1999 Ford Windstar SEL Speakers Going Out

[smata67]

I've been getting a great deal of distortion in both front door mounted speakers. The speakers and radio are factory original. Is this perhchance a known issue, speaker or radio degradation? I haven't had a chance to troubleshoot, just wondering if it is a known problem. THANKS!

[12Ounce]

There is a known problem with the sliding door speakers ... as they are fed directly thru those (dumb) door post contacts. Is this your problem?

I've considered installing speakers in the fixed rear quarter trim panels ... but, so far, just use only the frontmost speakers instead.

[mundy5]

sounds like smata67 has issues with his front ones. bad sign. i haven't read much about issues with the front ones. the easiest way to test bad speakers is to go get some new ones and trade places or have a friend bring over known good ones and try them. if the sound improves immensely when you swap, then you know that your old ones are bad. if the sound doesn't improve, then you know that the problem lies elsewhere.

ask me how i know... my civic did the same thing and it turned out to be a bad alternator not generating enough power to run everything well.

at least i was able to return the speaker set and get my money back.

back to your comment 12ounce, i have always been frustrated with the 4 speaker system to begin with. my oldest sits in the back row and always complains that he cannot hear the music well. terrible design. but apparently this is standard for mini-vans.

good thing mini-vans are going out by the wayside at least by some domestic car makers like Ford...

[smata67]

The rears act up every so often, I'll clean those contacts. I was thinking the fronts would be the fader contact, but fiddling with them doesn't really affect it and the control is hard to get at to spray deoxit, so I'll have to go in. Its probably not the speakers, i can't see how both could be going bad...