Radio/Speaker Sound Issue on 99

[liljoe71]

I have 99 Cherokee that is having issues with the sound coming out on my right front speaker. It started about a week ago and it just stopped sounding or playing anything from the speaker. I toggled the balance joystick to test and nothing. The next step for me was testing the speakers themselves. I swapped the front left to the front right and still nothing to the front right speaker, but the original front right played in the front left spot. So speakers check out good. I removed the radio and then looked at the wiring harness and disconnected and reconnected and nothing. I noticed that the wire colors on the speaker end are different than at the connector end. My question is, do or have any of y'all know of another connection point besides the connector behind the radio? I know that some systems are 6 speaker systems and some are 4 speaker systems, so could it be that this thing is connected to the tweeter part of the harness? The model I have here is a 99 XJ Limited, that has a 4 speaker system with a CD/Cassette combo radio. I really want to keep the original wiring in this thing and don't want to run all new wiring to each speaker so any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Lil Joe

 

[XJCruiser]

9 times out of 10 what I have found to happen is that the wiring that runs from the speaker through the door gets pinched and eventually frays apart losing connection. If you pull back the rubber grommet and inspect the wiring that is probably the culprit. What I do is run all new speaker wire from speaker to head unit and wrap it in some wire loom just until you get from the door to the inside of the kick panel (basically any wire hidden in the rubber grommet...Hope that helps

 

[joe_peters]

9 times out of 10 what I have found to happen is that the wiring that runs from the speaker through the door gets pinched and eventually frays apart losing connection. If you pull back the rubber grommet and inspect the wiring that is probably the culprit. What I do is run all new speaker wire from speaker to head unit and wrap it in some wire loom just until you get from the door to the inside of the kick panel (basically any wire hidden in the rubber grommet...Hope that helps

Good advice here, that is the first place I would look.

 

[nelson7172]

This happened to my 99 a few weeks ago. Seems to be pretty common.

 

[themangeraaad]

I THINK there is a connector somewhere behind the kick panel which may explain the wiring color changes, though I would (like to) think the factory would continue to use the same color wires . Are these stock or aftermarket speakers? If aftermarket is it possible that whoever installed them cut the wires somewhere (in the kick panel or between the body/door) and spliced in lengths of different color cable?

If aftermarket I would have to guess that the wires are possibly different colors than at the head unit due to the above scenario. If this is the case I would say to check the connectors that were used to splice the wires. Could have a lose/corroded/broken connection there. Though I would also say to check for pinched/broken wires running between the door/body at the hinge. (I would also guess that this same rubber hose/grommet type thing may be where the wires got spliced if there are aftermarket speakers).

 

[liljoe71]

The speakers and connectors are all original, no aftermarket yet. I will check wires later on tonight and take kick panel off.
Thanks Guys

 

[Bleckers3]

Simply remove the kick panel. Use your volt meter's continuity feature to trace the wires to the connector. Clip the wires with enough to solder and shrink new "heavier" speaker wire to them. Fish the wire with a fish tape/coat hanger/oddly long fingers through the rubber sleeve.

Attach to speakers. And while your at it, upgrade tp 6.5 coaxials or better. May need a spacer for heaftier speakers due to the window..However if you are just using the HU amp, then suitable speaks won't be huge anyhow.

DONE

 

[gmelton]

This is a late reply. Verified on two 99 Cherokee's within the last month. The electrical design idiots put a splice - two wires from door to 1 wire to the main harness - in the middle of the flex area for the wiring harness between the door and the frame. That is - it's inside the rubber boot between the door and frame. The splice is on both doors. On the drivers side you can verify the break with a Ohmmeter by checking the green wire on the speaker to the green wire on the front of 3 connectors underneath the kick plate cover. I did not find a connector on the right side. Pull the rubber boot loose at both ends to expose the wire bundle. After you remove the tape and can get to the wires (green on left, blue/red on right) you will find the splice. 3 of the 4 breaks were to the front of the splice. I soldered in a jumper which I covered with shrink sleeve. Put the rubber boot back in the holes and you are ready to go. You may need to remove the inside door panel and the kick plate to make the job easier. In any case it's a no fun repair. Count on 1 to 2 hours per side to fix it.

 

[UNCC_99XJ]

This is a late reply. Verified on two 99 Cherokee's within the last month. The electrical design idiots put a splice - two wires from door to 1 wire to the main harness - in the middle of the flex area for the wiring harness between the door and the frame. That is - it's inside the rubber boot between the door and frame. The splice is on both doors. On the drivers side you can verify the break with a Ohmmeter by checking the green wire on the speaker to the green wire on the front of 3 connectors underneath the kick plate cover. I did not find a connector on the right side. Pull the rubber boot loose at both ends to expose the wire bundle. After you remove the tape and can get to the wires (green on left, blue/red on right) you will find the splice. 3 of the 4 breaks were to the front of the splice. I soldered in a jumper which I covered with shrink sleeve. Put the rubber boot back in the holes and you are ready to go. You may need to remove the inside door panel and the kick plate to make the job easier. In any case it's a no fun repair. Count on 1 to 2 hours per side to fix it.

Or you can run two new wires from your speakers and tap into the factory wiring back behind the kick plates. That's what I did for mine rather than trying to fish through all the wiring inside the rubber boot.

 

[Original_MudButt]

Or you can run two new wires from your speakers and tap into the factory wiring back behind the kick plates. That's what I did for mine rather than trying to fish through all the wiring inside the rubber boot.

^^^^ This is what I did... Fixed the problem...

 

[heyhar]

Or do this, and you won't know what works or what doesn't!. Works great for engine and drivetrain noises, too.

 

[UNCC_99XJ]

Or do this, and you won't know what works or what doesn't!. Works great for engine and drivetrain noises, too.

Yeah I did that, only smaller scale XJ Pod that fits in the little cubby hole on the passenger side with a JL 8". Worked great for a few months...now for whatever reason ALL of my speakers cut in and out and I can move the entire sub box back and forth and make them come on and off. Unless I managed to dril through one of the speaker wires (doubful, but knowing my luck...) I don't understand why its killing all of them...especially when the only thing hooked to my amp is my sub...