Ah - OK - makes sense. I'm not a wizard when it comes to trouble shooting the electrical components of the stereo system so maybe some of the more knowledgeable members will chime in to help on that.

If it were me, I would get the head unit you want (if you were planning on getting one anyway) and hook it up - see if it works. There aren't that many wires to deal with and if you get a "conversion harness", it will almost be plug and play. If it works, you're back in business. If it doesn't work, you're not out anything but a little time. Then, you can dive into deeper trouble shooting. Also, most posts I have read on here (concerning the factory stereo) are problems with the head unit. Rarely is there a problem with the amp, but it's not out of the question.

Sorry I couldn't help you more.

Good luck!!

RL