Soundbar speakers intermittently cut out

dschwes

TJ Enthusiast
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SE Michigan
I’m having a issue trying to figure out the radio issues I have in my 04. Not really radio, but speaker issues. The speakers in the soundbar intermittently cut out. There is no direct correlation between bumpy roads, rough terrain or anything, it’s completely random. They will work fine for a few minutes and then all of the sudden, one will go out, maybe both. They’ll come and go as they choose. I also hear some static in them but it’s not all that bad I just thought I’d mention it in case their related issues.
The radio is aftermarket as are the speakers. I’ve only owned this for about 7 months now and the issue has always been this way. PO did the radio and speaker swap. Not sure when but I’d guess some time over the last couple years.
But wait, there’s more! The factory sub doesn’t work at all. Maybe it’s just garbage and needs to be replaced but figured I’d mention it.
Has anyone had this issue at all and if so; what was your solution?

Appreciate any and all feedback!!


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Mine did this with the stock seekers on my first TJ. I didn't even bother trying to diagnose it, I just ripped them out and replaced them. The new ones never did it at all, so I just chalked it up to the factory speakers (which are shitty anyways) having gone bad, which is by no means unheard of at the age these vehicles are.
 
Mine did this with the stock seekers on my first TJ. I didn't even bother trying to diagnose it, I just ripped them out and replaced them. The new ones never did it at all, so I just chalked it up to the factory speakers (which are shitty anyways) having gone bad, which is by no means unheard of at the age these vehicles are.

The radio and soundbar speakers have been replaced. The dash speakers are stock. I was planning on buying all 4 plus the sub but now that I see that the soundbar speakers are new(er) I figure I might be able to save a few bucks. But maybe they too are garbage??


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I’m having a issue trying to figure out the radio issues I have in my 04. Not really radio, but speaker issues. The speakers in the soundbar intermittently cut out. There is no direct correlation between bumpy roads, rough terrain or anything, it’s completely random. They will work fine for a few minutes and then all of the sudden, one will go out, maybe both. They’ll come and go as they choose. I also hear some static in them but it’s not all that bad I just thought I’d mention it in case their related issues.
The radio is aftermarket as are the speakers. I’ve only owned this for about 7 months now and the issue has always been this way. PO did the radio and speaker swap. Not sure when but I’d guess some time over the last couple years.
But wait, there’s more! The factory sub doesn’t work at all. Maybe it’s just garbage and needs to be replaced but figured I’d mention it.
Has anyone had this issue at all and if so; what was your solution?

Appreciate any and all feedback!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Not that it matters probably but I fat-fingered my year. It’s actually an 05. Couldn’t edit my original post.


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The radio and soundbar speakers have been replaced. The dash speakers are stock. I was planning on buying all 4 plus the sub but now that I see that the soundbar speakers are new(er) I figure I might be able to save a few bucks. But maybe they too are garbage??


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Ahhh, in that case, have you taken the soundbar speakers out and inspected them as well as the connections going to them? Sometimes it's a loose connection that moves around over bumps and such.

Do you know how "new" the speakers are?
 
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Ahhh, in that case, have you taken the soundbar speakers out and inspected them as well as the connections going to them? Sometimes it's a loose connection that moves around over bumps and such.

Do you know how "new" the speakers are?

I’d say they’re about 2 years old. I didn’t check the wiring per say. All I did check was one speaker by removing it and checking to see if the polarity was reversed which seems to not be possible since they used the aftermarket adapters utilizing the factory clips. I also pulled the radio out to check that there was no loose connections back there.


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Check the wiring for sure. It's very possible the connectors going to the speakers have poor connections and could be loose. That's at least the very first place I'd start looking.
 
Ground issues can be very frustrating to resolve. And on a radio wiring with a bunch of weak connections it can be especially so. Trying to duplicate the problem can be very taxing. I would start at the speaker and check and wiggle every connection all the way back to the head unit. Then again for the other side. Be very careful to check for any crimping or twists that could cause the wire to break but the insulation to appear to be ok. Good luck and keep a frosty beverage near by🍺.
 
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It might still be the radio.
Swap your front speakers wires to the rear and rear to the fronts, see what happens.
It could also just be the plugs/connectors at the back of the radio, especially if the PO used an aftermarket harness adapter.
 
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It might still be the radio.
Swap your front speakers wires to the rear and rear to the fronts, see what happens.
It could also just be the plugs/connectors at the back of the radio, especially if the PO used an aftermarket harness adapter.

I never thought of swapping the front/back wires. Maybe I’ll give that a shot if I can’t physically find anything loose or crimped. The PO did you an adapter harness so maybe I’ll eliminate that too. Thanks!


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Don't remove the adapter harness. That's the right way to do it. Just wiggle and pull on all the connections.

Strangest thing happened, I took out the radio and one of the rear speakers but ran out of time troubleshooting so I hooked it all back up and low and behold...the problem has been solved… Strange, but I’ll take it!! Hopefully it stays “fixed”!! [emoji1787]


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