After car machines, car speakers are the second thing to stop working suddenly. Car speakers tend to wear out, the wiring of the speaker amplifiers and port get loose and even break over time. So, it can happen that your car speakers not working on one side will work, or both the speakers will stop all of a sudden. This is often seen in lower-quality original equipment speakers that most cars and trucks are equipped with. There are many components before the speaker and any one of them could be the problem. So here is the procedure for testing them, finding the cause, and fixing them yourself.
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How To Know That Car Speaker Not Working On One Side?
Given below are the steps you need to follow to find why is my car speaker not working on one side.
If your car has a two-channel amplifier, a crossover, a head unit, and two-door speakers with one side working. If you have your car speakers behind the door panels then car speakers will be the problem probably. To determine the problem, we will first look at the other components of the music system and finish the diagnosis with the speakers. If the front car speakers are not working or rear speakers start by checking these components.
1. Test The Wires
To check the wiring, get some new speaker wires and connect them to your speaker and amp. If the speakers are working then the problem is not in the speakers but the wires. In this case, get quality speaker wires and replace the old ones. This should fix the problem. Also, the heat created from electronics in the car can make the insulation tape wrapped around the speaker wires come out of its being used on the wiring loom causing shorts to occur.
2. Test RCA Cables
Test the cables between the amplifier and the intermediate component. To do this, unplug the cables from the component’s output and then plug the good cables into the bad side. If the left channel is working, connect the left RCA cable from the amp to the right side of the crossover, then turn the stereo on. If the good channel, or in this case, the right channel keeps working then the RCA cables in the middle of the crossover and amp can be the problem.
3. Test The Crossovers
Testing the crossover is the same as testing the RCA cables. The right to the left input and vice versa. Switch on the audio system. If the left channel continues working and the right channel doesn’t work then the intermediate component is the problem. Consider repairing or replacing the component.
If the problem shifts to the left, then the crossover isn’t the problem. Check the components before the crossover. Turn off the stereo and fix the RCA cables to the previous configuration.
4. Check The Fader Setting On The Car
Ensure that the fader setting is placed evenly in the middle. This is a common mistake that most people don’t realize and automatically assume that the speaker is blown or damaged from one side. A fader control allows you to make the sound louder or quieter controlling the front and rear speakers. If the sound is faded more towards the left, the right speakers will not work and be loud as the other side. So ensure that the fader setting on the car stereo is placed equally from both sides.
How To Take Care Of Car Speakers?
Follow these steps if you have recently invested in new car audio and most likely want to keep it banging for years.
1. Don’t Overdrive It
Nothing kills a speaker or fries an amp faster than distortion. Your installer has set your amplifier gains to match your head unit output level. You should not need to touch the gain knobs after the system is complete. If your sound starts to crackle or distort at a high volume, turn it down! If you want it louder, you are going to need more power ad cracking the amp’s gain knob won’t make that happen.
2. Don’t Load Your Groceries And Laundry
Don’t let stuff hit your subs. But putting groceries and laundry bounce off moving subwoofers is terrible for them. That bowling ball rolling around back there can do some serious damage. Put some grilles on the speakers or keep the trunk clean.
However, most car audio systems are well equipped to withstand the environment inside the vehicle and the temperature extremes that go with it. You should never prick them or do anything to it unless and until they wear out naturally after many years of service unless you blow them by not following step one.
3. Avoid Turning The Speakers Too Loud For Too Long
Even though listening to loud music is fun, overdoing it will damage your speakers. Turning up the volume too loud for a long time will physically damage the speakers. The amount of damage will depend on how loud the volume is and how well the speakers are maintained. 
And, when you are planning to buy car speakers, do check the materials that the speakers are made of. It will also determine how long they will last. What the speaker is made up of will affect the quality of sound and durability.
4. Check Your Power Connections
There’s a lot of current flowing through those power cables, and probably a lot of vibration in your car if you have a big system. Grounds should be checked occasionally to make sure they are still tight and not starting to corrode. The same goes for your battery terminals and any power distribution blocks in the system. You’ve got to keep that current flowing if you want to keep the music going.
Conclusion
The life span of the car speakers also depends on who is using them. Some small things that should be checked like clearing the dust, keeping the magnets away are the habits you should carry along.
Car speaker not working on one side is a problem that every car owner has faced once in his life. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a tech expert to fix these problems. The simple solution and the common solution is checking and testing the wires and fixing or replacing them. So no extra knowledge is required other than testing. However, it will take enough time in removing the setup, testing the wires, and then fixing them even if you are not tech-savvy.