DIY: Bose speakers in the doors not working? $1.67 relay fix.
 

Issue: If your Bose door speakers are semi-working, not working, turning on momentarily (aka: intermittent operation) or something similar then it may be your relays inside the door amps have failed.

Quick test: Carefully tap the door panel near the amp while the stereo is on. You may have to get a bit aggressive, but be careful not to damage the speaker. If you hear sound coming in and out from the side you're tapping, and it shuts off on its own soon after, it is likely the relay. If no sound comes out, you may have another issue like a fuse so I’d check the easy stuff first. Don't forget this could also be a loose connector or wire so check for this when you remove the door panel. I had to hit my panel with some force to get the sound to come on temporarily.

Tap location: Using a flashlight, look inside the front door lower speaker grill and identify where the amp is at. It's next to the speaker about 2 inches towards the back of the car. The speaker has a golden colored ring around it so it’s easy to see through the vent holes.

Part Sources: Newark in one - R46-5D3-12 ($5 range,) Digikey - JS1-12V-F ($1.67 and they offer USPS priority mail.) Others have verified the NTE part works too, so it's up to you. Both are larger than the original but the amp design was made to accommodate either one.

Step 1: Use the search function to find the shop manual and/ or instructions on how to properly remove the door panel and take it off. Also, KNOW your soldering skill level. If you don't have experience, stop at step 4 and have someone else replace the relay for you - it's not a good job to use to learn about soldering since it's a conformal coated 5 pin part and to boot the new part doesn't mount in the same holes - so you'll need to clean 10 holes thoroughly. That's 10 chances to accidentally break the delicate copper traces, rings and vias where the relay mounts.

Step 2: Remove the large speaker held on with 4 phillips screws. Pull out gently and observe the wire channel built into the speaker mounting location between the amp and speaker. Disconnect the speaker.

Step 3: Remove 3 phillips screws holding the amp to the inner door panel. Disconnect amp from the door by removing the smaller connector. DO NOT REMOVE THE LARGE RECTANGULAR CONNECTOR THAT was connected to the speaker. It’s a pain and you’ll probably break it if you try. Only remove the smaller square connector directly on top of the amp (note it is the one with less wires going to it.) Take the amp out – AGAIN LEAVE THE LARGE CONNECTOR OUTLINED IN GREEN ALONE!

Step 4: To gain access to the PCB, remove the smaller square connector from the black bracket. Next remove 4 phillips screws. Now you can remove the black bracket WITHOUT removing large connector. Inspect the metal cage the amp is enclosed in and pull up the small tab at the bottom of it to take it apart. It's snapped together in two pieces like a clam-shell. You should now have a bare PCB.

Step 5: You have a choice. Take it to a repair shop or replace the relay. If you decide to replace it yourself, you will need to use a solder wick braid or a solder sucker to clean out the relay's connection points properly. You can also re-coat covering relay and pins with conformal coat if desired see NOTE below.

Step 6: Put amp back together. Install amp, speaker and door panel and crank it UP!!!

NOTE: Conformal coating has consistency and water proofing properties similar to rubber cement. If you want to re-coat the relay and pins, there are two options for applying it. A small brush works well as does a spray can. Once the soldering is complete, you should clean off the burnt coating areas as seen in the pic below from around the pins before re-coating. I've applied acetone in small amount to remove the coating before, but make sure you only get it on what you want to clean off. To verify that coating has covered the relay 100%, you can use a blacklight. For more application info, see posts #7 and #9. Thanks for the info Jon316G!!

One more pic showing new relay from Digikey.

Props:Peace:

Thanks for the info.

Great DIY!

No problem. Sorry I was too lazy to add the door removal info but all I did was search for the manual and I removed it without breaking anything. Figure if someone can't look that up then they should not attempt this complex fix - but if you know how to solder then just find either part number above and it's a cakewalk. Hope this fixes some problems out there with the Bose hecho en Mexico amps with stock Japanese relays. Take your pick at who you want to blame be it Mazda, Bose or the MFGs. It's fun knowing we can follow the chain and choose where we want to stop and who made the shitty part. I'd guess Mazda would sell you the entire Amp which technically defines the term part.

