speaker static

[Mopar_nutz]

hey, I have an 88 Daytona Shelby Z with the Infinity stereo. One of my door speakers almost always has this loud static like sound. it's there 95% of the time and I can't get rid of it. All I can do is turn up the music to drown it out. Does anyone know what could cause this? It's not blown just cuz thats not what it sounds like, and sometimes (when the static goes away) it still sounds great.
thanx, Ian

[FWDMoparGuy]

The Infinity speakers on an '88 have an amplifier built onto the back of each speaker. Those amps often go bad on these speakers especially on the ones in the doors. Since most of these amp circuits are encased in epoxy there is really no way to fix them. Because of the cost of a new speaker ($140-$200 at the dealer) probably the best thing to do is see if you can find one in a junkyard. It can be out of any car that year or several years before or after as long as it has the six speaker Infinity system. You can also plug in a standard Chrysler 5 1/4" speaker in place of it as long as it has the same style plug. Hope this helps.

[FWDMoparGuy]

The Infinity speakers on an '88 have an amplifier built onto the back of each speaker. Those amps often go bad on these speakers especially on the ones in the doors. Since most of these amp circuits are encased in epoxy there is really no way to fix them. Because of the cost of a new speaker ($140-$200 at the dealer) probably the best thing to do is see if you can find one in a junkyard. It can be out of any car that year or several years before or after as long as it has the six speaker Infinity system. You can also plug in a standard Chrysler 5 1/4" speaker in place of it as long as it has the same style plug. Hope this helps.

[carguy]

Also check your connections, a bad conncetion would explain the fact that it works great part of the time. Blown speakers stay blown. Try cleaning the connections and using a dialectric to improve the connection. I don't think you can put a stock non-amplified speaker in its place. No power output off the infinity radio. If it did work, it wouldn't be as loud. Good luck

[FWDMoparGuy]

Actually, the Infinity stereo (made by Alpine) is the same stereo that is used on some non-Infinity systems (they just don't have the Infinity logo on the front). I have used many of these stereos w/o external amps with standard factory speakers and also used regular factory stereos with the Infinity speakers. When the amps go bad on these speakers they usually will be intermittant. The connectors for the door spkrs have rubber gaskets on them and very rarely go bad. I am sure that the standard speakers (with the same style plug) will work in place of the Infinity as the two center conductors on the plug are just a standard speaker output. The outer two conductors on the plug are 12v to power the spkr amp. Many standard systems are wired for the Infinity sound but the regular speakers are plugged into them from the factory. It is true though that the sound level and quality of sound will be less w/ a standard speaker than an Infinity one. I have been an installer and worked w/ these systems for 10 years and these amplified speakers in the doors have usually been the source of problems. Good luck!

[carguy]

Hey FwdMoparGuy: Sounds like you really know your car stereo... I was just offering up another sugestion. It is often less costly to check all possibilities before replacment. Also, doesn't the infinity radio only use the positive lead out of the factory harness? The old saying goes "you can't amplify an amplifier". Please correct me if I'm wrong..

[FWDMoparGuy]

Hey carguy: I guess I have just seen this problem so many times and have never in my experience seen it be any other problem than the faulty speaker amp. I have many customers who have had the standard speakers hooked up to their Infinity systems for years to replace the bad amplified ones. I have four Infinity stereos in my shop right now for other problems and I have always used regular 8 ohm speakers to test them on the bench--they do have really good internal amps (actually 4 individual internal power amps on these). As far as the old saying "you can't amplify an amplifier", I guess I have never heard it. Most amplifiers have a preamp circuit that drives the power amp which is in effect a small amplifier driving a bigger one. But, the way these speakers amps work is they take the high-level (speaker) output and turn it into a low-level signal much like the speaker inputs on an aftermarket car amplifier. Then the amplifier built into the speaker amplifies the low-level signal to more power than the stereo itself is able to put out. Some later and some earlier Chrysler systems actually had one external amplifier that powered all speakers but even the stereos out of them are interchangeable w/non-amplified systems. I work w/mostly American cars and, from what I have seen, Ford is the only one who actually runs low-level signal to the amplifier on their high-end (JBL) systems. (Sorry, I know Ford is a four letter word and I'll try not to use it again Hope this helps!