Intermittent dead speakers on one side?

Kmvreter

Kmvreter

New member
The symptom is intermittent. It started to happen the other day and has only done it 3 times so far. Just going down the road and all the speakers on the passenger side die for a short period of time, ranging from 10 seconds to 1 minute tops. This is a stock single CD headunit in an SR5.

Simple question. Where should I start looking? I'm thinking this could be the head unit or the connector.
 
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Kmvreter said:
The symptom is intermittent. It started to happen the other day and has only done it 3 times so far. Just going down the road and all the speakers on the passenger side die for a short period of time, ranging from 10 seconds to 1 minute tops. This is a stock single CD headunit in an SR5.

Simple question. Where should I start looking? I'm thinking this could be the head unit or the connector.
Click to expand...

Since its all the speakers on the left side I would start at the headunit connector and headunit itself. When it goes out try to balance full to the left side on the headunit control to see if it might be the balance electronics in the headunit. I've had trouble with that before on my past Highlander.
 
Kmvreter said:
The symptom is intermittent. It started to happen the other day and has only done it 3 times so far. Just going down the road and all the speakers on the passenger side die for a short period of time, ranging from 10 seconds to 1 minute tops. This is a stock single CD headunit in an SR5.

Simple question. Where should I start looking? I'm thinking this could be the head unit or the connector.
Click to expand...
:iagree: Except he said passenger side which is the right side on the balance control. It sounds like the power amplifier IC might have an unsoldered pin or a cracked solder joint.
 
Re: Re: Intermittent dead speakers on one side?

drmorbius said:
:iagree: Except he said passenger side which is the right side on the balance control. It sounds like the power amplifier IC might have an unsoldered pin or a cracked solder joint.
Click to expand...


Sometimes I still put my shoes on the wrong feet too :D
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Intermittent dead speakers on one side?

drmorbius said:
owww! :D How's it goin', long time no speak.
Click to expand...

Been very busy with my PHD program but taking a break for the holidays.
 
Re: Re: Intermittent dead speakers on one side?

drmorbius said:
:iagree: Except he said passenger side which is the right side on the balance control. It sounds like the power amplifier IC might have an unsoldered pin or a cracked solder joint.
Click to expand...

Spider5, thanks for the hint. I'll test it with the balance the next time (if) it happens.

I knew the good drm. would chime in. Soldering, ohhh-noooo.... not again!
 
Re: Re: Re: Intermittent dead speakers on one side?

Kmvreter said:
Spider5, thanks for the hint. I'll test it with the balance the next time (if) it happens.

I knew the good drm. would chime in. Soldering, ohhh-noooo.... not again!
Click to expand...
Hah ha! I know what you're thinkin'! Does this happen when you have the music cranked or does the volume level seem to matter at all. I'm thinking that the problem is heat related and the only thing that gets hot in this radio is/are the output amp IC's. They really aren't too bad to disassemble, but it also might be less stressful to just pick up another on Ebay. If you want to try and track it down I have several here that I bought and can open up for reference. I'll go along with whatever program as before.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Intermittent dead speakers on one side?

Spider5 said:
Been very busy with my PHD program but taking a break for the holidays.
Click to expand...
Good to see you back! I have always wondered where you got that neat avatar, It even shows which pistons are firing. I'd love to have one for the V6
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Intermittent dead speakers on one side?

drmorbius said:
Hah ha! I know what you're thinkin'! Does this happen when you have the music cranked or does the volume level seem to matter at all. I'm thinking that the problem is heat related and the only thing that gets hot in this radio is/are the output amp IC's. They really aren't too bad to disassemble, but it also might be less stressful to just pick up another on Ebay. If you want to try and track it down I have several here that I bought and can open up for reference. I'll go along with whatever program as before.
Click to expand...

Music and cranked aren't 2 words I put together in my vocabulary. This is at "normal", for me, background volumes with either the radio or a good old rock CD. Every time it has happened it was after work on the commute home but it didn't happen today. Problem with the heat theory is that it's been sitting all day in colder weather than before.
I need to diagnose it more. Would it help to turn it up and create more heat to test it? This is a base stock unit and I'm not into $$$ upgrades for tunes so I'm willing to try a fix. If not, I'll just have to do a minor $ upgrade, maybe to a Scion.
 
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Intermittent dead speakers on one side?

Kmvreter said:
Music and cranked aren't 2 words I put together in my vocabulary. This is at "normal", for me, background volumes with either the radio or a good old rock CD. Every time it has happened it was after work on the commute home but it didn't happen today. Problem with the heat theory is that it's been sitting all day in colder weather than before.
I need to diagnose it more. Would it help to turn it up and create more heat to test it? This is a base stock unit and I'm not into $$$ upgrades for tunes so I'm willing to try a fix. If not, I'll just have to do a minor $ upgrade, maybe to a Scion.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a connection to me. When you hit something on the road just right it bumps the part that breaks the connection. Now you have the difficulty of finding the connection that's loose.:bash:
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Intermittent dead speakers on one side?

Spider5 said:
Sounds like a connection to me. When you hit something on the road just right it bumps the part that breaks the connection. Now you have the difficulty of finding the connection that's loose.:bash:
Click to expand...
I think it's in the head unit though because the front and rear speakers are in separate plugs. I think the heat theory is out the window too from what he says, so maybe it's in the front panel plug. Maybe just needs a shot of contact clean.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Intermittent dead speakers on one side?

drmorbius said:
I think it's in the head unit though because the front and rear speakers are in separate plugs. I think the heat theory is out the window too from what he says, so maybe it's in the front panel plug. Maybe just needs a shot of contact clean.
Click to expand...

When I stated connection I was think something inside the headunit but wasn't clear in my writing. Maybe the plug pins where they are connected to the circuit board, or a ribbon connection that has come loose.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Intermittent dead speakers on one side?

Spider5 said:
When I stated connection I was think something inside the headunit but wasn't clear in my writing. Maybe the plug pins where they are connected to the circuit board, or a ribbon connection that has come loose.
Click to expand...
I understood what you meant, I was just thinking out loud.....:confused:
 
Back to the thread...

This happened 3 times in 2 days late last week but hasn't happened since. I'll check it with the balance if it happens again but I hope it doesn't. I hate intermittent issues, esecially electronic ones, but they also don't fix themselves.
 
Any resolution to your issue, I have the same issue as well. I've replaced the speakers, the JBL amp, and I'm about to take apart the dash to sort out any loose connections. So far I've gotten bubkis.
 
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