Speaker Issues!

[cbus]

I have the original speakers in my 2011 242 limited s and didn't have an issue until late last summer.

My stern remote went out at some point, not sure when and not sure it has anything to do with my problem.

When I turn the radio on, I can hear the music in the radio but it fades in and out loud then soft and when I rev the engines, the sound goes down and I can hear the engine noise thru the speakers.

I'm assuming it is a ground issue but would love to hear suggestions as I'm not an electrical minded person.

Would there be a fuse issue?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Julian]

My first suggestion would be to pull the remote off the swim platform and clean its connectors first.....as it is known to have a problem....it might be partially plugged in or corroded.

 

[cbus]

@Julian does this cause the intermittent sound issue? I really don't use that remote but if you think it could be causing the issue, I will remove. Now I just need to know how to remove it. Any suggestions?

 

[Julian]

I've read where a malfunctioning stern remote completely disabled the stereo....so yes, I think it could cause this.

Which stereo does your boat have? You might look at the back of the head unit (if that is easy to do) and see if there is a remote connection there and try unplugging it from there. If it is hard wired, then it is likely held on by a couple of nuts on the back...which would likely require removal of the clean out tray (where the clean out ports are). But hopefully someone with your model will chime in as I'm not even sure where your remote sits...I think it is off to the side...

 

[swatski]

Yep, sounds like it's time to pull out your soldering iron and go to work! If it is the JBL MR 145.2 HU with wired remote, or similar - it is almost certainly the remote and/or HU connections that are at fault. These units have terrible reputation, but they are actually decent units with BAD connectors. Cut and re-solder works best, or use good marine grade connectors.

 

[Gym]

@cbus. I believe @Julian is correct as the rear remote quite often gets wet when the wake catches up on quick stops. You can actually unplug the remotes from the back of the radio as they are modular connectors. Your guess about a ground is not far off either so check both.

 

[robert843]

My swim remote is not working either is it usually that simple of a fix just re solder the connections? Mine almost looks like it somehow got water behind the face plate as the screen looks a little cloudy. Is there a inexpensive replacement option on it? I really don't think it will get used much so don't want to spend a ton of money or time on it but if it's a simple fix I don't mind.

 

[Gym]

My swim remote is not working either is it usually that simple of a fix just re solder the connections? Mine almost looks like it somehow got water behind the face plate as the screen looks a little cloudy. Is there a inexpensive replacement option on it? I really don't think it will get used much so don't want to spend a ton of money or time on it but if it's a simple fix I don't mind.

That would be something I think you would want to do in the off season as you would be breaking the calking seal and unplugging it leaving a hole in the rear platform. Then I would see if you can shake out any moisture, then dump it into a container of rice which is the "wet cell phone" fix. You could speed tape the hole in the rear deck with aluminum tape if it's affecting the radio operation and you want to attempt fixing it during the boating season.

 

[tdonoughue]

Personally, I just unplugged mine. I didn't use it all that much (occasionally), and after it was messing with my stereo the second time, that was it. In fact, the second time it kept turning up the radio on me. Would not turn off or do anything. Only thing I could do was keep turning it down as fast as it would turn it up. What a great day that was on the boat.

No more. Unplugged.

 

[cbus]

@tdonoughue Did your radio fluctuate in and out volume wise? That is what mine is doing. I did go behind the head unit and there was a rear remote rf plug. It was a black wire. I unplugged it but I'm having the same issue as before unless I pulled the wrong wire. If you happen to remember what and where you pulled the wire, that would help.

Also if anyone wants to chime in here. When I was behind the unit I could here the apple plug in rotating on and off and it wouldn't stop. I never use that thing and not sure why it keeps going on - is there a fix for that? I'm beginning to think I need a new head unit but wanted to check with everyone here first.

Thanks!

