Car Stereos: speaker chimes, chevy tahoe, replacement job

Question
i have an 03 chevy tahoe. the driver's side speaker (front) has low sound causing warning chimes not to be heard..(actually ran out of gas because of this)..it has a Bose system.. will this be a problem to replace or is there another reason why it won't work?? thanks

Answer
Hi Kim,

If the speaker is the faulty component (as seems likely), then replacing it is a fairly easy job.  It probably wouldn't take more than half an hour as a DIY project.  The best option is to obtain an OEM replacement speaker, from a dealer or online parts store.  I found the speaker on Parts.com for about $60; that site lists the dealer price at about $105.

In this particular vehicle, there's nothing very unusual about the Bose speaker in the front door; it's a 6.5", 4-ohm speaker.  If you wanted, you could save a bit of money by purchasing a pair of after-market 6.5" speakers.  This would make the replacement job more difficult, however; after-market 6.5" speakers will fit the factory opening, but the mounting holes won't match, so you'd have to tap new mounting screws into the door metal. You'd also need to purchase speaker adapter harnesses to make the new speakers fit the factory plugs. Also, if you don't purchase an OEM replacement, you'd need to replace both front door speakers instead of just the driver's door.

If you decide to take on the job yourself, let me know and I'll give you step-by-step instructions for the door panel removal.  (Note that it's necessary to remove the entire panel; don't try to just pull off the grille cover).

Hope this helps!

Brian