Any subwoofer problems with the 2004's?

[KraziKid]

My father may be getting rid of my black Marauder for a 2004 DTR Marauder, and I was wondering if the 2004's still aren't getting the foam removed from over the sub? I removed it from my 2003, and noticed a tremendous improvement in bass, and was wondering if I will need to do it on my possible 2004.

[woaface]

You can give me the car, I've got about $2 grand out and about...bonds, savings, change, stock. You know:D

[KraziKid]

Originally posted by woaface
You can give me the car, I've got about $2 grand out and about...bonds, savings, change, stock. You know:D

Haha. Well, as of now my father is getting rid of his Blue MM for a Chevy Silverado SS (he needs four wheel drive). When I went to look at the DTR today, the salesman said the mechanic there might be interested in buying my dad's blue one. So I told my dad that if the mechanic is willing to pay the real value of the car (I figure around $22,000) considering it is in factory condition (no accidents) then it might be worth selling it to this mechanic. But if he is only willing to pay what Chevy is giving my dad, or just slightly more, it isn't worth it. But, my dad really likes the DTR, so he is seriously considering getting rid of my black one for it. When I looked at it today, it was a very nice color. I think this car was made for black, but the DTR is a nice color. So, my father is thinking about what he wants (I am indifferent, and I told him this. I don't care if he gets the 2004 or not), and I will know shortly. I just wanted to see if anyone was having sub problem with the 2004's like the 2003's.

[Agent M79]

This here was pulled out of an '04 DTR sub:

http://www.mercurygallery.net/mmnet/watermark.php?file=500/1096SU642-med.jpg

[Big Red]

Is it harder to pull it out of the 04 compared to the 03's? I would like to check to see if my 04 has it.
Where do I start??

[Agent M79]

Big Red,

From what I understand, on the '03 you can remove it by going through one of the speaker grilles and reaching under the package shelf and pull it out.

No such luck with the '04. You have to remove the back seat bottom and back to remove the package shelf and get at the sub that way.

I wouldn't do it just to remove the foam from the sub, but combine that with a speaker upgrade. Trust me, you'll only want to go in there once.

Read THIS (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1872) thread to learn about how to do speaker upgrades. Pay attention to the modifications to the instructions for the '04 and my posts specifically on removing the back seat.

Good luck!

[67435animal]

Originally posted by Big Red
Is it harder to pull it out of the 04 compared to the 03's? I would like to check to see if my 04 has it.
Where do I start??

You can get at it from the trunk:

1. Disconnect the harness connectors to subwoofer enclosure.
2. Loosen the four nuts that hold the enclosure in place.
3. Support the enclosure as you drop and turn it 90 degrees counterclockwise.
4. Remove the foam baffle that Agent shows in his picture.
5. Reach up and remove the cut piece of package tray foam that is above the subwoofer.
6. Check that the four subwoofer mounting bolts which are held in place by four square nuts are tight. Two of mine were so loose that the front of the subwoofer would wobble to the touch and vibrated like crazy.

Estimated time is less than 30 minutes.

Bob

[martyo]

If you are thinking about the speaker upgrade, let me know and I will sell you four nice Excelon speakers which give great sound (I am trying to make plans to move up a few notches in terms of my sound gear in the car)

[KraziKid]

Originally posted by Agent M79
This here was pulled out of an '04 DTR sub:

http://www.mercurygallery.net/mmnet/watermark.php?file=500/1096SU642-med.jpg

Yup, that's exactly what I pulled from my 2003. Thanks. How do you like your DTR? Is the paint holding up nicely?

[Agent M79]

I love the DTR. I've had 2 black cars and I was in an "anything but black" mood when they announced DTR.

The Carolina Marauders recently had a meeting where we had all four colors and I got to compare them all side by side. They all look great but I made the right choice for me.

Here they are:
http://www.mercurygallery.net/mmnet/watermark.php?file=500/1096CM5641-med.jpg

I like that DTR is a lot of different shades of red depending on lighting. Here is a low light and a bright sunlight comparo:

http://www.mercurygallery.net/mmnet/watermark.php?file=500/1096ATL640-med.jpg
http://www.mercurygallery.net/mmnet/watermark.php?file=500/1096Badgeless_Up_Left_-med.jpg

(badgeless grille by Zack)

The paint is good. For me, this is a daily driver so I have to accept the reality of that. With a couple of coats of Zaino, I think it is doing very well so far.

[Big Red]

Thanks for your advise guys.:up:

[KraziKid]

Originally posted by Agent M79
I love the DTR. I've had 2 black cars and I was in an "anything but black" mood when they announced DTR.