Great write-up!

Its good that you noted the conformal coating.
The coating will prevent a good solder joint when you attempt to solder the relay on, so its important that its removed.
We use black lights to inspect the conformal coating process, so you can always use a black light to verify all the coating is removed.
Just a suggestion...
Attachment 173738

Ah Grasshopper, nice one. I've seen this done during assembly, but never found out whether all conformal coatings trigger on it and is it just an ordinary black light in a dark surrounding of sorts? Would you comment on the setup it would be a great addition?

All conformal coating material I've seen, thus far, was inspected under ordinary black lights.
I've been out to Asymtek for training on our CC machine and they too were using regular black lights.
We use 1B73 and UV40 material from HumiSeal.

We do have some manual applications with a brush, and just dip the brushes in Xylene when done to keep the material from hardening on the brush.
1B73 is a real runny material, but UV40 is more difficult to remove (though better for environmental protection).

There are many kinds of coating material and each one has a specific method for removal.
Some can be removed with solvents alone while others require localized heat (like from a soldering iron).
Without knowing the material, its difficult to suggest the best method.

does radio shack carry any thing that i can use?

BTW, it's called "The Shack" now. Anyway, the shack should have everything you need. Ask them what you need, and they will get it for you, good luck.

so i can just ask the shak for R46-5D3-12 or Digikey - JS1-12V-F?

...or you could just bring in the defective part(s) you need to be replaced.

Radio Shack may be able to cross reference the part number for you... I'd use the JS1-12V-F number though since this is a Panasonic part number. Digikey is pretty cheap though - unfortunately you have to pay for shipping but they make it as cheap as possible.

I just picked two of them up through here for 15$. I'll have to wait and see how things go. Would have ordered from digikey but they had a "call us" backorder on the part.

http://www.weisd.com/store2/nterly/R46-5D3-12.php

Wait. There are amplifiers INSIDE THE DOORS? Doors get slammed. Why would anyone put sensitive electronics in the doors?

EDIT: In other news, those are some goofy-ass looking speakers. Please tell me they can be replaced with something respectable, like some nice Infinity Kappas.

What kind of place would do the soldering for me? Would radioshack do it or maybe a local stereo system store? Also any idea what it would cost?

haha i always have to hit my door to get the speaker to work lol great i guess this is what ill have to try.

so my car isnt the only one that does this yay its bad cause sat nav only comes through driver door and i miss turns on trips cause it cant talk

My door speaker works fine but has anybody else had issues with the speaker causing some rattling in the door frame? On mid-low notes I get this, and it's because the door doesn't close tight enough. If I pull in on the door handle, the rattling stops. Has anybody noticed this and is there an adjustment that could be done to the latch maybe?

Just completed this on my passenger door. Surprisingly I didnt even notice my passenger door cutting out due the the center speaking masking it. Very easy to do, i would say the only thing that bugged me was those damn white clips that hold the door breaking.

Total spent:
Panasonic Relay from Newark = $1.57
Cheap soldering iron = $5
Radioshack 63/37 Solder = $5
Radioshack desoldering bulb = $4
Youtube vids for soldering/desoldering = Free

Total spent without cost of shipping = about $16

:)

awwweeessssooomeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, my driver side door always goes out, and it pisses me offff

nicee haha ive gone thru 3 sets of these in the 2 years ive had my car, and they went out yet agian..lol awesome thanks alot!!

just saw this post, Nice DIY !

well, my speakers have been working fine, and I "close" my doors pretty hard ;) *knock on wood*

"Relay is dead" is very common in OEM stuff cuz they usually use Standard duty(READ: CHEAP!) components. Like in the RX-7, windshield wiper relay burnout/dead is soooo common, replace it with Heavy Duty ones and it will last the life of the car (even you)

and Digikey can get you almost any of the "HD" version of the same relay.

