E34 525i SE Boot Amplifier

[ayman82`]

Hi guys,

I recently bought an E34 525i SE and found that it has 8 speakers (2 tweeter like speakers on the dash, 2 in the front footwells, 2 on the parcel shelf and 2 in the back of the rear seats.) I found a Denon DCA-3500 amplifier in the boot. The thing is I can't find out what is wrong with the whole set up. The stereo head unit works, but there is no sound so am expecting a fuse in the amplifier to have gone.

Do you guys know what I can do to sort this problem out?
The car has the original head unit and everything seems standard.

Thanks in advance.

[Gad-Westy]

Is all the cabling behind the head unit ok? Check the RCA connectors to the amp haven't come loose. Any sign of life at all from the amp? If not it could be that the head unit isn't telling it to fire up. Again, could be wiring.

[ayman82`]

Thanks for the quick reply .

How do I actually remove the head unit? It's a Blaupunkt Montreaux RDR49, it has 2 holes either side of the controls. I can't see how to remove it though. I have tried to press in the 'catches' in the holes with 2 large paperclips as I do not have the actual tool for it, but this has not worked.

I don't exactly want to damage the fascia or head unit in any way as I will try to keep it as standard as possible and want to just test and see if everything is working and plugged in.

Is there a way of removing the head unit without the special tool as it just doesn't seem to want to budge.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Ayman

[ayman82`]

I also wanted to know if this was a standard thing for an early E34? As through a bit of research the Denon Amplifier seems like an expensive option for a car like this.

Thanks

[E30M3SE]

Radio is usually removed using a set of keys like these,



if you don't have a set of these you car make some using the metal style coat hangers.

ETA the Denon amp will be aftermarket. It is capable of running five channels, so I am guessing someone was running the whole car from it. When you turn tghe cars ignition on and turn on your h/u does the amp have an lights that illuminate?

Edited by E30M3SE on Tuesday 9th August 10:12

[Gad-Westy]

When my dad bought an E34 in 1991, a radio was not actually standard fit unless you specced one. I think even then, they might have been dealer fit. The dealer where he bought his suggested he just went to a local hifi fitter direct as that is what they would have done. I guess with that in mind, 'standard fit' could be quite a loose term!

From memory an amp will typically have two power feeds, one high amp feed (often direct from the battery terminal via it's own fuse) and the other will be a low current feed from the head unit to tell the amp to turn on. There should also be a pair of red and black (or maybe white) RCA cables to the amp.

You can check the power feeds with a voltmeter. To check the RCA cables, you could buy one of these things and just plug some headphones in.

Edited by Gad-Westy on Tuesday 9th August 12:00

[ayman82`]

Do you just have to push them in? I have fabricated some with a pair of thick paperclips but it just doesn't seem to want to budge .

When I have the ignition on there is no light on the amp, which I think means that it's fuggered, or the fuse has gone.
There are RCA connectors on it as far as I can see, I have tried to upload a picture but it doesn't work

Thanks guys.

[Gad-Westy]

[quote=ayman82`]Do you just have to push them in? I have fabricated some with a pair of thick paperclips but it just doesn't seem to want to budge .

When I have the ignition on there is no light on the amp, which I think means that it's fuggered, or the fuse has gone.
There are RCA connectors on it as far as I can see, I have tried to upload a picture but it doesn't work

Thanks guys.
[/quote]

The paperclips probably aren't thick enough to disengage the clips that hold the head units in. Halfords probably have the proper tools for a couple of quid.

Maybe quicker to first check for voltage at the amp end.

[ayman82`]

Gad-Westy said:

The paperclips probably aren't thick enough to disengage the clips that hold the head units in. Halfords probably have the proper tools for a couple of quid.

Maybe quicker to first check for voltage at the amp end.

I bought the clippy things from from Halfrauds, but they were not wide enough, so bought them and brought them back within ten minutes. How would I check the voltage? And how much would the voltameter (?) be if that is what I need.
I got the clutch slave cylinder, oil and oil filter and air filter changed today, so the car is back on the road and sounding lovely
Thanks

[Gad-Westy]

ayman82 said:

I bought the clippy things from from Halfrauds, but they were not wide enough, so bought them and brought them back within ten minutes. How would I check the voltage? And how much would the voltameter (?) be if that is what I need.
I got the clutch slave cylinder, oil and oil filter and air filter changed today, so the car is back on the road and sounding lovely
Thanks

I'd try and beg, steal or borrow a voltmeter unless you think it would be handy in future. If you do want one this one will suffice from Maplin for £6


http://www.maplin.co.uk/domestic-multimeter-37279

With a voltmeter you're looking for a 12v DC supply. The meter usually has a dial to choose various measurements so you'll need to select DC V in the appropriate magnitude range if that makes sense. On that maplin one above, there is a 20v range at around 10 0'clock position on the dial. The cables plug into the black socket and the DC socket.

You'll then need to find the power supplies on the amp. Other than the RCA and speaker cables, there should be three other wires. The earth is likely to be a black cable. The other two are 12v supplies. One will be a permanent supply and the other a switched supply from the head unit. With ignition on, but the stereo off, hold the your black contactor against the earth wires terminal and one at a time, touch the red wire against each 12v supply terminal. Hopefully one will show roughly 12v on the dial. Turn the stereo on and see if you're now getting 12v on the other terminal as well.

[ayman82`]

This is an image of the amplifier, it also has two Kenwood KPX- H400 crossovers, I literally have no idea with in car audio. Would this be an expensive set up when it was installed?

[E30M3SE]

It would not have been the cheapest of set-ups although is rather old now, IIRC that amp was around in the early 1990's.

Looking at the pictures it is wire up to power the front and rear speakers, the power wires all seem to be present and correct so, first thing to do it check that there is power flowing down the necessary cable. If it is all above you find yourself an auto electrician to give the once over.

[ayman82`]

Well after all my trying with going out and buying a multimeter and everything, I took it to the local Car Audio centre, half an hour late to my appointment, I stroll in, the bloke has a look around the car, I lift the back seat off connected to the battery, and a fuse has broken with the fuse connector pretty much snapped in half. Two minutes later and it is replaced.
I now have music and it is a bloody good set up . The bass is extremely good for such old speakers and all the guy wanted was £2.50 for the fuse and the connector. No labour charge whatsoever. Bloody brilliant. Great service and ecstatic that I now can stop talking to myself after two months with no music. :/
So for under £20 I've got working car audio, a multimeter and a cassette to 3.5mm adaptor
Thanks for all your help guys