HK Kick Panel Speaker Dropping Out

Manolito · #1 (**permalink**) 11-20-2007, 09:49 PM

'97 328i w/HK

Daughter reports that the front right kick panel speaker works when she first starts the car, but then drops out after 2-3 minutes.

When she comes home for Thanksgiving, I will pull an old 4 ohm speaker out of my junk drawer and plug it in to see what happens. If that drops out as well, where do I look next? How to diagnose?

Is this a problem that others have experienced? Does this system have a separate amp or is everything in the head unit?

Thanks!

carstereopro · #2 (**permalink**) 11-21-2007, 03:30 PM

The factory am is in the trunk on the driver's side. it is a 10 channel amp that has separate crossed-over outputs for each speaker. (Woofer, mid and tweet in each of the left and right front sides, and woofer and tweet in each of the rear sides)

I'd expect that the speaker has an intermittent connection (probably the voice coil itself) and needs replacing.

The wiring, although possible to have a bad or broken wire somewhere, is unlikely.

The amp having a single bad channel, again unlikely.

Manolito · #3 (**permalink**) 11-24-2007, 08:39 PM

Well, it turned out that she was not describing the problem very accurately.

It was the larger door speaker, and it was just buzzing, not dropping out completely.

Replacement speakers that fit original housing are hard to find and/or expensive, so I tried repairing the speaker. I posted pics and instructions.

Farm Boy Home

RacerJames666 · #4 (**permalink**) 11-26-2007, 01:59 PM

Excelent write up!
3 ohm speakers?!?!?!?

What a bunch of horseshit..no wonder you cant find replacements....
3 friggin ohm's....aye yai yai

Manolito · #5 (**permalink**) 12-22-2007, 05:46 PM

Today I pulled the door panel off the e36 with standard sound. (door lock microswitch failed) The larger speaker on that system is 8 ohm. Can't tell about the smaller speaker. I will post a pic of that speaker on my page.

By the way - the repair job on the HK speaker is still holding just fine.

Another tip that is not Audio - if your car is manufactured after 9/93 and your door lock microswitch fails (key turns, but won't reliably lock/unlock doors), you do NOT need to remove the door latch mechanism! On later models, all the electronics are inside the actuator, which just snaps off the door latch mechanism and is replaced as a unit. I know this now that my door latch mechanism is out on my work bench. What a PITA!