I'm reviving an '88GT that spent most of its life stored in the sun - unprepared and unprotected. Everything's finally running, so I can focus on the sound system. Someone installed a Sony CDX F5500 receiver/CD, and newer speakers in the dash. HOWEVER:

----I hear nothing from the speaker vents behind the two seats.

----The overhead panel includes an audio quality switch that seems to do nothing.

----There is no serious bass - if there is a subwoofer in the car, where? Does it have a separate amplifier?

----Would it be smart to revert to an original radio/CD?

THANKS YET AGAIN, GURUS

If you're talking about the vent grills on each side of the center console, those don't contain speakers. The rear speakers are up top at each end of the rear glass, in the side panels.

The factory subwoofer system control you have on your overhead operates the speaker that should be located underneath the passenger end of the dash. There isn't a separate amplifier. It's totally controlled by the slider on the overhead. Some aftermarket systems either don't support the subwoofer, or must be wired into the Fiero system.

A common upgrade to the Fiero system is to use the 2000 era Grand Prix radio and it will support a subwoofer with the correct harness converter. The CD units have 7 band equalizers that will pump out pretty good bass, just on its own.

Sounds like they didn't connect the Sony properly, you should have rear speakers.
I'm not sure how you'd connect that to the subwoofer system and get it working.

The subwoofer system is pictured below and is controlled by the overhead slider.
The amplifier is under the carpet on the passenger side console tunnel.
http://calgaryfieros.com/OSGdocs/subwoofer.html



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[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 04-25-2014).]

WOW!
This is really good news -- what I thought was part of the HVAC is really a woofer. Now I just need to figure out how to wire it and I'm in business. In a cabin that small, the sound should be excellent.

THANKS!

this link Should help you a lot, I know it helped me!

Stock Fiero Subwoofer

Also if your car was in the sun for a long time like that, the sub speaker itself is probably shot. I got a replacement from Rodney, great buy!

-John

a lot of people don't hook up the subwoofer when they install an aftermarket radio because it requires an extra step of a relay. The factory radio drives the sub amp directly, but aftermarket radios cannot. You need a relay. Or I did like Oliver suggested and I just connected the subwoofer to switched power and it comes on with the car.

Yes the Fiero cabin is small and a new suwoofer is far better than nothing but don't get your hopes up too high, it's still a 5 1/4" woofer. Not going to rattle the windows.

[This message has been edited by jscott1 (edited 04-24-2014).]

quote Originally posted by jscott1: Or I did like Oliver suggested and I just connected the subwoofer to switched power and it comes on with the car.

That is what I do - connect the sub power feed to the ign feed going to the radio, no need for a relay.