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speakers that come and go

18K views 32 replies 19 participants last post by  tzfqdrb 
#1 · (Edited)
My speakers on my 05 envoy XL have been acting up for awhile. First there was no sound on the passenger side. For the last couple of months the speakers have been coming on and going off intermittently. Last mo we took my envoy to a dealership to have it diagnosed since I was thinking maybe it was just loose wires somewhere. The diagnosis said that the radio was bad. I'm planning on selling in the spring and maybe getting an equinox so we decided not to pay out the $350 plus installation and instead bought a cheap JVC stereo and had it installed. Still having same problems! Not sure about the diagnosis.:mad: My problem certainly wasn't solved. Help!!!!!!!!!:
 
#5 ·
hidden amp?

my troubleshooting was far from ideal but here is what i did -

first I bought another equivent GM radio, mine is not the Bose system.

I installed it and ofcourse it came up locked, tried to get it unlocked but it has the RDS system and from what I found there is no shortcut to unlocking it - you must go to the dealer - would welcome any insight on that as well!


next i purchased the housing and harness adapter kit from WALMART and installed Pioneer radio and when I did I had the same symptoms as the original oem, speakers come and go, sometimes stay off for days at a time but all of a sudden come back on

since I have a connected fuse in the fuse box for an AMP i assummed there is one somewhere behind a panel etc, but want to seek info before i started pulling things apart.

Really appreciate all the help!! otherwise it has been an awesom vehicle!

tom
 
#7 ·
Then take it back to THAT shop and have them fix your speaker wiring. :hissy:

...mine is not the Bose system....
Then the presence of a fuse doesn't imply the presence of an external amp. You just have to troubleshoot the speaker problem as if it's in the wiring or the speakers. When they die is it all of them at the same time? If you don't have a meter and experience using it for troubleshooting, then you also need to find a shop.
 
#8 ·
Unfortunately I can't take it back to that dealership, because, I had it checked when we were in Indiana visiting family. We were tired of come and go speakers on our roadtrip and were hoping to have it fixed before the return trip. I didn't have the radio installed at the gm dealership because it was going to run $500 plus. Planning on getting new truck in the Spring so we bought a JVC radio and had it installed.
 
#9 ·
...we bought a JVC radio and had it installed.
In Indiana or home? THAT'S the shop you should use if you can't troubleshoot it yourself. Not the dealer. They're goofs.

The dealer owes you back the diagnosis money anyway because they were full of fail.

Not sure how we can help you here except advise that SOMEBODY who has a meter and knows what they're doing has to introduce the meter to the speaker wiring and see if continuity is good. During an episode of no speaker output.
 
#10 ·
Speakers come & go!!

Hello to all:

I am having the same exact issue with my 2004 Envoy XL. I think I should just take it to a good stereo shop and getting fixed. I really hope it's not the radio and just the wiring. I'm surprised to hear that someone else has the same exact issue. Please give me any other suggestions. Thanks!!!

ejvelasco
 
#11 ·
radio

I still have not fixed mine, my wife typically drives the envoy and puts up with it.


i did talk to another person with a 2004 gmc pick-up and he too had the same problem and it ended up being the speakers themselves that went bad.
(I thought a bad speaker would just sound garbelled not go off - but he confirmed his went off)

I plan to open a door panel and try a speaker swap

will let you know how it goes - good luck - tom
 
#13 ·
Speakers that come and go

I really think this is either a wiring problem or maybe the amplifier which I discovered is under the passenger side middle seat when that seat is folded down in my XL. It definitely wasn't the radio in my case. I know since I replaced it since the GM diagnosis said it was the problem. At times all of my speakers are working. My speakers seem to work better when it isn't raining. Weird, huh?
 
#14 ·
...maybe the amplifier which I discovered is under the passenger side middle seat when that seat is folded down in my XL. ...
That's the OnStar communications module (GPS and Verizon cellular technology), not the amp. The amp is in the farthest rear driver's side quarter panel, if you have an XL with Bose (passenger side for SWB). Otherwise it's in the radio head unit.
 
