Just pulled old amp that seems to have failed out of my son's (my old...) Cooper Convertible 2011 R57

I've read lots of old threads about HK amps failing and various replacement options.

I wanted to check on recent replacement options please. I don't want to have to change anything with speakers (HK factory tweeters in A-pillars etc) - ideally just want a plug and plug replacment unit please.

The standard advice seems to be - get the newest used part you can so it may last longer...
This is the parts that realoem is highlighting today:

Today's listing for newer replacements for my old ..605 HK HS9599 amp
We havent opened up old amp to check inside - but no corrosion and car has been garaged in SoCal for 13 years.
Prepared to spend $300 for newer used amp if it will work as is.
Or if there is a plug and play alternative solution would appreciate advice. Cheers


This is the old / non functioning amp.

 

Haven't gotten my R57 yet, but know it has a suspected bad amp, due to the top window leaking into the trunk & working its way into the passenger floorboard. Is this one under the passenger seat?

 

In the USA Left-hand drive, the amp is under the driver's seat in a plastic box recessed into the floor.
I thought we might be able to get it out without removing the driver's seat but very hard to get cover off. Much easier after detaching seat and runners.
I had read about making sure to disconnect battery before removing seat so as not to get a sensor warning. So we did that - but actually the seat was left plugged in the whole time so could have been ok...

 

Thanks, knew it was under one of the seats, but couldn't recall which. Hoping to be able to put eyes on the car in person next weekend if all goes well.
Following to see if you get yours going.

 

Have just ordered a replacement (used) amp off ebay. I'm not absolutely sure which version I am going to get (I searched for 65129388960 - which is the 2015 model) - REALLY hoping it just works - will update you all next week when it arrives

 

Just tried the replacement HK Amp that I got on eBay for $285 No audio. Same as old one. This time I checked the plug from the car (unplugged from the amp) there is a couple of pins on the plug with 7V and a couple with 13V.So there is power on the plugI was really hoping there wouldn't be so it would point to fuse - even though i checked a bunch of radio related fuses and they seemed ok... So now what? Logically it seems the most likely is that this is another dead amp.... Ideally if I had a known good HS9599 I could use that to test ..... My only other idea is some way to test the amp outside the car... But I'm not sure how practical that is? I can use the little cut plug that came with it to feed it 12V (if I can work out pins) but what pins to check output? Would there be any output without the MOS bus audio or whatever input? Or, send back to eBay and try again?

 

I will let you have one cheep. Send me a PM

 

So I looked at the old pin out tables that people have posted before. (Including the colorful one on the "how to fit E46 amp instead of HK Amp")

Then I read about how you should wire the back speakers in series as they are both 2ohm and the radio/head unit on its own can't drive 2ohms so you wire your woofer/midl/tweet (or whatever it is) in series to get it to 4ohm.

It seems most people think using the rear is better...

Anyway... So I took the Right Input +, sent it to the Woofer +, the. woofer - to the mid + then mid - back to Right Input -

It didnt work.... nothing....

So then I just found a spare Bose red cube speaker and wired it direct to the Right Input (and another on left)....voila....I have audio.. so the head unit is working... I didn't really want my son to have loose speakers in the car so I set about trying to work out what had gone wrong with my wiring ...

As I was trying to connect my new insulated jumper wires (which took me ages to make) I realized two things - a) I had grey and black halfs of the plug connector confused...
B) and much more fundamental - the speaker output connections did not match the very popular pin out on this site... How did I know? There was NO connections on four of the larger terminals!


You can see the blank holes on pins 1, 2 and 24, 25 on the cable harness that plugs into the HK Amp on my R57, LHD USA Mini Cooper S convertible.

So I found another text table from someone more recently who seemed to have the right pinouts. Now I'm not sure of this is because the originals were from First Gen, and my 2011 is 2nd Gen or there is something to do with it being USA LHD?

Anyway... There are some other pins labelled for rear tweet / mid ....so I can work in series but I will need to make some jumper cables as they are small pins to large....

But question to the group....should I be doing both rear in series....or should I do rear and front (in which case - which front?)

Thanks


My colorful jumpers... Going to the wrong pins!!!

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PM sent

 

Bill, did you end getting yours working?
It's on my to-do list. I know the stereo 'works' as it'll power on & scan through channels.

Getting my top repaired is first priority & the stereo will be #2.

Or, for the group, is there any way to bypass the amp?
Would rather not drop $1k for a new amp, if I don't have to.

 

Yes - got the bypass working - so have had Head Unit driving the rear sub and mid speakers wired in series x 2 (Left & Right). Works as a stop gap.
I've just sent old HK amp to car audio specialist in UK to see if they can fix it.

​​​​Can someone remind me which chip normally blows up on the HS 9599 which would need replacing ? I thought it was a power supply / regulator chip?

Thanks