Troubleshooting Advice

[jkoenig91]

Hey guys,

My elderly Saturn recently died, and to replace it I inherited a free flood-damaged Pontiac Vibe. Water damage was as high as the base of the seat. Fortunately, the engine seems to be running fine, after some clean up, some mechanical work, and passing inspection. However, the only thing that doesn't work in it is the audio system, so I was hoping someone could offer some tips in troubleshooting and pinpointing the problem, then what the potential solution might be.

The head unit works. The display is functional, most of the lights are working, and its reacts to user interaction (volume control, tuning, recognizes CDs, etc). However, there is no sound going to the speakers (no static; nothing!). Surely, this has to be a result of corrosion and wiring damage, but where do I start? Any suggestions?

[lannvouivre]

First, after making absolutely sure that you don't have it accidentally muted (not poking fun, sometimes we all just make silly mistakes when we are preoccupied), I would make sure that power is actually getting to the speakers. What I would do is open the door panels, disconnect the connectors for the speaker wiring, hook a test light to a good ground, and then probe the terminals. One should light the test light up with music attempting to play. Try scraping the connector some with the probe to get a good, clean touch on the metal for a good connection. If it requires actual scraping, the connectors just need cleaned.

If the speaker is indeed getting power, check the ground. I did this earlier in my BF's impala by putting the clip of the test light on a good chassis ground, and then probing the ground terminal. It should still light up. If you can get a good ground on a bolt or something, but not in the connector going away from the speaker, it may need to be cleaned. I think you could just cut it and use one of those round ground connectors to hook it to a bolt after cleaning paint off the metal to make a good connection if the problem was further down the wire (if it's on the ground side.)

If you have a good power and a good ground, then the speaker is probably damaged. If you have no power at all getting to the speaker, the problem is further up the line, so the next place to check would be the output from the stereo to the speakers (this is in terms of "having to pull stuff off the car). Info for dismantling the door panels and the stereo bezel are somewhere in the forums, but it's 12:30 am and I can't go link them until after work tomorrow.

I'm still in training, so I'm hoping that I can get critique if I messed something up.

PS: we can provide wire colors if you list your year, trim level, and options.

[joatmon]

What year is it?

If it is an 03-08, and has a sunroof, then there is an audio amplifier under the front passenger seat, which might be toasted, or perhaps if you're lucky it's just the associated AMP fuse in the underhood fuse panel.

[jkoenig91]

It is, in fact, a 2005 with a sun roof. I bet that amplifier is a good place to start, since it was probably the most susceptible to damage.

I removed the amplifier and opened it up. Its been weathered pretty bad, so I think its safe to say its fried. Any advice for replacing it very cost effectively? The best I saw was an identical model on e-bay for 80-some dollars.

[triz]

Or get a cheap aftermarket. I have a few older amps laying around whenever I get a older vehicle and want to drop some sound on the cheap.

[joatmon]

Might be worth asking one of the people parting out Vibes if they have an amplifier for a price you're willing to pay.

You could look at this attached diagram, and with the amplifier removed, connect head unit output to speakers. You could do that one speaker at a time temporarily with jumper wires to see if the speakers still work, or connect them up permanently and just go with it. The tweeters near the side mirrors might need a crossover or you could leave them not connected.

[ParknVibe]

I would check all wire male and female plugs. Use a spray can of electric contact cleaner. Look under the front seats for a power amp. and check those connections.