pdub

I had a base factory radio when I bought my 07 Cobalt LS.

I installed a radio from a 07 Cobalt that had the pioneer radio.

Now the audio and the chimes are only like, half the volume.

It is reprogrammed with the part number and VIN. What's the deal?

Also, I noticed this fellow has the same issue.

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/electronics-audio-video-49/quick-help-mp3-player-74205/

Could someone kindly provide information or a diagram of where to locate the amp and fill us in on some information? Thank you kindly.

Some of my thoughts as I wait...

It does put out sound, so why would I need an amplifier?

The harness for the radios are the same, but I am wondering if perhaps the wires may need to go to pin spots on the harness?

Lastly, the chimes are very quiet. So an amp can't be the solution because how would that make sense? I mean, the amp would have to be on all of the time to amplify the chimes and hazard signals.

I don't know. I have two radios now, my old one and the new one. I plug in the old, great volume and the chimes are perfect, I plug in the new one, sooo quiet.

By the way, the part numbers are:

Old: 562574

New: 15284732

SS SCHGD

the old radio had internal power for sound, the new one has a out board Amplifier (ussually tucked up under the dash on the drivers side) and only has enough power to send signal to the amp. Did you add the amp from the pioneer system to your car?

pdub

No, I do not have the amp. The person I got it from is sending it to me right away though, thankfully! So, you are sure there is no onboard amp? I took both of them apart and they look the same inside. I would love a picture of the amp and the plug connectors.

Thanks guys keep the comments coming!

SilverSS/SC

You will need the amp to make the radio work properly . And their is a contant 12 volt battery power to the factory amp , so it can operate the chimes when the key is off . Man dude , you have quite a large wiring nightmare getting the factory pioneer amp to work . The difficulty doesnt lye in making the correct speaker connections between the radio , the amp and all the speakers , constant battery powers and grounds . The roadblock is gonna be 1 wire , well actually 2 wires . There are 2 serial data GMLAN input wires to the amp . Without the exact routing of those 2 wires in the serial data bus circuit that amp is basically a book end . The amp is thefloc coded too , just like the radio and the xm module , so the PCM HAS to beable to communicate with it .

New GMLan electronics are the devil when retrofitting OEM stuff is concerned

pdub

My opinion is that there must be a way to use this without the pioneer amp. Like, I've noticed with wiring diagrams there are pinouts for normal front/rear right/left output and then there are pinouts for low level out put and high output which is what I imagine is for the amp. So with that said, if there is a way, I'd like to find the pins that wouldn't look like they need an amp and change it to those.

If that doesn't work, I am going to just have to not use the pioneer one and get another factory radio that has the digital tabbed menus and plays mp3 that doesn't require the external amp. So if anyone is interested I have available a Pioneer radio with a black faceplate available, or if you want the silver faceplate put on I could do that. I just need the radio that plays MP3 CDs and is not from the pioneer, that's all. If anyone is willing to maybe work out a deal, that'd be great. I am having such a rough time and now I've got two radios I don't need.

Okay, I have an update.

Regular Radio Diagram:






And then the MP3 radio with amp... (2 pictures)






And this is a harness...




The thing is these diagrams are for 2005-2006 radios and not the 07 so this might be useless but will give me an idea of the outputs of the radio.

I can imagine perhaps that the unit itself is programmed to output a lower level of audio so the amp can pick up a clean signal and that I cannot simply pull the wires from the back of the harness and re-situating them in the appropriate spot. I am not sure what this means.

But the radios that play MP3 CDs and don't have the pioneer system should have the diagram of the first picture, correct? There shouldn't be a need for an amp so I assume it is the same amplification methods internally as the base line non-MP3 radio.

Judging by all of this I am screwed, hah.

Could someone with a non-pioneer system that plays MP3s tell me if theirs has the AMP under the diverside dash?

pdub

bumpo

pdub

Bump

I hope you all can help as I have no where to go.

Again,

I have the base radio, non-mp3 non premium sound (part# 562574)

I obtained a factory radio from the internet that has mp3 (part # 15284732), and from a premium system. I had it unlocked.

The volume is now only half of what it use to be and it is not putting out the correct frequencies, as it is trying to work for a 7 speaker setup, but i only have a 4 speaker setup. Wiring diagrams for the premium head unit show me that it has low level outputs vs. regular outputs on the base radio which then are split up as high and low outputs for the tweeters and door speakers.

Is there any way that the dealer could some how reprogram the output levels and tell it that it is connected to a 4 speaker setup and not the 7 speaker setup? I mean, it makes sense to me. There are 3 radios in the 07 lineup, base models 4 speaker, mp3 4 speaker (single or 6disc) and premium mp3 7 speaker (single or 6disc). Could they just load that firmware of the in-between model to the premium radio telling it is a non-amplified 4 speaker setup? There is even a cooling fan on it, so I know there is some amplification going on there before it hits the amp on the outside.

I have a 2007 Chevy Cobalt LS. The radio is a little different than the 05-06, especially the harness in the back. I would really appreciate anyone's help! Thanks.

pdub

Bump

Redberet

It will work but you need an external amp. Buy a decent 4 channel amplifier and a low-low convertor and you can get it working. Its a lot more trouble than its worth, why not just go aftermarket?

pdub

I don't like after market.

I am not sure if anyone is understanding what I am talking about. Basically, I want to know if I can write the firmware from the mid model to the premium model.

Redberet

Talk to your GM dealer, but I truly doubt it. The physical insides are different.

