Subwoofer cutting out, think its the amplifer. Replace?

[Solace64]

Okay so I have a 2008 Mercury Mariner Premiere. It has the in-dash nav with the factory amp and sub.

As it is now, the sub doesn't work more often than it actually does. Seemingly randomly it will cut out and stay that way until I turn off the head unit for 30 seconds or so then turn it back on.

My first thought was that it is the factory amp going bad. I eventually intend to upgrade the system as a whole, but this week is my birthday and my girlfriend offered to pay to fix the problem. So, my intention is to replace the factory amp and see if that is actually the problem, than shortly afterwards replace the sub as well.

Is this the right way to go about it? Would there be any issues with an aftermarket amp running the stock sub? Any suggestions on a good quality amp that won't break the bank?

Thanks fellas, Vince

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[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

"fixing" the factory amp could cost more than replacing the whole system.

'm currently repairing an Infinity factory amp from a Kia. dealer wanted $1,000 to "repair" it. i ordered the parts for $20 (sat in water, mosfet IC's were bad, some caps).

there are several issues with integrating aftermarket. #1 is the number of channels you need. 5 channel amps are available, but some factory amps have 7 or 9 channels, one for each speaker with active crossovers.

adding an aftermarket amp on the factory sub is doable. but how do you know it's not the sub that's bad instead of the amp? you need to do some investigation (which can be tricky with an intermittent problem)

 

[Falcons 5,000+ posts]

just pm @keep_hope_alive an i bet your problem will be fixed in no time.

 

[Solace64]

Yeah my wording might of been confusing but my intent is not to fix the factory amp but simply replace it. I don't know for sure that it's the amp but I planned to replace both the amp and the sub at some point anyway.

Since I planned on replacing both at some point in the future, I don't want to deal with the hassle of trying to figure out which one it actually is. If I replace the amp and its still a problem then I will replace the sub right away. If it solves the issue then I plan on living with the factory sub for awhile longer.

 

[Solace64]

Oh and from the looks of it, its a pretty small amp that resides right next to the sub in the back. It's hard to see and there's not many markings on it. Not sure how many channels it is.

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

you need to start by getting a wiring diagram for the factory amp harness. that will tell you how many channels the replacement amp needs to be.

 

[CrossoverOre 10+ year member]

the factory sub is dvc and the output of the amp has 2 pair (one for each coil). Should be able to get any 2ohm stable amp and wire in parallel.

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

is the amp just paralleling the two or is it actual left and right running on respective coils?