just a note : if this is your first "attempt" to repair any of these stuff, go with an iron that's around 30w or 25w, too hot and it might kill your PCB (lift the connections and your game would be over)

no matter what people say, try to use LEAD solder whenever possible. It's my preference cuz lead-free stuff don't usually last as long(for me)

when you solder, try to breathe normally, a lot of "newbies" think that when they hold their breath(or just don't want breathe those smoke in) and it will give them a more steady hand, but it's actually the opposite. if you don't want to breathe the smoke into your lungs, just move your head away, or have a small fan around aim it at ur head.

and try to practice on some useless PCB before you try it on the actual repair. just grab some old computer sound cards or whatever u had in ur attic. mess around with it till u're comfortable with the process ;)

I'm very glad this is still helping people. Maybe a mod can link it to the main audio FAQ sticky??

One was asking where can you find someone to replace the relay for you. Try any local electronics repair place, maybe even ask some of the auto-sound installers in your area. Be sure to ask them if they solder or crimp their radio installs as the latter folk may not have experience soldering.

I noticed people commenting on aftermarket upgrades and I agree, there's much better sound to be had than Bose - but that's not what this thread is about. It's about repairing your Bose on the cheap. I must note that I love the way well amplified Infinity Kappa Components sound up front and it's usually my first choice ;-) IMO: It's the best bang for the buck.

The money I saved will contribute to a full system (kappas included) install in my Evo-x because the stock bare-bones system really blows. I've been driving the 8 more and more lately because of the better sound - well also because it's just more fun to drive. Yeah, I must mention the Evo is wicked quick friggin nasty though, but the RX8 just feels better - oh, and it has a sunroof!

I'm ecstatic that this worked for you. I broke one or two of those stupid white fasteners too!!:lol::lol:

Did this myself a couple weeks ago. I'm surprised at how well this worked. Thanks for the great DIY

I've had some requests for repair and they've all been successful thus far. I'm going to order a batch or relays and if anyone needs their amps repaired, let me know. I'm charging $20 for 1, or $30 for 2. You can fit both amps in a small flat rate box and total shipping round trip will cost you around $12 in the lower 48. If you want to use some other method, then that's fine just include some pre-paid way for me to ship repaired amps back to you.

If you decide to do this, please understand that I have no way of guaranteeing the repair. You MUST TROUBLESHOOT on your own to identify that the relay is the problem. To do this, just turn the radio on loud (about 20) and if one side (or both) have no sound, tap on the door panel near the amp's location - if it cuts in for a bit, then it's around 95% chance that it's the relay. Because I dismantle the amps to install the relay, I also visually inspect everything for solder joint issues, and since I'm already in there, I just repair it without additional charge. My only reason for a huge discount on the second one is because it takes time for me to setup on the first one, and if I'm already setup I'm basically installing the second one for around $7.00. The relays are still under $2.00 each, but I do also incur a shipping fee when I order them.

Second thing, when you've removed your door panels, check that you don't have a loose connector... then re-check for sound cutting in again by tapping lightly on the exposed amp. This second step should put you closer to 100% confidence that you have a bad relay.

SHIT... i removed the connector marked in green... will it not work now? I didnt see this DIY till after.

never mind... got it all back together and it works like a charm.

Thanks OP Great DIY!

This worked perfectly for me. I hate to know what mazda would charge somebody to replace both door amps... Thanks for an awesome DIY.

Just wanted to note that on 2007+, the amp and speaker are one unit. The amp appears to be rivited to the speaker frame and due to size, is an obviously different design anyway.

Just did this AWESOME DIY yesterday and it was super simple. did it on both amps and now all works great now :)

I wanted to say thanks for this RX8 site, the DIY thread and Johnny Chin for assisting me in this flawless repair; These Bose systems sound pretty good for a factory!