 

[Bill D]

Do you have the Aquatic AV radio? The original owner of my boat had issues with the head unit that sound somewhat similar to what you are experiencing. He ended up getting the HU replaced, but here is a link to his thread explaining what he did to troubleshoot the remote receivers. Side note, the transom remote hasn't worked in a long time. I never use it though because I have the wireless remote and it works great.

http://yamahajetboaters.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=287986#p287986

 

[cbus]

@Bill D I do have the Aquatic AV. The y connector he shows in the pic is the one I disconnected but the problem continued so I don't think the remote is causing the issue. I'm lost at this point. I have been looking at replacing the head unit all together but I am not a wiring guy at all and this seems like a big project. I priced it out to have a local company do it for me and WOW! that's very pricey! Anyone with ideas on what head unit to get would be great. I saw some threads but if anyone has a suggestion with a good BT receiver on board I would appreciate it.

 

[Bill D]

It seems like most people around here have been going to the Fusion HU's. They are really well made and seem to last. I have been really interested in the new media centers that have been coming out, but the only one I know that has been installed is the Exile by @bobbie. The biggest concern there is mounting and filling the hole in the dash, but don't worry... I'm sure we can find something else to spend your money on.

The JL Audio - https://jetboaters.net/threads/jl-audio-mm100s-mediamaster-review-and-detailed-info.8561/
The Exile - http://exileaudio.com/store/index.php/amplifiers/signal-processing/exmc1.html
The Wet Sounds - http://www.themalibucrew.com/index.php?/forums/topic/57766-wet-sounds-black-box-and-remote/

 

[96Pirate]

@Bill D I do have the Aquatic AV. The y connector he shows in the pic is the one I disconnected but the problem continued so I don't think the remote is causing the issue. I'm lost at this point. I have been looking at replacing the head unit all together but I am not a wiring guy at all and this seems like a big project. I priced it out to have a local company do it for me and WOW! that's very pricey! Anyone with ideas on what head unit to get would be great. I saw some threads but if anyone has a suggestion with a good BT receiver on board I would appreciate it.

@cbus I recently installed a Fusion ms ip600. I got it for a discontinued price around $280 I think. The newer 700 series are in the $600 range I believe but you may be able to find an 600 series still. I have an iPod touch loaded up with songs and fits right into this unit. I did get a Bluetooth connector with mine but I have not tried that yet. All in all I love the unit. The 1 caution I will throw out is it seems a lot of guys have had to add an additional template for mounting the unit to the dash. Myself included. @JetBoatPilot sells them but I am not sure if he has them for all models. I ended up making my own out of Starboard because I was switching the placement of it.

 

[cbus]

Thanks @96Pirate ! I was just looking at the Fusion line and saw this :
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_917RA70/FUSION-MS-RA70.html?tp=61742&awkw=181261358185&awat=pla_with_promotion&awnw=g&awcr=93567740545&awdv=c

Not sure how this stacks up to the i600 but if anyone knows, please chime in!

 

[cbus]

@96Pirate the 600 says it is Sirius ready. Were you able to hook that up to the existing Sirius unit on your boat (if you had one)? My current HU has it on there and didn't know if I could use that with this model.

 

[96Pirate]

@cbus I did not buy it for that purpose but I thought I remember seeing something that said it was not supported any longer or maybe you would need a special adapter for it to work. I could be mistaken and will check to see if I can find that paperwork.

 

[96Pirate]

Thanks @96Pirate ! I was just looking at the Fusion line and saw this :
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_917RA70/FUSION-MS-RA70.html?tp=61742&awkw=181261358185&awat=pla_with_promotion&awnw=g&awcr=93567740545&awdv=c

Not sure how this stacks up to the i600 but if anyone knows, please chime in!

I guess a big difference is it does not support ipod or CD. But I think they sell other adapters to go along with this for that purpose. But if all you are interested in is radio and Bluetooth, this might be OK.

 

[cbus]

Does anyone know if the factory HU is a direct wire to the battery? I'm thinking of replacing it with a new one that requires it to be direct and since I'm not used to doing this type of work, I was hoping someone with more knowledge than me would jump in.

 

[96Pirate]

@cbus I would assume all models and years are wired the same but not positive. Mine was a direct wire. The power and grounds from all the accessories were all bundled together and you should see that as "1" wire connected to each terminal on the battery. The others would be for the engines.