DSP Amplifier repaired but still blowing its fuse!

[SimonWej]

Hi....I'm new to the Z4 forum.....I've just bought a 2003 Z4 3.0i, metallic grey, a few extras (heated seats, Xenons, CD multichanger), quite a fe miles 114K but FSH and bodywork is really good (apart from the split rim alloys which are peeling all over!).
I have a roblem with the sound system andwould appreciate any help...
When I bought the car, I knew the DSP amp in the battery well in the boot had been disconnected (both the main block and the thin coaxial cable)....no water damage. Each time I reconnect, it blows its 30A fuse. I get sound from the radio and single CD but not the multichanger (which does work as I can hear it whirring). At the moment, the sound is only coming from the 2 speakers in the footwells - nothing from the door speakers or speakers and subs behing the seats (fader does nothing, just fades to zero as you go front to rear).

I guessed the DSP amp was faulty, so have just had it repaired by SVT Services in Edinburgh - they can fix these and they upgraded the power supply unit which is a common weakspot. Cost me £147....I've got it back but, it still doesn't work....each time I plug it in, the fuse blows again.

Help - any ideas what I can do next!?

 

[sk93]

my advice is to dump the DSP amp, as I did.. I got an Alpine PDX-V9 for £350 and wired that in with the existing carver speakers (including the subs, which some will tell you cannot be done, but they're wrong - I have it. I did nothing special except wire it up right. And can prove it)

Honestly, for the price of getting the DSP amp to work right (new ones are £900, second hand go for around £300 on fleabay), you really are best disconnecting it and getting a decent aftermarket amp,

Luckily for you, you don't even need to change your headunit - there is already a pre-amp feed coming from your headunit that you can use straight into the back of an amp (I know this, as I've done exactly that).

The sound quality and response you get from the carver speakers when combined with an aftermarket amp, when compared to the DSP, is literally night and day!

For a start, you'll actually know you've got subwoofers

Depending on where you are in the country, I don't mind demonstrating how easy the conversion is, what's involved, and what the sound is like afterwards
(and remember, I'm only suggesting changing the amp - NOTHING else)


Failing that, if you're blowing a fuse, then I'd first suggest looking down your speaker lines for a short somewhere.. multimeter on the end of all the pins and see if you get one linking to ground somewhere?


(but really.. ditch the amp, go aftermarket, and never, ever look back!)

 

[SimonWej]

Thanks sk93, appreciate the advice, The aftermkt amp is very tempting.....where did you locate it....behind the dashboard?

I'm near Oxford (must pdate my profile info) so a bit tricky to see your conversion, but not impossible.

I'll also check the speaker shorts - hadn't thought of that, good advice.

Thanks again.

Cheers, Simon

 

[SimonWej]

A quick update on the faulty DSP unit.....everything works now, head unit, CD changer, all 10 speakers . If you have a faulty DSP amplifier (the one in the battery well in the boot) then I would highly recommend sending it to Chris at Sound and Vision Technical Services, 284 Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5BX (0131-553-2126).

Chris is very helpful....had the amp twice, offered lots of advice, and fixed it (replaced diodes, bench tested etc etc). I was charged £147 parts and labour plus I spent about £15 carriage there and back 2 times. That's not a lot of money considering new ones are £900 from BMW, and 2nd hand ones (which are rare) cost £200+ and you don't know the history.

I have nothing to do with this company, just wanted to pass on the info in case you were stuck like me with no sound in your Z.

I have a pin connection diagram I constructed for the DSP connector block (actually made up of 2 halves, 1 grey, 1 black) in my car (a 2003 E85 3.0i with the DSP system, and CD changer).....but cannot find how to upload an image???

 

[hopz121]

Chris fixed my Amp as well, Top guy and knows his stuff.

Ash