Subwoofer replacement

[BigBoomer]

On 3/16/2019 at 9:45 PM, MLW said:

^{Is the woofer at the back 8" or 10"}

8" cone. The ML needs to be 16ohm and rated above 60W RMS. Don't know for the Pioneer (non-ML) system.

[BigBoomer]

On 3/17/2019 at 10:15 AM, AndyZ said:

Are you able to measure the sensor you removed (or possibly also the new sensor)? (Ref attachment, 2nd page).

Regards

Andy

PS I'm new here.

F_L_Sensor_M_05_2240.pdf 57.5 kB · 8 downloads

Thanks Andy, and welcome 😀

I missed that bit in the Service manual.
I'll check the resistance of the one that came out this weekend.
If it's good, then I either have a busted wire to the left-most sensor, or else it's the next sensor towards the middle that has died, which will require bumper off.
The car has 6 sensors on the front so I imagine the left 1/3rd of the display must mean the leftmost 2 sensors.

[AndyZ]

The attached diagram does appear to support what you say, i.e. "the left 1/3rd of the display must mean the leftmost 2 sensors".

Regards

Andy

Sensor_Location_M_67_3.pdf

[BigBoomer]

Thanks again Andy, The sensor I removed measured 10.5kOhms so is probably OK.
So, now I just need to save up enough gumption to tackle the front bumper removal so I can get at the next sensor in and swap that out with the one I removed.

[MLW]

Update.

Was planning to buy the repair kit from the USA and took off the cover. The surprise was that the speaker and surround are in near perfect condition. It unclips carefully as you can see from the white corner clips. With the radio on, and sound focused on the rear and bass it still distorts. If the speaker is OK, what could it be? Any suggestions.

[BigBoomer]

Looks to me like the foam has separated from the cone at the rear of the speaker.
There is definitely a shadow there but difficult to tell until you  poke it with your finger (gently!).

If it doesn't distort with the sound set to normal values, then forget about it for now.
When mine was torn, it distorted with the volume at 25, everything else set to middle, and playing the moderately bassy Peter Gabriel track "Shock the Monkey".
If you want to play Drum-n-Bass then you bought the wrong car IMHO 🤣

[MLW]

It all seemed ok as I ran my finger around it, but I will re-check.

I expected the foam to be all degraded, but it was not.

[AndyZ]

I thought the same about mine. Sound was distorted but the foam appeared all OK. But the foam had detached from the outer rim which was not immediately obvious when I first looked so worth checking.

Regards

Andy

[MLW]

UPDATE.

Almost exactly like mine AndyZ. Getting it out took about 25 mins and is very tricky as everything is so tight. I cut away as little felt covering as I could get away with. The 4 screws are 10mm, and when you take them out, keep them under the socket and place a magnetic tool (like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-151211-Magnetic-Telescopic-Pick-Up/dp/B001C7NN86/ref=asc_df_B001C7NN86/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309816003291&hvpos=1o4&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6722591913611068954&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006589&hvtargid=pla-425415221212&psc=1&th=1&psc=1) next to it. I lost one of my bolts as it shot under the rear parcel shelf.

Once out all looked fine until I separated the ring and just like AndyZ mine had 'just' separated. Everything else looks fine. Looks like a perfect candidate for repair so I have ordered a repair kit from: https://www.simplyspeakers.com/toyota-jbl-speaker-foam-edge-repair-kit-avalon-fsk-8m-toyota.html

£31 with postage. Hope it works.

[MLW]

UPDATE

Got the kit from America. Had to pay an extra  £4+ and taxes and import duties AND the Post Office's £8 administration charge to collect the duty!

Anyway did the repair exactly like the American video and I has worked out perfectly. Just put everything through the rear woofer speaker and there is no distortion whatsoever. When I cut the old gasket away it really was quite fragile and fell away easily.

Some tips.

• Get a really sharp modelling knife or new Stanley blade.
• Always cut away from the centre of the speaker. It is so easy for it to slip and cut into the cone. Get all the old gasket off the metal ring by scrapping and then using nail remover  as this works a treat, but it is a bit messy. An old thin clean rag worked well to remove the old stuff.
• Take lots of photos, because when it is all in bits, refitting it took ages.
• A 15T torx screwdriver is good for removing the 4 holding screws.
• Wrap the 4 bolts that hold the speaker to the chassis in kitchen towel before the 10 mm socket goes over the bolt head. This really does hold it in and stops bolts shooting under the felt and away.
• Let the glue dry for about 3 hours for the inner ring and overnight for the outer. I only used about 3% of the tube but it is fantastic stuff, and specially designed for speaker repair. You can buy these gaskets on eBay for £2-3, but the glue really is the key.

Overall, it cost me about £41 with taxes etc. Expensive, but the American kit is a perfect fit, and the glue is amazing.

If anyone wants to borrow the glue, let me know.

[GrahamG]

Thanks Michael, a really useful report.

[MLW]

I have to say it is terribly satisfying when it all works well. It has been about 6 months since we had any radio coming out of the back. I would have repaired it earlier, but I was not aware that one can repair speakers. I am not really an electrical chap. I think a new speaker is a fortune, so any complete repair is worth it.

[RgrWynne]

Agree it is a very interesting post . However Paul Frost does supply and /or fit a replacement for sensible money... he did one for me but I can’t remember how much 😂.... it was a while ago, and they are new ones not second hand , Rgds, Roger

[GrahamG]

Roger, how happy are you with Paul Frost's replacement?

Following the remedies in the USA it seems there is a problem acoustically matching the original [not just a matter of impedance] and the result is not always satisfactory even though it is acknowledged any new unit may of itself be of superior manufacture.

Perhaps I am just attracted to Michael's solution because of the DIY aspect.

[RgrWynne]

Hi Graham was done over 2 years ago now and I am very satisfied. I guess you need to factor in that as it wasn’t working when I purchased the car, I have nothing to compare against , but it suits me, Rgds, Roger

[leonardwulf]

Hello, someone can give me advice? Looked for subwoofer here: bestadvisor.com/car-subwoofers . Can u advice me good variant? thanks in advance

[Bluesman]

It obviously going to count what you enjoy listing too. I enjoy Jazz and Blues and the bass is the best I have heard from many indoor upmarket  setups. So my route would be to get the speaker repaired, they are just to good to throw away. Good luck with which ever way you go.