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New here with a Brand Used 2004 TL... speaker volume shot just ordered caps from Mouser, had a problem through digi ...kept saying min. Order req. Anyways ordered with a few extras..thanks to everyone input... Also need to do a 3x3 flush and change switches, not to mention figure out the handsfree... everything I have search so far has been right at my fingertips.
Thanks to this awesome forum.
Semper Fi
Nick_
I just joined this forum a few days ago. I just purchased a 2004 Acura tl and I have this issue. It only has 45,000 miles (got a good deal). I want to upgrade the sound system at some point but if this could be fixed now....that would be great. Would anyone be willing to perform the suggested actions on the amp, or does anyone know of any stores that could perform this? I have not done any work like this.
I will be getting my hot air kit soon. I have many irons with variable temps, but want to take it slow and make this one pretty Ill post up pics of my upgrades. I plan to play with a couple variations.
Thanks for this info. I had the buzzing sound when it was cold and replaced all the CAPS as instructed. Now my volume is back and no more buzzing!!!!! Thanks Again
I am ready to order the replacement caps but not sure on the voltage ratings. As chefboyardee said earlier the voltage stage in the stock amp is 2.5v, so any replacement cap of the same or higher Voltage will be fine correct?
As for uF rating, the higher the better? Given you can fit on the board?
As for voltage ratings, the signal chain (the smaller ones) caps should all be 6V or higher (2.5 volt is the zero-point of the signal. The signal actually ranges from about 0-5V). The bypass caps should be 16V or higher. Really though, I would use the factory values as a minimum value. ebs007's post (#32) gives the stock voltage ratings.
Higher uF is better for the bigger bypass (100uF and up) caps, but you don't really need to go crazy here. I doubled the 470uF and 1000uF ones and didn't really notice any difference. Just be careful to look at the physical size first. The very first list of caps I made, I forgot to check the sizes and some were too big to fit without having them laying sideways.
The Nichicon KT series ones that I used were just about perfect. I would highly recommend those as they fit perfectly, are automotive temp rated to 105C, and are designed for premium audio applications. Check out post #55 for a shopping list with part numbers.
Thank you chefboyardee! Your fix worked perfectly - alternator whine/buzzing is gone and the amp sounds better than ever. Received the capacitors from Mouser based on your list, Friday 3/4 (one part was on back-order for a few months).
So happy!
I registered just to say thank you for this detailed post and wanted to share another success story!
I took my Integra to my boss's house yesterday and took back his '04 TL to put shocks in, driving home in it I was wondering what the heck was up with the stereo cranked to 40 and barely being able to hear the system. Googling the issue landed me right here! I pulled the amp out and brought it across the street to my neighbor who is an excellent solderer, he even had the caps on hand. An hour later he returned the circuit board to me, i slipped it in and success !!
just wanted to add that this worked for me as well. I had engine noise coming through the driver side tweeter, and some buzzing. Pulled the amp out, de-soldered the old capacitors and soldered new ones on, took about an hour total and the noise is gone! Thank you for the great guide.
If you guys are replacing the caps with higher values won't that mess up the cut-off frequencies assuming the system is a basic low-pass filter with capacitors?
Cutoff is:
1/ (2*pi*R*C) where R is resistance and C is capacitance. If you increase the capacitance (by double) you change the cutoff frequency to nearly 1/2.
Example:
Lets say 4.7kohm resistance (R) and 47 capciatance:
1/(2*pi*4700*47E-9) = 720 hz
vs 94 capacitance which is double
1/(2*pi*4700*94E-9) = 360hz cutoff
Also changing the capacitance affects the phase shift and the output voltage as well. I could be wrong if this isn't a low-pass filter but it seems to be that way as we all get a high pitched noise!
Thank you so much for this info! I'm not handy at soldering, but I have a guy in my shop that is. I just picked up a 2004 TL and I have to drive around listening to music at 40 and its so quiet. I also have the buzzing. I was going to install another amp, but for 20 bucks (and a case of beer for my friend) this ought to do the trick. So far I'm pleased with how awesome this forum has been and the plethora of information out there. I'm not sure how far I'm going to take this 2004, but I have decided that I'm going to use it to learn how to everything that needs to be done. This will be project number 1.
Those values look right to me- they match the original caps. There's never anything over 14V inside the amp, so as long as they're all above 14V you're fine.
So I did this fix and replaced all the 1uf and 10uf capacitors because those are all the parts I had on hand. When I put the amp back in the car I noticed an insane difference in volume BUT only from the right side. I have to move my volume about 5 to the left to make the speakers balance out. Any clues why this would happen? Could a poor connection from one or a few of the new capacitors cause those? Any thoughts here would be greatly appreciated
Hello,
Great, clear, informative thread.
First time working on circuit boards so I might have over heated some connections when removing the original caps. Never the less I change all the caps out and fired it up. First impression: POP! Yah, all the speakers made a pop/thump sound when the stereo turned on. Once it is on it is fine to do anything, even turn off and on again. Just the initial ignition switch and power on of the stereo.
Anyone know what might have happened? Could I have fried one of the connector holes and the cap isn't making good contact?
Bought a 2005 Acura TL with 227K miles (yes over 200K! ) with radio's volume was so low. Replaced all capacitors according to your list and I'm jamming!!! Thanks for your hard work on putting this together!
