Radio and Speaker Problem on Nissan Sentra 2002 GXE... please help, Thx

[nissansentra2002]

I have a 2002 nissan sentra gxe. This question is about my speakers (and possibly deck). I bought my car from a dealer in 2004, it had 22000km on it, so it wasn't new. It has 2 speakers in the back (20W) and 2 speakers in the front door panels, with 2 column tweeters. I was told that my system was supposedly a Rockford Fosgate, and it looks like online pictures of similar sentras with RF systems, but nowhere on my deck or anywhere in my vehicle does it say Rockford Fosgate on it. Additionally, I started to hear my back driver-side speaker start to crack, and then suddenly couple months later, the whole driver-side went very very low (almost no sound). I assumed that I had blown my speakers, so I purchased Alpine S-Types, two for the back, and 2 for the front with separate tweeters. My friend helped install them and splice the wiring to connect everything up. However, even with new speakers all around (except for the tweeters, which we were too scared to install the Alpine ones because we didn't know how to remove the stock ones) the sound coming out of the speakers is still weird. For example - with radio on, my driver side is quieter than my passenger side. Using an FM transmitter and my Ipod, the driver side is so quiet it might as well be considered no sound. BUT, oddly enough, when I'm using my CD player function, the driver side is crystal clear and good volume, and the passenger side is now the one that is dead sound (very very very low). I looked online, and someone else had similar symptoms and was told that it was an IC (IC? what is that?) problem. Can anyone help me with this? What need I do to get my car audio back on track? Where should I take it? Can I do it myself? Need I buy a new deck? Thanks....

[thenudo]

Welcome to the club. Apparently - it sounds like yours is a factory NISSAN brand radio. Mine did the exact same thing. I thought it was the speakers too. When I went to buy new speakers - I told the tech about my problem and that it was a Nissan Sentra. He immediatly ask if the radio was a factory radio...then proceeded to tell me that if you like to listen to your radio loud - the radios do not last long in Sentras. The problem is your radio is fried. I got a new radio and didn't have to get speakers. The cracking went away and now is clear as a bell!!

I can attest also that if your radio has no name on it - your dealing with a grade F factory radio from Nissan. My cousin is a supervisor on the assembly line for Nissan in Symrna. He told me that....Nissan is SUPERIOR when it comes to the actual function of the car, but take little regard for the radios in it.