97 Ranger, left door speaker doesn't work 90% of the time

[signorgreenleaf]

How can I find where the issue is? I took the door apart and have now unbolted the speaker. Now its not working at all. Should just buy new ones?

 

[Roert42]

Is the sound just bad or is there no sound at all?

If there is no sound at all I would bet the is a broken connection somewhere between the speaker and the stereo.

Take your meter and check for continuity from the plug on the speaker and the plug on the stereo. If you have good continuity then maybe an issue with the speaker. Can try to take the speaker and plug it in to the cable for the speaker on the other door. If the problem follows the speaker then the speaker is bad, if the problem stays at the door then you have a problem upstream.

 

[signorgreenleaf]

Is the sound just bad or is there no sound at all?

If there is no sound at all I would bet the is a broken connection somewhere between the speaker and the stereo.

Take your meter and check for continuity from the plug on the speaker and the plug on the stereo. If you have good continuity then maybe an issue with the speaker. Can try to take the speaker and plug it in to the cable for the speaker on the other door. If the problem follows the speaker then the speaker is bad, if the problem stays at the door then you have a problem upstream.

okay, testing it on the other door sounds like a great idea. What kind of meter should I buy? sorry im still new to this?

 

[Roert42]

Pretty much any digital multi meter we will do the job for automotive troubleshooting.

the more expensive ones are nice with auto range and other features, but a $30 south wire meter from Lowe’s will work just as well for 90% of stuff.

 

[signorgreenleaf]

Pretty much any digital multi meter we will do the job for automotive troubleshooting.

the more expensive ones are nice with auto range and other features, but a $30 south wire meter from Lowe’s will work just as well for 90% of stuff.

So I switched it and the non wworking speaker worked on the other side
Next check the connection on the back of radio?

 

[rubydist]

Unfortunately, there are several connectors between the radio and the speaker, not just at the speaker and at the radio. You didn't say which side it is, but there will be at least one more connector in the line for each side. And, there could be an open in the wiring harness too, since the truck is now 20+ years old.

 

[MikeG]

Need a meter to check for continuity. The free ones from Horrible Freight work fine for this, sometimes they are given away if you buy enough other stuff, otherwise it's maybe ten bucks.

You want to set it on "ohms" which is kind of an upside-down horseshoe shaped symbol (greek letter Omega). Set it to the lowest level. Maybe 200 or so. The display should read '1'. Now touch the tips of the probes together, the display should go to 0 or close to it. .Now, when you touch it to either end of a wire, it should go to 0 or close to that. A ground wire should show 0 or close to it, if you touch one end of the ground wire, and the other to a bare spot on the body or frame.

If it doesn't go to 0 when you touch each end of the wire, then that part of the wire is broken inside the insulation. Anyway - figure out where the wire STARTS and where it ENDS and start testing till you find the break. The speaker works, so you have a wire problem, most likely.......

 

[Shadowrider6661]

You should be aware that Ford speakers are wired using a common ground. Each speaker is grounded to the body, only the positive wires are run to the radio connector.