no sound from central speaker

[cafe]

Hi,

i discovered that my 2004 XC90 audio is pretty simple, it has only 4 door speakers. I checked the tweeter holes in the front doors, and in the back pillars, and opened the central dash speaker grille, and found that there actually are wires which give some signal (except the central) when I tested with speakers. So i decided to install the appropriate tweeters, and also the central speaker since i have no Satnav. I found original Volvo speakers.

So far the upgrade seemed to work perfectly.
The tweeters sound great, unless now i have to turn the volume higher to activate the left speakers after start-up.
But the central speaker does not produce any sound.

Are central speaker wires in the dash connected on the other end to the head unit or the amplifier? If yes, how can I activate it?
How can I reset the silly left speaker not sounding at low volume?
Is it ok for the system that i added the speakers without changing or adding an apmlifier?

[andreas]

Correct me if i'm wrong, but i think you need a premium performance amplifier to power the center speaker + get a software upgrade. Performance amp is 4x25w, high performance 4x40w and premium 4x75w + 1x25w for the center speaker.

Hey, I have a premium amp for sale ;)

[cafe]

Iis it that simple to switch the amplifier for Premium? Where is it located?
Can I ask for SW upgrade in the Volvo dealership service?

[andreas]

If you have the high performance sound system, I think it's a fairly easy plug & play operation. Not 100% sure if it's the same if you just have the standard "performance sound" system (check the screen when you switch the stereo on). As far as I've found out, the minimum you -need- to do is replace the amp (located under the passenger seat, held by 3 bolts), and download Premium software at your Volvo dealership.

Though, it's recommended to also upgrade your existing speakers to original premium ones so you don't blow them away when cranking the volume up. An OEM subwoofer can also be added to HP and Premium systems. I recently did this, and can highly recommend the upgrade. Also needs software from Volvo to work by the way..

I recently bought a premium amp for my '03 XC90, but unfortunately it will only work in vehicles with chassis numbers higher than 144490 (last digits), which should be somewhere around 2004. Tough luck. Volvo part number 30732825.

I've spent quite some time searching for info regarding OEM audio upgrades, but there's not much to find. If someone has anything to add or correct, please step up :)

[cafe]

yep, its just Performance on the screen. I looked under the passenger seat and saw black radiator plate. Is it covering the amplifier underneeth? How can I open it when the chair is there, should I remove the chair first? Then I'll check the wires.

[andreas]

Just slide the seat all the way back. What you see is the top of the amp. The bolts on top holds it in place. Just take them out and lift the amp up carefully so you don't harm the wires and connectors before unplugging. I always disconnect the battery before doing "electrical things" to my car, but I'm not sure if it's necessary here.

You should ask your local dealer if it's a straight forward job if you want to upgrade the performance system as well. I know it's a no-go in S60 and V70 since they don't have an external amp in their performance system, but since the XC90 does, an upgrade might be possible....?

[andreas]

Hey cafe! Two options here...either you buy the premium amp from me, or you sell the center speaker to me :)

[cafe]

ok, let me just check the amplifier when it gets warmer ;) and ill let you know

[andreas]

Sounds like a plan :D What's the last six digits in your chassis number (vehicle ID) by the way?

[cafe]

its less than 144490

[andreas]

Well, good, because I already sold the amp. Also got another used one which is correct for my chassis#. Got software installed today by my local Volvo dealer, and voila - it worked :) Premium Sound startup-screen and all the Dolby options are present in the menus. Also ordered the center speaker at the same time...will hopefully have it by tomorrow :)

Update : Center speaker was plug & play :)

[cafe]

good to hear you have finalkly upgraded. So what would you suggest for me to check and to do, if I have an old xc90 with lowest, Performance sound? Will the Premium sound amplifier work when replaced? Where to look for the apropriate amplifier?

[andreas]

Hi there,

I got lucky and found an used amp on eBay for $99+shipping. The switch was plug & play, it actually worked without new software, but the startup-screen still said "high performance" and i didn't have all the extra menus and dolby settings. With new software everything was in place :) I upgraded from HP to Premium, so i can't guarantee that Performance -> Premium works just as flawless, though I see no reason why it shouldn't.

Take a long had look at your chassis# and look for the correct Premium amp:

CH ->82566 : Part number 30657755
CH 82567-134088 : Part number 8673851
CH 134089-144489 : Part number 30732488
CH 144490-> : Part number 30732825

And then look for the premium speakers as well. If you browse for used speakers, look for the ones with YELLOW labels/stickers. Yellow = premium, Blue = HP and Red or White (?) is Performance.

8633111 center without RTI
30649341 tweeter front left
30649342 tweeter front right
8633108 loudspeaker front left
8666591 loudspeaker front right
8633110 loudspeaker rear left+right
9472758 tweeter rear

In total there can be up to 12 sepakers, two in the front door (two speakers in one unit), one in the rear door, tweeter under the mirror, tweeter in the D-pillar, center speaker and subwoofer. I'm still looking for new tweeters...the rest is changed :)

Also, the premium amp will power the optional headset connectors on the C-pillars, so take a look behind the pillar and see if your car is pre-wired for this. It's plug & play (i've done this) but you will need a software download to activate them.

The software download for the Premium Sound is part number 6849972.

Good luck, tell us how it turns out :)

[smokecigrate]

It has just happened suddenly over the past 24 hours and is producing a pew pods per hour.

[cafe]

My XC90 is sold before I upgraded it to Premium sound. So I have full set of four tweeters and the central console speaker for sale now. please let me know if anyone is interested.