Amplifier Help

[Mounted28]

I'm in a Police Interceptor Sedan with Ecoboost. I'm really dissatisfied with the stereo in it. I've read all the threads on different forums about upgrading the system, and I have a plan of attack, which includes adding a Rockford Fosgate DR1. My question is, how many channels is the factory AMP? I have two 6x9's on the rear deck, one of which is blown, and have ordered a pair of Infinity Kappa 6x9's.

I saw a wiring diagram that showed wires for the tweeters in the A-pillars, front left and right, and rear left and right, but nothing about the rear deck speakers. Should I go with a six channel Amp, or is four enough? If four's enough what wattage as it would be powering all four rear speakers correct?

 

[Johnbigdog]

Can you help us out with the year of your car? Does your car have tweeters?

This will help with the communities recommendations. And I'm lazy and don't want to look at your posts to figure it out.

You can also buy a service a manual from Helm but I don't recall if it has wiring diagrams... this is in the owner's manual which can be downloaded from Ford's website... I think you can do that for interceptors too.

 

[Mounted28]

It's a 14. I pulled the grills off the A-pillars, and it's just solid white plastic behind them, no tweeters. I spoke to a local installer, who found it odd, that the 6x9's were installed in the rear deck, as it doesn't have the sony system. I did locate a guide that showed those 6x9's have their own amp with the sony system, however I don't know if that's the case in the police cars.

Is it worth the time and effort to install aftermarket tweeters in the A-pillars? Or should I just do two ways in all four doors?

 

[Mounted28]

Just add, it does have the SYNC with USB, and AUX inputs on the passenger side.

 

[Johnbigdog]

Your car has a 4 channel audio system all powered by the Audio Control Module. This is the box that houses the C.D. player. You have 2 speakers in the front doors and 2 parcel shelf speakers. There should be no tweeters (as you found out) and no speakers in the rear doors.

The circuits for the speakers are LF: white/white brown pins 10 and 22. RF: White violet and white orange 11 and 23. LR: White green and brown yellow 21 and 9. RR: Brown white and brown blue pins 24 and 12. These call outs are listed in high low format. Pin 10 is the high and pin 22 is the low.

The good news is that the APIM feeds the ACM mono and stereo audio.

 

[Mounted28]

Thanks for the help Johnbigdog. I couldn't find that info anywhere, I even downloaded the P.I. owners manual you suggested. This leads me to believe the DSR1's not going to work. I think the Fix86 may be the better way to go, with Kappa 6.5's in the front doors.

 

[Mounted28]

In further research, I've found the Forscan line level and eq removal reprogram. Does this work with the Taurus as well? If so has anyone had experience with it, and are the codes the same for the Taurus ACM? This seems like the more effective way to add an amplifier vs the processor.

 

[Lostneye]

DSR1 is only for integration with Sony I believe.

In further research, I've found the Forscan line level and eq removal reprogram. Does this work with the Taurus as well? If so has anyone had experience with it, and are the codes the same for the Taurus ACM? This seems like the more effective way to add an amplifier vs the processor.

I am away so I don’t have any info now but if there is no amp after the ACM half of the forscan mods are not necessary. Line level mod is for the Sony cars where factory is fixed level out to the amp.

 

[Mounted28]

DSR1 is only for integration with Sony I believe.

I am away so I don’t have any info now but if there is no amp after the ACM half of the forscan mods are not necessary. Line level mod is for the Sony cars where factory is fixed level out to the amp.

Is the factory EQ not still a problem with cutting off lows as the volume goes up? What is the best way to add an amp with the base model? RCA outputs spliced or straight off the speaker wire to the amp?

There is absolutely 0 bass now, even with the Bass and Mid cranked on the stereo, My last crown vic sounded like it had subs compared to this thing!

 

[Johnbigdog]

In further research, I've found the Forscan line level and eq removal reprogram. Does this work with the Taurus as well? If so has anyone had experience with it, and are the codes the same for the Taurus ACM? This seems like the more effective way to add an amplifier vs the processor.

I just want to say, you have an interceptor. It's not a Taurus per say. In fact ford doesn't call it a Taurus. You have a police interceptor sedan. There is the police interceptor Utility that is the Explorer, but both are different beasts with police intended applications. When your on call, you're not worked about thumping tunes.

You very well may need to install a complete aftermarket set up to get the sound you want. This is probably why that P.I. car had a deck installed in the void where the center speaker would be in a high level Taurus.

An option you do have is to do an ACM swap and possibly upgrade to SYNC 2 or 3. This would get you extra audio channels, I dunno. I don't know what the hardware difference is, or if there is any hardware change between the P.I. and the Taurus base level system.

 

[Mounted28]

I'm not intent on thumping at all, else I would just throw a sub in the trunk and be done with it. However I spend a lot of time driving, and enjoy listening to decent music, and right now the quality sucks. I was content with the system in the crown vic, and would like to get that level of quality the easiest cheapest way possible. I don't need the extra channels, I had just assumed that there were extra speakers there from the research I found on the Taurus, which as you stated isn't totally the same. I found a deal on a pair of 6x9's for the back deck, and a pair of 6.5's for the front doors, and was looking at 4 channel amps in the 100 dollar range to make them sound decent, after learning the information you graciously provided.

The area where the center speaker is in my current car has a fan mounted in it to blow down on the rack the siren box, and radios are mounted. 6x9's are on either side of that, one of which was blown when I got the car. The area where the front center channel would be is a flat spot for mounting equipment.