#15 ·
Same Problem in 06 Trailblazer

I have been having this exact same problem for a couple of months in my 06 Trailblazer. I searched with Google last night and couldn't find any positive results. I figured since the speakers worked OK at times then they must not be the problem; so I purchased an aftermarket radio today and installed it. I was disappointed to find the problem still exists. So more Google searching finally lead me here. The aftermarket radio allows me to stream music from my Blackberry and also make handsfree calls through it; so I plan on leaving it in. Now I have to keep working to figure out why the speakers keep coming and going. Mine don't actually "go" completely up front, I still have high frequency sounds. Hopefully I can find some quality, affordable aftermarket speakers to try out this weekend. I just find it hard to believe that the speakers would be "blown" on a vehicle of this age. I rarely turn the volume up even half way. They don't really act like "blown" speakers either; it seems more like a short somewhere. Anyway, enough rambling. If any of you find a solution please post it and I will do the same.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Speakers not working on the left side

I am having the same problem. The complete left side would cut in and out over time. Now they are out for aq few months. If you push the balance all the way to the left you can hear sound but very faintly. Seems to me like a bad connection somewhere, maybe a cold solder joint..... is it possible to have a bad ground on that side of the vehicle
 
#18 ·
I've had this problem before also. I've read alot on here about it too, has something to do with water leaking into the door or something. after 3 of my 4 speakers were shot I just replaced them all and havent had any problems since.
 
#21 ·
Hmmmm?

So this comment might explain it. My mechanic told me that my sunroof has drains and the seals must be broken so it's causing the water to leak through the corner of the headliner down the sides onto the floor of the drivers side passenger seat and on the floor front drivers side. Especially, when it rains like a mist it's worse. When it's a heavy rain, it's not as bad. I replaced the factory system via BestBuy install and a touch screen Pioneer system. Its a great system ($750.00) after all said and done. But my stock speakers on the left side front and rear haven't worked since I had a Coil Pack replaced 2weeks ago. Off for 2 days, then on for 3 days, then off for now a week, then came on yesterday. Now off again this morning. SO i guess I should silicone closed permanently my sunroof now... Then go get some new speakers. I've never had a car "EVER" have as many problems as this car has had. I really think Chevy needs to be sued over this vehicle lack of quality. I've put over $7K in this car in 2yrs. 3 Friends have TB's and all of them have major issues too. Another friends left speakers went out last week with his stock stereo. Can't afford another car right, I just paid this one off on Tuesday. It's an 02 LT EXT but I got it used from a Chevy Dealer with only 60K miles on it and it was in near perfect condition other than the rear A/C and Heat never worked.:x
 
#20 ·
Fixed the Problem

Even though this thread is a couple of years old, I'm going to post that I indeed fixed my problem by replacing the speakers in the front doors. As was posted by another user, there was no sign of water inside the doors anywhere. Apparently they just go bad via some strange short that causes them to come and go. I never replaced the rear speakers, and to this day two and a half years later they still come and go. I can barely notice the difference since I'm always in the driver's seat, but I switch it to rear only every now and then just out of curiosity. I have never had another moment's issue with the front speakers since replacing them.

If anyone else comes to this thread after searching for speaker problems in their Trailblazer or Envoy; go ahead and replace the speakers. It is a very easy job and will fix your "come and go" sound problem. :)
 
#22 ·
No Water in Mine

I've seen several people mention the possibility of water damage. I'm sure that was not the problem in my vehicle, as I could see absolutely no signs of water inside either of my doors when I replaced the speakers. Additionally, I do not have a sunroof so there is no chance of leakage there as mentioned by a previous post. I cannot say others have no water damage, but there was none in my case. My problem was faulty speakers plain and simple.
 
#24 ·
Speaker problem and more..

I have a 2004 TrailBlazer LT. My rear speakers don't work most of the time but they will come on occasionally. I have also had my low beam head lights shut off while diving. Luckily they came back on within a couple minutes. And now my brake lights won't work even though the bulbs are good. The top brake light works but not the lower 2. Given all the problems I see on this forum I'm thinking that the are a bunch of faulty wiring harnesses all throughout our vehicles. Thoughts?
 
#25 ·
I have a 2004 TrailBlazer LT. My rear speakers don't work most of the time but they will come on occasionally. I have also had my low beam head lights shut off while diving. Luckily they came back on within a couple minutes. And now my brake lights won't work even though the bulbs are good. The top brake light works but not the lower 2. Given all the problems I see on this forum I'm thinking that the are a bunch of faulty wiring harnesses all throughout our vehicles. Thoughts?
My guess your speakers are dieing,your relay for low beams is going and maybe a fuse and/or brakelight switch is bad or relay.
 
