Wow, I've been reading some of the threads in here and a lot of people really know their stuff! I hope someone can help me out.

The story:

I was having weird electrical problems with my 05 v6 vert. It started one morning when my alarm suddenly went off for no reason. I disarmed and re-armed with no problems attributing it to either a fluke or possibly even a field mouse that had gotten into the car tripping the motion sensor. The problem got worse and the alarm was going off at 3 in the morning and my battery started dying. Oh and every once in a while when I went to lock it, the horn would beep twice as if i had a door open.

Then the battery stopped taking a charge. I went and bought a new battery. Inadvertently buying a battery with switched +- terminals, i wound up touching the wrong terminals and instantaneously, my trunk popped open and a hiss came from my alternator followed by smoke.

Replaced the alternator as it was dead and discovered that my skipper 500 wasn't working. Read through the manual wrong when trying to find the fuse for the stereo and wound up pulling the stereo out to take a look.

Re-read the manual and found the fuse for the stereo was blown. Fixed that, put the stereo back in and it worked! Except.. no amp.

The stereo acts as if it's trying to turn the amp on. I.E.. it's real loud for a split second when i turn it on then goes to a low non amplified sound.

At first I thought it needed a flash to the computer since i had it out for so long but the guy at the dealership said that's only for when the radio is changed out to a new one. He also said that it sounded like my amp was fried and that it would cost $150 to diagnose it. I walked out.

::deep breath:: So, Skipper problem or amp problem? Could anyone make a guess? Thanks!!

kp!

 

the amp is just for door subs, ur radio is prly fried

 

No way of telling without testing everything really. I wouldn't pay Ford $150 to diagnose an amp worth $50 tops. Personally I'd just swap to an aftermarket system.

 

+1, Probably the skipper for ya.

 

So how do i go about testing everything? Is there a way to hook up an amp i've got laying around?

here's a video of what it's doing.

What did I kill?

 

You'd have to get in there with a voltmeter and see if

1. The shaker deck is receiving the correct amount of power constantly.

2.The amp is receiving the correct amount of power constantly

3. If the amp is putting out the correct amount constantly.

From that video it's hard to say but if the other people who commented are right about the amp only being hooked into the subs, I'd say yeah, it's most likely the shaker deck. But the way you described what happened, honestly it could be a general electrical problem with your entire vehicle just showing up in the stereo.

I don't have a shaker but I believe I've read that you have to do something in order to run an aftermarket amp...Something about the Shaker system being a 4v system...I can't remember tbh. Hopefully Oldschool will chime in on this, he's much better with the electrical aspects than I.

 

You will need a line output converter to run an aftermarket amp... Had my system hooked up to my Shaker 500 before I got my double din.

 

if the volume is changing at the headunit, it will change with a new amp.