The Carolina Marauders recently had a meeting where we had all four colors and I got to compare them all side by side. They all look great but I made the right choice for me.

Here they are:
http://www.mercurygallery.net/mmnet/watermark.php?file=500/1096CM5641-med.jpg

I like that DTR is a lot of different shades of red depending on lighting. Here is a low light and a bright sunlight comparo:

http://www.mercurygallery.net/mmnet/watermark.php?file=500/1096ATL640-med.jpg
http://www.mercurygallery.net/mmnet/watermark.php?file=500/1096Badgeless_Up_Left_-med.jpg

(badgeless grille by Zack)

The paint is good. For me, this is a daily driver so I have to accept the reality of that. With a couple of coats of Zaino, I think it is doing very well so far.

Thanks for the pictures. When I looked at the DTR at the dealership, it hadn't been washed since they got it (which to me is good, I don't want them scratching it up or putting buffer burns in it). My black one is my daily driver also, and the paint has held up very well (only one real nick from a rock that somehow hit the roof when my father was driving it). I have been using zaino's on mine also, and love it. Thanks again, and will let you all know if my father ends up getting the DTR in place of my black one (which means I get an upgrade :) ). If we get it, can I just tell the dealership not to wash and wax it? Because my black one has buffer burns that they put it. If I find imperfections in the paint on the red one after I wash it, can I still say something to the dealership, or will they be like "We couldn't inspect the paint before you left"? Thanks.

[TripleTransAm]

Originally posted by 67435animal
You can get at it from the trunk:

I'd been thinking about this for a while, but I figured there was no use pursuing this since no one had mentioned it yet. Interesting alternative to yanking the seat, especially since it's a little cold out nowadays.

Is this applicable to the 300Bs as well? (or did they decontent the enclosure nuts as well??? :lol: )

So, has anyone figured out why the heck that foam was installed from the factory to begin with?

[RCSignals]

Originally posted by KraziKid
Haha. Well, as of now my father is getting rid of his Blue MM for a Chevy Silverado SS (he needs four wheel drive).

All I can say to that is, "why a Chev truck?"

[Donny Carlson]

Originally posted by TripleTransAm

So, has anyone figured out why the heck that foam was installed from the factory to begin with?

I can only guess they were put in there to somehow mute the subwoofer so it wouldn't be so boomy :)


I had TWO of those in my subwoofer!

Removing them was easy - my MM has a grille over the subwoofer. I lifted up the grille, reached inside, pulled out the foam pieces, replaced the grille.

It turns out the service manager at Champion decided to retrofit thier 2003 Marauders in stock with a grille for the subwoofer on their cars. He ordered a replacement speaker grille, cut an opening in the shelf carpet (is it carpet?), and placed the grille in the opening. Did a good job, because it looks factory. Apparently having a grille made the thing really loud, so he put an extra foam piece in. Of course, these two pieces would jump around and the top one hit the underside of the grille.... which caused a buzzing sound.

I don't know if he did this on the 2004's, but that was the explanation I got when I asked why my car had a subwoofer grille when all the other MM's I saw did not, except for those I saw on the Champion lot.

[valleyman]

After seeing pictures posted by Krazikid and Agent M79 of the foam in the subwoofer enclosure I decided to look in my own. I have had no problems with it rattling and haven't noticed any muffled sounding bass in the stereo. I went in through the trunk (thanks, animal, for the guided tour) and, sure enough, the same foam critter was living on top of my suwoofer.

But ... I noticed absolutely no difference in sound after I took it out. No perceived difference in volume, distortion, clarity, bass response, or overall sound. Which makes me wonder if, just maybe, it is in there for a reason.

From previous posts, which I guess I did not read closely enough, I had assumed that this foam was a piece of the material that goes between the fabric of the package tray and the metal body part: and that it had been stamped out as a cut- out to be removed when the subwoofer was installed but some sort of production screw up at the factory resulted in it being left in instead. But this is clearly not the case because 1) it's much thicker than the material under the package tray, 2) it is cut to fit down inside the speaker enclosure rather than just covering it, 3) it is made out of a different material than anything else on or under the package tray and, 4) it is fairly acoustically transparent (stereo-speak for "sound seems to go right through it with no problem"). After I took it out I put it in front of an exponential horn tweeter, a ribbon tweeter, the port of an 8" powered subwoofer, and a 10" three-way speaker that are on different stereos in my house and, again, it seems to be remarkably acoustically transparent. All those drivers sounded the same whether or not that foam was put right up against them or not present at all.