#26 ·
I had an 05 Silverado that kept losing the drivers door (Bose) speaker, went to the dealer and they replaced it under warranty 2 times. The 3rd time it stopped working I took the door panel off and noticed the connector was very loose so I soldered the wires on and never had the issue again.
 
#28 · (Edited)
Had the same problem in my '07 TB. Changed out the speakers and it solved the problem. Got a really good deal on some 6 1/2 name brand speakers new on ebay. They are shallow mounts (they all fit perfectly) only about 30 bucks a pair and they sound great. The passenger rear door still seems to supply mostly bass, as it did before, but I am going to replace the HU and that should change that I assume. I'll post back here when I do that. No sunroof, no water damage.
 
#29 ·
Envoy XUV speaker problems

Hi. I'm a newbie signed up today and having some of same speaker problems
:confused:
My Envoy since I bought it used would produce various levels of sound from various speaker locations with some barely audible, tinny or not at all. Now it has settled into the left rear speaker being the only one functional. I have the cowl covering and console cover hanging out and my wife driving it to work today so I'm sure I will have pork & beans for supper tonight.

Many or the posts I have read here with the same problem conclude that the speakers have gone bad. I have the right rear door panel off and I looked at the speaker to see if it showed water damage or other and it looked good but I didn't do a continuity test. After I do so this evening I may try moving the one good speaker around to the other locations and see if it fixes the problem. That would surely be definative.

However, it would really be handy if there was such a thing as a test block you would plug in between your harness and the back of the radio where you could jumper a working speaker to the other door locations. That would save a lot of work and show if it was a radio problem or a speaker problem.

Anybody know of such a gadget?

Thanks
 
#30 ·
Hi. I'm a newbie signed up today and having some of same speaker problems
:confused:
My Envoy since I bought it used would produce various levels of sound from various speaker locations with some barely audible, tinny or not at all. Now it has settled into the left rear speaker being the only one functional. I have the cowl covering and console cover hanging out and my wife driving it to work today so I'm sure I will have pork & beans for supper tonight.

Many or the posts I have read here with the same problem conclude that the speakers have gone bad. I have the right rear door panel off and I looked at the speaker to see if it showed water damage or other and it looked good but I didn't do a continuity test. After I do so this evening I may try moving the one good speaker around to the other locations and see if it fixes the problem. That would surely be definative.

However, it would really be handy if there was such a thing as a test block you would plug in between your harness and the back of the radio where you could jumper a working speaker to the other door locations. That would save a lot of work and show if it was a radio problem or a speaker problem.

Anybody know of such a gadget?

Thanks
You could take any type of radio with a speaker wire output and stick the wires in the plug wire for speaker and do it for all 4 speaker ports in the plug on a reg. radio not sure on a bose cause that has a seprate amp .
 
#31 ·
99% of the time its the speakers. Stock speakers (even premium) are known for sketchy quality. most are paper cones, with foam surrounds. you dont have to have water to destroy them, humidity alone will do it over time. that being said, my 06 TB had the same speaker issue, and I went to wally world and bought 4 of the schoshe 6.5" coaxials. $20 a pair. dropped those in, all issues gone
 
#32 ·
It's not solely a speaker problem. I have replaced the head unit with 2 different Pioneer units and still had the same problem, so I replaced the front and rear door speakers with new aftermarket units and they will work all day while the vehicle is sitting still, but as soon as you start driving it, they come and go. I believe it must be a wiring problem, because we installed an additional amp to power a pair of subs and the subs do the same thing. We used an interface from Crutchfield to install the head unit, so it would be plug and play, and left all the factory wiring in place. Even the factory ends on speaker wires were retained and we used adapters from Metra for those. Any other suggestions would be very appreciated.
 
#33 ·
1/4 sound!

2007 trailblazer - 3 of 4 door speakers not speaking. Checked each door harness with a known good speaker to confirm output. Best price for GM drop in replacements is Rock Auto (still some serious $$$ however). If you break the door handle bezel while removing the panel, replacements are $6 at amazon or rock auto.
 
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