So I had started a post here for this issue. I figured I'd continue that discussion in the proper part of the forum. Mods, feel free to merge!

So, I took a chance and hoped it was the amplifier. So, I found one on e-bay and installed it tonight. No-go. Same problems. So I went a little deeper into troubleshooting.

Car not running:
When listening to aux in, I can hear the music but it is very distorted and sounds like it is skipping. The volume has to be up pretty high to hear anything.

Car running:
Same as above with the added bonus of more static. On top of that, when I rev the engine, I get a pitch that goes up depending how high I rev. Sounds like some sort of interference.

Because of all this, I am hopeful it is not the head unit as I don't feel like trying to source one of those then paying to get it programmed blah blah.

My questions: What do you guys think? I read something about some ground interference doohickey thing. Do I need this?

Thanks in advance!

Oh, and it's an 07 MCS with Nav and Hi-fi. Any other specs you need, let me know please.

 

New development.

After reinstalling my old amp and trying to make it work, my music is mostly normal with the car off. As soon as I start it, I hear a loud pop then the sound starts getting all crackly and goes away completely when I start hitting the gas. Do I have some sort of shorted connection here?

 

For AUX-IN make sure you adjust the input level (usually need to crank it up) on the head unit. When you are in AUX-IN mode...press the MIDDLE softkey button (below the word AUX-IN) (for the non-nav unit). I remember you have the NAV unit, so I have no idea how change that input volume.

That engine related issue sounds very weird! Maybe even a voltage/battery/alternator issue.

 

Thank you for that. I had already set that input high. My second post was my observation from fm radio on a strong station. Should have mentioned that.

Another strange thing... Might be just a timing coincidence but when I changed the speed volume seeing from high to off, it got better. Again, this is engine off.

 

Whoops, meant to respond in this thread....

Are you the first owner of this car?

This is a head unit or signal wiring related issue. The alternator whine suggests wiring, and that somewhere in the chain you have signal ground shorting to power ground.

 

I am not the first owner and I don't know if anything aftermarket was done previously. It does seem all stock at the moment though.

Thank you for the info. Now where do I start the diagnosis? I am dreading pulling apart my dash.

 

Without knowing what was done previously it is a total crapshoot. I would start by checking the signal wiring at the X9331 connector in the drivers footwell and the wiring at the amp. Look for signs of altered/tapped/damaged wiring. If you find nothing there, I'd check the rear speaker wiring. Those are the most likely places for someone to have tried to tap into the factory wiring.

I'll be honest, it's not an ideal situation trying to fix someone else's mess like this (assuming that's what it is). In the absence of a known quantity like our upgrades, there is no telling what may have been done or where the problem may lie. Be patient, stay positive, and most importantly, be methodical!

Let us know what you find.

 

Oh, and if you need instructions on how to access the amp and the X9331 connector use the installation instructions for the Soundstage on our site.

 

So I checked the x9331 and it looks like it's never been touched. Also tried another suggestion and hooked a spare speaker into that connector and the sound from it was perfect. I had the amp fuse out at the time. I put the amp fuse back in and got the same results as before, and the spare speaker I had started smoking. Oops.

I was told if the spare worked in that setup, it was not the had unit. So it's either the amp or something in the writing between x9331 and the amp?

 

The speaker sounded fine but started smoking? What speaker, and exactly how did you connect it? The head unit doesn't put out much power, so unless you somehow ran dc through it OR the coil has extremely small wire it shouldn't have started smoking.


It is true that the the standard 6 speaker and HiFi units use the same head unit, and it puts out a speaker level signal. Like I said previously, the symptoms you describe point towards a wiring issue. That issue could potentially be either upstream OR downstream of the amp.

 

First of all, thank you for being so helpful and patient with me.

I slipped the wires into the back of the x9331 connections. To the two yellow wires to be exact. I did not disconnect x9331 to do this. I had the amp fuse in the footwell box out for this. I then started the car and it sounded fine then too. I then made the silly decision of putting in the amp fuse while the spare speaker was still piggy backed in there. That is when it began smoking. It was a cheap speaker anyways. A jvc cs-xm620 if that matters.

 

Actually, the symptoms point MORE towards a problem downstream of the amp. If I were a betting man, I'd bet that the previous owner tapped into the rear speakers to provide a signal for a subwoofer, and simply cut the wires when removing the sub, and that/those wires are intermittently shorting to the chassis.

Do you happen to have an inspection camera?

 

I do not have a camera unfortunately. Downstream means what? Between amp and speakers? Do I have to pull off some trim to see if the rear speakers were tampered with?

