Crackling speakers are no fun for anyone. Whether you’re trying to enjoy your favorite song or just want the car ride to be a little more pleasant, it’s frustrating when your speakers sound like they’re about to come unhinged.
The good news is that you don’t have to settle with this annoying problem- there are several ways that can help fix crackling car speakers in 10 minutes or less!
Why My Car Speakers Crackling When Loud?
There are multiple reasons why your car speakers may have been producing that irritating crackling sound. I’ve included the guide to fix it so that you can troubleshoot the issue fast.
Loose Connections
Loose connections are one of the most common causes for speakers to start crackling. If there is a loose wire somewhere in your car’s system, it can cause some serious problems- including speaker crackle and eventually total failure of the sound system.
If you suspect this might be an issue with your car, take out any panels that could be hiding the speaker wires- this includes behind your dashboard, in your trunk, and under any seats.
If you spot a loose connection that’s near one of the speakers, just take off the wire completely or reattach it to its proper place on either end. This should instantly stop crackling car speakers!
Wires Got Damaged
Sometimes small wires get damaged over time due to all the moving, vibrations, and general wear-and-tear that your car goes through every day.
Damaged wires should be replaced ASAP to prevent further damage, but if you spot any broken ones while troubleshooting your speakers’ crackling issue, there is another easy fix.
Just get yourself some wire or solder and reattach the wires properly so that they can’t be pulled out easily in the future. Insulate the joint perfectly before testing out each speaker- this should give you a crystal clear sound again. However, we don’t recommend doing this as a permanent solution because the wire will get damaged again within a few weeks.
Bad Radio Signal
If the problem happens only when you are enjoying FM radio or your CD player, then there might be a problem with the signal that’s coming into to car speakers.
If this is an issue for you, it could be due to low radio frequency or car cd player issue– so don’t give up on FM radio just yet! First, try replacing any bad antennae wires. If the problem happens while playing CD, try fixing the CD player first.
Voice Coil Gone Bad
The voice coil is the small part of your speaker that actually produces sound. It’s surrounded by the magnet shell, and if there are any parts moving in this housing when it shouldn’t be- you’ll get crackling car speakers!
If the voice coil has become damaged due to some other issue (such as water or dust getting into it), it can cause your speaker to produce crackling noises.
The most common cause of voice coil going bad is taking apart the speakers without any expert supervision. A slight variation in putting things back together can cause this issue to pop up.
And guess what? Fixing this is a little more complicated, and requires you to take apart the speaker housing- which will void any warranties that might still be in place on your speakers. So, if you are sure that the problem is caused by voice coil displacement, you should take it to the authorized service center where they can help you fix it.
If there’s no warranty left anyway, then you can try fixing it yourself but considering the complications and precise work needed, we don’t recommend attempting to fix the speaker voice coil by anyone without any experience in the field.
Loose Connection In The Amplifier
If you’ve checked all the wires and connections in your system, but still hear a faint crackling sound coming from the speakers- it could be an issue with your amplifier or power supply.
So firstly check if everything else (power supply and all) works fine on its own. If there is no loose connection or bad voice coil, check the connections that go to the amplifier from your speakers.
While problems in the amplifier generally make the speakers stop working altogether, on some occasions, you’ll hear crackling noise as a warning before it completely silents out.
Torn Dust Cap
Dust caps are small covers that go on the tip of your speaker cone- which protect it from dust and other particles.
If these caps get torn or damaged, they can cause a sound problem as well as damage to the rest of the system over time because these parts aren’t meant for regular contact with anything at all!
So if you find a torn dust cap, just replace it with another one and see if that fixes your issue.
If not, then you’re looking at either of two things- the cone is damaged or there’s some other problem inside the speaker itself (voice coil displacement for example).
AUX Cable Issue
If you are using your AUX cable to play music through your car speakers, it’s possible that the connections have become loose over time.
It can also be caused by damage to the wire- so if there is any evidence of corrosion or other problems with the physical wires themselves, just reattach them and see how it goes! If that doesn’t solve the issue, replace it with a new wire to see if the problem persists or not.
This problem is more likely to cause crackling in your speakers rather than complete silence.
Speakers Got Damaged Over Time
In some cases, car speakers can get damaged over time due to factors like weather changes or other environmental elements; Or simply because it is too old and needs to be replaced.
So if you’ve checked all the other possible causes related to your car speakers, and still have a faint crackling sound coming from them- it’s time to take an assessment of their condition.
If they aren’t too old, then check for any physical damage that might not be evident just by looking at them.
Why Car Speakers are Crackling at Low Volume?
Buzzing noise at low volume is a sign of voice coil displacement. If you are experiencing crackling sound while the speaker is running at a very low volume, then physical damage is the most evident cause.
However, you should still start the troubleshooting process from cable connections to wires, and then actual speakers or amplifiers.
Is Crackling Speakers a Serious Issue?
Yes, It is a serious problem. Some people ignore the issue just like any minor issues in the car but little do they know that the crackling speakers are a serious sign of physical damage to the car speaker that’s irreversible or at least costly to fix.
Conclusion
Crackling can be caused by a variety of different issues, but the most common are loose connections in your amplifier or power supply.
If you’ve already checked for these and still have crackles coming from the speakers- it’s time to take an assessment on whether they’re too old or there is some other damage that might not be immediately evident just by looking at them.
A torn dust cap could also cause problems with how sound plays through your speaker system, so make sure you check those as well!
It’s important to note that if this problem persists after troubleshooting all these possible causes- then there may be something wrong internally with either the cone (or voice coil displacement). And yes, this issue should always get fixed ASAP because it can lead to serious, irreparable damage.
