96' Taurus speaker cutting in/out

[skyblu1022]

Appears there's a short in my left front speaker but can't locate where it is?? Took the door panel off and checked around...nothing! Tapped around under dash moving wires...nothing!!! It's really frustrating!! Where else do I look? I don't have a scamatic(sp?) showing me where the wires run behind the radio/
Can anyone pleze help this poor distressed, music lovin' gal??

[shorod]

Does your Taurus have the Rear Control Unit (RCU) in the trunk? It would be mounted underneath/behind the trunk liner and will not be readily visible without removing the left side liner. If so, the wires go from the head unit in the dash to the RCU and from the RCU to the speakers. Your problem could be at/in the RCU as well.

I would suspect that you probably have a bad solder joint in the RCU for the hybrid amplifier IC for the left front speaker.

-Rod

[skyblu1022]

Originally Posted by shorod

Does your Taurus have the Rear Control Unit (RCU) in the trunk? It would be mounted underneath/behind the trunk liner and will not be readily visible without removing the left side liner. If so, the wires go from the head unit in the dash to the RCU and from the RCU to the speakers. Your problem could be at/in the RCU as well.

I would suspect that you probably have a bad solder joint in the RCU for the hybrid amplifier IC for the left front speaker.

-Rod

Sorry Rod, no where's near there (my loss!) Although your advice is a foriegn language I do understand some of what you're saying. I'm heading out to look under the liner in trunk to check for all above! Thnax so far! Nice of you to reply!!! I'll be back!

[shorod]

To avoid confusion from others, I had originally asked if she was near my home town. Between me posting and her replying, I checked her profile and noticed she is not from my area, then edited my post to remove my location question.

skyblu1022, one thing you can try to determine how likely it is you have a bad solder joint would be to park the car, turn the balance and fader to the left front. Don't turn it up very loud, instead have someone sit in the car and tell you when the speaker starts or stops working. Go into the trunk and tap on the RCU (once you find it). If the speaker works intermittently corresponding to the taps, then you can be quite sure you have a bad solder joint or possibly a loose connection where the wires go into the RCU. Then try turning up the radio quite loud (but not distorting the speaker) and wait for the RCU to start warming up to the touch. Try the tap test again. If the speaker seems to work quite reliable when the RCU is warm, I can just about guarantee you that a solder joint is your problem. As the traces warm up, the solder joint will expand and make a better connection.

If it comes down to that, you may be able to find an electronics hobbiest that can clean the joint and flow fresh solder on any questionable joints, or take it to a trade school or community college and see if they have an electronics technology lab that may be willing to repair it for you for very minimal fee. Or you can ship it to me and I'll do the same for very little (as long as you pay the actual shipping). Have the tech pay particular attention to grounds on that channel.

If you find a local electronics hobbiest, they may have access to a portable oscilloscope and with a wiring diagram, could check the signals into the RCU and out of the RCU to verify without a doubt that the RCU is the problem.

-Rod