If your car subwoofer speakers or other components of your vehicle audio system are not working properly, there are a few things that you can do to check on the quality of the installation process, and to make sure that everything is okay before you take the time and money to have a professional examine the system. In many cases, a speaker will not actually be damaged or blown out when it stops working. Instead, it may just be that you'll have to reconfigure some connectivity problems or troubleshoot other issues that may have developed over time, which can be inexpensive and easy to do at home. Read on for a brief overview on troubleshooting speaker connectivity and subwoofer wiring.
Checking Connections
The first thing that you should do to troubleshoot a connectivity issue when your subwoofer or other speaker stops working is to check on the connections. Disconnect the battery and turn the car off. Open up the paneling behind each of the speakers and examine the wiring in place. Make sure that all of the wires and cables are fastened to the ports at the rear or front section of each speaker securely, and that none of them have come loose or fallen off. If your speaker system or a particular speaker suddenly stops working, this is oftentimes the cause.
Proper Connection Setup
Next, look to make sure that the wiring and cables are set up properly. This can be a bit more difficult to do if you don't have prior experience setting up a subwoofer speaker or another type of speaker in your vehicle. If you don't, look online for a setup guide for your particular type of speaker. First, you should make sure that the positive and negative terminals of each wire and connector are properly matched up with the correct ports on the speakers themselves.
Next, check to be sure that the cabling isn't installed in such a way as to break the circuit, or to close up the circuit without providing power to the next speaker or component in the chain.
Head Unit Power
In the case of most car audio systems, all of the power from the battery that will ultimately be used to power the system goes through the head unit. This is the control base for the stereo system. If something should go wrong with the car stereo itself or the system should seem to stop working entirely, it's likely that the power source is being cut off early on in the chain and perhaps even at the head unit. The head unit should be connected to the battery, but there should also be a grounding wire that connects the head unit to the chassis of the car as well.
For more information on how to troubleshoot this issue, check in with your local car audio professionals or visit a mechanic in your area.
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