Car stereo troubleshooting tips for common performance issues
Make your car speakersthe sound of? Is the sound no longer as clear as it once was? You may have a broken speaker or another problem with your car stereo.
Unfortunately, blown speakers are more common than we would like, especially on stereos that have seen a lot of use over the years with a lot of bass-heavy music. Improperly installed speakers, usually with incompatible components, are another common cause of damage and degradation.
Fortunately, there are easy ways to determine if you have a broken speaker, not to mention diagnosing other problems with your car stereo.
We've put together some car stereo troubleshooting tips to help you get your sound back to normalcrystal clear quality you expect from your sound system.
Diagnosing the problem: what to look for and what to watch out for
If your car stereo doesn't sound as good as it used to, the first thing you should do is listen to what's coming out of the speakers.
Get into your parked car and turn on your stereo without starting the engine. You want to avoid excessive noise, so turning off the engine is a must.
Play a song you know through your stereo. Ideally, you want something with a fairly wide soundstage to help determine how your speakers respond.
Listen to it - what does it sound like? Listen to it again with a neutral bass and treble setting and turn up the volume.
Keep your ears (and eyes) open for some of these issues:
Distortion at medium volumes
A hissing or blurry sound or distortion is a common sign of partially blown speakers. Listen for this faint sound when you turn up the volume on your speakers and notice if it gets worse as you turn up the volume.
Blurry, muffled and crackling sounds are usually caused by a damaged voice coil.
No vibrations
Speakers create sound through vibrations. Therefore, if you do not feel any vibration when you touch the speakers, the speaker cone may not be receiving power. Power problems can be the result of a wiring problem or a defective part in the car stereo.
Lack of reach
If you notice a lack of high, mid, and/or bass frequencies in your car stereo's sound, your speakers are likely partially blown. Listening for lack of range is only completely possible if you know the song by heart, so be sure to listen to your favorite songs to check for this problem.
Rattling and popping noises
If the only sound coming from your woofers is a rattling noise, your speakers are probably blown. Another sound to look out for is popping. If you hear popping noises from your speakers, your tweeters are likely damaged.
The car radio does not work
If you are having trouble fully turning on your car stereo, or having trouble turning the screen and audio on and off, there is likely a power supply, wiring, fuse, ground, or loose plug at the back of the main unit .
Test connections
To test the connection to the speakers, remove the speaker wires from the amplifier and connect the wires to a 9 volt battery. Remove the speaker cover so that you can look at the speaker during testing and see if the cone is working properly. If the cone works, there is a problem with the connection and not with the speaker.
Infinite impedance
A simple way to test the performance of a speaker is to test its electrical response. You can use a multimeter tester to determine if the cone or voice coil is damaged.
Set the meter to ohms, make sure the speaker is turned off, and touch the multimeter lead to the speaker terminals. A multimeter reading of 1.0 ohms means the speaker is not blown, but a reading of infinite ohms means it is blown. A fully blown speaker has infinite impedance.
Testing of car radio components
Since the amplifier is the power source for your speakers, you should also test this part when troubleshooting a damaged car stereo. A damaged amplifier with a defective fuse or capacitor will distort the sound of your speakers.
To test the amplifier, take your multimeter reader and open the amplifier's fuse box. Touch one pole of the fuse with the red wire of the multimeter. Touch the black wire to another post. If you hear a beep after this, the fuse is probably good and there is probably a problem with the capacitor. If you do not hear a beep, the fuse has blown and needs to be replaced.
Repair of damage
Inspect your speaker for visual signs of damage by removing the cover and looking for cracks, cracks, cracks and holes. Most damage is usually noticeable on the speaker cone. You can also gently run your hands over the speaker to feel for scratches and remove dust and dirt.
Repair of minor damage
Small holes and cracks in your speakers can be repaired with a speaker sealant. But remember that while this will improve the sound quality of the speaker, it will not restore the sound to its original quality.
To make your partially or severely blown speakers sound like new again, you can replace them or have them professionally repaired.
When should you take your car radio to the store?
It's easy. If your speakers are damaged, take your stereo to a car stereo specialist to restore them to their former glory. Car stereo experts can repair and even amplify damaged speakers to extend their lifespan.
Unfortunately, speakers and car audio systems experience wear and tear over time. But if you know what to look for (and listen to), you can figure out the best way to repair your stereo so it sounds like new again.
