one 190E. What model drop-in Sony 6 1/2 Explode speaker did you use in the rear? Did you use baffles? Dynamat anywhere? Bass blockers? What I am looking for is a simple solution to inproving the sound out of the rear deck speakers. Thanks.

jsmith · #15 01-13-2002, 01:24 PM

that antenna and amp turn on drove me nuts for awhile. in my case i couldn't get juice to the antenna. i didn't realize that the black spade connector to ground was what completed the connection for the antenna and had to be grounded to work. did you ground that connector(if you have it)? also, the antenna trigger was blue but sheathed in black...