static through speaker

[shojitsu]

i have a 1998 boxster with original stereo and speakers. i have recently been getting a static 'noise' coming from my left speaker only and after a while the music cuts well out (not completely but 'dims' volume on this speaker) and you mostly hear the static. if i turn off the stereo and rev the engine, it almost always disappears for a while until it picks up again.

i would assume it is something to do with the shielding or grounding of the left speaker/wires, as it does not affect the right speakers.

if anyone knows how to resolve this, i would really appreciate it.

[Chris_in_NH]

sounds like something's not grounded correctly. have you done any work to the stereo, speakers or anything electrical with the car?

which radio model do you have (CDR-210/220, etc.) does this happen when listening to the radio (AM and FM?) or when you are using the CD player, or both?

if it's just the left speaker i would start there. i would check the connections on the affected speaker(s). do you have door speakers, and if so, do you get static from that door speaker as well as the dash speaker? when you check the wires, wiggle them a little to see if you can produce (or eliminate) the static. see if there is any exposed wire on the connections and if they are near or touching metal.

i would also check the wires on the back of the stereo that connect to the speakers, and the wires that supply power and ground (it is a larger connector than the speaker connector, located in the bottom-most slot on the back of the radio, the ground wire is brown).

if you have an amp, i would check those wires as well. it could also be the stereo, or it could just be the speaker. you could test to see if it's the stereo by swapping a friend's stereo for yours to see if his stereo produces the same static. you could also swap the left and right speakers to see if you get static on the 'right' speaker, or if it follows the 'left' speaker.

if it's not the stereo, and it's not the speaker, then it has to be a wiring problem.

let me know how you make out.

Edited November 2, 2006 by Chris_in_NH

[shojitsu]

Chris,

Thanks your thorough suggestions. sorry about late reply - my computer fritzed on me and i had to replace hard drive and load everything up...

It happens on any music source (radio/am/fm/cd) and i will check if it affects door speaker, but as they're subs, i mostly notice it on the deck speaker as its a high end whine.

I suspect its wires not grounded propertly and i had a go checking the speaker wire and wires coming out of the deck. (i'll let you know the deck model). The problem with this is that it's not always whining so It's hard to get a workable time when the whine is there to check and jiggle specific wires. (when it happens i would have to pull over and have a look). I will at least swap the speakers which would narrow whether this is a matter affecting speaker connections.

If its the grounding, do you know a way to safely ground the speaker or deck seperately and additionally (from what may be there already)?

Meantime, would you know how i can find out the wire layout between the amp and left speakers? (and how to get access to them?)

regards.

[nonsense]

One other thing it could be is if you have a cell phone turned on and stored next to the speaker - the radiation from the phone signal can sometime interfere with the speaker and/or head unit

[atmorris]

i have a 1998 boxster with original stereo and speakers. i have recently been getting a static 'noise' coming from my left speaker only and after a while the music cuts well out (not completely but 'dims' volume on this speaker) and you mostly hear the static. if i turn off the stereo and rev the engine, it almost always disappears for a while until it picks up again.

i would assume it is something to do with the shielding or grounding of the left speaker/wires, as it does not affect the right speakers.

if anyone knows how to resolve this, i would really appreciate it.

This sounds like a bad lead, connector, or connection somewhere in that channel's wiring. I would check and clean all of the ends, connectors, joints on that channel and the back of the head unit. I would also check and clean all the groundings and the door connector. If that doesn't solve the problem go looking for a pinch, partial break, or a a rub spot in the wiring. It sounds like an intermittant short or partial disconnect in that channel's wiring.

It is also possible that there is a problem with the left channel in the amplifier circutry. You may need to have the head unit/amp looked at.