Audio/Electrical Problems

[lrishm4n]

Driver side door panel speaker as well as rear driver side deck speaker are both quieter than the other two on the right side.

My brother has gone to college and has left me his 1993 Ford Taurus to take care of while he is out. When driving it I noticed the audio system (not premium sound) was lacking bass. I then turned upt he bass and the rear left deck speaker began to make static noises. I immediately turned it down. To further investigate this problem I sat int he car, while listening to the radio, and used both the fade and balance controls to adjust the audio properties. The left side speakers, both front and back, where audibly alot quieter than the other two on the right side. I have no idea how to fix this problem. My only guess is the radio unit itself is grounding the line thus producing the quieter sound. If anyone can help I would be extremely grateful.

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

Originally Posted by lrishm4n

My only guess is the radio unit itself is grounding the line

Depending on where the grounding was going on that would either blow a fuse, or blow a IC chip. The easiest way to trace it down is to switch your wires for the rear speakers (put the left side on the right speakers and vice versa). If the problem reverses itself then it's either a amp or radio (preamp) problem. If the same side is quite then it's a speaker issue.

[lrishm4n]

So all I need to do is to switch the wiring in the back? That is fairly easy but what would taht prove? So waht if a different speaker has the same problem? The dealer says that the issue is definately not the speaker, rather it must be grounding somehwere. So wouldn't your fix not prove much?

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

It is used for the identification of the nature of the problem by examination of the symptoms of the problem. If you don't know what the actual problem is, you won't know what to fix. This would be the first logical step of several. It would tell you what direction to go in.

[lrishm4n]

Okay, I switched the wiring. The problem persists. Now it is whatever speaker is wired to the left side is in neer inaudibly quiet. What now?

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

If the problem reversed to the other speaker then it's time to bench the radio/amp to see if you can replicate the problem. If you can then you'll need to repair/replace it. If the system has a separate amp then most likely that's the problem. If you can't find another one at a bone yard then simply get an adapter and buy a aftermarket amp.

[lrishm4n]

That all sounds like giberish to me. Can you refrase (sp?) that to address a person who knows little about radios and sound systems?

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

If you are unfamiliar with the cars electrical system then it would probably be best to just take it to the dealer or a qualified technician and have them work on it for you.

[lrishm4n]

I know my way around electronics well enough. on top of computer use, I am also an avid hacker. Not cracker. I simply modify elecronics to better suit my needs. Such as expanding features within any given electronic and making things for them. When you refer to bench marking my tuner/amp what do you mean? And how would I go about it? If you have neither the comprehension or experience to answer these questions do not waste yours and my time by giving me answers taht even you have no clue what to do with.

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

I have several degress in the field and even owned a high-end stereo installation shop, so it's not my "comprehension or experience" that I'm worried about. Because of statements that you've made I do however feel uncomfortable continuing in this thread. Perhaps someone else will be able to help you further. Best of luck with your repair

[shorod]

Come on, Irishm4n, you mentioned in post #7 that you know little about radio and sound systems, so MyTaurus8AChevy made an appropriate conclusion. I have a degree in electrical engineering and MyTaurus' comments make sense.

Since you've concluded that the speakers are not the problem, bench testing the deck is a logical next step. However, this will require a bit of effort and some tools such as a well-regulated power supply, wiring harness (and you may need to make your own), and a 2-channel oscilloscope. Since you don't do audio repair, you probably don't have ready-access to such tools.

Yeah, you do have an option to swap out the deck, factory amp (if equipped), and speakers, plus re-wire everything to be sure you no longer have the problem, but since you are asking for help on this forum, we make the assumption you are interested in determining the actual cause of the problem rather than shotgunning the system.

-Rod

[lrishm4n]

There is a vast and absolute difference between hacker and cracker. A hacker simply improves on a given device for personal use. My ipod for example can now play counter-strike and is outfitted with a different operating system as well as an external battery pack and control for game use. I have not and will never cause any harm to anyone's belonings in any way shape or form. I am sorry for spooking you. However there is quite a difference between hacker and cracker as mentioned earlier. The crackers are those who are militous. I would greatly appreciate your help on this issue and so would my brother who will be coming down again in a few weeks. How would I go about benchmarking that tuner/amp you mentioned? Tomorrow I plan to take a look at it. Thank you again.

[lrishm4n]

I would appreciate the help. The tools I would be able to come by. I have befreinded the sound system outfit neerest my house and will be able to obtain some tools. Furthermore, any suggested fix would be appreciated, preferable the cheaper of the suggested. Thank you again.

-Greg

[TomV]

Your diagnosis appears to indicate that the left speakers are good based on swapping the rear deck wiring (an excellent suggestion by the way). The speaker wires are usually floating and isolated from each other (not using chassis as a ground) so I doubt that the speaker wiring is an issue since both left speakers are symptomatic.

The common connections between the speakers are inside the head unit so I feel your problem is there.

Go on ebay and there is an auction for a cheap replacement head unit. Buy that and your problem will most likely go away with a minimal amount of work.

I replaced a head unit in my Ford escort several years ago (1994 model) and did not check the speakers out thoroughly. Even though the voice coils were OK I eventually determined that the buzzing sound came not from the radio but the speakers themselves. The paper cone had separated from the suspension material on 3 of the 4 speakers. So speaker replacement was the real solution for that car.

As an aside, I have monitored this site for several years and have found many of the contributors to be very knowledgeable about the details of the Taurus. Like SHORod, I am also an electrical engineer, and I also have a comp sci masters. I have been tinkering and reading about car systems for over 30 years. The theory vrs practice of car maintenance is an interesting study. It is not the same as software troubleshooting. The fact that cars are in extreme physical environments and degrade as a result forces the troubleshooter to learn and understand how the cars degrade. Experience is a good teacher here. Marginal elctrical connections can work in low current systems but wreak havoc in many of the high current systems in a car. Many systems in cars degrade in performance, not necessarily break. This is why troubleshooting can be difficult.

[shorod]

Irishm4n, do the speaker grills have any "brand" markings on them such as JBL? I can get you the wiring diagrams and connector pinout for the deck, but need to know what "grade" of audio system the car has. There is the basic system, premium system, and a JBL system if I recall correctly.

-Rod