Bocatrip

Have any of you guys had any experience with the cheap repair discussed with regards to using a glue gun to repair the torn subwoofer speaker? I have read a ton of posts (on another forum) claiming fantastic results with just removing the rear subwoofer grill and using a glue gun on any actual tear as well as around the peremeter of the speaker housing. Anyone tried this? How easy is it to remove the grill or is it really necessary to remove the rear seat? Thanks all.

diplomacyk

I recently replaced my subwoofer and had it repaired ...yes we need to remove the rear seats and it isnt difficult ..u need to take your car an audio shop ..the people would know how to get the job done and yes it can be repaired as i had to repair the round sealing on it :=)

StanVanDam

I found this when I thought my sub was buzzing - http://reconekits.com/jbltoyota86160...msurround.aspx

Turned out my sub was fine and that a subwoofer cover peg ended up on the metal rear tray.

The grill is held on tightly by 4 pegs but can be popped off without removing the rear seats. See pictures at http://www.carstereoremoval.com/htm/...S43001_03P.htm

You will need to remove the rear seats if you want to take the subwoofer out of the car to replace the foam surround. Replacing the foam surround would be a more permanent fix than applying glue/silicone blindly. The old surround needs to be scraped off and the edge of the sub needs to be cleaned. Then apply white speaker glue or Elmer's white glue to the edge of the sub and to the contact surface of the foam edge. Press together, clamp, and wait a day to be safe. Or take the sub to a speaker repair shop. Reinstall your sub and rear seats and you're good to go.

Bocatrip

Did you have to replace the foam around the speaker? Approximately how much are we talking about for this repair? Are we saying that most of our speakers can be salvaged and repaired when doing the buzzing thing? Is it that most of these ML Subwoofers are really "not torn" but have the foam falling apart?

StanVanDam

A speaker repair shop should be able to install a new edge for $20-50 if you take the sub out and bring it to them. Most of the Mark Levinson subwoofer buzzing problems are caused by the foam edge surround tearing away from the cone. Removing the old edge and glueing on a new one is a simple task for any speaker repair shop to do.

Bocatrip

I'm not handy so I will have to depend on the shop to remove the speaker. If this will require the removal of the seat, how much time are we talking about?

StanVanDam

It takes about 30 minutes to take out the seats and the rear tray. Rear seat removal instructions are at https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...-01-03-ul.html

To remove the rear tray, you need to undo the seat belts and pop out all the covers on the top of the rear tray. Work the tray out from under the side edges, and once loosened, you pull the whole thing towards the front of the car. 4 x 10mm bolts hold the sub in place.

Bocatrip

Thanks...StanVanDan....I found a guy from an audio shop to install the felt ring on my subwoofer. It looks like a fair amount of work to remove the seat. I have been able by looking up at the speaker in the trunk, see light coming through the outside all around the cone of the speaker. As mentioned it looks torn away all around. I would really like to just use the glue all around rather than having to remove the seat. This guy says it's important not to mess around with an aftermarket speaker. Can someone give me the link for that felt ring? Thanks all.

Bocatrip

I've decided to pass on the seat removal for the felt ring and go for the glue gun fix. I was able to get a good look at the speaker from the trunk and it looks like a great candidate for the glue. I'll keep everyone posted. I'm so excited to hopefully be getting some base back while saving all those bucks!

Jabberwock

I'd use silicone adhesive or caulk to repair the foam speaker surround rather than a glue gun. Hot glue tends to dry relatively brittle - my guess is the repair would not last long. What you want is a strong but flexible repair that is waterproof and heat proof - silicone adhesive or caulk may be a better long term repair.

diplomacyk

Seat Removal is easy ....a few clips which have to be removed slowly so they dont break those are under the seats and removal of seat with an experienced guy would take just 10-15mins plus when i saw my subwoofer i saw its seal torn lol so the guy had to replace it with an aftermarket seal and apply some strong glue with it ...the audio guy told me this usually happens because of the sunlight direct on the subwoofer and then we play loud music too ....heat here is like hell

ejthomp

I used silicone.... 9 months ago now.

Just pop the speaker cover off (It does need some convincing to pop off) and squeeze in some silicone all the way around the speaker where it is tearing. I spread it smooth all the way around with my finger, keeping some paper towels handy to wipe up excess.

Let the silicone dry for 24 hours before testing it out!

Bocatrip

I just finished the silicone repair. By the way, the easiest way to remove the speaker cover is to use the nail removal part of a hammer! Just 4 very easy pries and off it came. The speaker was pretty much torn all around the outside. I loaded it up with the silicone (not that pretty) and will wait 24hrs. Here is Florida, I'm sure it will dry in an a few hours in the sun but I'd rather be safe. I'll post back after tomorrow's trial run!

Bocatrip

Tried out my repair today and while greatly improved it's not perfect. Under certain applications, I can still hear some buzzing but overall I would say it is improved 90%. I don't think there is anything further I can do without making matters worse. I will be very careful as not to overstress the speaker with too much bass and cross my fingers it holds up. It's still better than having to spend $500!

Bocatrip

The speaker is still buzzing although improved enough to play the radio without pumping it up to loud. I have been contemplating refoaming the speaker, but am not sure with all the silicone I used it would work. I know it's crazy, but I've also thought about buying a new speaker from Ebay for the astronomical price of $369. Has anyone had anyluck bargaining with the guy to get it for less? Is there anywhere else to buy a new speaker for less? I just want my radio to play. Other than the audio, I love this car!!!!