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Need help with stereo problem

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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 12:50 PM
  #1  
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Default Need help with stereo problem

I have a 2001 Camaro SS with the Monsoon 8 speaker system. I bought the car used, so I don't know what might have been done to the stereo from the previous owner(s) if anything. When I first got the car, I noticed that the car had NO BASS at all.

I previously had owned a 1998 z28 that had the same stereo system and It sounded really good, so I knew something wasn't right.

I decided to purchase two new door speakers from the dealer, installed them and it sounded excellent in the front.

I then noticed that the sail panel speakers in the rear were not putting out any bass only treble. I found some good used factory speakers on ebay out of a 2002 SS, I installed them and the rear speakers sounded AMAZING!!!!

A week goes by, everything is perfect and then then passenger side sail panel speaker quits making bass, but the driver side sail panel speaker still is working normally.

Then the next day the passenger side sail panel speaker starts working again and everything is fine for a few days.

Now neither sail panel speaker is making any bass, only treble.

PLEASE HELP!!!!! I don't want to take it in to the dealer if I can fix it.......

Is it a wiring problem??? Is it something with the amp??? Is it the head unit?????

I know all the speakers are working perfectly so I'm not sure where to go from here....


Below are pictures of the back of my head unit......There is one plug that is unplugged from the back of the head unit. It is a black connector with differant color wires going to it.....there is one totally un-sheilded wire that looks funny....looks like someone had messed with the wiring at one time.....I also found another wire that goes to nowhere by the back seat just laying on the carpet.....maybe it went to a sub and/or amp at one time??? Could this be part of the problem???? Sorry to ask so many questions, I just wanted to mention everything to help you guys help me....LOL







you can see below the far right wire that is slighly pulled apart from the other wires going to the connector is the weird looking unsheilded wire.....sorry for the blur....

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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 01:41 PM
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That connector is for the factory CD changer,
the bare wire is supposed to be like that.
Monsoon FAQ

You may have a short in the sail panel speaker but most likely they are toast.
The stock speakers suck,
don`t waste time and money replacing them with new stock speakers.
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 01:53 PM
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thanks, but the only thing is the sail panel speakers sound really good to me when they are working....and they work sometimes great, so that makes me think the speakers aren't toast.....

if they were toast wouldn't they not work at all???

also the sail panel speakers that were in the car when I bought it before I put these ones I got on ebay in, were doing the same thing......it seems to me it's gotta be some wiring issue or something else other than the actual speakers.....

I will look into the possible short as you mentioned.....thanks for your help!
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 01:56 PM
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also, if you say the stock speakers are crap could you mention some replacement sail panel speakers that are better than stock? Preferably that require little re-wiring.....

btw...I thought the door speakers were the ones that really suck and blow alot???? I thought the sail panel speakers usually lasted?
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 06:28 PM
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keeaudio.com

The sail panels subs are the ones that blow all the time. Kee is a site sponsor as well.

Bazooka sub special from Kee Audio
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 09:04 PM
  #6  
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thanks i'll look into that....but i'm still not convinced the speakers are the problem....
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 10:20 PM
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stock monsoon sails often blow or just go out and stop working. mine went out once and replaced them and havent had a prob since but i did away with my monsoon amp and sail panel subs for weight and re-wired everything up to the HU
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Old Feb 3, 2009 | 01:57 PM
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thanks nemss1...

Do you know of any way I can make sure that the sail panel speakers are bad and that the problem isn't just a wiring or amp or headunit issue???

Why would my sail panel speakers work great sometimes if they are toast???


It just doesn't make sense to me.....seemed like a short or wiring issue or maybe the amp is going out?? I dunno...

I was really hoping someone here could help me, but so far everyone here is saying just buy speakers from keeaudio, which is fine....but that would suck to buy them and still have the same problem with the speakers cutting in and out...ya know???? Any suggestions??? Thanks!
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Old Feb 3, 2009 | 05:02 PM
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no prob man, the copper wires behind the speaker cones often burn up and weaken which makes it harder for the sail subs to pick up signal. when mine stopped working and worked sometimes, i pulled the sail speakers and if i would touch and mess with the copper wires, they'd work. those factory copper wires behind the speaker cone are really weak, especially after a while of being stressed and being put to use
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Old Feb 6, 2009 | 04:23 PM
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What were your door speakers doing before you replaced them? Right now mine have really low volume output and you can not hear them over the rear speakers.
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Old Feb 6, 2009 | 07:42 PM
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Originally Posted by SSmafia
What were your door speakers doing before you replaced them? Right now mine have really low volume output and you can not hear them over the rear speakers.
are your fronts aftermarket? if so, most aftermaket speakers are 4ohm rating and the stocks are 2ohm rating. 4ohm speakers will play quiter due to the amp sending 2ohm signals to sails and fronts. amp sends a 4ohm signal to hatch speakers so they play louder than fronts if fronts are replaced with aftermarket 4ohm speakers. u can buy 2ohm aftermarket speakers for the front to solve that problem
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 07:51 AM
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Originally Posted by nemss1
are your fronts aftermarket? if so, most aftermaket speakers are 4ohm rating and the stocks are 2ohm rating. 4ohm speakers will play quiter due to the amp sending 2ohm signals to sails and fronts. amp sends a 4ohm signal to hatch speakers so they play louder than fronts if fronts are replaced with aftermarket 4ohm speakers. u can buy 2ohm aftermarket speakers for the front to solve that problem
Not exactly. Unless he replaced the door speakers with really cheap (Wal-Mart) aftermarket, the difference in impedance wouldn't cause that volume problem. Doubling the impedance from 2-ohm to 4-ohm causes a 3dB drop in power - noticeable but not a big difference. Good aftermarket speakers are 3dB or more efficient than the stock speakers so that makes up for the change in impedance and there should be no loss of volume.

I suspect that he still has the original door speakers and they are on their last legs. Kee Audio offers a complete speaker replacement kit for f-bodies that is reasonably priced and will work well with the Monsoon amp and wiring.
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 10:09 AM
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Originally Posted by WhiteBird00
Not exactly. Unless he replaced the door speakers with really cheap (Wal-Mart) aftermarket, the difference in impedance wouldn't cause that volume problem. Doubling the impedance from 2-ohm to 4-ohm causes a 3dB drop in power - noticeable but not a big difference. Good aftermarket speakers are 3dB or more efficient than the stock speakers so that makes up for the change in impedance and there should be no loss of volume.

I suspect that he still has the original door speakers and they are on their last legs. Kee Audio offers a complete speaker replacement kit for f-bodies that is reasonably priced and will work well with the Monsoon amp and wiring.
i learn something new everyday on here. ill add that to my 'ls1 dictionary'
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 03:52 PM
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Originally Posted by WhiteBird00
Not exactly. Unless he replaced the door speakers with really cheap (Wal-Mart) aftermarket, the difference in impedance wouldn't cause that volume problem. Doubling the impedance from 2-ohm to 4-ohm causes a 3dB drop in power - noticeable but not a big difference. Good aftermarket speakers are 3dB or more efficient than the stock speakers so that makes up for the change in impedance and there should be no loss of volume.

I suspect that he still has the original door speakers and they are on their last legs. Kee Audio offers a complete speaker replacement kit for f-bodies that is reasonably priced and will work well with the Monsoon amp and wiring.
Yes I still have the original speakers. The music is clear coming out of them but just really quiet. I just thought if they were bad that they would be raspy and chattery sounding? I tried swapping radios with another camaro thinking it was a common signal failure some where but it still comes out quiet so I'm going to try my luck with new speakers. thanks guys.
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Old Feb 10, 2009 | 04:36 PM
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