How to Fix Car Speakers

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Updated July 21, 2022

If you are new to the world of personal audio, you may wonder how to fix car speakers. Some of the best speakers, after all, are located in automobiles. Additionally, these car speakers are susceptible to a number of repair and maintenance issues. So, what are the troubleshooting steps to get those speakers going again? Keep reading to find out.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Car speakers are susceptible to all kinds of repair issues, depending on the design of your vehicle and the speakers themselves.
  • Start troubleshooting by listening to the speakers for a blown speaker crackling or distorted sound. This indicates a faulty voice coil.
  • When it comes to making necessary repairs, hire a pro as modern car speaker wire connections are complicated, and poor repairs lead to bad sounds and poor sound quality.

Car Speaker Repair Tips

Before learning how to fix a speaker, you have to learn what the actual problem is. There are many cars out there and many different car speakers, which you’ll know when you research the best car speakers for bass. In other words, there is no universal solution here, as it depends on the issue at hand.

Insider Tip

You should have your car speakers inspected every year or so by a qualified professional during an annual tuneup.

Here are some helpful troubleshooting steps to fix the problem of a broken car speaker, so you won’t have to look for the loudest Bluetooth speaker for that next road trip.

Test the Speakers

If you have a firm grasp of some basic electrical concepts, test the speakers to see if they are partially or fully blown. You can do this yourself with an electric meter. Set it to record OHMS (impedance) and make sure the speakers are turned off. Place a meter lead on each of the two speaker terminals. If the speaker is blown, the tool will read infinite impedance. If the speaker is fine, it will read 1.0.

Don’t have an electric meter or looking for a simpler way to get to the bottom of things? Use your ears. Blown car speakers will be fuzzy, crackly, or may not produce sound at all.

Check the Bluetooth

Your speaker may not be damaged at all. You could simply have the Bluetooth on and have the speakers send audio streams to a connected device that you are not hearing. Look through all of your recently connected devices and be sure to turn the Bluetooth off at the source, your car’s media panel. This is a good step to try when you aren’t hearing anything at all from your car speakers.

Warning

Playing your speakers at a higher than reasonable level can cause them to blow out.

Hire a Pro

Today’s cars make it truly difficult for the layperson to conduct repairs and replacements. In other words, you’ll have to hire a reputable professional to take a look at the speakers, diagnose the official problem, and install a replacement. In the vast majority of cases, it is cheaper to replace the speakers than to conduct repairs.

STAT: If you can’t feel any vibration or thump coming from a subwoofer when the volume is up, your speaker may be damaged. Place your fingers lightly on the speaker and turn up the bass. (source)

How to Fix Car Speakers FAQs

Why do car speakers blow out?

Car speakers blow out for any number of reasons. Using speakers at a higher than reasonable volume is a leading cause, even when using them for voice navigation and voice directions.

What does a blown speaker sound like?

If a speaker's voice coil is faulty, it results in a blown speaker. The sound of a blown speaker varies depending on its components, including the voice coil, speaker wire connections, the speaker cone, and more.

Can you keep a fire extinguisher in a car?

In some cases, you can keep one in your car, but it could conflict with any insurance savings. Contact your insurance agent or insurance company for more information.
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