At this point I think the only thing I'm not clear on is the best way to integrate the amp in light of the information Lostneye provided. I'm also still not clear if the P.I. ACM EQ makes the same roll off of lows as the volume goes up, which seems to be a draw back when using an aftermarket amp.

Overall the car is leaps and bounds above the crown vic's in every other category. It's the best car I've had since the 95 caprice.

 

[tech10002]

I would go with an Audio Control LC6i. I doubt there’s any processing at all in the base radio. That with a cheap 5 channel amp(I like the Clarion LC2510. It’s tiny and makes good power.), half decent speakers, and a small sub or 2, and it’ll be like night and day. Any more than that, and it can snowball and you’re gonna be bleeding money like me. Lol

 

[Mounted28]

I would go with an Audio Control LC6i. I doubt there’s any processing at all in the base radio. That with a cheap 5 channel amp(I like the Clarion LC2510. It’s tiny and makes good power.), half decent speakers, and a small sub or 2, and it’ll be like night and day. Any more than that, and it can snowball and you’re gonna be bleeding money like me. Lol

I had looked at some posts about the LC6i, and the consensus was that it is pretty outdated for the money. Paying a little extra to get the FIX with the auto DSP was what most the posts I looked at suggested. I didn't plan on a sub, so I was looking at a used JL Audio RD400/4 for around 100 bucks. Then if I wasn't satisfied I was thinking about something like the Kicker 11HS8 under the seat. I'm wondering is a processor is even necessary after Lostneye's post?

 

[tech10002]

The JL fix would be fine. I just thought you were trying to do this on the cheap, and I just like Audiocontrol stuff. It’s built really well and probably does everything you need for a basic system. I’m not sure what speakers you have, but if you just picked up something cheap, that amp is gonna way overpower them unless you turn the gains way down. I’d highly suggest you get some kind of sub. Don’t think you’re going to be satisfied with the sound unless you do. The kicker you mentioned sounds pretty good. I installed one in a buddy’s F150, but but I’d stay away. They are built really crappy and fail quickly. Read the crutchfield reviews. I’ve read good things about the Rockford Fosgate PS-8. Was gonna install two of those in my car until I went crazy with the might as wells. Lol

 

[Mounted28]

I guess Cheap is subjective. I just don't want to dump 2 grand into the system. I got a pair of 6x9 Kappa 93ix for the rear, and a pair of Kappa 62ix for the front for just under 200 total. I figure 100ish for the amp, and 150+/- for the processor. Then I will see if I need a sub. I'm looking at the PS-8 now.

 

[tech10002]

I guess Cheap is subjective. I just don't want to dump 2 grand into the system. I got a pair of 6x9 Kappa 93ix for the rear, and a pair of Kappa 62ix for the front for just under 200 total. I figure 100ish for the amp, and 150+/- for the processor. Then I will see if I need a sub. I'm looking at the PS-8 now.

That’s what I said too. At first I was just gonna install subs and leave the factory stuff alone. First it was rear deck subs to upgrade the factory ones. Then I found an old alpine amp to repurpose, and now I’m at 900 watts, 2 amps, $700 worth of mid/high speakers, $400 subs, $280 processor, a few hundred in dynamat and other install related stuff, and probably 50 hours spent install, deadening, and sealing the car. And I’m not done. Lol

 

[Lostneye]

I am not familiar with the Interceptors at all. So I can’t say if forscan will work or not. Do you have forscan? If so can you look at the ACM as built? Or give me the VIN and I will pull it in a couple days when I’m back at work and see if it seems comparable.

 

[Mounted28]

I am not familiar with the Interceptors at all. So I can’t say if forscan will work or not. Do you have forscan? If so can you look at the ACM as built? Or give me the VIN and I will pull it in a couple days when I’m back at work and see if it seems comparable.

I Sent you a PM, I would imagine it does have the same EQ curve, as it has the DSP for OPTIMIZE DRIVER PASSENGER and ALL in the options.

If I go with the forscan route should I even bother with a processor, and just hook the amp straight into the spliced RCA's?

 

[Mounted28]

So I got home from work tonight, and tore into the back deck, to put in the new 6x9's. For future reference if anyone is ever wants to change speakers in the rear deck of a Interceptor, the speakers are actually 6x8 on adapters. Turns out both of the rear speakers were broken.

3 freaking hours later I have an enormous improvement in sound. There are actually lows down to about 30hz now, with mid bass that can at least be felt. The speakers Ford is using are complete garbage.

If anyone's doing this and has the electronics rack, be very careful on the depth of the speakers you put in. It's scraping the magnets now when I pull out and push it in. Anything any deeper would have not worked out. Another issue is the speaker wire harness adapters Best Buy sells are not correct, The pins are orientated sideways compared to the way it clips into the factory side, so don't buy those. I ended up cutting the ends off and adding wire anyway, so the speakers flattened out easier. The 6x9's did fit the factory holes, however one screw on either side has to be coaxed in at an angle to get all four in.

I hope I never ever have to take that back deck apart again. It was a beast. A big issue was I couldn't figure out how to get the rear seat back completely out at the bottom, so I had to pry the top forward as much as I could to work over it. It was totally worth it though. The improvement is tremendous, and I'm looking forward to getting the 6.5's. I just hope the door panels are no where near as hard.

 

[Johnbigdog]

Once you fold down the rear seat back, you have to unholy them. This would require the removal of the side bolsters and seat bottom.

Day late and a dollar short, but a good description of life, right?