Audio failure
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 60
Likes: 3
From: Seattle, WA
2004 E-500
Audio failure
I was installing a Kicker Amp IX1000.1 and for audio input I had wires drawn from rear stock subwoofer. (It always worked for me with my Sony amplifier). I made a mistake when connecting the input wire. Instead of connecting the audio to the Amp input I connected the audio to Amp output. When I did it the audio volume went blank. CD Player/radio and everything else appears to work. But no audio.
Mercedes dealer charged me $170 to diagnose and said they could not find the problem. Took it to another mercedes dealer and he charged another hour labor and could not find the problem. At least the second dealer flashed the system and still no audio. Now they want rip the carpeting, pull out the wires and see what went wrong. Is it worth it?
I cant believe connecting wires drawn from rear speaker to amp output should kill Audio forever and two dealers were not able to diagnose.
Can anyone please help me diagnose this?
Mercedes dealer charged me $170 to diagnose and said they could not find the problem. Took it to another mercedes dealer and he charged another hour labor and could not find the problem. At least the second dealer flashed the system and still no audio. Now they want rip the carpeting, pull out the wires and see what went wrong. Is it worth it?
I cant believe connecting wires drawn from rear speaker to amp output should kill Audio forever and two dealers were not able to diagnose.
Can anyone please help me diagnose this?
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 356
Likes: 19
From: RI
2017 S550 4matic
Tried resetting the ECU by disconnecting the battery? This is why you disconnect the battery when doing anything on the electrical system. By connecting the amp output (which I assume is a 1000w amp by the model number) to the subwoofer terminals, you likely shot that 1000w back into the amplifier on it's output side. I'll bet money your factory amp is toast.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 60
Likes: 3
From: Seattle, WA
2004 E-500
Tried resetting the ECU by disconnecting the battery? This is why you disconnect the battery when doing anything on the electrical system. By connecting the amp output (which I assume is a 1000w amp by the model number) to the subwoofer terminals, you likely shot that 1000w back into the amplifier on it's output side. I'll bet money your factory amp is toast.
I have checked all fuses. Apart from documented fuses, there are also fuses all over and around the car. We only know three areas where fuses are installed. (Hood, driver side dash, rear drive side trunk). But I found fuses near the battery. Sigh... Why cant they place all the darn fuses in one place?
