Speakers working oddly

SPWSPW Senior Wagonist
in Electronics, Fueling & Air Conditioning
We'll the other day I plugged my iPad with an car aux plug to my radio. Then I plugged it to charge from my cigaret lighter. After I turned on the car it was making scratchy noises almost like when a TV looses signal. Then I unplugged my iPad from the aux jack and charger and my iPad was fried and shortly after there was a burnt smell. So I switched my iPad for a new one and plugged it with a car aux plug again my radio works still and now my speakers sound echoey and the lows from my speakers don't work either there just plain horrible and my sub does not work. All I've done so far was checked my fuses except the one on the back of the radio. Anybody know what could have happened? What do you suggest doing? Thanks civicwagon.

Comments

  • skittlenipsskittlenips Wagonist
    So you never figured out what fried the first ipad? Sounds like your head unit/amp could have something wrong with it...check that fuse. Check for any bad wires that could have caused something to blow up or burn in the first place. Visually inspect the speakers as well...

    Do the speakers sound like they're clipping at all? Was the burning smell from the ipad or somewhere else in the car?
  • SPWSPW Senior Wagonist
    Apple couldn't identify what specifically happened they said it was hardware damage and exchanged my iPad for a new one. So check the head unit fuse, search for bad wires, and inspect the speakers. Don't know what clipping sounds like but I'll post a video of my speakers playing. The smell was not from the iPad it was it some where in the driver side area. In fact, I smelled they same exact smell when I turned my car to go to school this morning.
  • skittlenipsskittlenips Wagonist
    "Clipping" will basically make all of your music sound like shit. It is a result of the amp not being able to deliver sufficient power...a lot of times it will make the music sound "brighter" and the highs will be very (harshly) metallic. Some people will describe it as a "popping" sound as well, but "popping" is usually a result of overdriving a speaker rather than underdriving it. Clipping audio, or not delivering enough power to your speakers, will definitely damage them over time. That's why you almost always need to be running an amp if you have subs, and have the amp properly sized. The amp in the head unit is usually not sufficient to run anything more than the stock speaker setup, and maybe some small subs. Rule of thumb in audio: too much amp is better than too little amp.

    It sounds like you may have a short somewhere, that would explain the burning smell, especially if it's continuing after the initial problem. It could have caused your amp to burn out, or it could just be a short within the amp itself.

    If the wires to your sub are all good, and the sub itself is good, and it still isn't getting any signal, it's most likely your amp, which isn't delivering nearly enough power to even make the speakers move. This could also explain the lack of lows in the other speakers - low frequencies typically require more power to produce. Did you use an in-line fuse when wiring power to your sub? Check that if you did.

    A bit more technical info on clipping:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipping_(audio)
  • SPWSPW Senior Wagonist
    Nice info. I don't smell anything when I turn on the car anymore. I used an inline fuse and checked wires and they seem to be in good shape. But the other day I accidentally pressed the button to switch it from the aux to radio and everything worked perfectly fine like it did before. Speakers sounded good, amp was working, and sub was working. I switched it back to aux and checked to see if it was the aux cable by switching it out with a new one but it wasn't. Maybe my aux input is damaged?
  • skittlenipsskittlenips Wagonist
    Well that's good news! Yeah I would get your head unit out and check the solder joints around where the aux input goes into the board (or wherever it goes). If it's a typical 1/8" jack, those can get damaged pretty easily. I've got a laptop with two 1/8" jacks and they're basically both completely shot from getting used so much and bumped into when there's a cord in there, etc.

    Ya might try wiggling the aux cable around in the input and see if you get any change in sound quality, etc. (just make sure your volume is low!) If it's poppy and cuts in and out, etc., you've probably got some bad solder joints or something.

    Worst case scenario, sounds like you may just need a new head unit....or if you don't ever use the radio or CD player, just go straight from your aux source to your amp (depending on how you've got your whole system set up)
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