Lost Left Side Speakers

[scot1775]

Just returned from a ride in the hills and noticed that I no longer had music coming from my left side speakers. I have searched site FAQs and recent threads but can't find anything regarding the loss of balance control with the radio/speakers. The problem seems to be intermittent as I'll go over a bump and the speakers will come alive and then disappear again. I would assume it is a loose connection, or a short somewhere. Appreciate the help.

[Motomadman]

Would start checking the connections plugs first. We have had problems with corrosion or other bad contact issues in the plugs before. A lot of us have gone through and pulled them apart and coated all the contacts with dielectric grease. The rear plug is under the pillion seat which is not hard to get too. The others are located under the left hand side of the stingray. This requires removal of all the lower tupperware. If your going to go that far you might as well remove the housing ( Stingray) and coat all the connections back there as well. If BMW had used better plating such as gold we would not have these problems. If all this still does not fix your audio problem perhaps the left channel has burned out somehow. Not sure if a multimeter can used to check for wattage output at the speakers..........Good Luck I had my Radio replaced on my 02 just before the warranty ran out for terrible audio.....

[hagar]

If you ever find the problem, post the answer here. My left side is out as well.

[jkersh1]

The left side on mine is out too. I have pulled, cleaned, and greased the radio connectors, and control element; swapped left and right speaker leads; and concluded the radio is kaput. This is a single CD radio which replaced the original cassette version under warranty less than two years ago. That is fortunate since the replacement carries a two year warranty.

[robasay]

About 2 months ago my left side also began to work intermittently, my problem was fixed when I put a zip tie around the middle connecting plug on the left side of the stingray. The zip tie must be pulled tight to pull the two halves together and hold them tight.

Once you get to the connections you can jiggle them by hand to see which one is loose.

[scot1775]

Certainly appreciate your experience, but here is some more info. The last two days I've done some additional observations. When I start the bike cold on the centerstand all of the speakers work, both sides, but after 4-5 minutes at idle the front left side goes out and after another 10 minutes the rear left side disappears and can't be coaxed back. After several hours of the bike sitting I'll start her up again and the same behavior will repeat itself, all speakers work, then the left front disappears and then the rear. Bizarre. :confused:

[cpfuller]

Has anybody solved this problem yet.

Thanks
Charles

[jkersh1]

When Iron Horse in Tucson replaced my radio with its dead left channel they also found the control element, the thing on the stringray with the buttons, to have no fader control. This control element is subject to water leakage which I assume shorted out or contributed to the fader failing. Maybe the problem is here if its not in the radio itself.

scot1775, if you turn the radio on, but not the engine, do the left side speakers drop out? Trying to rule out vibration as a cause of a short or loosening connection.

[RVB1019]

Before you go crazy, did you disconnect the battery for say an hour? This would reset the radio.

I was told it might work. It didn't on my LT and now I have take her apart to try and fix it. However, it might work for yours.

[Nitrodoc]

Guys same deal left side speakers are intermittant. They start on but quickly quit. Monday had the radio on when I started the bike and opps now everything is kaput no radio or cd however display light does cmon just no display. Everday rider missin my tunes. Talked to a guy who knows a guy that had audio replaced out of warranty by bmw cant believe everthing you hear but hope springs...

Any help from the wise ones would be greatly appreciated.

[rbots]

Right side went out on my 05 Lt. Dealer replaced CD - radio module under warr, works great now. I hope it lasts, gotta have tunes!

[Nitrodoc]

Rbots thanks for the shout. my Bertha Mae Williams K1200lt is an 03 no warranty. Locking for a diagnostic for no display and no play hope like me is not too complicated. Bought her at 11k and now have 29900. Left WPB last july went to houston, phoenix, vegas phoenix, clutch repair at 18k in tuscon, santa fe, denver,akron columbus and back to florida repeat clutch repair and o/w had a great trip with just me the great american landscape and my tunes.

A little help from the wise ones on this forum would be appreciated.

[bghubr]

My left side stopped working. It ended up being a bad radio. I replaced the unit with a used cassette model. Now all is back to normal.

[BecketMa]

My rear speakers had been acting funny for many months. I just used the fader for front speakers only.

Today, I had the rear seat off to flush the rear brakes. I had a little DeOxit left, just a spray "contact" cleaner; so, I disconnected all 4 of the twist barrel connectors, shot them up, and the rear speakers are working again.

Until I pulled the sting-ray, shot all of the connectors, and greased them, either the left of right speakers would go out or sounded distorted. With the exception of the rears going distorted and then silent, radio-CD unit has been working fine.

The display is cloudy. But, since I don't use the radio, I haven't worried about it.

I'll be yanking a lot of tupperware soon, so I'll re-do the connectors, and see if some 99% rubbing alcohol will clear up the display.

Imagine that! A cloudy radio display in Tucson AZ!

bob

[Timmy]

Sounds like we are all faced with the same issue, I have a 03 LT1200 and my left speaker is out.... Does anybody have the fix? Putting the grease on the connections where do I find?

[wardenross]

My left channel/speakers went out 3 days before my warranty expired.

My dealer checked everything and found it to be a bad radio unit.

It was replaced under warranty. I believe the radio unit cost over $1200. The labor was about 4 hours.

Very expensive! Glad it was covered by warranty!