Speaker Vibration / Noise

[Gulfvet]

I just purchased this 2018 JL Rubicon with the Alpine Stereo upgrade. There is a loudly disturbing vibration from both lower front speakers. (most noticeable on the drivers side)The noise is worse with low level sound such as talk radio. The vibration resonates as if it is coming out of the steering wheel.
Has anyone else experienced this?

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[TimmH]

Yeah, I noticed it when listening to Sirius NFL radio, as you said, more pronounced with talk radio, but I notice it in music as well.

I have tweaked the EQ, but it only helps slightly, while messing up my preferred sound. Wish it was a 5-7 band EQ instead, I'm sure I could tweak it out of the frequency.

 

[Lithograph]

I had the same issue (driver's side only), and this is how I fixed it. First though, I'm going to complain:

Like you, I had a very annoying, damn-near infuriating vibration at any volume in the front, lower speaker. Podcasts/talk radio was the worst, but it vibrated during music also. I could tell it wasn't a blown/damaged speaker, but rather something vibration due to the sound frequency, and I was determined to find it.

This was the fix for me, and hopefully for you. Unfortunately, this was a huge pain in the ass to work on, but it worked:

I contorted myself like someone from Cirque du Soleil and got under the dash. I literally had to push my seat all the way back, recline the seat, and sit in it backwards. Then I "slid" under the dash like a snake, upside down, in order to get a good view under there.

Yes, that sucked.

I put a song on loop that made the vibration go crazy ("Deep" by Nine Inch Nails made my vibration go for 3 solid minutes), and started poking around at different places that the vibration could come from. I'm no expert, so I don't know the proper terminology, but there is a box mounted to the back of the speaker with the electronics/plugs and whatnot for the speaker. Using a long screwdriver, I touched that box, and the vibration completely stopped.

When I let off the pressure of simply touching the box, the vibration actually stayed gone, but I knew it would come back at some point, so I went about preventing it.

I had bought very small, rubber, self-adhesive furniture "buffers" for just this occasion. My plan was to put one of the small rubber pieces in between the box and the speaker it's mounted on. It was a huge pain to get to, because my maneuverability was very limited, and the box is mounted high up under the dash.

I put one of the little pads on some tweezers, used my free hand to "pry" the box back just a bit with a long screwdriver, and then shoved the sticky rubber pad in between the box and speaker. Yada, yada, yada...no more vibration.

I assume you have the same issue, likely in the same place. It's fixable, but getting to it is the problem. I'll try and get a photograph of what I did and post it in this thread.

 

[stoowie]

I had the same issue (driver's side only), and this is how I fixed it. First though, I'm going to complain:

Like you, I had a very annoying, damn-near infuriating vibration at any volume in the front, lower speaker. Podcasts/talk radio was the worst, but it vibrated during music also. I could tell it wasn't a blown/damaged speaker, but rather something vibration due to the sound frequency, and I was determined to find it.

This was the fix for me, and hopefully for you. Unfortunately, this was a huge pain in the ass to work on, but it worked:

I contorted myself like someone from Cirque du Soleil and got under the dash. I literally had to push my seat all the way back, recline the seat, and sit in it backwards. Then I "slid" under the dash like a snake, upside down, in order to get a good view under there.

Yes, that sucked.

I put a song on loop that made the vibration go crazy ("Deep" by Nine Inch Nails made my vibration go for 3 solid minutes), and started poking around at different places that the vibration could come from. I'm no expert, so I don't know the proper terminology, but there is a box mounted to the back of the speaker with the electronics/plugs and whatnot for the speaker. Using a long screwdriver, I touched that box, and the vibration completely stopped.

When I let off the pressure of simply touching the box, the vibration actually stayed gone, but I knew it would come back at some point, so I went about preventing it.

I had bought very small, rubber, self-adhesive furniture "buffers" for just this occasion. My plan was to put one of the small rubber pieces in between the box and the speaker it's mounted on. It was a huge pain to get to, because my maneuverability was very limited, and the box is mounted high up under the dash.

I put one of the little pads on some tweezers, used my free hand to "pry" the box back just a bit with a long screwdriver, and then shoved the sticky rubber pad in between the box and speaker. Yada, yada, yada...no more vibration.

I assume you have the same issue, likely in the same place. It's fixable, but getting to it is the problem. I'll try and get a photograph of what I did and post it in this thread.

 

[stoowie]

I have the same issue with my Rubicon 2 dr. I recently brought it back to the dealer who had it the entire day and came back and said they found nothing! Now for me I only can sense that annoying vibration from AM talk radio and not on Sirius. I'm not as handy as you are so I don't think i will do what you did. But interested if any others come up with a solution

 

[Gulfvet]

I had the same issue (driver's side only), and this is how I fixed it. First though, I'm going to complain:

Like you, I had a very annoying, damn-near infuriating vibration at any volume in the front, lower speaker. Podcasts/talk radio was the worst, but it vibrated during music also. I could tell it wasn't a blown/damaged speaker, but rather something vibration due to the sound frequency, and I was determined to find it.

