Bass stopped working on right side speakers months after installing new Pioneer four-ways in back

[Canoeman]

Hi I am new to this forum and no next to nothing about car audio. I have a 1999 Toyota Camry with the factory CD player and radio. One of my rear speakers went out so I replaced both with Pioneer four-way speakers. I thought I had everything wired correctly and it sounded great for about six months. Then I noticed that the bass had dropped out of not only the new rear right speaker but also the original right door speaker. I have not yet tried switching the speakers, but I did switch the wires on the right rear and it did no good. Did I blow something in the stereo? Thanks

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[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

Did I blow something in the stereo? Thanks

If you can get a multimeter, test the resistance on that new 6.5. It should read what the spec sheet claims. More than likely 4ohms. Most oem radios play at 4ohms on the voice, so I do not believe you under loaded it. The fact that they are still getting power means that you still have a full spectrum signal.

 

[Lasherž]

If you can get a multimeter, test the resistance on that new 6.5. It should read what the spec sheet claims. More than likely 4ohms. Most oem radios play at 4ohms on the voice, so I do not believe you under loaded it. The fact that they are still getting power means that you still have a full spectrum signal.

4 ohms is the impedance under load, so the non-load resistance as read by a multimeter will be between 2/3 and 3/4 of the rated impedance. The actual reading is entirely dependent on the temperature. For 4 ohms it should read between 2.66 and 3 in other words.

 

[Lasherž]

Hi I am new to this forum and no next to nothing about car audio. I have a 1999 Toyota Camry with the factory CD player and radio. One of my rear speakers went out so I replaced both with Pioneer four-way speakers. I thought I had everything wired correctly and it sounded great for about six months. Then I noticed that the bass had dropped out of not only the new rear right speaker but also the original right door speaker. I have not yet tried switching the speakers, but I did switch the wires on the right rear and it did no good. Did I blow something in the stereo? Thanks

An easy and lazy way to test speakers is to touch a 9v battery between the terminals, AA and AAA work too (or a diode test mode on a multimeter). There should be cone movement (don't hold the battery on there, you're just looking for movement with some quick taps). If not use a multimeter to measure the resistance between the leads as 1aespinoza mentioned. A faulty speaker can either be OL, super high, or far lower than rated, like under half. If it reads good then you should check your wiring. Car speakers endure a lot of elements, so it's pretty common for the terminals to corrode to the point they don't play. If you used an adapter that should be reconnected too.

 

[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

4 ohms is the impedance under load, so the non-load resistance as read by a multimeter will be between 2/3 and 3/4 of the rated impedance. The actual reading is entirely dependent on the temperature. For 4 ohms it should read between 2.66 and 3 in other words.

I always wondered why even new subs would not read their listed resistance. 4ohns would always be berween 3.3 and 3.8. 3ohns between 1.8 and 2.9. I attributed it to meter battery being low but when I touch leads to each other it is zero.
But on that note, I notice mids and highs are usually only .1 to .2 ohm off target. (Cue in School House Rock intro track) Now I know.