Z3 speaker problem

The head unit in z3 works, but there is no sound. I found a 12" round object behind the passenger seat, is this the subwoofer? I also found a harnesswith a clip at the end of it but it is not coupled to any thing. can any one shed some light on tis for me?

Sounds like an after market stereo installation. If there is a 12" subwoofer behind the seat that is unplugged and you have no sound, you might have an amp problem or a head unit issue. You will have to supply more details for anyone to offer useful help.
Is the head unit stock or aftermarket?
Did you try directing the sound to other speakers with the fade and balance to see if any individual speakers work?
Are there other non-stock components install?
With a few more details of what you have tried so far along with what you know about the system, perhaps someone will be able to help.
Good luck.

the head unit receives signal and it is the original factory unit. i have changed the fade and balance to no avail. the disconnected subwoofer (i'm not sure it is the subwoofer, it is black, round with some smqll holes in the center) is located behind the passenger seat concealed behind the carpeting and it is a factory installation. the amp is original and there are 2 wire harnesses attached to it firmly, i dont know how to verify if the amp is in working condition.

There is a factory fuel pump located behind the passenger seat behind the carpeting. There aren't any wires there, though. There is also a small factory speaker behind each seat. If you have a subwoofer, it should be between the seats. You get to it by lifting the front of the cover.

The 12" round object is behind the carpeting on passenger side only, i do not see any thing behind the driver seat. could this round object be a speaker? it does have a bmw part #. and it has a harness coming out of it, i think there are 5 wires in the harness and it is not connected to any thing.

You can look up the part number at either http://www.penskeparts.com/ or http://realoem.com/bmw/

thanks for the links, the object in question is the mid range loud speaker. there is a hrness coming out of it but it is not connected to anything, I checked under the carpeting for a connection point but i havent found any. can any one also tell me how to remove the oem head unit?

See http://www.davidparis.org/coupe/hktp.html

Radio removal instructions start right above the picture of the radio. After the screws are loose, if the radio offers any resistance, the screws are not completely out. Just keep spinning those screws out.

I don't want to doubt you but I just don't see how anybody could put a 12 inch sub woofer behind the seat, let alone make it work. Although there are a few woofers available for thin mount applications, it would be a stretch since they are rather expensive and always have to be in an enclosure, otherwise the sound is canceled by the rear wave of the woofer, this is why they (subs) and any speaker that reproduces low sounds are in enclosures or behind a wall or panel.
So, if it is there, it suspect it wont work right.
Do you have any pictures you can share?

Originally Posted by henryk59

The head unit in z3 works, but there is no sound. I found a 12" round object behind the passenger seat, is this the subwoofer? I also found a harnesswith a clip at the end of it but it is not coupled to any thing. can any one shed some light on tis for me?

You are right, this is not a subwoofer, according to penske parts this object is a midrange speaker, I have attached the diagram that I saw at penske:

I removed the head unit, it is the original bmw made by alpine, and it works, the connections to the amp are good, but at this point I am suspecting the amp, I get no sound from any speakers, i changed the balance and fade and that didnt help.
I dont know how else to test the amp. Is there a resonably priced amp that I may upgrade to?
Additional issue: when I use the turn signal and if the headlights are on, the headlights switch to high beam until the turn signal goes back to its post turn position.

All hepl is very much appreciated.

Check amplifier it it has one, I had z3 coupe with a corroded amplifier

HI Henry K59, the drawing you sent is not the one that corresponds to the amplifier version (aka HK) of the BMW Z3 system. Honestly, I have little experience with that system in a BMW, however if that's what you have then there is no auxiliary or external amp, other than whats included in the head unit (stereo).
In that case I would verify that the controls are centered first bass, treble, balance & fader. Then I would check to make sure the speakers are good, then see if the stereo has output by temporarily hooking up a different stand alone speaker. Maybe go back to the head unit and see if there is output at that point etc. Someplace along the line, if you had sound, you are loosing it.
Also, make sure that the radio has all fuses intact, some radios may light up, but have a different power source for producing power etc. Leave no stone un-turned.
You may also want to find a wiring diagram specific to your car, that should be a priority of the simple checks yield nothing.

Originally Posted by henryk59

You are right, this is not a subwoofer, according to penske parts this object is a midrange speaker, I have attached the diagram that I saw at penske:

I removed the head unit, it is the original bmw made by alpine, and it works, the connections to the amp are good, but at this point I am suspecting the amp, I get no sound from any speakers, i changed the balance and fade and that didnt help.
I dont know how else to test the amp. Is there a resonably priced amp that I may upgrade to?
Additional issue: when I use the turn signal and if the headlights are on, the headlights switch to high beam until the turn signal goes back to its post turn position.

All hepl is very much appreciated.

thanks for getting back to me. the diagram i sent is not the correct one, sorry about that. I just bought the car and Im trying to restore it. i do have an oem amp in the trunk with 2 sets of wires attachd to it. I dont know how to test the amp but from what i've read at this time i believe the amp is the culprit. I believe I have the hifi system, with an alpine head unit, I've found an oem amp on line for $35 and it looks like the one I have, except this one is black and mine is aluminum, it may be the hk version. Are the amps for the 96 z3 interchangable. In other words if ihave an alpine amp with no subwoofer, can i replace it with an hk amp?

Do you have the subwoofer between the seats? It would be behind and between the seats and roolbar's, but I am not sure if you have that in your year?
My suggestion would be to replace the amp with an original if you can find one. If you have a system that does not have the subwoofer channel then I think the amps would be different.
Worst case would be to install a non standard amp in the trunk, doesn't have to be very big, depends on how low you want your music, I have to say that the HK system for the Z3 is nothing to write home about, so you aren't missing out on much.
For my car I am considering junking the HK amp altogether and perhaps even the head unit in the future, as you can imagine it works now so I am in no hurry.
I have also seen wiring adapters that let you by pass the amp so you can run a high power head unit. Lots of choices, so if the system is down you may have several ways to go. 1st thing though is to make sure you have the system fuses and power checked out. That way you can verify that the amp is good or bad. I attached a wiring diagram color chart, if you cant download it let me know and I will email it to you. PM me if you need to.

Originally Posted by henryk59

thanks for getting back to me. the diagram i sent is not the correct one, sorry about that. I just bought the car and Im trying to restore it. i do have an oem amp in the trunk with 2 sets of wires attachd to it. I dont know how to test the amp but from what i've read at this time i believe the amp is the culprit. I believe I have the hifi system, with an alpine head unit, I've found an oem amp on line for $35 and it looks like the one I have, except this one is black and mine is aluminum, it may be the hk version. Are the amps for the 96 z3 interchangable. In other words if ihave an alpine amp with no subwoofer, can i replace it with an hk amp?

I don't see the attachment so, PM me with an email address and I will email it to you.