SilverSS/SC

HHeres the pinouts for the 2007 MP3 HU

C1 (pin# 1 ) +voltage from BCM /white/red
C1 ( pin 9) GMLAN wire /dark green
C2(pin 14) 10 volt reference /white/black
C1 (pin 11) Steering wheel controls signal /dark blue
C2 (pin 16 ) cellular telephone voice low reference / orange/black
C2 ( pin 8 ) cell tele voice signal / pink/black
C2 ( pin 2) right audio common + / dark green/white
C2 ( pin 1 ) Left audio common + / Brown/white
C2 ( pin 9 ) audio common / tan/white
C2 ( pin 15) Remote signal / pink
C2 ( pin 3) Radio on signal / Light green
C1( pin 6) left front - / dark green
C1 ( pin 7 ) left front+ / Tan
C1(pin4) right front - / light green
C1 ( pin 5) right front + / light green/white
C2 ( pin 7) left rear - / brown
C2 ( pin 6 ) left rear + / brown/white
C2 ( pin 5 ) right rear - / tan
C2 ( pin 4 ) right rear + / Dark blue
C1 ( pin 8 ) Ground / black/white

You WILL need to amplify this radio to get the proper sound from the speakers , theres no way to get around that . All the outputs out of the mp3 hu are low signal outputs that need to be amplified and wont allow proper sound going directly to the speaker . All the 7 speakers in the Pioneer system are amplified .

Ive had both base radio's and the MP3 head unit tore down completely , the circuit boards are night and day different . Changing anything there to adapt I would say would be totally out of the question to . Theres no way to reprogram the outputs , that detaimed by the harware on the internal circuitry .

KillerBee

The pioneer radio is set up for 7 speaker system dont think you can hook it up to a stock ls and expect it to work besides GM changed a lot of stuff with the 07 all the chimes are in the radio and the last i check the 07 pioneer run with the 7 speaker system you will probably have to cut and splice wires to make the volume work

SilverSS/SC

He is going 07 to 07 , just base to premium . You could get it to work with the 4 speakers , you would just simply leave the amp and tweeter pins empty in the radio connector . The problem is supplying the proper signal to those remaining 4speakers .

I think your best bet is gonna be trying to use a aftermarket 4-channel amp . Or try a stock amp . The connectors for it are the same for 2007 . Use the pinouts I gave above for the 2007 mp3 HU and connect the dots to the factory amp . Use a "add a circuit" pigtail to fuse constant 12 volt battery reference , there should be blank in the fuse box under the center console . It may work .

pdub

I completely understand what you are all saying. I know that by taking a premium radio and putting it in a car that has the base radio option, i will need to amplify it. However, I am thinking there is an easy way around this.

There are 5 radios for 07.

Base (non mp3, 4 speakers, black faceplate)

Middle (mp3 capable, 4 speakers, black faceplate, single disc)
Middle (mp3 capable, 4 speakers, black faceplate, 6 disc)

Premium (mp3 capable, 7 speakers, silver faceplate, single disc)
Premium (mp3 capable, 7 speakers, silver faceplate, 6 disc)

So, 5 radios = 5 part numbers = 5 different firmwares (software inside radio that controls and handles if it is a 6 disc, single, needs external power, etc.)

I want to replace the firmware of the

Premium (mp3 capable, 7 speakers, silver faceplate, single disc)
and replace it with
Middle (mp3 capable, 4 speakers, black faceplate, single disc)

I've taken apart the radios and they look identical inside. Honestly, this seems feasible to me but I don't think anyone knows how to do it. If the components, or guts are the same, there has to be a way to alter the software so it thinks it is a Middle (mp3 capable, 4 speakers, black faceplate, single disc) radio, and not the premium one.

SilverSS/SC, would I be able to ask your guy about this?
I am working with a Tech at my dealer with this. He says it is logical, but doesn't know how to approach it. I would love a phone number for acdelco.

SilverSS/SC

Now that you should be able to do . I didnt know they had a MP3/XM/Onstar capable radio that still used the 4-speakers on the cobalt . I knew they had it on other models , but I thought it all was a upgrade to pioneer system witht he CObalt . If u have a mid level circuit board them , it should just be a matter of plug and play . The boards will swap . Its not difficult , just keep everything in order while dissassembling it . You should beable to still keep the faceplate circuit board from the premium radio , the mid level circuit board should plug right into it .

With this new GM head unit , the mid level circuit board would swap over to premium radio . None of it would be swappable to the very base radio though . You will need to do a vin relearn again if swap in a mid level circuit board .

Why not just sell the premium radio and base radio u have then and just buy a used mid level radio ? It'd be hella easier than open heart surgery .

pdub

I don't mean doing a physical swap of circuit boards. I mean connecting it to tech2 (or something) and overwriting the software on the circuit board on the premium stereo with the software of the middle radio.

SilverSS/SC

That is not possible . The outputs between the mid and premium would be able to be changed by programming . Even though the 2 may look virually identical .

pdub

Do you mean, wouldn't? You see, that's what I mean. The middle is programmed for higher outputs, so by uploading the middle software, it would then output a higher output as it would be programmed to do so.

Also, hah I've just decided to buy what I need and avoid all of this hassle. If anyone has this...



I want it ASAP! I haven't had a radio in a month!

Report it here or on this thread...
https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/parts-66/sale-trade-07-cobalt-premium-radio-76825/

SilverSS/SC

sorry , my bad .....I did mean wouldnt . There are small differences in the mid and premium circuit board . It definately is not something that could be changed with programming .

pdub

Well SiverSS/SC, I thank you. It has taken me, hm, hours on the phone, online and with the dealership to finally hear someone say that. Thank you for finally ending this for me! +1rep
Good day and remember kids, I want to buy your radio now! Let's do business.

Redberet

If you can't get a head unit, amps are cheap and plentiful. You can get a really small one that will even fit under the dash. I know the fusion 2 channel amp is only like 10" x 6", you could hide that anywhere.