2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Infinite Stereo ????s

[fourwhls]

Hello all... I just picked up my first diesel today and have a few questions.



I have the SLT+ package and the stereo controls on the back of the steering wheel. Shouldn't I also have the Infinite Stereo??



I don't see any Infinite Badges anywhere. I have the double din deck with CD & Cassette.



I also own a Jeep Grand Cherokee that has the Infinite system. It has badges on the radio and the speaker grills. It also has an amplifier under the rear seat.



Is there an amp in my truck??? Is my truck equiped with an unbadged infinite system, or do I have the standard system???

 

[snowracer69]

Although I don't have it in my pickup, I do believe it is an un-badged Inifinity system in yours. BUT, lets just say that NO company gets carried away in putting a top of the line stereo in a stock vehicle. Your Infinity stuff is definitely better then what I have, but not by much. I'd say the thing that makes it sound better are the tweeters. I have an aftermarket deck in my pickup (Kenwood KDC-X917) and I have a friend who has repeadately asked me what speakers I am running... when I tell him "stock" he laughs and says "yeah right. " This guy has also worked in a stereo shop doing custom installations for the last 6 years... he knows his stuff ($4000 system in his car) and thinks my pickup sounds extremely good. I'm a firm believer of putting the best aftermarket deck you can in them with a 45x4 power rating or higher. DO NOT BUY SONY!!! They're crap for decks (even their high-end stuff)... go with Pioneer or Kenwood, or maybe even Alpine... . they're basically the three that can be trusted. If I had the money, I'd have a DVD player in mine, but would rather finish my BOMBing first.



Oh, and get a 12" sub too... nothing better than bass! (next to the thunder of the Cummins!)



Josh

 

[CRumsey]

Infinity stereo

I have the Infinity Stereo in my truck and it is well marked. Look on the inside of the door below the window towards the front Pillar. However, I do believe the steering wheel mounted controls is an extra that does not necessarily require the infinity system. But I could be wrong, its been known to happen before.

 

[illflem]

All the Infinity systems I've seen are well marked, but I haven't seen them all. On the premuim Infinity system there is a amp in each door.

 

[rdanley]

so far both of my dodges 97 3500 and now my 99 2500 arew not badge but is the infinte system. i also recommend a good deck i run a alpine and love it.

 

[jzaremski]

I have the SLT+ package and the stereo controls on the back of the steering wheel. Shouldn't I also have the Infinite Stereo??

No. The steering wheel controls communicate over the J1850 bus, so they'll work with any radio offered. The "Infinity" system uses the same radios as any other system, but have speaker/amplifier upgrades.

 

[Makensmoke]

My factory cd player doesn't say infinity on it but when removing my speakers they all said infinity on backs. No amps in doors either. (also have a-pillar tweeters) Very happy with factory deck, but it must be getting dirty, doesn't like my burned cd's as much anymore.

 

[continentaldrifter]

steering wheel buttons with aftermarket head unit

Originally posted by jzaremski

No. The steering wheel controls communicate over the J1850 bus, so they'll work with any radio offered. The "Infinity" system uses the same radios as any other system, but have speaker/amplifier upgrades.

Hello,you state the wheel controls work with any radio offered but is there any way to hook them up to work with an aftermarket head unit. Please reply as this is annoying me. Thanks

 

[DLausche]

Re: steering wheel buttons with aftermarket head unit

Originally posted by Burnt Toast

Hello,you state the wheel controls work with any radio offered but is there any way to hook them up to work with an aftermarket head unit. Please reply as this is annoying me. Thanks

I highly doubt it. I think I've read earlier that the steering controls talk to the head unit over the J-bus. No aftermarket unit that I've ever heard of supports such a connection.



-Deon

 

[DLausche]

Infinity stereo

And I think that there is a distinction between Infinity head unit and Infinity speakers. My 99 has am/fm/cd/cass and is not marked "Infinity" anywhere. It does however have the 6-speaker system. Got my Star Network Vehicle Information Report yesterday from the dealer. Separate detail lines for stereo vs speaker system. "Infinity" is only mentioned in relation to the speakers. I do not have amps anywhere (that I know of anyways).



-Deon

 

[LHartman]

The "amps" don't even resemble amps that we normally see. I have to replace one of my speakers. I wanted to go with an aftermarket speaker and was told, since I had the infinity system I would have to put an aftermarket deck in for them to work properly. I refuse to pay the $150. 00 for a new speaker from Dodge, so I have to put up with one of my speakers cutting in and out until it is replaced.