 

Certainly.

Something doesn't make sense there. You must have run DC through that speaker, but I'm not sure how. Doesn't make sense based on the above.

You may be able to swing it with a regular camera and a flashlight and/or flash. Otherwise you'll need to remove the rear interior panels. A bit of a pain the first time you do it.

 

If you've got a good DMM, AND are very lucky, you may be able to track this down from the X10266 connector (amp connector). Disconnect the connector and check for continuity to chassis on each of the speaker leads of the X10266. The caveat, and it's a biggie, is that any potential short is almost certainly to painted metal, which means you won't generate enough voltage/current to actually cause the short (arcing really) to occur. If it were a gross short or some sort of other wiring issue this might turn something up.

 

I am 100% positive I connected to yellow and yellow black. The proper polarity too. Otherwise it wouldn't have given me sound right? Anyways I don't care about the speaker.

Where should I be aiming my camera to find out? I don't mind taking the time to remove panels but I'd rather avoid it. And what exactly am I looking for?

 

Dmm I assume is a multimeter? I do have a good one but no idea how to use it properly. However, I live with a trained audio engineer who does. I'll have to bother him when he gets home to help me do this part of it.

 

It should have been yellow/brown and yellow/black, in a twisted pair. It's not your speaker that I'm worried about, but rather the fact that you got enough current to smoke a voice coil from that connection, and what else may have been damaged as a result.

Behind the rear panels, towards the speaker. Remove the rear quarter trim panels and go from there. You are trying to get a clear shot of the rear speaker wiring. Might not be possible, you might need to remove the rear panels.

 

Is this something to be concerned about?


Found that behind the right rear panel. I have a hard time believing BMW would use masking tape to do anything in these cars.

I used these two wires when connecting the speaker.


I'll try to get a shot of that wiring. Would it show on both sides if the PO messed it up or just one side? Trying to find out if I have to try to take pics of both sides.

 

No, the masking tape is actually from the factory believe it or not.

Yeah, I had just checked the WDS and there is no solid yellow wire at that connector. Doesn't jive with a smoking vc.

No way to know. You should never pull a sub signal from the rear speakers in any MINI, so if the person did that they didn't know what they were doing. And in that case, no way to predict what they might have done.

 

That looks about normal for that connector to be taped u to something.

if the speaker worked with the amp power disconnected then the head unit is fine.

There has got to be a problem with the amp or wiring. But i would say that with the X9331 conntected together and just the fuse out for the amp that the problem is probably not the wiring from the x9331 to the amp. And since you said the speaker started smoking I would tend to believe that the amp is bad and sending a DC voltage bad on the speaker lines there. This may have damaged the head unit though.

Now as for the amp situation. I am begining to wonder if there is a second amp in the car that bypasses sound when not energized. I.E when the car is turned off the second amp is not functional and passes the sound straight thru. Then when the car is started the amp kicks on and causes your problems.

Now with that said there is also another possibility. If the previous owner added a bluetooth system to the car that could be causing the problem as well. Some of the bluetooth units have a relay box between the amp and speakers that switches the sound from the amp to the bluetooh module and then back one the call has ended. If that it the case then the relay box may be bad. But i have no idea where they might have installed such a relay box.

 

[QUOTE=Integral Audio;3592239]No, the masking tape is actually from the factory believe it or not.

Really? Wow. Probably paid extra for special BMW brand tape. What would that connector go to?

Well, it's pouring out now so no working on it at the moment. No garage to work in. Hopefully it lets up soon so I can try to figure this out. Should I bother to try and install that ebay amp again just in case? Or have we pretty much ruled that out at this point?

 

Thank you for chiming in schatzy. I noticed you're an authority on mini sound like Integral is so I was hoping you would.

There is bluetooth in the car but it is factory.

So you think maybe I should try that other amp again? Maybe I did not install it correctly when I tried the first time? It was the middle of the night in the dark... or this second amp could be bad too I suppose?

 

Two things come to mind.

1. if you purchased off of ebay you have better than a 50% chance the amp you purchased is bad unless it came from a really really reliable source. Which unfortunately with this kind of stuff is in my opinion not the case.

2. There really is no incorrect way of installing the amp if the connectors seat properly then if it is any good it should work.

3. if you are saying what I understand you to be saying then with the car off the sound is fine with your original amp in place but when you start the car the sound goes away. Is this correct?

 

1. Damn, I'll be returning that amp.

2. Good to know.

3. That's what was happening when I reinstalled the original amp. Now it's all skipping and bad sounding all the time but gets worse when you turn on the car or goes away entirely.