1996 Suburban LS - Factory Amp or Not?

[cmcolfax]

96 LS
Non-Bose system
Front door 6.5's with tweeters in armrests
Rear door 6.5's
Rear rear headliner 4x10's

Planning new system install, but would like to use as much factory wiring harness as possible.
REALLY don't want to run more wire than what I need to hook up amp.
Head unit will power front doors, rear doors, rear headliner and sub will be powered by 5-channel amp.

Truck is not here to check RPO codes.

Per Window Sticker:
Electronically Tuned AM/FM Stereo Radio w/ Seek-Scan
Tone Select, Stereo Cassette Player, Digital Clock, Theft Deterrent and Four Speakers

Some resources I have checked imply that some of these trucks utilized an external amp.
Some refer to the small metal box under the driver's seat.

Anyone got any better info?

Thanks.

-cmc-

 

[rosco]

In my 98 Sub, the amp was under the dash just to the right side of the steering column. I think it's aluminum, but it's about 2.5in square by about 6in long with the length going up into the dash and the wiring connection looking down at the floor.

 

[df2x4]

I'm not exactly sure where mine is, but it's in there. The factory amp powers only the rear door speakers, the rest run straight off the head unit. You'll need to connect your remote wire or power antenna lead to the turn on wire for the amp if you want your rear door speakers operational.

Side note, but why in the world would you power just a sub with a 5 channel amp?

 

[GMC Burbalade]

In my 98 Sub, the amp was under the dash just to the right side of the steering column. I think it's aluminum, but it's about 2.5in square by about 6in long with the length going up into the dash and the wiring connection looking down at the floor.

Bingo.

The factory amp powers only the rear door speakers, the rest run straight off the head unit.

Mine powered the rear door speakers and the rear headliner speakers. Front door speakers came off the head unit.


And the Premium sound package in the 96 wasn't Bose. For the 400s Bose only came in the Escalades and Denalis.
With four speakers and no CD I'm assuming you have the base sound system, not the premium package. I've never owned a 400 with base sound so I'm not sure if that plays into whether or not yours is equipped with an amp. Checking under the dash should confirm it though.

 

[cmcolfax]

In my 98 Sub, the amp was under the dash just to the right side of the steering column. I think it's aluminum, but it's about 2.5in square by about 6in long with the length going up into the dash and the wiring connection looking down at the floor.

I'm not exactly sure where mine is, but it's in there. The factory amp powers only the rear door speakers, the rest run straight off the head unit. You'll need to connect your remote wire or power antenna lead to the turn on wire for the amp if you want your rear door speakers operational.

Side note, but why in the world would you power just a sub with a 5 channel amp?

Bingo.


Mine powered the rear door speakers and the rear headliner speakers. Front door speakers came off the head unit.


And the Premium sound package in the 96 wasn't Bose. For the 400s Bose only came in the Escalades and Denalis.
With four speakers and no CD I'm assuming you have the base sound system, not the premium package. I've never owned a 400 with base sound so I'm not sure if that plays into whether or not yours is equipped with an amp. Checking under the dash should confirm it though.

I'll get the truck back tomorrow and will look under the dash.

When I get around to doing the install I will need to tap the turn on lead in somewhere, so the power antenna lead makes sense; especially since I don't have a power antenna.

And while the window sticker says no CD and only 4 speakers, the truck actually has the 8 speaker system (front doors w/ separate tweeters, rear doors and rear headliner) and the CD player down below the HVAC controls.

I will double check the RPO code tomorrow too.

And as for what will be powering what when I get around to doing this project...

Head Unit - Front Door Speakers

5-Channel Amp - Rear Door Speakers, Rear Headliner Speakers AND Sub

Thanks all.

Pics of what I find soon...

-cmc-

 

[df2x4]

And as for what will be powering what when I get around to doing this project...

Head Unit - Front Door Speakers

5-Channel Amp - Rear Door Speakers, Rear Headliner Speakers AND Sub

Ah that makes more sense, I misunderstood.

As far as the power antenna lead as a remote wire, don't do it unless you have to and know that your radio activates the antenna any time it's powered on. (Not just when you're listening to AM/FM radio) You're better off just using the remote wire on your head unit. I just used the power antenna wire to trigger my factory amp because I didn't feel like wiring a relay and my head unit operates in a way which allowed me to.

 

[GMC Burbalade]

This might be of assistance to you since all the wiring diagrams were taken down.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[cmcolfax]

KEWL

Thank DF and BURBALADE

I'll just need to figure out how to bypass said factory amp

And why were wiring diagrams taken down?

(Most of them are in the Haynes/Chilton manuals anyway)

 

[df2x4]

Bypassing the factory amp should be as simple as just not connecting the turn on wire for it in the harness. I mean if you're using the 5 channel for the rear speakers you're going to have to run new speaker wiring anyway. I'd just leave the turn on lead disconnected and call it a day.

EDIT - Also, this is just my opinion but I think you'd be better off amping the FRONT speakers instead of the rear. If anything run the front and rear doors off the amp and leave the rear headliner 4x10s on head unit power. You'll notice it a lot more in the quality of your sound. Then you could get a nice component set with separate tweeters and do the front right. Just my two cents.