strange speaker failure?

Hey gang, need some help - I've got a 2000 Ford Superduty crew cab diesel, with a Sony Minidisc head, 10 disc changer, XM, and Sony components all around. The components are 6.5" and 1" tweeter with a crossover for each set. I apologize, I don't remember model numbers. I've had a couple of strange speaker failures, one about a year ago, and one yesterday. With no apparent cause, the speakers will just quit. When they quit, I get no sound from the deck no matter what volume I turn it to, but I WILL get a 'pop' from the speaker. The first one was the passenger rear large speaker, by unhooking it I was able to get volume again, so I figured something happened with the speaker and it had just died. Yesterday the driver's rear tweeter quit - I got a pop sound from it. First I pulled the large speaker wires (thinking it was like the first failure), but that didn't help; then I pulled the inputs to the crossover and that got sound back. So the questions are (a) what the heck is happening, and (b) what can I do to fix it? Am I having speaker failures, or are they crossover failures? Or is it something else? The deck seems to be okay, I haven't had any known problems with it. Thanks for any help - I appreciate it!

When the problem is that intermittent, it is almost impossible to diagnosis. You could have a short in any of the components. sparky

...strand of loose wire touching to chassis...wire insulation bruised in a pinched location... Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

I guess I wasn't specific enough - once the speaker quit it QUIT, no resurrection, no recurrence, it was completely dead. I'm inclined to believe that the crossovers are dying, as the passenger rear tweeter still worked, even after I yanked the speaker...but the driver side tweeter is what died the second time. Suggestions? For the record, all connections were with appropriate fittings and heat shrink, so nothing exposed.

yaknowthatguy wrote: guess I wasn't specific enough - once the speaker quit it QUIT, no resurrection, no recurrence, it was completely dead...  I'm inclined to believe that the crossovers are dying,,,

Crossovers are dying?? 

When you pulled the speaker out and hooked it up to a known good source...it was DEAD?  As in, burnt to a crisp and unable to move?

Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

How high are you turning up the volume?  I smell clipping amplifier and fried voice coils.Support the12volt.com

I am not one to listen to music very loud - it is very very rare that I go more than 1/3 up on the volume. I forgot to mention, I have moved speakers around to see what happened - when the passenger rear speaker quit, I moved it to the driver's door and it worked fine. This is part of why I'm thinking the crossovers are dying, although it does sound like a freak event.

yaknowthatguy wrote: I forgot to mention, I have moved speakers around to see what happened - when the passenger rear speaker quit, I moved it to the driver's door and it worked fine.

That is considered "resurrection".

Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

Guess I've gotten what I've paid for. Thanks for the help everyone - the remark about resurrection was was especially useful.