Right side speakers not working

[Da-bigguy]

I have a 2007 Exploder XLT that the front and rear right speakers are not working. Has anyone encountered this? Is it possibly a harness issue or will I likely need to replace the speakers? I'm going to be opening up the doors once the weather around here starts to cooperate but if anyone has experience with this issue, any tips/guidance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Rcflyer330]

Have you checked that the balance for the speakers in the radio are centered? I am assuming that front and rear right means the front right and rear right speakers. You could also try moving the balance to full right to see if the sound comes back before you go tearing apart things.

 

[D Hook]

Is this on the stock radio?

 

[Da-bigguy]

Have you checked that the balance for the speakers in the radio are centered? I am assuming that front and rear right means the front right and rear right speakers. You could also try moving the balance to full right to see if the sound comes back before you go tearing apart things.

I have checked the balance, that was the first thing I did, full right and then all forward and all rear, nothing out of those speakers at all.

 

[Da-bigguy]

Is this on the stock radio?

It was on the stock radio and is still the same after I installed an aftermarket unit.

 

[Scorpion8]

Always check the simple stuff first. You checked the balance, now check individual sources like radio, BT, CD, etc. See if it's the same on all. Is it intermittent? If you're swapping radios, did you wire the new head unit the same as the old one? Maybe the old one was wired wrong. Did it ever work, or is this a new-to-you vehicle? If you can pull the harness at the head unit, use a 9V battery across the speaker leads (quickly) and listen for fluttering noises at each speaker. If not, something is wired wrong.

 

[Da-bigguy]

Always check the simple stuff first. You checked the balance, now check individual sources like radio, BT, CD, etc. See if it's the same on all. Is it intermittent? If you're swapping radios, did you wire the new head unit the same as the old one? Maybe the old one was wired wrong. Did it ever work, or is this a new-to-you vehicle? If you can pull the harness at the head unit, use a 9V battery across the speaker leads (quickly) and listen for fluttering noises at each speaker. If not, something is wired wrong.

I've owned the vehicle since new. It was probably around 2 years ago I noticed the right speakers weren't working. They were working before that I do remember that for sure. That's a good tip about trying the different sources, I will do that tomorrow and I will check the speakers on Wednesday themselves as I am replacing them all anyways with new ones to handle the higher power the new head unit has. If the speakers are the issue, then that will fix the issue. If not then I will have to trouble shoot the wire harness itself. Hopefully I won't have to pull the head unit out again but if I have to then I will. Maybe it will be a bad wire leading into the doors themselves.

 

[Da-bigguy]

Well, now the front left speaker is not working! I'm thinking the the new head unit with its much greater power blew that speaker. Good thing I've got four new speakers arriving tomorrow which will hopefully fix all of these issues. If not then it will be time to check the speaker wires. I did try the balance and fade using a CD so it isn't just the radio but all audio output.

 

[Scorpion8]

Well, now the front left speaker is not working! I'm thinking the the new head unit with its much greater power blew that speaker.

At what listening levels were you driving that? I've never blown a speaker at "normal" listening levels in 40+ years of car ownership including my favorite 80's metal years, so perhaps you have an electrical issue in there.

 

[Da-bigguy]

At what listening levels were you driving that? I've never blown a speaker at "normal" listening levels in 40+ years of car ownership including my favorite 80's metal years, so perhaps you have an electrical issue in there.

It appears I was mistaken, I am still getting some sound out of the left front after all so it isn't blown after all but it wasn't putting out any sound for a bit yesterday. I have blown speakers in my youth after installing a new system without upgrading speakers designed to handle the new power levels. The new speakers have arrived so will hopefully get a chance to install them this evening now that the remnants of the hurricane appear to have passed by for now.

 

[Da-bigguy]

Four new speakers installed, three out of four working. The right front one is still not working so I'm now thinking about just running new wires from the back of the head unit to the speaker. Has anyone done that, fishing wire through the rubber boot and so on? Any tips on that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[94Eddie]

Did you do a continuity check of the speaker wires?

 

[Da-bigguy]

Did you do a continuity check of the speaker wires?

Not yet, I'll do that when I pull the head unit out of the dash to install a new antenna and can access the head unit end of the wires.

 

[94Eddie]

Not yet, I'll do that when I pull the head unit out of the dash to install a new antenna and can access the head unit end of the wires.

I think this will tell you much about where your problem lies.

 

[Da-bigguy]

I just finished checking the continuity, definitely a bad wire for the right front speaker so I will have to run a new wire for it. Oh well, now to figure out how to get that through the rubber boot between the body and the door.

 

[94Eddie]

I just finished checking the continuity, definitely a bad wire for the right front speaker so I will have to run a new wire for it. Oh well, now to figure out how to get that through the rubber boot between the body and the door.

There are YouTube videos showing how to do damn near everything.

 

[Da-bigguy]

There are YouTube videos showing how to do damn near everything.

It turns out the issue was one of the right front speaker wire leads came off the new speaker at some point during installation so an easy fix and now all is now good!