QuestionI have a 2003 Nissan Sentra, for over a year now I have been driving around listening to mono and not stereo.
The drivers side of the car does not have any audio output, I tried everything ie; check the balance, fade etc. I tried CD and still nothing. What would be the problem and how can it be fixed without spending a lot of money.
AnswerHi Everett,
It sounds like you have either a defective head unit, or two defective speakers. You'll need to figure out which component is failing before you can fix it.
The easiest way to do this is to do some testing at one of the speakers. You should be able to get to the rear speaker connection, under the rear deck in the trunk. There are a few different ways to test the speaker.
If you have a multimeter available, you can test the speaker wires directly for AC voltage. All audio signals in wires are carried as AC, and the voltage increases with the music volume. Just set the meter for AC voltage, and touch one probe to each speaker terminal. If the music is playing, there should be voltage present, and it should increase and decrease with the music output. If you find AC voltage, and the speaker isn't producing sound, then the speaker is bad; if there's no voltage present, then the head unit's output isn't working. (If you have an analog voltmeter with a needle, or a digital multimeter with a bar graph display, it might work better than a standard digital meter, because you'll be able to watch the display move in time with the music. However, you should still be able to tell if there's voltage on the wires with a standard multimeter).
Another option is to test the continuity of the speaker voice coil. To do this, set the meter for the "continuity" function, and unplug the speaker. Touch the probe to the terminals of the disconnected speaker. If there's no continuity between the two terminals, then the voice coil is open, and the speaker is defective. If you find continuity between the terminals, check the DC resistance reading. If it's below 3 ohms, then the voice coil may be shorted. However, if it's above 3 ohms, then the speaker is probably good.
If you don't have a multimeter handy, then another way to test the speaker is with a 1.5v battery (a AA, C, or D battery will work fine). You'll just need the battery, a couple pieces of wire and some electrical tape. Tape the wires to the battery so that each wire is in contact with one of the battery terminals. Then unplug the speaker, and touch the loose ends of the two wires to the speaker terminals. As you touch both wires to the terminals, you should hear a popping sound from the speaker, and the speaker cone should move. If it doesn't, then it's probably a bad speaker.
I think it's more likely that your speakers are the problem and not the head unit. Either way, your best option is probably to replace the defective components--it's seldom worthwhile to have defective OEM head units serviced, and speakers are generally not reparable. You can often find replacement OEM radios on eBay, or you can buy an after-market deck with an adapter kit and harness. A basic after-market deck with the installation parts shouldn't cost more than about $150 to $200.
Replacement speakers should be less expensive. In your vehicle, the front and rear speakers are similar in size; if it turns out that you have two bad speakers, you could probably take the good speaker in the right front door and use it to replace the left rear speaker. Then buy a pair of after-market 6-1/2" speakers for the front.
Hope this helps!
Brian
