Kick panel speaker repair (?)

[scoot]

I have a pair of the becker kick panel speakers found in 108's and late 113's.  One is bad (no sound).  Any suggestions on what to do to fix it...?   Becker says I can send it to them but they don't quote a price.

[Peter van Es]

Find a new speaker to fit in it... http://www.sl113.org/wiki/Electrical/Speakers or Koenigs Klassic.

Peter

[hands_aus]

If you have a multimeter you could test continuity between the terminals of the speaker coil.
Have a look and see if one is broken off.

[Richard Madison]

Have a pair of Blaupunkt speakers in the kickpanel area with a Europa II Stereo. One speaker had no sound, the other was OK. I looked at the speaker wiring and it looked like new...tight, clean connection.

The AM band on the radio was not working. I sent the radio to Becker for repair and told them to fix the AM, check the speaker channels, add levers for balance and tone (which were missing).

$175 and a two weeks later all was repaired and both speakers work. The speaker problem was in the radio unit not the speaker or the wiring.

Richard M, NYC

P.S. Funny part of the story: while the radio was out for rapair, I went to a car show. I carefully pasted a life size matte finish color photo of the radio over the empty hole. Many spectators and not one noticed it was a paper radio...didn't play well but it looked nice.  

[mdsalemi]

P.S. Funny part of the story: while the radio was out for rapair, I went to a car show. I carefully pasted a life size matte finish color photo of the radio over the empty hole. Many spectators and not one noticed it was a paper radio...didn't play well but it looked nice.   

I once had a VW Rabbit (Golf) and lived in Boston.  One day I came out to find my vent window (remember those?) broken and my radio gone.  Oh well, fool me once...
I went to a junkyard (when they existed in abundance) and picked up a filler panel; wasn't going to put a radio in again.  Plastic panel snapped in, so I didn't have a hole in the dash.  A few weeks later, I came out to find my vent window broken again, and the filler panel PRIED OFF.  Apparently the dumb-a** thieves thought this blank filler panel was HIDING a radio.

I'd be careful of a PICTURE of a radio where one belongs if I were you!   

[Peter van Es]

A hole with some wires sticking out is the best anti-radio theft prevention... install top class audio in glove compartment!

Peter

[mdsalemi]

A hole with some wires sticking out is the best anti-radio theft prevention... install top class audio in glove compartment!

Peter

...and not living in Boston which was (is?) the auto theft capital, and where high end cars had NO audio systems, hidden or otherwise--just NO RADIO stenciled/etched on the glass.  What a world we live in.  Thanks for the suburbs!

[waltklatt]

Came across a car with a broken and taped up window and a note: "Thanks, but we already gave our radio away, Sorry"
On a car in San Francisco.
Walter
1967 220SL-diesel

[scoot]

If you have a multimeter you could test continuity between the terminals of the speaker coil.
Have a look and see if one is broken off.

There is no continuity between the terminals, I already checked that.  The speaker is riveted into a structure such that there is a metal grill riveted to the front side so I have no access to that unless I drill out the rivets.  Becker in New Jersey said "send it to us, we might be able to help you out" (but at what cost???)  The becker guy suggested that the speakers might be the same as what is in the dash of early 107 cars, but I doubt that.  Still something to try... 

[ja17]

Hello Scoot,

Actually the same speakers were used on the front kick panels of some of the W108, W109, W114 and W115 sedans depending on year of manufacture.

Once you have the original squre covers, finding a good modern speaker to fit under the covers,  should be a good option.

[scoot]

Actually the same speakers were used on the front kick panels of some of the W108, W109, W114 and W115 sedans depending on year of manufacture.
Once you have the original squre covers, finding a good modern speaker to fit under the covers,  should be a good option.

  Didn't know these were in 114 / 115 cars.  Anyway, my intention as to sell them and I didn't think they had much value if only one worked, and I don't think they have much value if they have a non-becker speaker inside so I was hoping to find an interchange that provided a more or less correct speaker to rivet into the thing...