Troubleshooting Tips for Common Car Stereo Performance Issues

Do you have sound from your car speakers? Is the sound not as clear as it used to be? Your car stereo may have burnt out speakers or other issues.

Unfortunately, bad speakers are more common than we think, especially in stereos that have been heavily used over the years when playing lots of bass-heavy music. Incorrect speaker installation (usually incompatible components) is another common cause of damage and deterioration.

Thankfully, there are some easy ways to tell if a speaker is burnt out, not to mention diagnosing other problems with your car audio system.

We've compiled some car stereo troubleshooting methods to help you get your audio system's sound back to the crystal clear quality you want.

 

Diagnosing the problem: what to check and listen for

 

If your car stereo doesn't sound as good as it used to, your first step should be to listen to the sound coming from your speakers.

Sit in a parked car and turn on the stereo without starting the engine. You want to avoid any excessive noise, so the engine must be turned off.

Play your familiar songs through the stereo. Ideally, you need something with a fairly wide range of sound to help determine how the speakers respond.

Listen - how does it sound? Try it again using neutral bass and treble settings, then turn up the volume.

 

Be wary of some of the following issues:

 

Distortion at medium volume levels

Distorted hiss or muffled sound is a common symptom of partial speaker burn-in. Listen for this muffled sound when you turn up the speaker volume, and notice if the sound gets worse as you turn up the volume.

Muffled, low and popping sounds are usually caused by a damaged voice coil.

No Vibration

Speakers produce sound through vibration. Therefore, if you don't feel any vibration when you touch the speaker, the speaker cone may not be energized. Power problems can be caused by wiring issues or faulty components in your car audio system.

Lack of range

If you notice that your car stereo lacks high, mid and/or bass frequencies, your speakers may be partially damaged. Lack of range is only entirely possible if you know the songs by heart, so be sure to listen to your favorite songs to check for this problem.

Rattling and popping sounds

If the only sound coming from your subwoofer is a rattling sound, then your speakers may be fried. Another sound to look out for is a popping sound. If you hear a popping sound coming from your speakers, then your tweeters may be damaged.

Car radio not working

If you can't turn on your car stereo fully, or if you have problems with the display and sound turning on and off, there may be a problem with the power supply, wiring, fuses, ground connections, or loose connectors on the back of your car.