Also, why is it present in both the 03s and the 04s? If this really is a St. Thomas snafu, am I the only one who thinks they would have discovered it by now?

So. What do other people think? Let it be said that I know NOTHING about car stereos at all and I defer to anyone, which essentially means the whole planet, who knows more about this than me. The only thing that I can come up with is that the piece was made to protect the woofer cone from incidental damage during assembly of the car or that it is to protect the sub from overextensive cone excursion and subsequent damage if it is overdriven.

[67435animal]

Originally posted by TripleTransAm
I'd been thinking about this for a while, but I figured there was no use pursuing this since no one had mentioned it yet. Interesting alternative to yanking the seat, especially since it's a little cold out nowadays.

Is this applicable to the 300Bs as well? (or did they decontent the enclosure nuts as well??? :lol: )

So, has anyone figured out why the heck that foam was installed from the factory to begin with?

Steve, I suspect that the process is the same. Why the foam, you ask?

Damn good question.

Bob

[TripleTransAm]

Alright, well thanks for the write-up, Bob. I'll try to get to it asap if:
- the car can thaw out from the ice it's encased in
- the temps don't drop to their expected -22 C / -27C range this week.

[Effster]

the foam is in there to protect the speaker from any dirt and such that may find its way in there.any idea what some pebbles sound like rattling around on top of that cone?the foam can be left in place,its the knock-out in the package shelf in the early cars that needed to be removed

[KraziKid]

Originally posted by Effster
the foam is in there to protect the speaker from any dirt and such that may find its way in there.any idea what some pebbles sound like rattling around on top of that cone?the foam can be left in place,its the knock-out in the package shelf in the early cars that needed to be removed

Actually the foam is there for the non subwoofer use of the speaker shelf (remember, this shares the same platform as the Grand Marquis). What I remember others saying is that it's purpose on those cars is to isolate the cabin from outside noise that can come in through the trunk. Supposedly, on our cars, in the factory they are forgotten to be removed, when it isn't needed on our car.


Originally posted by RCSignals
All I can say to that is, "why a Chev truck?"

It's not a bad truck. I love Ford's but the Chevy Silverado SS is still a great truck, and remember, it is still American.

[Effster]

again,the foam is there to protect the speaker.the knockout is to isolate the noise....2 totally different things

[KraziKid]

Originally posted by Effster
again,the foam is there to protect the speaker.the knockout is to isolate the noise....2 totally different things

Sorry, I misunderstood you. I thought you were talking about the knockout.

[67435animal]

Originally posted by Effster
again,the foam is there to protect the speaker.the knockout is to isolate the noise....2 totally different things

Yes, I now recall this. Since we all keep our cars immaculate, there is little chance of any dirt getting onto the subwoofer, which is also covered by the cardboard piece.

So, I say, remove all the foam you want.

Bob

[jgc61sr2002]

Originally posted by RCSignals
All I can say to that is, "why a Chev truck?" The Chev Silverado is an excellent truck.:D :up:

[MMdriver03]

Originally posted by jgc61sr2002
The Chev Silverado is an excellent truck.:D :up: I heard some where that they rode LIKE A ROCK!!!:lol:

[jgc61sr2002]

Originally posted by MMdriver03
I heard some where that they rode LIKE A ROCK!!!:lol: The new silverado has an excellent ride. Much better than my 1990 Chev Sport.

[Big Red]

Originally posted by 67435animal
You can get at it from the trunk:

1. Disconnect the harness connectors to subwoofer enclosure.
2. Loosen the four nuts that hold the enclosure in place.
3. Support the enclosure as you drop and turn it 90 degrees counterclockwise.
4. Remove the foam baffle that Agent shows in his picture.
5. Reach up and remove the cut piece of package tray foam that is above the subwoofer.
6. Check that the four subwoofer mounting bolts which are held in place by four square nuts are tight. Two of mine were so loose that the front of the subwoofer would wobble to the touch and vibrated like crazy.

Estimated time is less than 30 minutes.

Bob

Bob,
I took the foam out of my subwoofer. I loosened the 4 nuts that hold the unit in, reached in and pulled out the foam. The whole job took me 15 min.
The subwoofer does sound better now.
Thanks,

[67435animal]

Originally posted by Big Red
Bob,
I took the foam out of my subwoofer. I loosened the 4 nuts that hold the unit in, reached in and pulled out the foam. The whole job took me 15 min.
The subwoofer does sound better now.
Thanks,

Ray, great! The way I see it is that when I become unhappy with the factory subwoofer, I now know exactly what to do to remove it and replace it!

Bob:)