Thanks for posting this! I have a 2015 MKX with the THX stereo in it. Intermittently sound would only come out of the center channel. Pulled the amp out, replaced the thermal pads with 1mm thick pads and no more issues!
Dude, you just saved me a fortune! Excellent fix! Holy crap. Just for some background, I had only one speaker working (left rear - LR) in my 2015 MKS. When this problem started, I'd get sound out of all speakers, then just the LR, then sometimes all speakers, then eventually only the LR speaker. I took the car to my local a-shole dealer and they said it was the FCIM controller. When they finally got the part, the service guy told me the FCIM may not fix the stereo. I was, like, "You want me to pay you $1,100 to put in a new FCIM and it may not solve the problem?" He said it could be another controller down stream of the FCIM. That would be another $1,000. I said, f-ck that, I'll live with 1 speaker. Eventually - a year later - my heat and AC went haywire and I knew I needed a FCIM because the same thing happened a couple of years ago and a new FCIM fixed it. (So the new FCIM lasted about 3 years. That pisses me off, but what can I do. The warranty expired after 90 days or a year or something.) So I took it to a different dealer (I'm not giving any more business to that a-shole local guy.) They replaced the FCIM for $1,300 and all of the heater and AC issues were fixed. I asked them about the stereo since the first dealer said that was also the FCIM. The guy tells me the FCIM won't effect that and that the stereo problem is the DSP (digital sound processor/amplifier). So the first dealer was going to replace 2 controllers, charge me over $2,000 and those controllers had nothing to do with the stereo so it would not have fixed anything! But I digress. So I bought a Lincoln OEM DSP online at Walmart of all places for $359. When it arrived, I went to install it and searched for a video and found this one. I figured, what the heck, I'll try it. I got a 9" x 12" self-stick foam sheet at Michael's (craft store) for 99 cents, replaced the foam in the amp as illustrated in the video, hooked the amp up and BOOM! Stereo fixed! I'm a little worried about the thermal aspect of the foam; the stuff I used was craft foam. I may redo it with thermal foam, but for now I'll just see if I smell anything back there. That's probably pretty stupid since if it starts burning, I could ruin the amp and/or die in a car fire. We'll see. Someone else commenting suggests opening it back up after the foam has had time to compress and adding another layer. If a speaker goes out, I'll do that. But, man, this is just a simple, easy, DIY fix. Anyone can do it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I have been servicing and repairing Ford and Lincoln Vehicles exclusively for 20 years primarily audio systems and sync. Only replaced a handfull if thes since the 90s
Did the amp stop working and only a few speakers worked without the amp. My is doing this, is it the same as your. Works in the morning and after turning off the suv, amp doesn’t work for about 12 hours. Let me know if it’s the same yours was doing. Thanks
Thanks for posting this! I have a 2015 MKX with the THX stereo in it. Intermittently sound would only come out of the center channel. Pulled the amp out, replaced the thermal pads with 1mm thick pads and no more issues!
Dude, you just saved me a fortune! Excellent fix! Holy crap.
Just for some background, I had only one speaker working (left rear - LR) in my 2015 MKS. When this problem started, I'd get sound out of all speakers, then just the LR, then sometimes all speakers, then eventually only the LR speaker.
I took the car to my local a-shole dealer and they said it was the FCIM controller. When they finally got the part, the service guy told me the FCIM may not fix the stereo. I was, like, "You want me to pay you $1,100 to put in a new FCIM and it may not solve the problem?" He said it could be another controller down stream of the FCIM. That would be another $1,000. I said, f-ck that, I'll live with 1 speaker.
Eventually - a year later - my heat and AC went haywire and I knew I needed a FCIM because the same thing happened a couple of years ago and a new FCIM fixed it. (So the new FCIM lasted about 3 years. That pisses me off, but what can I do. The warranty expired after 90 days or a year or something.)
So I took it to a different dealer (I'm not giving any more business to that a-shole local guy.) They replaced the FCIM for $1,300 and all of the heater and AC issues were fixed. I asked them about the stereo since the first dealer said that was also the FCIM. The guy tells me the FCIM won't effect that and that the stereo problem is the DSP (digital sound processor/amplifier).
So the first dealer was going to replace 2 controllers, charge me over $2,000 and those controllers had nothing to do with the stereo so it would not have fixed anything! But I digress.
So I bought a Lincoln OEM DSP online at Walmart of all places for $359. When it arrived, I went to install it and searched for a video and found this one. I figured, what the heck, I'll try it. I got a 9" x 12" self-stick foam sheet at Michael's (craft store) for 99 cents, replaced the foam in the amp as illustrated in the video, hooked the amp up and BOOM! Stereo fixed!
I'm a little worried about the thermal aspect of the foam; the stuff I used was craft foam. I may redo it with thermal foam, but for now I'll just see if I smell anything back there. That's probably pretty stupid since if it starts burning, I could ruin the amp and/or die in a car fire. We'll see. Someone else commenting suggests opening it back up after the foam has had time to compress and adding another layer. If a speaker goes out, I'll do that.
But, man, this is just a simple, easy, DIY fix. Anyone can do it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I have been servicing and repairing Ford and Lincoln Vehicles exclusively for 20 years primarily audio systems and sync. Only replaced a handfull if thes since the 90s
Love the vid!!!!!!!
I love this video. You keep really Real 😂
Thank you. I worked..
Will this work for a thx in a Lincoln MKX 2012?
Did the amp stop working and only a few speakers worked without the amp. My is doing this, is it the same as your. Works in the morning and after turning off the suv, amp doesn’t work for about 12 hours. Let me know if it’s the same yours was doing. Thanks
Love the commentary, lol I was luaghin
If you do decide to go with the cheap Walmart pad route.Just remember you will have to go back the next day to double up the pad after it compacts.
I did it & still same issue