nooraliisa

Hi All,

I couldn't find my amp either on the side trim or under the spare tyre. Is there any chance that my car came with no amp. My car didn't come with bose speakers.

I have sound and recently changed my stereo with android one and nothing touched other than the stereo change out.

I am experaincing a clipping noise after certain volume level and I was suspecting an issue with the amp, so I changed all door speakers with bose good ones.

Any Ideas and info will be very helpful to find the amp.

Checked the manual diagrams and multiple forum posts but couldn't find that amp anywhere. Could it be under one of the seats?

BobcatBrian

The Bose speakers in the Cayenne are 2 ohm. That may be a problem depending on the impedance of your original speakers. I think there are 3 audio system levels in the cayenne: base non-external amplified, mid-level (Harmon?) amplified, and Bose. If you don’t have an external amp, then you certainly can cause amp clipping with lower impedance speakers. If you do have an amp, it’s likely located in the rear, below the window on the wheel well. My nose amp is in the rear right side in my LHD ‘06 CTT.

Did you have a fiber optic connection that you needed an adapter for the new android radio? If so, you definitely have an amp. If not, pull out the radio, find the speaker wires, and check the impedance of a channel (you’ll only have LF/RF/LR/RR). If it’s 2-4 ohms, you don’t have an amp.

nooraliisa

Thanks a lot for the very helpful info. I have fiber optic connections and needed the decoder for the new stereo. Also the CD change has a fiber optic connections. From what I could find on Google the amplifier goes above the CD changer directly but couldn't find any when I pulled the side cover and even removed the CD changer and nothing there.

Could the fiber optic wire only attached for the CD changer and I have a non amplified system (base system). I will check the wires ohm though to further build on this.

The mid-level system, do you have any diagrams or photos of the amplifier location, shape and connections of it.

I am leaning towards the non amplified audio system ATM.

If so, I assume it would require complete rewiring for the audio system for an aftermarket amp.

Will update with the wires ohm.

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BobcatBrian

I haven’t found a diagram for the mid-level system. But it’s easy enough to tell if you’re amplified. Did you connect a left and right rca cable from the fiber optic adapter to the Android radio? If so, and you unplug them, do you lose sound? Only the amplified systems run the audio signal over the fiber optic network. And yes, the cd changer, among other things, is in the fiber optic network. That’s why you have to use a bypass fiber optic loop if you remove the cd changer or anything else in the fiber optic network.

Do you have the old speakers you removed? If so, check their impedance. If they are 2 ohms, the Bose speakers are probably fine to use. If they are 4 ohms, you probably need to replace them with 4 ohm speakers. But it might be ok, it just depends if the amp is 2 ohm stable.

If you have an amp or not, you’ll need at least some wiring to run an aftermarket amplifier. But it’s not that bad. You wouldn’t have to run wires into the doors or anything. The factory wiring is fine, assuming it isn’t physically degrading, which happens often with most of the wiring in these cars.

LoBurnham

I haven't been able to confirm this but I believe every Cayenne is amplified. I'm pretty sure the non-Bose systems use an ASK branded amplifier that receives a speaker level signal from the PCM radio. Did you remove the entire passenger side trim or did you just remove the small trim panel that hides the CD changer? The Bose and ASK amps can be found above the CD changer but you have to actually remove the entire passenger side trim and a few other panels in order to access it. One thing is for sure. No radio/head unit can power 10 speakers on it's own so there must be an amp somewhere.

It's odd that you mention needing the fiber decoder for your new radio but don't have Bose speakers. AFAIK, only the Bose systems need the fiber decoder.

BobcatBrian

I haven't seen one in person, but there is definitely a wiring diagram for a base, non-amplified system. The diagram shows speaker wire connections directly from the the head unit to the speakers, so no external amp.

BobcatBrian

nooraliisa

I thought so, at the begining but I have removed the whole panel and even removed the CD changer but only could find some controllers for alarm and air suspension in front of the CD changer not above it which is usually the place of amps as I keep seeing in Google photos search result and forum threads.

I was asking for diagram because I need to find the location that it might be hidden in. It's a big and old car and tearing it a part is not easy I have to be careful not to break the clips. Although, it's held up very well all the clips are in great condition so far.

Regarding the fiber optic cable I believe it is needed for the CD changer.

Still couldn't find the amp and I started believing that there is none.

nooraliisa

This is promising so I think I have this since I checked the speakers I replaced. The mids are 4ohms and tweeters are 6ohms.
Replaced the four doors with bose ones which the mids I can confirm has 1ohm and tweeters couldn't confirm on the ohm but it must be low too.

Since no amp is found and old mids and tweeters suggests that I don't have a an amp as you mentioned. I think the best option for me is just to change the speakers usually the clipping is coming only from the mids but since I can't raise the volume enough to check the tweeters I think it would be a good idea to replace them as well to avoid messing with wiring and removing bunch of trim.

Thanks, that was very useful info, and I have learned a lot. Please let me know if you have better suggestions for the next step.

nooraliisa

Photos of the old mids and tweeters

BobcatBrian

Remove the radio and take some pictures of the factory radio plugs/wires.