HELP: Driver door audio dead

I have no audio coming out of my driver's door. I left it one afternoon for a couple hours at the body shop to align my door driver's door and I get the car back w no audio out of it and I can't figure out why. All they did was loosen the hinges and work with it like that. To my knowledge they didn't touch anything beyond that. I only mention this because everything was fine since I got the car back months ago and even that same morning on the way to the shop I had no problems with audio, never any hint that something was wrong.

Here's what I've done as far as trouble shooting goes:

-Swapped door cards to see if speakers worked. Plugged driver's door card into passenger side and it worked fine. Plugged Passenger door card into driver's side = no sound.

-Plugged a functioning amp from another vert into mine with the same result. Still nothing out of my door.

-Unplugged rubber sleeve in door jam and checked that connection into the door, everything was normal there - no corrosion or loose connection.

My next guess would be radio unit itself? The local indy shop will plug my car into their diagnostics next week at some point but its been on the back of my mind as to what it could be.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Bump...just coz I posted about my audio issues today too...same door.

I'm still without a clue. You mentioned swapping a door card...what is that?

Also, why was the door unaligned in the first place...prior accident?

If there's a connection right inside that boot to the door, then maybe when they did whatever, that loosened up? I'll have to look in mine and see what's there, though I seem to have lost my left rear speaker too...so I'm considering a failure in a channel...

Hope you figure yours out...if I run into anything that might help, I'll let you know.

Same here.

Originally Posted by dmax

Bump...just coz I posted about my audio issues today too...same door.

I'm still without a clue. You mentioned swapping a door card...what is that?

Also, why was the door unaligned in the first place...prior accident?

If there's a connection right inside that boot to the door, then maybe when they did whatever, that loosened up? I'll have to look in mine and see what's there, though I seem to have lost my left rear speaker too...so I'm considering a failure in a channel...

Hope you figure yours out...if I run into anything that might help, I'll let you know.

The actual interior door panel is what I mean by door card. I took those off the door and plugged the passenger side speakers into the driver door to see if the speakers were the problem which they were not. Yeah I had my car resprayed and they had the doors removed to spray the jams. I don't know if they severed a wire when adjusting or something bc it is too coincidental that the day I get my driver door touched is the day I lose sound in it.
Channel failure is what I thought as well but after switching amps it still didn't solve it.

The plug in the door under the rubber sleeve could be your issue, but it may not be likely. Its 1 8mm bolt to take it off. When you unbolt it, pull up on the rubber and it will reveal the connector in there.

If you come up with anything at all put it in here. When I get back from the shop at some point next week I'll post up what I find out in the diagnostics..

Tks. I'm going to check amp connection next. For you...maybe paint got in plug?

I'm on phone so if I wrote something stupid, it was probably the phone!

I believe I solved the issue. When I first pulled the door cards off I disconnected the battery. I guess it wasn't long enough to reset anything because this morning I left it disconnected for an extended period of time before work and sure enough it reset and my speakers work now

Originally Posted by NorthJersey 3er

I believe I solved the issue. When I first pulled the door cards off I disconnected the battery. I guess it wasn't long enough to reset anything because this morning I left it disconnected for an extended period of time before work and sure enough it reset and my speakers work now

Damn bat disconnect...how nice! Ain't going to work for me, though...this has persisted through a few bat disconnects! But, I'll have it on my list, just in case!

Glad you can hear again!

Yea I thought I tried that the first time but I dont think I left it disconnected long enough. Have you tried leaving it disconnected for a long period of time? That might do the trick

Im back again, the issue appears to be intermittent and comes and goes. I feel like it could be a loose connection or split wire. The local indy shop ran some diagnostics on it and nothing came back alarming. They told me the balance is actually backwards I dunno how that could happen. Im gonna have to try swapping out head units and see if that makes a difference.

UPDATE: PROBLEM SOLVED >>>>

So I had basically lost audio in my driver door permanently. Every once and awhile it would come on and during a long drive the bumps would cut out the sound. Then I noticed the passenger side started doing this as well, but not as badly. I took my car to a guy up here in NNJ to take a look at it. He's been w BMW and MB for 16 years and knows the navi and radio units quite well. We Swapped out actual navigation head unit entirely, but with no luck still did not have audio in the door. We then tried the radio/cd tuner located in the trunk (drivers' side) and that finally worked. Its been a few days without the slightest hint of a problem. This appears to be the source of the problem so if anyone has the issue of losing sound only in particular areas/speakers check your tuner!

Matt,

You mean you replaced the amplifier? I'm wired for cd, but don't have one, but if this is what you mean, it's certainly something I think is high on my list of probable issues, though have some more diagnostic work I can do.

Anyway, I'm glad you got your problem solved!

Doug

Doug I swapped the amp w another M3 vert from the same year when this problem first arose and it still did nothing. In the trunk theres a radio/cd tuner (Looks similar to this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Alpin...-/290503877782 ). If you replace this part it will most likely solve your issue as well.

Originally Posted by NorthJersey 3er

Doug I swapped the amp w another M3 vert from the same year when this problem first arose and it still did nothing. In the trunk theres a radio/cd tuner (Looks similar to this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Alpin...-/290503877782 ). If you replace this part it will most likely solve your issue as well.

Hmmm? Don't think I have one of those; just the amp and the pre-wiring for cd changer. I think I'm still looking at my amp...I'll get into it eventually. Something always turns out to need doing before!

Have you tried changing out your radio unit? He said that sometime condensation builds up and drips from the vents above the radio and can leak into the radio knocking out sound too.

voila very nice man. that would drive me crazy too.