I just bought a used 2015 Model S 85D, the car looks and feels new as it was a one-owner well taken-care of car. However, only four speakers work currently. It sounds like I have a kid's radio in the car. It is equipped with the ultra-high fidelity sound package which is supposed to have 11 speakers and a subwoofer. The speakers are there, but they don't work. Tesla sent a software update but it didn't fix anything, and neither does rebooting the computer. I had an appointment with Tesla on May 2nd but they postponed it to May 8th to "get the parts" needed to fix it. The former owner told me that the sound went out after some sort of infotainment update. So I keep thinking it is software related but Tesla is going to replace one of the amplifiers for over $1000. Any thoughts on this for anyone having had this issue?
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Model S only 4 speakers working
- Thread starter spticker
- Start date
Ostrichsak
Well-Known Member
It sounds like the external amp isn't working. In that car it should be located above your left shin as you drive the car behind the lower dash panel. These can go out from time to time and based on your description, I have a feeling that's what you're dealing with here. The four speakers that you're hearing are powered off the MCU's internal amp similar to the non-UHFS cars.
Thank you, it seems that is what Tesla thinks happened too.
Ostrichsak
Well-Known Member
Depends on the price difference between just having Tesla come out and replace it.
You might be able to find a used one on eBay or somewhere else for hardly anything. The install itself shouldn't be too difficult for you if you are relatively competent when it comes to such things. I'd score it a 3/10 on the self-install meter.
For you to make an informed decision on that topic, it would be important to know what the used equipment options are, how comfortable you are with making the swap yourself and what Tesla's price is to just install a brand new one for you.
I'm off and surprised by how inexpensive Tesla is for mini replacement items including the labor to swap them out. Regularly I've seen the same item used on eBay with no guarantee and no installation for more money.
There's also quite a bit of convenience in just clicking a button in an app and having them come to your home or work and put a brand new amp in that's under full warranty for a year.
Thank you for your reply; I did find a used amp with the matching part number. Best Buy is going to install it for $70. I also bought a one year insurance plan for $20 that will cover the part and installation should it fail within a year. I trust the Best Buy installer as he has done work for me in the past and has been there for at least five years.
Ostrichsak
Well-Known Member
Best Buy is going to warranty a used OEM part for $20? May want to read the fine print on that carefully as I'm not sure that sounds right. Also, how much was the quote from Tesla to replace that with a brand new part?
Tesla’s estimate identifies the part number for the amplifier which I matched with the used one. The tech at Bestbuy installed it, still no change to sound with only 4 speakers working. The tech thinks it has to be a software issue. At this point my only option is to let Tesla fix the issue. They want to charge me $1073 for the repair which includes a new amplifier for about $300.
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