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Premium Sound question

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Old Oct 22, 2010 | 09:41 AM
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Premium Sound question

My radio took a crap in my truck, and im pretty sure i have premium sound. This truck has every other option available.

I plugged in a ford stereo from another year and the sound didnt work.

I read on here (i think) that the harness that plugs into the amplifer from the speakers is the same harnes connection as the one that plugs into the radio. And if i want to use a non premium radio, all i have to do is bypass the amplifier, by using the harness that plugs into it, and hooking it directly to the radio.

Is this true?

I have been able to find a replacement premium radio. So putting another factory ford radio in is my only option.

Thanks
 
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Old Oct 22, 2010 | 08:08 PM
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this doesn't sound right. I'm pretty sure my 95 had premium sound. I put in an aftermarket unit without too much trouble. When I bought the ford harness and the (insert radio brand here) harness and wired them together, there was a wire in the aftermarket radio harness to control the power to the amp.

I'm not 100% on this though. I do know I had to return two harnesses that were sold to me that people said would fit my truck, because they didn't know the premium sound one was different.
 
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Old Nov 1, 2010 | 02:03 PM
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where did you get the right harness from?
 
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Old Nov 1, 2010 | 04:42 PM
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I did a radio change on a cougar a few years back. I got the stuff from radio shack IIRC. they had the adaptor that went from your premium sound plug to your color coded wires for your Panasonic, or whatever deck for your speakers, power, power antenna etc... The deck i used had high deck power so i bypassed the amp with another harness. IT was ~$40 or so for everything back then i think, but thats a long time ago.
 
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Old Nov 1, 2010 | 08:48 PM
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I think I ended up getting one at best buy, but it's been a few years.
 
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Old Nov 2, 2010 | 03:37 AM
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My truck had the so called premium sound, which is not very premium if you ask me. I installed an older aftermarket deck and just used the adapter harness at the radio. I have never seen or heard of an F150 of our generation having the external factory amp. I know that some cars like Lincolns and maybe the EB Bronco has it, but I don't think our trucks ever did.
 
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Old Nov 2, 2010 | 07:34 AM
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Well hate to break it to you, but the premium radio has an external amp. Its in the dash below the radio, and a bit to the left i believe.
 
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Old Nov 2, 2010 | 08:18 AM
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Well there is nothing like that in either my 95 or my previous 95. They both had speakers that said premium sound on them and the window sticker for the other truck said it came with it. I don't have the window sticker for the truck I have now.
 
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Old Nov 2, 2010 | 08:32 AM
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I have the factory amp in my 95 EB. The PO did a hack job on the wiring to bypass it to install an aftermarket deck.
 
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Old Nov 2, 2010 | 09:06 PM
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some gen9 f150's definitively had them. Now that I'm thinking about it, I should see if my 96 EB does. Because if it does not, I should grab it out of my 95 before it hit's the junk yard... Which should be really soon.
 
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Old Nov 3, 2010 | 04:09 AM
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I guess Ford used the same speakers for all of them then.

Do you have any good parts left over from the 95? I would part it out.
 
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Old Nov 3, 2010 | 04:45 AM
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just about everything is gone already. the drivetrain (except the axels) is gone. the body is messed up. AC taken, wheels taken, PCU taken, wiring harnes taken, radio taken, interior taken (plastic modling/dash/power locks/power windows/40/20/40 seat). All of the serpentine accessories are gone. I have to go back and grab the radius arms for a friend, but I'm not sure what's left to take.

If you think of anything that might be valueable, let me know before I send it down to be scrapped.
 
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Old Nov 3, 2010 | 10:29 AM
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Sway bars, dome light or other lights, bumper?
 
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Old Nov 3, 2010 | 07:23 PM
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oh yeah, I took the rear bumper for the 96. The front bumper is going to the 94 f250 plow truck. I took the cargo lights out to replace the faulty ones on my 96.

Dome light is intact, I guess I could pull that, and the sway bars. I guess I really should save the differentials too, since it has LS front & rear. Mostly just because a factory front LS is so rare. Might want to save the instrument cluster for the lights. I think I have one burned out on the 96. Good food for thought.
 
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Old Nov 4, 2010 | 04:34 AM
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Definitely save the diffs and the instrument cluster. Is it a tach cluster?

Take the 3rd brake light off of the old truck. Get the wiring and the plastic nuts.

Take all the good interior trim like door panels, A and B pillars etc. I'd take the seat belts out too. Those are hard to find in good shape. If you don't need them, put them on craigslist or Ebay.
 
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