Z3 front speakers not working.

Head units and speakers, MP3 and CD changers, GPS and SatNav, plus PDAs, mobile phones, Bluetooth, TalkAbouts...
Post Reply
astropa
Joined: Wed 19 Nov, 2008 20:09
Posts: 50

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Contact:

Z3 front speakers not working.

Post by astropa »

Z3 front speakers not working.

Just got the Z3 back on the road for summer and I’ve noticed that the front speakers (woofers) are not working. The strange thing is that the speakers in the doors ( the tweeters) are working as are the rear speakers behind the seats. As the speakers in the foot well and the doors are on the same circuits I’m surprised that one lot work while the others don’t.
I have removed the Sony head and checked all the ISO connectors, tests showed that they are all ok. So im confused as to why both the speakers in the foot well are not working.
Can anyone offer any help?

Paul
astropa
Joined: Wed 19 Nov, 2008 20:09
Posts: 50

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Contact:

the classic remote control wire which turns the amp

Post by astropa »

Just been looking at other threads on this subject and the term "the classic remote control wire which turns the amp in the footwell speakers on and off" comes up a lot. Does anyone know of any diagrams that show how to solve this issue?
User avatar
Robert T
Site Admin
Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
Posts: 10170

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Post by Robert T »

No diagrams, but when fitting a new aftermarket headunit to mine, this was a blue wire with some bullet connectors on the harness (ISO to Pioneer) and I just had to make the connections. It was marked "remote control".

Another solution is to remove the amp from the circuit entirely, which involves surgery on the passenger (left) footwell speaker, as that is where the amp is located.

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
Image
astropa
Joined: Wed 19 Nov, 2008 20:09
Posts: 50

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Contact:

Loose Wires

Post by astropa »

Thanks for the response Rob.

I have the Sony to ISO connector in front of me now. There are two wires that come from the head unit side of the connector that are loose and do not connect to the ISO boxes. The first is pale blue and labelled ATT; the second is blue and white with a connector on the end and has a sheath on with the words “AMP rem max 0.3A”. Is this the remote control wire you mention?
User avatar
Robert T
Site Admin
Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
Posts: 10170

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Post by Robert T »

I suspect "AMP rem" stands for Amplifier Remote, so my guess would be that it is this one. I now trying desperately to remember where the wire went that I mated it with - the corresponding bullet was there, but I was replacing another aftermarket headunit, so I have no idea whether this was there as standard, or put on by BMW when they fitted the first stereo before I took delivery of the car.

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
Image
astropa
Joined: Wed 19 Nov, 2008 20:09
Posts: 50

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Contact:

Post by astropa »

Was the other half of the bullet you connect the blue wire to inside the actual loom? I.e. not on the BMW to ISO connecter but on the wiring before that within the car itself?
User avatar
Robert T
Site Admin
Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
Posts: 10170

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Post by Robert T »

Without taking the headunit out again, I couldn't tell you. New headunit had been in a couple of years now! :lol:

Unusually for me, I don't think I got a photo of that bit, as I did like you and then had to take the headunit out again when I discovered the amp problem, though I'm pretty sure I took a pic of the install when I did it. I actually fitted the new one in Halfrauds car park to make sure I had all the bits before I went home!

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
Image
astropa
Joined: Wed 19 Nov, 2008 20:09
Posts: 50

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Contact:

Post by astropa »

I cant find anything to connect the amp remote wire too.

Anyone else know?

Thanks for your help anyways :)
User avatar
Robert T
Site Admin
Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
Posts: 10170

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Post by Robert T »

Found the pics and you can't make anything out in them - blurry as a blurry thing. I can see a yellow wire that looks like it comes out of the BMW connector and bypasses the ISO connector, but not the blue. I can also see the blue one (it may even be blue and white) where it come out the back of the headunit, but not where it goes. I will document this if ever I go back in there. Hopefully someone else has done this more recently than me - turns out I did mine in September 2008!

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
Image
siwilson
Joined: Fri 19 Jun, 2009 09:54
Posts: 790

  M roadster S54
Location: Horley

Post by siwilson »

The wire you want is the whit one on the BMW harness. Make sure that connects through the ISO adapter to the AMP remote on your head unit.

Usually the antenna power wire is connected and this causes the speakers to only work when the radio is on or the TP function is selected.
astropa
Joined: Wed 19 Nov, 2008 20:09
Posts: 50

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Contact:

Post by astropa »

Thanks for the reply.

Just to confirm. Do I need to cut the white wire from the BMW loom? Where it would join the standard BMW radio connector? I then nee to attached this to the amp remote wire (Blue/white) that comes from the back of the Sony to ISO connector?
astropa
Joined: Wed 19 Nov, 2008 20:09
Posts: 50

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Contact:

Post by astropa »

BTW, my front speakers do not work when any source is connected, Radio, CD, Ipod etc.
Z3cade
Joined: Sat 09 Jan, 2010 18:18
Posts: 2634

  M roadster S50
Location: Peterborough

Post by Z3cade »

i had this same problem with my footwell speakers working then not for a few days and to be honest the best solution is to re-wire them completely.....
the standard footwell speakers ant that brill anyway so if you can upgrade them with a set of new components thats also a bonus....
///M Roadster - Evolve Stage 3
Image
siwilson
Joined: Fri 19 Jun, 2009 09:54
Posts: 790

  M roadster S54
Location: Horley

Post by siwilson »

astropa wrote:Thanks for the reply.

