Stereo BS problems, help!

[mustangGT90210]

So my truck has really started to piss me off lately. I've got a Pioneer head unit, pioneer dash speakers, amp/sub and stock rear speakers. When I'm going down the road, if I crank it over half volume, the speakers cut out leaving just the sub playing. And other times when its playing, if I hit a bump, close a door, turn right, it'll cut out.

Im at my wits end, ive rewired the head unit twice with better connectors thinking that was the issue. The only thing that seems a little off is that when I turn the stereo on, I hear a static sound for half a second from the RR speaker. I've also replaced that speaker with another stock one before. Could that be something causing this? I haven't driven the thing cause it ****** me off so much lately!

 

[Fredridge]

Are your speakers running off the head unit only? Or off the amp?

it sounds like you have a short somewhere.

check the speaker wiring itself

 

[kennythewelder]

It sounds like a short in the speaker wiring.

 

[mustangGT90210]

The speakers are running off the head unit, only the sub runs off the amp. Would it make the most sense to start with the speaker I hear the crackle from whenever I first turn on that head unit?

 

[kennythewelder]

(Yes) A pinched (shorted wire) will make the stereo cut off. It is in the protection mode of the head unit as a safety feature so that you don't blow up the speakers. If there is a short, where the current finds its way to a ground or jumps from one side to the other, it will trigger the system to cut out as you are describing. Also the ohms of the speakers need to match the output of the stereo. 8 ohm speakers to 8 ohm output or 4 ohms to 4 ohms.

 

[mustangGT90210]

Ahhh OK thank you. Looks like I'll tear the back of my truck again and check that speaker. I grabbed a spare 06 Silverado pillar speaker and had to modify the connector (aka redneck it) so I'd bet that's the issue

 

[sewlow]

I'd be suspecting a shorted wire before a pooched speaker.

 

[df2x4]

One other thing worth mentioning, make sure that the terminals on your speakers aren't bunched up against anything. That can also cause a short. I had a very similar problem in an older Nissan Maxima that took me forever to figure out. What it ended up being was a rod attached to the trunk mechanism moving slightly when the trunk was closed to a point where it bridged the two terminals whenever I went over tiny bumps. Turned the rear speakers 1/4 turn in the mounting holes, problem solved. Was a real problem trying to diagnose it because all the wiring tested fine, and whenever I worked on it the trunk was always open so I never saw the problem.

 

[kennythewelder]

Grate point df2x4 , that is just the sort of thing that will eat your lunch trying to figure out. The supply wiring and connectors can not touch anything else, or each other.

 

[someotherguy]

Talk about chasing your tail, I had some 6.5"s in the doors of a '94 Suburban, one day the power windows quit, along with the gauge cluster and of course the transmission started shifting wrong. Took a little bit of clear-headed thinking to figure out that it was one of the screws holding the speakers in that had pierced the harness in the door, shorting out the windows. Why it took out the gauges you ask? Because on 92-94 Suburbans, the window switches are backlit (very dimly, but they are) and the bulbs are on the same circuit as the cluster.

Richard