stereo mystery issue (1 Viewer)

[Nerdotronic]

Let's see if electronic heads can help identify this weird issue i'm having. this started happening a few days ago, after a long drive over dirt roads (ie. rattled the hell out of the car):

On wet and snow days, even before driving the car, with headlights ON, there is a pretty loud constant (pitch and volume) buzzing in the passenger side speaker. this happens even if the stereo is OFF.

with accessory ON, all 4 speakers are buzzing with the same tone. The buzzing sound does not change with the RPM.

I changed out the head unit with something more modern thinking that would fix it, but after about 5 minutes of working correctly on the road, the stereo reported "incorrect wiring" on the display and shut itself off.

Took out the head unit and the loud buzzing is still happening in the speaker when i turn the headlights ON. It all goes away when it's dry outside.

 

[Nerdotronic]

i should add that the rear woofer and amp have been removed. only door speakers (new and working fine) are installed.

 

[wearsabrowncoat]

I think you have a short somewhere on the wiring loom to that speaker. I would pull all the panels and take a close look at everything from the kick panel to the speaker.

 

[wearsabrowncoat]

Short could be caused by bare wires or water at the connectors so take your time and look for corrosion. If you don't see any corrosion or bare wires turn the stereo on and gently move the loom around to see if the noise gets better or worse.


Btw, The stereo should reset itself if you remove all power for a few minutes.

 

[thedoughboy]

You said your stereo indicated "incorrect wiring" and turned off. That may be your best lead. I'd search what causes your particular stereo to report that error.

 

[sbman]

Is there any amp in the system at all, or is the head unit wired directly to the speakers? If so, how? I mean did you get a metra harness and make an adapter, or cut the toyota harness, or run new wires all the way to the speakers?

 

[Nerdotronic]

Figured it out and fixed. One blown fuse and several mysterious fuse taps removed. One mystery device removed from under the drivers seat. I left the stock amp behind the glove box alone.

It ended up being exactly what wearsabrowncoat said one of the door speakers negative wire was dangling by the sheating it had been severed during off-roading. The fuse box taps may or may not have been exacerbated the situation I guess the PO had run separate power wires etc.

Now for the mystery device I removed from under the seat... Looks like a cell phone module Gordon Gecko would be proud to own.

 

[Nerdotronic]

Is there any amp in the system at all, or is the head unit wired directly to the speakers? If so, how? I mean did you get a metra harness and make an adapter, or cut the toyota harness, or run new wires all the way to the speakers?

Previous owner had cut the harness and made his own kenwood harness so I just used the harness as is. The harness wires were matched up correctly with the Toyota wires after all it ended up being a bad door speaker wire.

 

[wearsabrowncoat]

Glad you figured it out. Gotta love those POs.

 

[Nerdotronic]

Spoke too soon it seems. There was another rain day and I had another bare speaker wire touching the wet door panel (now fixed) but this time when the stereo along with the dome lights went out, the short didn't blow the 10 amp dome fuse nor the 10 amp fuse right on the stereo head unit. I checked both. Any ideas where I should be checking next!?

 

[Nerdotronic]

just to wrap up, there was no mystery, i had blown another DOME fuse but it was a fine crack so i didn't see it at first. fixed all speaker ground issues, replaced fuse, works great now.

 

[Glide77]

just to wrap up, there was no mystery, i had blown another DOME fuse but it was a fine crack so i didn't see it at first. fixed all speaker ground issues, replaced fuse, works great now.

How's the stereo? Where exactly you fixed speaker wires? Was it in back of the stereo or door panels? Thanks

 

[Nerdotronic]

one of my speaker wires was touching the metal in the passenger door panel.