 

[Cooker]

LHartman, You do not have to put an aftermarket deck in to use aftermarket speakers with the stock deck, even if you have stock infinity speakers. The only thing I would recommend is you change both speakers in the pair not just the one causing problems. When doing this I would also recommend you dump the infinity AMPs. The reason the dealer told you this is becasue you will have to cut up the wires and figure out what goes to what, especially to make the tweeters still function. I have the wiring written down somewhere if you need it.



Like illflem said the Infinity Amps are mounted in the doors on the speakers.



I have worked on two 1998's with the Infinity sound option and neither had marking anywhere to indicate this. The 1996 I worked on did though.



DLausche is correct. At this time there are no aftermarket decks that allow the use of the steering wheel controls.

 

[LHartman]

That's good information. Dodge didn't tell me this. I bought a new set of speakers and the stereo shop told me they'd install for free. I thought, what the heck. I normally do all my own work, but if they wanted to do it, more power to them. They tore it down and said they couldn't do it.



Question: Does the tweeter run through that congloberation of wiring in the door speaker or does it run straight from the deck. My tweet is not working either which leads me to think it runs through that speaker.



Loren

 

[Cooker]

Loren,

The tweeter does run through the amp at the door speaker. If you tweeter isn't working and you speaker is cutting out it leads me to belive something isn't right with the amp, or is could possibly be a bad wire.



You can run the door speaker and the tweeter directly off the factory deck without the amp from the infinity speaker. I will see if I can dig up the wiring I wrote down from the last time I did this.

 

[LHartman]

Outstanding! Thanks for the info. Yes, the speaker cuts in and out and the tweet has never worked.



Loren

 

[Hammer]

One thing to consider here gang...

ALL of the replacement AM/FM/CD/Cassette radio's installed by the dealership are Infinity capable,but can be used for either Infinity equipped vehicles or regular stereo equipped vehicles. The radios are not marked "Infinity" and are also used at the factory if the other radios are not available for install at the time the vehicle is being built. You may use these radios as stated above in the "Infinity optioned vehicles" BUT,you may not install a "Infinity" radio in a non-Infinity equipped vehicle as the Infinity's use a external amp for volume(usually mounted on the speakers,however,some vehicles have the amps mounted separately in the trunks under the rear window ledge. The replacement radios are made by Alpine... ... ... . Andy

 

[LHartman]

Cooker,



If I run the speaker w/o the amp, am I going to lose alot of my volume?

 

[Cooker]

Originally posted by Hammer

One thing to consider here gang...

BUT,you may not install a "Infinity" radio in a non-Infinity equipped vehicle as the Infinity's use a external amp for volume.

The replacement radios are made by Alpine

This is not correct. jzaremski works for an OEM electronic supplier and he has stated several times the radios are the same for the Infinity and the Non-Infinity systems. It is the speakers that are the difference.



I also have first had experience with this. On a couple vehicles I have installed an Infinity radio, from an stock Infinity optioned truck, into a vehicle that had the non Infinity stereo, ie. no amps on the speakers and everything worked fine.



The majority I have dealt with have been made by Alpine, but the last one I did out of a 2k truck was made by Mitsubishi. Maybe they switched suppliers in there somewhere.



LHartman,

It is tough to say if you will lose much volume. It depends on how efficient your aftermarket speakers are. If they are a fairly efficient speaker, I don't think you will lose much, if any, volume.

 

[2ndgen2500]

infinity

mine is not badged but it is the infinity sterio, my driver door is blown, or has loose connection, not spending 175$ for a new speaker!!!!!!!

 

[krs]

I've changed out the radios in both of my 12 valve trucks which had the infinity radio. It's become my impression that the unit mounted on the infinity front door speakers is a crossover network more than it is an amp. It directs the higher freqs. to the tweeter and keeps the very low freq. away from the smaller rear speakers. In other words I think that the system is a relatively low powered receiver coupled with a low tech infinity component speaker system.



In one truck I just wired alll four of my new speakers in a standard way powered directly from the head unit and added a sub with rockford amp excited through the provided sub output from the head and forgot about the OEM tweeters. This works good.



In the other truck I jerry mounted the OEM (amp?) crossover onto my new front three ways and used the OEM wiring through a Crutchfield adapter using a 45x4 pioneer head. I tore apart one of those sub boxes designed for a Dakota and put the speaker and small amp on the underside of my middle seat cushion firing down. I was able to use the DC wiring that came with that box to plug between the radio using the same Crutchfield harness. A little weird but it does drive the tweeters and also sounds good.



IMO the OEM infinity is infinity in name only and is a low powered piece of marketting muck. The difference in sound quality in both new systems, neither of which is particularly high tech or high buck, and the OEM systems is large enough to bring me to call it startling.