I just purchased a used 2001 Monte Carlo SS from the original owner. Car has about 212k. Although very high miles the car is a very clean one owner car.

Seller indicated that the radio works but thinks there is a short to the speakers as there is intermittent sound.

After buying I drove it home and indeed that is the case. Radio turns on and while driving at any given point it the sound will come on, Sounds fine when on and then without notice the sound goes off - radio is still on.

I thought maybe it was this issue:
But after looking at the wire loom I found the grounds that go from one wire to two but I do not find a single orange into a double orange.

I then saw lots of posts about the amp being the issue. However, given there is intermittent sound could it really still be the amp?

I am not sure where to go from here.

 

So I have messed around tracing wires... I have not found an "ORANGE" wire issue in the loom as per the video linked. I looked at the multiple grouped wire grounds and they seem fine and not corroded.

I took the amp apart and didn't see anything that seemed out of the normal when looking at the PCB.

What I have found is the more I mess with the wire connectors going into the amp the sound works.

So I am not sure if this is a connector issue or still an amp issue.


If I am correct the clip on the left of the picture with a single orange and black are to power the amp. The other connector with the massive amount of wire is where if I move the wires the quality of the sound changes, etc.

The third clip I am not sure what that is for. It seems to dead end into a length of wires that are cut off but have factory loom tape. This was wrapped in foam and tucked above the amp between the speaker deck and the frame of the amp.

 

sounds like a loose or poor connection somewhere. if yu wiggle that connector and things change then there is the issue. look for splices and bad connections...you could try cleaning the connector with electronic cleaner spray.


also there may be a bad solder joint on the amp PCB where the connector hooks into the pcb. you could take out the pcb and hook it back to that plug and then look for bad solder joints......if yu find a bad one yu can just re heat it with a solder iron and repair it.

 

Yeah, its strange... seems to change if you wiggle the wires and then times not.

 

Same issue here on my 01 Monte SS... I've owned since 02... same (1 ) orange / black wires no doubles. Same wires run on top of amp going nowhere. Wire loom opened up, power to all orange, Power at amp to orange. black grounded. No music diff. moving wire connectors... I've read all the replies and vids, here and the tube.Now here is my ?. My ignition has gotten pretty sloppy to the point that if not completely rurned off the key will come out and i can then start it with a spoon.... Could the issue be the Ignition switch? / Lock cylinder? On my GMC the ign. switch controled everything until it was replaced.,,, Has anyone tried this fix> before i go buy the complete set up.....only 125 k on car.. My Wife Ain't happy w/o a Radio! Thanks!

 

Ours was a bad amp... I ordered this part from Amazon to bypass the bad amp...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

kid has not complained since. Radio works all of the time now.

 

Amp or just the harness ? I've wiggled it and wiggled it , no change...... Even behind the radio....
If I have to change the radio, Anyone have a factory 01 Monte 6 cd player they want to get rid of?

Piece by piece change........

 

Well for the $12.00 I'd buy the bypass to rule out the amp. I check the wire harness on the passenger side and never found any wiring issues.

Is the issue you have is there is NO SOUND?

If that is the case I would try the bypass... if the radio has now power then I am not sure what to tell you.

Our radio would have intermittent sound... once the amp was bypassed we have sound 100% of the time.

 

This is a Bypass? Wiring harness has been checked, No 1 orange into 2, But all have power. "No sound", it started intermidiate, Fuzzy sounding off and on. Now no sound... Don't want a aftermarket radio. How does the bypass work? Need power to the amp or speakers...Plug into amp and ? or where does factory plug go? Thx....

 

You basically unplug the harness to the amp in the trunk and then plug the bypass into that the harness connector you just unplugged. Its that simple. If you have a factory radio like we did you don't need the amp and my kid can't tell the difference either.