hey guys, is the fader-balance knob the problem with the LH front and rear speaker cut-out on '90-'94 legacy. i can push in on the knob and the speakers start working. do i just need to clean the rotary with electrical cleaner, or is it more complicated. i can also crank the volume and hear just a little from the speakers in question. i do not believe the speakers are blown. pretty sure it is in the receiver. (sorry, no question mark on this computer)....
btw, when the speakers work, the sound is pretty good for a '90....
stock radio, fader-balance knob a problem.....
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Re: stock radio, fader-balance knob a problem.....
When mine did that I removed the radio, removed the faceplate adn tightened the nut on the volume knob... It worked for a while, but eventually started acting up again so I upgraded to a late model 6 disc.
Where are you located, may be able to help you out...
Where are you located, may be able to help you out...
'90 Bermuda Blue L Wagon (Wife's),
Auto, AWD, Now with 275K + miles!
2005 Outback, 2.5 AWD (wife's new daily)
Auto, AWD, Now with 275K + miles!
2005 Outback, 2.5 AWD (wife's new daily)
Re: stock radio, fader-balance knob a problem.....
tulsa, oklahoma.... a bit of a drive from washington... 
you say it was the volume knob? i wonder why pushing in on the fader completes the circuit to the LH speakers? i have the same problem on a '94 too. must be a pretty common issue.
well, if i don't hear of a good fix, the owners will just have to ante-up and upgrade their radios (neither car is mine, i'm just fool enough to do the work on them)....
you say it was the volume knob? i wonder why pushing in on the fader completes the circuit to the LH speakers? i have the same problem on a '94 too. must be a pretty common issue.
well, if i don't hear of a good fix, the owners will just have to ante-up and upgrade their radios (neither car is mine, i'm just fool enough to do the work on them)....
Re: stock radio, fader-balance knob a problem.....
on mine I could push the fader/balance knob and get it to work also. I suspect it has more to do with loss of contact at teh volume knob (mine was way loose) and pushing on the fader knob pushes it back into contact. All I know is that it worked for me, at least for a while.
'90 Bermuda Blue L Wagon (Wife's),
Auto, AWD, Now with 275K + miles!
2005 Outback, 2.5 AWD (wife's new daily)
Auto, AWD, Now with 275K + miles!
2005 Outback, 2.5 AWD (wife's new daily)
Re: stock radio, fader-balance knob a problem.....
cool, i'll pull the radio next time one of the cars needs some service and will post my fix or lack thereof...
Re: stock radio, fader-balance knob a problem.....
took the radio out of the '90 today. it is a matsushita.
disassembled the chassis, removed the faceplate and controls board. the board plugs into the main board as does a secondary board. the volume, bass, and fader knobs are all ALPS brand pots. none were loose. i then checked the soldered pins for hairline cracks, but found no problems.
i believe the LH intermittent speaker problem is in the ALPS pot. i am guessing it is losing contact, either due to dirt or poor design.
i didn't see any easy way to clean the pots. you might be able to solder in new ones, but it would be tricky as the printed circuit has very, very little room between circuits.
in conclusion, it looks like these radios are heading for the scrap pile.....
disassembled the chassis, removed the faceplate and controls board. the board plugs into the main board as does a secondary board. the volume, bass, and fader knobs are all ALPS brand pots. none were loose. i then checked the soldered pins for hairline cracks, but found no problems.
i believe the LH intermittent speaker problem is in the ALPS pot. i am guessing it is losing contact, either due to dirt or poor design.
i didn't see any easy way to clean the pots. you might be able to solder in new ones, but it would be tricky as the printed circuit has very, very little room between circuits.
in conclusion, it looks like these radios are heading for the scrap pile.....