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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-

New radio, but no sound

  • Thread starter Thread starter BigSlappy
  • Start date Start date Jan 26, 2023

BigSlappy

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Sep 4, 2022
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Buffalo, New York
Jan 26, 2023
#1
  • Jan 26, 2023
  • #1
Can anyone help me or link me to help for my radio? I have a 1986 GT Vert with the Premium sound system. I'm redoing the entire sound system and the first thing I did was an aftermarket radio. After connecting it, no sound would be played. I thought I might've messed something up somehow, but my father whos a big foxbody guy told me that the speakers are actually just wired weird. I looked up what could be the problem and I am seeing a lot of random things, like fuses, messed up wiring and the amp. Seems like it might be the amp causing it, but I have no idea. Anyone know what the issue is? The amp is still in the car.
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
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Jan 26, 2023
#2
  • Jan 26, 2023
  • #2
How did you wire it in?

Did you bypass the factory amp and am using an aftermarket amp? Or are you running the aftermarket head unit into the OEM amp?
 

BigSlappy

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Sep 4, 2022
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Buffalo, New York
Jan 26, 2023
#3
  • Jan 26, 2023
  • #3
I wired it in with a Metra 70-1772 Receiver Wire Harness off of Crutchfield.
 

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor
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#4
  • Jan 27, 2023
  • #4
BigSlappy said:
I wired it in with a Metra 70-1772 Receiver Wire Harness off of Crutchfield.
Click to expand...
But is sounds like your first post described the harness as getting hacked into before? If so, you may be better off running your own wire from the head unit to the speakers.

It might also be helpful to post an image of whatever amp you're talking about. I'm not sure if it's the factory amp or something else. You do not need the factory amp in an 86 Mustang for anything other than a concourse restoration. It is utterly useless for any other purpose in my opinion and should be removed any time the dash is apart.

Mine is in a box somewhere with some other junk
 
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Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
43,260
17,945
224
Massachusetts
Jan 27, 2023
#5
  • Jan 27, 2023
  • #5
That's what I was driving at.

Stock stereo restoration, run the amp. Minute you go aftermarket head unit, remove the amp and amp harness and wire into the speakers drectly. You can use the OE speaker wiring as there are adapters to connect to the OE harness plugs, but you may lose the door speakers on pre-90 cars so you might need to wire those directly to dash speakers.
 

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes
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Oct 28, 2001
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Jan 27, 2023
#6
  • Jan 27, 2023
  • #6
Just personal preference and years of doing car audio (worked in the industry) bypass all the factory speaker wiring (especially the OEM amps) and put some oxygen free 16 ga wire from the head unit or amp to wherever you are installing to the speakers. The wiring in these cars is old and might be 20 ga on a good day and is not a fine strand wire which most folks like for car audio. I have rewired cars that were using the stock wires on a head unit speaker only install with good aftermarket speaker wire and the difference is very noticeable.

If you are wanting to run speakers in the dash and doors then you really only have a couple of choices. You can run components with the tweeters in the dash and the midrange in the door with the passive crossovers up under the dash. I would strongly suggest that you use an amp with a high pass crossover set at about 80 to 100 Hz depending on the mid range size. With components a head unit just do not have the power for good results. If you are going to run full range 3-1/2" speakers in the dash and either 5-1/4" or 6-1/2" speakers in the door you should wire them in parallel and you will need a capacitor on the positive lead of the 3-1/2" dash speaker that will cut the bass off. I like a 33 microfarad capacitor as it cuts anything out below 600 Hz and keeps the smaller speaker from bottoming out and the sound going to crap. What this will do is from the 600 Hz frequency range and up the amp will see a higher load as from this point up the load would be in parallel. So for example two 8 ohm speakers the amp will see an 8 ohm load from 0 Hz up to 600 Hz then it will see a 4 ohm load from 600 Hz and up. The door speaker most just let "rool off" on the high side and they sound okay. Anyhow, just something to chew on.
 
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