Just to confirm. Do I need to cut the white wire from the BMW loom? Where it would join the standard BMW radio connector? I then nee to attached this to the amp remote wire (Blue/white) that comes from the back of the Sony to ISO connector?
Don't cut the BMW loom whatever you do. If you have to make a cut then modify the iso adapter. You want to connect the blue and whit wire that provides remote amp power on signal from you head unit to wire on the iso adapter that connects through to the White wire on the BMW loom.
astropa
Joined: Wed 19 Nov, 2008 20:09
Posts: 50

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Contact:

Post by astropa »

I was not keen on cutting any wire on the BMW loom for obvious reasons so I’ve taken your advice and traced the white wire on the loom back to the head unit and there is a connection.

The white wire on the loom connects to the blue wire on the BMW to ISO connector which is marked as “Antenna remote”. I don’t have an electric aerial on my car so I’m guessing I don’t need this connection, although it does connect to the head unit. The other wire on this connector is the orange one which is marked “illumination”, but when follows this through to the ISO to Sony connecter there is no corresponding connection to the head unit so this wire is not used.

I’m guessing here that I need to either cut the orange or blue wires on the BMW to ISO connecter and then connect this to the “amp remote” wire on the Sony to ISO connecter. This would then complete a circuit from the head unit to the small amp on the passenger side speaker.

Which is best though blue or orange? Illumination or Antenna remote?

I’ve thought about new speakers, Halfords fit them for a reasonable price so its something I will consider longer term.
siwilson
Joined: Fri 19 Jun, 2009 09:54
Posts: 790

  M roadster S54
Location: Horley

Post by siwilson »

The usual route is the blue wire to get amp remote power on. I am not sure what the orange wire setup is on your head unit, but some do have a connection to power the head unit lights when the car lights are on. Maybe your head unit has this capability.
User avatar
Robert T
Site Admin
Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
Posts: 10170

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Post by Robert T »

The orange wire may well be for the headlamp switch to adjust the brightness of the display - when I put my headlights on, the screen dims down so that it is not so garish at night.

There is a chance that the remote control output on mine is connected to both the amp remote and antenna remote as I seem to remember a splice in the wiring. I believe the Z3 antenna has an amp in it, but I don't know if it needs to be remotely switched on. So if this is not connected the radio may not work.

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
Image
astropa
Joined: Wed 19 Nov, 2008 20:09
Posts: 50

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Contact:

Post by astropa »

Well I cut the blue lead on the Sony to ISO connecter. This is the one that I believed was the antenna connection from the HU. I replaced this by connecting the spare “AMP REM” wire from the HU to the loom.

Reconnected everything and tried out the Radio. No difference. The front speakers still did not work and nothing else seemed to be impacted by the rewiring, which is unsurprising as I don’t have an electric antenna.

So scratching head again, I might just go and get the front speakers replaced and get them professionally fitted.

Thanks to all for the feedback.
Jake
Joined: Sat 19 Feb, 2011 21:34
Posts: 9

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Post by Jake »

What I believe is that the White wire in the loom does go to the aerial. It's not to power raise the aerial but to power the aerial amp that is part of the aerial.

Have a look at the aerial in the boot. If you have a power hood you have to move the pump out of the way to see the bottom of the aerial. You will then notice a White wire that is clipped onto bottom of the aerial. There is another wire connection, black, that is connected to car body. A meter across this when the radio is on shows approx. 12V.

Hope this helps

Jake
siwilson
Joined: Fri 19 Jun, 2009 09:54
Posts: 790

  M roadster S54
Location: Horley

Post by siwilson »

Actually it does both. The white wire in the BMW loom is the signal that the car uses to tell it when the radio is on. BMW use this for both switching on the speaker amp and powering the antenna amp in the boot. If you ever fit an amp in the boot its quite a handy signal to tap into.

To the issue at hand. I am not sure what's going on there now. The fact that the door tweeters are working tells me the front speaker connections are correct. if you have spliced the amp remote signal into the white wire on the BMW loom then the amp should be working. We have seen a few cases where the relay on the circuit board of the speaker amp goes faulty, so even when the signal is there the speakers don't come on. This could be the issue, but I do not believe in coincidences.

Has this particular radio ever worked properly in this car? If so then the amp remote wire could be red herring.

Do you have the original BMW head unit to test with? If you still get no sound with that then my money is on a faulty speaker amp. At this point you have choices. Either fix the speaker amp or re-wire to bypass it. If the new Sony head unit is a high power item then this would be a better way to go. There are some diagrams on her that show this. A search should find them.
astropa
Joined: Wed 19 Nov, 2008 20:09
Posts: 50

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Contact:

Post by astropa »

Thanks for all the advice guys, but I’ve given up. Well not quite. I’m going to buy some new speakers and have them fitted by a pro.

I’ve picked up on this forum that they are 5.5 inch or 13cm speakers. Any other type description that I need to know before buying?

Paul.
astropa
Joined: Wed 19 Nov, 2008 20:09
Posts: 50

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Contact:

Another change of plan.

Post by astropa »

I worked out how to access the speakers. And removed the mini app following the instructions outlined here.

http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... so+adapter

The front footwell speakers now work again :D

Just need a new soldering iron to complete the job :)
Post Reply