This was the fix for me, and hopefully for you. Unfortunately, this was a huge pain in the ass to work on, but it worked:

I contorted myself like someone from Cirque du Soleil and got under the dash. I literally had to push my seat all the way back, recline the seat, and sit in it backwards. Then I "slid" under the dash like a snake, upside down, in order to get a good view under there.

Yes, that sucked.

I put a song on loop that made the vibration go crazy ("Deep" by Nine Inch Nails made my vibration go for 3 solid minutes), and started poking around at different places that the vibration could come from. I'm no expert, so I don't know the proper terminology, but there is a box mounted to the back of the speaker with the electronics/plugs and whatnot for the speaker. Using a long screwdriver, I touched that box, and the vibration completely stopped.

When I let off the pressure of simply touching the box, the vibration actually stayed gone, but I knew it would come back at some point, so I went about preventing it.

I had bought very small, rubber, self-adhesive furniture "buffers" for just this occasion. My plan was to put one of the small rubber pieces in between the box and the speaker it's mounted on. It was a huge pain to get to, because my maneuverability was very limited, and the box is mounted high up under the dash.

I put one of the little pads on some tweezers, used my free hand to "pry" the box back just a bit with a long screwdriver, and then shoved the sticky rubber pad in between the box and speaker. Yada, yada, yada...no more vibration.

I assume you have the same issue, likely in the same place. It's fixable, but getting to it is the problem. I'll try and get a photograph of what I did and post it in this thread.

Thank You for your hard work and for posting this detailed and fun reply.
I sent this information to my dealer and am asking them to fix it.
I was considering just replacing / upgrading the speakers until I found details throughout the www on the difficulty of removing the lower front speakers.
I am prepared to do the snake, as I have many times working on my previous old Fords, but after just dropping 39K I am going to attempt to ride this out with my dealer.
Currently I have my fader set to rear speakers only. That just ticks me off almost as much as the vibration.
Thanks again!
Leo

 

[Lithograph]

Glad I could be of help!

I hope my problem is the same one that you had, because it really is a super easy fix if you can get to the speaker. Someone who knows these vehicles inside and out (aka Jeep service tech) may know of a few panels to take off to make the fix easier, but I sure don't, and I didn't want to risk breaking something. I'm not very skilled at many things regarding automobile work, but after 20+ years of owning/installing/troubleshooting huge sound systems in cars, I have yet to find a vibration that I can't put an end to. (That includes trunk rattles on a Mustang w/ Fosgate subs in it!)

I just tried to get a photo of the small box I'm talking about, but I can't get a good shot of it due to other parts being in front of it. I'd have to get back under the dash, but that is the stuff of nightmares and I think I'm going to pass.

All-in-all though, the amount of sheer relief I had after making it stop has made my Jeep rides more enjoyable. It feels like a whole new sound system.

Now it's time to tackle the 2nd rattle I found in the roll bar...

 

[Obone]

Mine is in the center of the dash below the radio somewhere. I too took mine in and nothing was found. Thanks believe that the colder the weather the worse it is. I just wish that I could find it. Likely a connection vibrating.

 

[bam1111]

Have you read through this thread?
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/speaker-issue.6166/

 

[Obone]

Have you read through this thread?
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/speaker-issue.6166/

Yes but mine is in the center

 

[E Dub]

I just purchased this 2018 JL Rubicon with the Alpine Stereo upgrade. There is a loudly disturbing vibration from both lower front speakers. (most noticeable on the drivers side)The noise is worse with low level sound such as talk radio. The vibration resonates as if it is coming out of the steering wheel.
Has anyone else experienced this?

I have a 2018 JL and experiencing the same problem. I have my jeep at the dealer right now, and they can not find the problem. I will let you know what they say.

 

[stoowie]

One of our guys claim that he folded a business card into SGW module between the female connector and housing and it fixed it

 

[maus92]

I just purchased this 2018 JL Rubicon with the Alpine Stereo upgrade. There is a loudly disturbing vibration from both lower front speakers. (most noticeable on the drivers side)The noise is worse with low level sound such as talk radio. The vibration resonates as if it is coming out of the steering wheel.
Has anyone else experienced this?

Yes, I have this as well - I can even isolate the exact frequency range where it occurs with a tone generator. The problem is that distortion is intermittent. I *think* it has something to do with temperature - or at least that's my current theory. Last Friday when it was warm-hot, I had the issue. Yesterday I tested it prior to a service visit, and it was fine - much cooler weather. So I'm going to have to monitor the situation for a while longer.

 

[Obone]

I took mine in on a warm day ( the first available appt) and no vibration but on cooler days lots of vibration and painful to listen to. I guess that I will wait for consistent cool weather before making another appointment. Too much money for a crappy sounding system! I believe that it's the other parts of the dash and not the actual speakers or radio vibrating.

 

[chuy1021]

I have the same issue with my Rubicon 2 dr. I recently brought it back to the dealer who had it the entire day and came back and said they found nothing! Now for me I only can sense that annoying vibration from AM talk radio and not on Sirius. I'm not as handy as you are so I don't think i will do what you did. But interested if any others come up with a solution

I have the same issue on JL but only in the morning on FM radio.

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