TarXan

Hi everyone. I recently picked up a 2004 LS430 ML and I've noticed that 3 of the tweeters are making crackling noises, and my music doesn't sound very clear. It sounds better when listening to blues or rap, but rock/metal is really hard to listen to due to the crackling. I had been using a cassette to aux adapter for the past month or so and I figured the bad audio quality was due to that. But I just installed a GROM VLite VT2 and I still hear crackling coming from the tweeters when streaming via bluetooth. It only seems to be happening to the one on the passenger side dash and the ones in each rear door. I don't hear it coming from the driver's side dash. Any ideas on what this could be? I've been searching this site but I haven't seen many posts about the tweeters going out. I don't hear kind crackling/rattling from the sub or the other door speakers, though I'm sure they would benefit from a refoam. I've read on here that the tweeters are the least likely to blow, since it's low frequencies that usually cause speakers to blow. Is it possible that the amp could be going bad? I haven't checked the amp itself for any signs of water damage or corrosion yet, but I'll try to do that tonight. Any help would be appreciated.

AVSRacing

I think best to take out the tweeter to physically inspect but I think it's a huge job cuz it's in the dash

alextv

Do you hear this from the car radio also? If so check audio out at amp for that suspected tweeter. Heard dash has to be taken apart to replace tweeter so I would just disconnect it at amp if you don't want to replace. It could also just be dirt or something else on top of tweeter if you can blow it out or vacuum.

TarXan

Yeah, I figured that I'd need to look at the tweeters themselves. I read on here that they can be removed without taking the whole dash apart, so I'll try to look at them tonight as well. Or at least I can look at the tweeters in the rear doors, since they're making the same noise.

I haven't checked with FM Radio or the CD player yet, though I guess I should've done that before asking on here. That'll at least help me figure out if the issue is being caused by the GROM or not.

LS430Jim

Hey TarXan welcome to clublexus!

I think the passenger tweeter has been replaced before without dash removal.

Here is a reddit post covering passenger front tweeter replacement without removing the dash -
https://www.reddit.com/r/LS430/comme..._dash_removal/

If you can look into the rear tweeters first.
You could temporarily connect a similar speaker to see if the crackle is from the source/amp as you ruled out the tape deck (distortion from the adaptor).

Be sure you rule out clipping - maybe not setting volume to max via Grom/Bluetooth (if possible?) but if the crackling is there on the stock FM etc I'd start with the back tweeters.

TarXan

Hi everyone, thank you all for your input. I listened to a few different FM radio stations and the audio sounded just fine. I didn't hear any crackling and the audio was clear. After this, I decided to try and unplug the GROM VLite and plug it back in, making sure the wire harness was connected securely. While I was disconnecting the GROM, I noticed the bluetooth antenna on the unit was loose. I tried tightening it by hand, but the jack that the antenna plugged into started spinning as well. I had to take apart the VLite and tighten the bluetooth jack from the inside. After this, I plugged it back in and tested it with my dash taken apart, to make sure there was no interference between my phone and the bluetooth antenna. The audio sounded clearer than before, but there's still some crackling and it still doesn't even sound as clear as FM radio. I found some old CDs, so I tested the CD player on my way to work this morning, and the audio quality was really good. I didn't hear any crackling, even when turning the volume up way louder than I'd usually listen to, and the sound quality was very clear. I already sent a message to GROM for support, but I have a feeling I'm just going to end up returning this thing and installing one of the android tablets instead.

AVSRacing

I have the bt harness from sc430 mods on my ML and it sounds great. I think you should try that. Some of the cheaper aux to bt/ fm adapter loose sound quality once you crank up the volume at the source, ie your phone. The sc430mods harness sounds great and you get bt calling.

TarXan

You know, I actually found a GROM BT3 bluetooth adapter already installed when I put in the VLite. I had been driving around for about a month using a cassette adapter cause I didn’t even think about opening up the dash to look for one. I’m gonna try and reinstall that tonight to see if it sounds any better. I really wanted the Carplay integration you get with the VLite, but if the BT3 sounds good enough, I’ll probably just RMA the VLite and stick with it instead. If there was an easy way to use the OEM backup camera with one of the android tablets, I’d do that, but I really don’t want to cut up the factory wire harness.