Problem with factory sound system
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Problem with factory sound system
My son is now driving our 1997 Ford Explorer Sport XLT which has the factory installed AM/FM cassette w/6-CD changer magazine in the console. We have had this truck since it was new. Last year he began having trouble with the driver’s side front speaker popping/cutting out. I could not find anything wrong, but we finally went and bought two new Pioneer speakers as replacements and I put them in last summer. It appears it was not the speaker, as he is still having this problem. It is strange because when it is happening, if you adjust the fader to full front and the balance control to full left, there is still clear undistorted sound coming from the speaker, just very faint. One possibility I have not yet investigated is pulling the radio to see how his friend connected his subwoofer system to the wiring. Only reason I haven’t yet done so, is that I would have thought if it were a wiring problem there would either be no sound at all, or it would be distorted or scratchy, not simply quiet and clear. Anyone have similar problems or ideas on what I might look for?
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Could be a bad connection or blown amp channel... My wife's 96 Limited Explorer is having the same problem, but there is no sound coming from the speaker at all...
It only bothers her when I am in the truck and she has to listen to me complain about it... needless to say, she is not an audiophile at all... so it is on the bottom of the priority list since the truck has 196,000 miles on it, but it's turn is coming... in my spare time...
I was going to simply trace the wire back to the radio and check for shorts/cuts and I figured it could be one of three things:
1 - bad speaker (which you've already changed)
2 - bad wire (maybe jsut replace the wire since it doesn't cost much... other than time and knuckle skin)
3 - bad amp or head unit... and that means going to the junkyard
another poster once said he had success contacting stereo installation places who kept equipment that they removed when installing new stuff... they will sometimes sell it cheap, and it hasn't been sitting in the rain... but junkyards are just manly fun...
It only bothers her when I am in the truck and she has to listen to me complain about it... needless to say, she is not an audiophile at all... so it is on the bottom of the priority list since the truck has 196,000 miles on it, but it's turn is coming... in my spare time...
I was going to simply trace the wire back to the radio and check for shorts/cuts and I figured it could be one of three things:
1 - bad speaker (which you've already changed)
2 - bad wire (maybe jsut replace the wire since it doesn't cost much... other than time and knuckle skin)
3 - bad amp or head unit... and that means going to the junkyard
another poster once said he had success contacting stereo installation places who kept equipment that they removed when installing new stuff... they will sometimes sell it cheap, and it hasn't been sitting in the rain... but junkyards are just manly fun...
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Well, long weekend coming up, so guess I'll be diving into it. Had not thought of going to the auto stereo places for ones yanked from cars. I would imagine there ain't much of a market for those, so as you say, value may be minimal to them. That may be an option if there is not a bad wire. My 22 year-old son wants to put in his 4 year old Panasonic CD player he pulled from his last car and wants to interface it with the Ford factory CD changer in the console. He refuses to believe that you can't just plug in any old CD changer to any old CD player. Geez, did I know everything when I was 22? Guess I have forgotten a lot since then. I agree about junkyards. Miss going there. Found/removed many a part for my old 67 Mustang. Nowadays hard to find one that will let you go in and yank your own, not to mention they aren't as much of a bargain as they used to be.
Thanks for your suggestions!
Thanks for your suggestions!
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I used to do all types of crazy stereo stuff in cars... 12 inch subs, amps, overpriced speakers... Now, after a few years and 3 break ins, I am more interested in keeping it stock locking so the hood-rats just pass it by...
The other thing, like you said, is that you can't just plug in any old CD player or head unit... At the least there is a harness you have to buy and even then you usually have to trouble shoot through several little issues... like the system not working...
My personal opinion is either do it all the way (upgrade everything) or just keep it stock... it's not worth the hassles of getting the factory parts to work with the aftermarket parts... and it never looks as clean...
The other thing, like you said, is that you can't just plug in any old CD player or head unit... At the least there is a harness you have to buy and even then you usually have to trouble shoot through several little issues... like the system not working...
My personal opinion is either do it all the way (upgrade everything) or just keep it stock... it's not worth the hassles of getting the factory parts to work with the aftermarket parts... and it never looks as clean...
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