Fixing a truck stereo speaker (1 Viewer)

[Danny Levenson]

Hi,
This is probably a little more than slightly off topic, but I'm not sure where else in the world I can ask this. I have a '97 Dodge RAM pick-up. I've noticed a slight buzz in one of the speakers in the driver's side door. This weekend I took the inner panel off the door to get to the power lock actuator which has quit working. The part is on order, so I've been driving around without the door panel on for a couple of days. The buzz is more pronounced without anything in front of the speaker. I've been able to determine exactly which speaker has the problem. There is a 2.25" driver mounted near the top of the door. If I gently place my finger on the cone, it stops buzzing. Now for my question, what's the best way to fix this given that it's a pick-up truck and I'm not looking for high fidelity. Is there anything I can do to the driver itself to eliminate the buzz, or would it just be best to buy a replacement? If so, what is a good source for a cheap replacement?

 

[Brendan_Lewis]

It's likely you can order the same speaker from parts express. http://www.partsexpress.com/eflyer/seeflyer.html
Click on the 87 cents page.

If you're up to taking both doors apart, I would upgrade so that it doesn't just happen again. Check out their vifa deals and other speakers. Any aftermarket speaker will be better than the paper cone cheapies that come stock.

 

[Greg_R]

Crutchfield.com is a good place to determine what fits in your vehicle (i.e. 4 hole round 5.25" speaker, etc.).

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Highly unlikely with a factory installation.

Danny, you can get a factory replacement for your speaker at your local Dodge dealer. I suggest doing that unless you plan on replacing them both. Otherwise, you’ll have two speakers that don’t sound alike

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Travis Cain]

Replace them both.. For that small of a speaker, you can get a quality brand replacement that will be inexpensive and sound a heck of a lot better than the originals.. Not to mention that it'll greatly decrease the chances of the same problem recurring.

 

[Danny Levenson]

Actually, I believe it ended up being just this. I pulled the speaker out to see how it was wired and where the wires were routed. When I put it back, the buzz was gone. Since the truck is a secondary vehicle (or soon will be), I really don't want to invest any money at all in upgrading the stereo unless I have to. If the buzz comes back, I'll probably look at some inexpensive replacements from the sources mentioned above.

Thanks for your help.