Thanks so much dude. This fix worked flawlessly. You saved me a lot of money and pain from slapping my door panel. Take care and God bless!

so do you plase the relay in the second set of holes or the original

just ordared the relays cant wait to hear full audio again

Nah, the new relay is larger. There's a second set of holes on that are around the outside the the holes where there orignal was where it fits. It'll all make sense when you pull it apart. But it's great. The new relay even clicks when the radio power kicks on. You'll be very happy and your hand won't be in pain any longer from karate chopping the door panel LoL

good write up! glad i searched

i took the part number JS1-12V-F and put it into Jameco and it comes right up, $1.55

JS1-12V-F: NAIS/AROMAT: Electromechanical

so it looks like these relays are really easy to get :)

thanks!

Thanks for this, wondered why my front speakers had a mind of their own, replaced the relays and all good :)

Glad you posted this off my original post. I hope this will continue to help peeps out there with the problems that that "We the RX-8 owners" experience. Got help in here when my door wouldn't unlock this weekend.

Radio Shack Part #
 

Unfortunately most Shack's are staffed by glorified cell phone sales people. When I asked the local Radio Shack kid if they sold relays where he kinda stared at me with a blank expression.

Needless to say, the staff didn't know how to cross-reference the part # so I had to Google it myself - Android... how did I ever live without you ;-)

Anyway in case anyone else wants to run pick up a relay or two the Radio Shack part # is: 275-005 (or 275-0005) and will run around $6.00.

It's more expensive than the one's on-line; but then again you don't have to pay shipping.

BTW - works great!

Has anyone on here have had their front speakers blaring static at all? I'm having the intermittent issue of the speakers cutting in and out. I would sometimes have to hit the door to make it cut back in. Shame on me but after a while it just stopped working and would just blare static. I'm having a buddy replacing the relays for me. Hoping this will fix that issue. Everything else works fine except the front speakers. Thanks for reading and hope to hear from someone!

Success
 

MISSION SUCCESSFUL!! Thanks OP!

I spent about $20 on soldering equipment, $13 getting two relays shipped from digikey and 3-4hrs on a lazy Saturday.

For anyone taking the door off.. here is a nice artifact I used. (Steps 7 to 20)
http://rx8.becomeanidiot.com/puddlelights.pdf

Another comment. I cleaned all 10 holes when soldering and when I put the new resistor in I left the original 5 holes completely empty. (I didn't re-fill them with solder).

Now... I will enjoy the feeling of satisfaction of a successful RX8 DIY!

Worked like a charm... DigiKey relay and a couple hours. The hardest part was de-soldering the old part off the board. The new part went on like a charm in the other 5 holes. I bought 2 relays in case the passenger side goes out later on.

Great DIY... thanks so much for posting!

I'm trying to make this work, but it is not happening. Instead of buying a new relay for the amp, I just got another amp. By the way, only my left speaker will not work. I did the banging, nothing.

I replaced the amp, no sound. I replaced it with another door amp, no sound out of the speaker or the tweeter still. So I replaced the speaker, still now sound. I replaced the wire in between the amp and the speaker, then tried every speaker and amp combination that I now have available to me, still no sound.

Should I just give up? :(

I had this problem on my 05 rx8 and was going to buy the relay when a Google search for it brought up a thread from the 350z forum
http://www.my350z.com/forum/showthre...e=3&styleid=69

Their Bose system uses the same amp we have for our doors to power their sub x)

Anyway, some of them are just putting something between the relay and the case to keep pressure on the relay. I tried it out today on my driver speaker amp and it worked like a charm. I thought I'd share this with you guys for the people that don't feel comfortable soldering a cercuit board but want their sound back, hope this helps someone.

This was very helpful. followed all instructions and had the relay replaced. i bought it in ebay and a friend did the relay swap. working great. thanks

I ordered the Panasonic relay from Mouser and replaced the relay this past Sunday. Works like a champ. Thanks for the writeup!

Can anyone give me a specific part number or a link to where I can buy this relay?