I just bought an '06 and I'm not noticing any major issues except that the drivers side speaker seems to be quieter than the rest, but from reading up on this stuff, it seems replacing the caps will be an improvement from stock regardless. I bought all the caps listed in this thread, but decided to go with the supposedly better Nichicon KA series for the higher values. Their website lists the KT as "105C standard for audio" and the KA as "105C for high grade." (NICHICON CORPORATION | Product & Technology). All the sizes and voltages are the same. It was only a couple dollars difference, so I figured I'd go for it. Here's the parts list I used in case anyone is interested:
I finally got around to doing this and at the very least, the amp looks pretty.
I did it in stages, so I first replaced all the capacitors on the bottom half of the board, so all the 1.0uF, 3.3uF, 10uF, 4.7uF, 2.2uF, and 47uF. I plugged it back in and didn't really notice much of a difference. The next day, I replaced the rest of the capacitors. When I plugged it back in, the stereo seemed noticeably louder and sounded clearer. So, I think for the $20 it cost me, this was worth it. If for nothing else, the peace of mind of doing this. I have read that the '07 and '08 amplifiers are a better design, so I may pick one of those up and replace the capacitors in it. We'll see. For now, my weak link is my FM modulator, but I'm working on that.....
Ready to get started Before End of Day 1 All capacitors replaced.
I brought all the recommended caps to replace.
But with my poor eyesight I'm unable diy
can anyone recommend handle tech guy preferably someone good with soldering n done the swap?
or maybe recondition swap out?
Socal area
thanks
right now i only use my oem amp for my aftermarket sub output and my oem rear fill. do you think this would be worth replacing caps for? i'm fairly decent with soldering so i don't see that being an issue
Another thanks to the OP for finding the solution and starting this thread, and updating as it evolved. My 05 TL just turned 220K and I've been refurbishing several neglected areas (engine/trans mounts, shocks, engine seals) and the buzzing/low driver door volume that was bugging me for years, that I conceded was permanent, is now gone. With all the other fixes I am amazed at how quiet, solid, and smooth this car still drives. Along with the BT45-HON3 Bluetooth adapter, I really enjoy this stereo again. I had done the tweeter/CC upgrade years ago and forgotten what they sounded like.
Thanks Chefboyardee for starting this thread and for the list of Mouser caps. My '05 TL has had the buzz/low volume problem for years. My local Acura dealer said "bad amp - $500 to replace" so I've just lived with it. A few weeks ago, I decided to check trusty old AZ to see if there was a DIY fix and came upon this thread. Long story short - best $20 I spent in a while. I took your advice and replaced all 36 caps and holy shnikes, does it sound good! Brings back memories of sitting in my garage way back in 2005 when I brought her home brand new, listening to CDs in amazement at the sound quality of this stock stereo. Thanks for helping bring it back to life and maybe even a little better sounding than what I remember from 12 years ago.
Created my account to say thanks to OP Chefboyardee, and the rest of y'all for taking the time to write this up/contribute! For everyone else, I first noticed having low volume on cold days, but over the last year it's gotten worse. Volume gets louder with time in the car after things warm up, but still so annoying. I've thankfully never had the buzzing problem, but I guess that's dependent on which caps are going bad. I found this thread, read through it all, and just ordered everything from digikey. I highly recommend them because I created an account last night, accidentally ordered the lower 85c rated caps before reading through this whole thread (like a true dummy), and had to call/cancel my order. To my surprise they have full 24/7 phone coverage for sales and tech support, and were able to void my order out no questions asked so I could make a new cart / re-order.
I know there's still going to be TL owners out there who'll be stumbling upon this thread so I'm going to do them all a favor and drop a detailed list of the stock caps with their values, the modified capacitance value list that OP Chef recommended earlier, and part numbers with digikey public shopping cart links to make life easier.
Original Cap Values and quantity, KT Series Caps @ digikey.com:
Shopping cart link for the above list and quantities: Invalid Request Subtotal at this time of writing: $14.81
I personally ordered enough to repair the amp using either the original specs, or with the higher capacitance caps. Still trying to find information on whether or not modifying the original spec will have a negative or positive effect to audio quality. My Google fu has returned some good stuff to read, but I haven't poured through it all. Trying to determine if the higher capacitance values for those coupling capacitors not in the signal path will better or worsen the audio performance/quality. If anyone has insight about this it would be super helpful to me, and appreciated! OP already mentioned he could barely tell a difference with the higher capacitance caps, but I'm super curious about this.
Going to be tackling this soldering fun within the next week or two once the parts come in, and will post some pictures, tips, what caps I ended up applying, and outcome of improvement for those interested!
That cap you are pointing to is labelled c254 and as other user's have said was left blank. I just fixed my amp in 05 TL by the instructions and thought I missed a cap until I started looking closely at some pictures and see that cap was left blank by factory.
Just want to say thanks to the OP. Just fixed my low volume, engine rpm corresponding static stock amp. Mine was one of the 8 1uf resistors along the bottom but I did all anyway. I got 25 1uF resistors and 25 10uF resistors on eBay from a US seller in 3 days for about 5 bucks.
11-25-2015, 11:00 PM
ordered caps
Ill post up pics of my upgrades. I plan to play with a couple variations.
It worked!!!