my headrest speakers arent working on my 88 vert...i still have the oem radio and everything...the power button for both headrest speakers comes on, and lights up red, but no sound comes out of the speakers...i figured if they were blown id at least hear some static or something...anyone got any ideas?

 

Hard to say. The wiring for the speakers is fairly complicated. It involves the radio, the switch, the amp behind the seat & lastly the speakers. Download the factory service manual and take a look at the headrest speaker wiring. Trace the wires and look for anything disconnected first.

 

Check to see if the plugs under the seats are connected securely.

Check to see if both plugs in the HR amp (behind drivers seat in rear well) are plugged in securely.

One other possibility to blown amp, etc is the AE box on the right side of the head unit. All separately amped sound signals go through it before it goes anywhere else.

 

i have to hold the up volume button for a while, and click it several times before i hear anything

 

Normal, especially S4's.

 

So is that amp behind the carpeted panels behind the seat or actually under the seat? I'm going to check it out when I get off work, the mute button on the side of the radio still works, so I don't think that could be it, and everything behind the radi still is plugged in. At least the headrest speaker power button lights up red when it's turned on, so at least it's getting some sort of power to it

 

The amp is under the panel, near the spare tire.

 

Nevermind this paragraph since the headunit is stock.. but I was going to say that I have to just the switched power to another pin near it to turn the amp on.. but that shouldn't be the case for you.. actually I don't believe the center console lit up until I did that.. and yours is.

Try unplugging the headrest and putting another speaker to it. Hold the wires of the other speaker to the plug. If you get signal ten it's your headrest if not it's further back. You probably need to see if the amp is getting signal. I'm at school now or I would get the wire colors for you. If it is then either the amp is blown OR it's the center switch.. (common problem) I'm not sure if you could jump the pins there to make it constantly 'turn up'. Well I'm sure you could but I don't know the long term effects.

 

There is another connector in the headrest. If anyone has taken the headrests off, they may have left them both unhooked.

Here is a pic

 

ok cool ill have to check that out

 

Bump for the same problem but mine worked before I took the seats out to fix the rust and clean the carpet.

 

You sure you put the underseats plugs back together before you bolted the seats back in?

 

yes there pluged back in. I can hear the speakers getting power but no music... im stumped. i pulled the fuse from the box and the amp in the back, nothing. the amp click when i press the power on for the headrest speakers

 

my 89 and my 91 verts both did like the above post. you can hear the click of the amp turning on but no sound. and on both cars it was working fine 1 day and the next it didnt and there was nothing at all done to the cars when this happened. im still at a loss.

 

Check the fader switch position. Swivel halo around lower **** on left side of radio. If turned all the way the wrong way (counter clockwise), no signal gets to the headrest speaker amp.

 

on mine when I am holding the switch in the red light is on, but will not stay on when I let the button go.
I can also hear a faint pop from the speaker when pushing the headrest speaker button.

 

I recently got my 91 vert with airbag (i think this effects the wiring). My headrest speakers are completely inop, no pop or anything when turning radio on. I have checked to make sure everything is plugged in in/under the seats. my question is, do all verts have the headrest speaker switch/volume controls in the center console near the roof button? i have a coin tray there instead... i pulled it out and the connector is there. Does anyone else have a vert without the volume switches with working headrest speakers? need to know if this is the problem or just an option i dont have. thanks

 

If you have an aftermarket head unit, it's almost a lost cause to try and make the headrest speakers work again. I have an amplifier that I'll be routing new speaker wire from it to all new speakers, and hopefully to the headrest speakers. I'll probably have to fabricate a new panel in the original spot with a rheostat to have some volume control.

I've sat for hours looking at the factory headrest speaker controls, and it is really complicated. I don't think the factory wiring diagram is right. My ohmmeter keeps telling me so

 

I still have a completely stock audio system that works great other than the inop headrest speakers. I just cant figure out if the headrest amp or the "audio equalibrium" need to see a resistance or something from the switch im missing to power them. I still cant find whether that power/volume switch in the center console is an option or a required component.

 

It's absoutly a required component. It's what tells the amp to amp up.

Also, know that you need to hold down the volume up button for a while before you actually hear any sound come from the headrest speakers. Give it 30 seconds. S4's seem to take longer than S5's.

 

I found that both power buttons on the center by the arm rest were jacked so they woulden't stay on. The speakers only come on if I hold them in.

 

So assuming I cannot find the switch that was replaced with a coin holder, I am thinking about just tossing a jumper wire into the connector on the contacts that the main power button would connect. In the factory manual "Body Electrical" there is a pinout with pin testing for everything EXCEPT the main power button, leaving pins D and H not tested. Can anyone verify if this would work? hoping not to fry my amp

 

I'm thinking that would work, you might could find one used though/

 

That will turn on the amp, but how are you going to turn up the volume?

Source a replacement switch. Post a WTB on the classifieds. Search ebay. They really aren't that expensive used.