We have an aftermarket CD player in the subie which was in there when we bought the car about a year ago. Everything has been fine with the sound etc, though about a month ago, my wife said she stopped at a gas station, got gas and when she got back in the car, she said the stereo didn't work and there was a very pronounced buzz coming from the speakers. Later, on the long drive, it started to work but there was some distortion. When I finally got a chance to check it out, seems at low levels, it sounds fine, but at a certain point when raising the volume, it all gets distorted. Not sure what would have caused this and if it was a situation that someone else has come across. I don't have the "key" to pull the stereo out and test another head unit (I have another aftermarket one I could try out to see if it's the head unit or the speakers.

 

Has anyone had this situation before?

 

1999 Subaru Legacy 75k

You almost certainly have a bad head unit. If it was a speaker problem, you'd have that distortion at all volume levels, though it would get progressively worse at higher levels. Try swapping the head unit and I suspect your problem will go away.

I figured as much. Just went out to do that but having issues trying to figure out how to take that center dash trim off. I took off the cup holder and the top part of that trim is loose, but not sure how to get the bottom off. Do I need to take off a bunch of console pieces to get the head unit out?

There should be a couple of screws hidden at the bottom inside the opening for the ash tray.

 

I think.

 

Been a while since I was in one of these.

yes, screws inside the ashtray compartment, 2 i think on the front edge ceiling / top.

 

and you have to remove the cup slide holder tray and bracket. i think that's it.

Got everything apart. Swapped in a different head unit (with a bit of gerryrigging the wiring to utilize the existing wiring harness.

 

Same issue. The Right side is just about out (you can still hear a bit of something coming through). Thus, it's not fully out.

 

When I cranked the sound system, it started distorting again, and then the music cut out and just led to an extremely high pitched squeal that I could not get rid of until I disconnected the head unit completely.

 

So I am pretty perplexed. There is a gremlin in there somewhere - any ideas??

 

Is there an amp somewhere that may be broken?

Edited August 8, 201015 yr by yesyeah

Got everything apart. Swapped in a different head unit (with a bit of gerryrigging the wiring to utilize the existing wiring harness.

 

Same issue. The Right side is just about out (you can still hear a bit of something coming through). Thus, it's not fully out.

 

When I cranked the sound system, it started distorting again, and then the music cut out and just led to an extremely high pitched squeal that I could not get rid of until I disconnected the head unit completely.

 

So I am pretty perplexed. There is a gremlin in there somewhere - any ideas??

 

Is there an amp somewhere that may be broken?

 

 

Yea, it could be the amp, or a bad board level component. It may be more trouble then it is worth to try to figure out, let alone repair. Well, repair is not really an option either. CD players, car radios, and all consumer electronic products are really disposable products. When they break, they get thrown away, as there are not shops around to repairs them. Unfortunately, my advise, is that it is time to replace with a new unit.

Yea, it could be the amp, or a bad board level component. It may be more trouble then it is worth to try to figure out, let alone repair. Well, repair is not really an option either. CD players, car radios, and all consumer electronic products are really disposable products. When they break, they get thrown away, as there are not shops around to repairs them. Unfortunately, my advise, is that it is time to replace with a new unit.

 

I agree with you. my point is, that I tried a different head unit today and still had the same issue! So I need to locate the issue cause the problem and go from there. Since it sounds like I don't have a stock amp in the car, I am getting a bit confused as to what it can be. Certainly I can put new speakers on there, but I have a feeling it's not that. Gonna take the speakers out and inspect it next weekend as it sounds like I need to pull the interior of the door off to look at the speakers.

I agree with you. my point is, that I tried a different head unit today and still had the same issue! So I need to locate the issue cause the problem and go from there. Since it sounds like I don't have a stock amp in the car, I am getting a bit confused as to what it can be. Certainly I can put new speakers on there, but I have a feeling it's not that. Gonna take the speakers out and inspect it next weekend as it sounds like I need to pull the interior of the door off to look at the speakers.

 

Pulling off a door panel is not difficult, even if you have never done it before. It is pretty ez to figure out. From your write-up, I don't think that your speakers are the problem.

 

I am assuming that your replacement head unit uses the same amp as the original. Does AM/FM radio play through the system? If so, is sound distorted when playing the radio?

Pulling off a door panel is not difficult, even if you have never done it before. It is pretty ez to figure out. From your write-up, I don't think that your speakers are the problem.

 

I am assuming that your replacement head unit uses the same amp as the original. Does AM/FM radio play through the system? If so, is sound distorted when playing the radio?

 

Basically, everything on the left side plays at a low level (cd, aux, am/fm). Right side can barely be heard. When the volume is raised a bit higher, there is distortion on the left side - when raised a bit past that, it leads to a jarring high pitch squeeal that cannot be stopped unless the car is turned off.

 

Keep in mind, this all just happened all of a sudden. No problems for over a year and then this - I am kind of lost.

Basically, everything on the left side plays at a low level (cd, aux, am/fm). Right side can barely be heard. When the volume is raised a bit higher, there is distortion on the left side - when raised a bit past that, it leads to a jarring high pitch squeeal that cannot be stopped unless the car is turned off.

 

Keep in mind, this all just happened all of a sudden. No problems for over a year and then this - I am kind of lost.

 

I still think your problem is in the amplifier. I had a radio once that lost the right channel totally, while the left channel still worked. Changing speakers did not fix my problem, so that told me that the amp was bad. I suggest replacing the system where the amp is located.That is prolly the unit with the radio, the CD head unit is prolly a separate unit, and is still good.

I still think your problem is in the amplifier. I had a radio once that lost the right channel totally, while the left channel still worked. Changing speakers did not fix my problem, so that told me that the amp was bad. I suggest replacing the system where the amp is located.That is prolly the unit with the radio, the CD head unit is prolly a separate unit, and is still good.

 

I would agree with this assessment - but that's why I was wondering if there was an amp. The speakers are stock as far as I know. The headunit was aftermarket, but if there is an amp, I have no idea where it is (never seen it). It was my first though (amp) but not sure how to determine if there is an amp somewhere. If it's not a stock amp, then I don't think there is one.

I would agree with this assessment - but that's why I was wondering if there was an amp. The speakers are stock as far as I know. The headunit was aftermarket, but if there is an amp, I have no idea where it is (never seen it). It was my first though (amp) but not sure how to determine if there is an amp somewhere. If it's not a stock amp, then I don't think there is one.

 

Like you, I have a 99 Leggie OBW. The amp is built into the radio unit. It is not located somewhere else as a separate unit.

Like you, I have a 99 Leggie OBW. The amp is built into the radio unit. It is not located somewhere else as a separate unit.

 

I have a regular legacy wagon (not OBW). And because the head unit is after market, there is no amp attached to it. I am wondering if there is an external amp somewhere I don't know about and it's blown. Going to check under the seats later tonight. I just don't think this could be a speaker issue. i am thinking there is an amp somewhere, or a messed up ground wire somewhere.

If there isn't an external amp then there may be a problem with the right side speaker leads. Perhaps one side is grounded. Checking the resistance across the leads and to ground will show up any trouble like that.

I will check that all. The left side "works" but sounds like crap. The right side is just basically out (I can hear just a little sound).

Most deck outputs use a balanced output which means the speaker leads are isolated from ground. If the right side is grounded it might also effect the left side output.