Where the hell is my factory amp?

[Skyhiranger]

I have tried searching......here, other sites, the internet, my Ranger.....and I can not find the factory amp location. I have heard it may be in the passengers kick panel....but the only "box" in there is a blue one that has something to do with the airbags.
I have a 97 Ranger X-cab with premium sound (am/fm/cass with cd controls on the buttons but no cd changer). I have 2 plugs going into the back of the factory radio....one is flat, skinny and grey with the power, amp turn on, ground etc. wires in it.....the other is square and black with 16 wires in it.
I am trying to locate the factory amp, so I can bypass it, since the radio I am putting in already has an amp built into it.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[flyingbrick]

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1399&highlight=factory+amp

 

[Skyhiranger]

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1399&highlight=factory+amp

Thanks. Already read that thread....looked behind the passenger kick panel...not there....looked in behind both rear jump seats....not there.....and I am pretty sure I have an amp, because the wiring/plugs for the radio is not "standard". I know the wiring is different in the 95-97 rangers as compared to the 94s that are referenced in the thread....so I didn't know if the amp placement would be different as well.
Maybe I have to pull the plastic off of the passengers side of the extended cab to see it.....that is the only place I can think that it may be. If someone knows for sure, let me know.
Thanks.

 

[flyingbrick]

Thanks. Already read that thread....looked behind the passenger kick panel...not there....looked in behind both rear jump seats....not there.....and I am pretty sure I have an amp, because the wiring/plugs for the radio is not "standard". I know the wiring is different in the 95-97 rangers as compared to the 94s that are referenced in the thread....so I didn't know if the amp placement would be different as well.
Maybe I have to pull the plastic off of the passengers side of the extended cab to see it.....that is the only place I can think that it may be. If someone knows for sure, let me know.
Thanks.

Anywhere in the truck does it say Premium audio or anything like that?

Check on this site http://www.metraonline.com/products.aspx
you'll have to do a search for your truck (97, Ford, Ranger, exd cab)
But as far as I can tell you have a standard audio setup from your description of the plugs

 

[Skyhiranger]

Anywhere in the truck does it say Premium audio or anything like that?

Check on this site http://www.metraonline.com/products.aspx
you'll have to do a search for your truck (97, Ford, Ranger, exd cab)
But as far as I can tell you have a standard audio setup from your description of the plugs

The number on my OEM Ranger radio checks to a "premium sound" radio. But I have recently found out that Fords "premium sound" radio isn't the same as an actual premium sound "system". I have looked at the various plugs for the different radios and mine is not the "standard" plugs, from what I can tell. The standard plug for the speakers just have the 8 speaker wires in it......my plug has a lot more than 8 (it is a 16 wire plug, but I can't remember if there are 16 wires....but there are definitely more than the standard 8).
I have just been told that I have to pull the plastic trim off on the passengers side of the extended cab area to see the amp......so I will do that and report back later.
Thanks.

 

[Skyhiranger]

The Ranger factory amp on a 97 X-cab is located just forward of the passenger side rear speaker.....between the inner body shell and the outer body. The 2 amp plugs can be reached by taking the speaker out, and by reaching up through the jump seat hole.

Ok, I got everything hooked up and working. I ended up using the Metra connector that fit the bigger amp connector, and cut the connector on the other end of that Metra harness off. I ended up modifying the square Metra connector so the square connector from the amp would plug into it, rewired the Metra square connector (since if I spliced same wire color to same wire color it would be wired wrong). Then I spliced the wires from those 2 connectors together to make my amp bypass.
All I have to say, is that Metra gets a "D" for their harness/adapter. Out of the 4 connectors that I ended up using (2 at the radio, 2 at the amp).....the 2 at the radio fit correctly (they were Scosche ones, but I am sure the Metra ones are the same), the 2 at the amp either didn't fit and/or weren't wired correctly. And I don't know that Scosche is any better on the amp bypass harness and connectors, since from what I have seen they use the same types of adapter harnesses and connectors as Metra.
I guess the good thing is....with my plug and harness mods, I didn't have to cut any factory wiring, so I can always go back to the OEM radio and amp if I ever want/need to.

 

[mountainkowboy]

The factory flat speaker plug is in the dash in the radio area, the harness that goes back to the amp is an added loop harness. All Ford products have the base radio plugs in them, the premium sound is an add-on piece. I worked for Ford Q1 audio for awhile.

 

[Skyhiranger]

The factory flat speaker plug is in the dash in the radio area, the harness that goes back to the amp is an added loop harness. All Ford products have the base radio plugs in them, the premium sound is an add-on piece. I worked for Ford Q1 audio for awhile.

If you are saying that I should have 2 flat plugs in the radio area......I don't. I have the 1 flat plug that the power, ground, illumination and amp turn-on wires are in, then I have another square (like 1" x 3/4") 16 wire plug that all the speaker/amp wires are in. 8 of those wires run to the square 8 wire plug that plugs into the amp (I have no idea where the other wires run or what they do). Then there is a flat plug that plugs into the amp that has the wires in it that run out to the actual speakers.

As I said earlier, from what I have been told there is a difference between a ford "premium" radio (which is evidentely what I have) and the ford "premium" sound system. Maybe you are referring to the premium sound system wiring as being a loop harness, because my radio/audio harness looks like it was made as part of the main harness, not added at a later point, or a seperate harness.

 

[Robertcladner]

How do I know if my car has a factory amp?

 

[Ranger850]

How do I know if my car has a factory amp?

Does it have the premium sound system?

 

[Dirtman]

I love amp.

 

[Ranger850]

What rhymes with "cacophony"?

 

[Curious Hound]

What rhymes with "cacophony"?

Symphony

 

[RobbieD]

What rhymes with "cacophony"?

"cacafuego"?

 

[Snoranger]

How do I know if my car has a factory amp?

You can pop the radio out and look at the plugs. They’re different between the standard and premium sound systems.
If it has an amp, I believe it’s under the center console.

What rhymes with "cacophony"?

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