Amp Exists!!

[SpeedInfusion]

Hey guy i have a problem.When i got my head unit install in my e36 a few months ago(mistake,i shoulda put it in myself) they install guy said it would be extra IF i had a amp in my car. He look around and said i didnt,installed the head unit, and its been soundin kinda crappy since,last night my friend bought a 96 318i, (i dont know why) but i was showin him all this stuff and realized i never checked if up on all the stuff i learned from bmw forums , anyway i open up my trunk and what do u know, the &%%@ lied to me.I have a amp sittin back there, shity it may be but its still a amp which is unused, man iim pissed, anyway to use that amp?do i have to go back to the install guy or can i wire it str8 to head unit?(pioneer deh-p9200 92 325i) ghead

[leobmw]

I have the same exact car then you do!! and if he used a harness kit to wire your head unit it means its all ready wired to your factory amp.
The only reason it sounds shitty is because the factory speakers are crap and probbably you have blown one out. The best thing to do is to upgrade the speakers to MB quarts Components but you can find more info on the audio faqs.
And the rear seats don't fold down!!

[SpeedInfusion]

crap for the seats and i dont think he used a harness kit or he woulda charged me extra GRRRRR this is why you should learn to do everyhitng by urself now how wll i know if he wired it or not?

[leobmw]

he probably did!! most car instalations shops do. It's easier for them to do that, then their other options (run each wire from the speakers to the head unit)

[SpeedInfusion]

so waht ur saying is i have shitty speakers AND a shitty amp..and 1 great headunit... ghead ghead ghead

[2.link]

No...you have factory amp....which doesn't put out enough to the headunit to make the speakers sound good...so you should buy a new amp...it will sound better....what he just did is ran your new headunit into the factory amp, and used the old wires going to your old headunit to your new headunit....which the new head unit puts out more power...so you need a smaller gauge(bigger wire) speaker wire...then have them run those to a new amp.....i prolly said something wrong so webb can correct me...

[sp0rky]

amps dont put anythign to headunits...

What happened most liekly is that he didnt know there was a factory amp installed or he didnt want to do the extra work of running new wires.

The output voltage of the stock decks is called a high level output (in BMWs - other vehicles dont use this) it is a normal audio signal with very low wattage - it could barely run a speaker, but that signal is fed to the amp and that amp is designed for this type of signal. Now the stock decks run with a low level input. The low level is a different type of signal, but is will still produce sound. The insatller could have known this and ran it with high level outputs, but that is too much power for the amp and could cause MAJOR sound issues. (thats most likely what happened if he didnt know you had an amp.) Basically the signals dont match up, you should replace your amp. Something small (25 - 40w x 4) would do if you dont want to replace your stock speakers.

I could be wrong about the BMW using high level thing, but i read it on multiple sites, and it appears to be that way when i look at a wire harness for an aftermarket deck. But either way, i am sure this is why the sound quality is poor (signals not matching)

Edit: the stock wires should be fine since the stock amp is RMS 40w x 4, so if you replaced the amp with something of the same power output, the wiring is all fine.
It would be recommended, however to go with an amp with RCA inputs and run those from the deck to the amp...

[007ben]

I've got an alpine 9811 (i think)... it sounds fine with the factory amp and speakers. My guess is a blown speaker or perhaps something hooked up backwards so things are out of phase which will cause crapy sound as well...

Where did you get it installed? because I most likely wouldn't go back again unless it was for them to fix their handy work.