JBL sound system still underwhelming after three dealer "fixes"

Bought a 2018 Tundra 1794 fully loaded, with JBL "Premium" sound system.
Granted my last truck had a five channel JL Audio w/DSP (1 KW) Infinity component speakers all around, 12" sub, so I'm a little spoiled.

I wasn't expecting much from the JBL system, but my little X-1 with a three speaker no-name stock radio blows this "Premium system" away.
I have a friend with the identical year, make and model Tundra 1794 with the JBL system and his sounds pretty damn good. I would be happy if only my truck sounded like his.

Problems: Door speakers (4) sound low and muddy. Left channel weak. No Sound from subwoofer. Touch screen unresponsive. USB port not working
After three visits (and months waiting for parts after each visit) to my local Toyota dealer they replaced the following components:

1) Replaced Head unit, will now accept updates via USB port. Touch screen unresponsive, still sounds like crap. (Wondering if they really did replace the head unit)
2) Replaced amplifier: Left channel now sounds equal in volume to the right. Still no joy.
3) Replaced head unit. Again: Touch screen now working! Rear door speakers have come alive, sort of. Fronts still sound like mud. No subwoofer still not working.

Volume has to be turned up to Max just to sound like my friends Tundra at 1/3 volume, except it sounds terrible.

Why does my friends front door speakers play full range music (loudly) while mine sound like a under-sized subwoofer?

Anybody else having these issues?

 

Sounds like a mouse ate a wire in the middle of the system or something. Might need to replace the wires, and not the hardware.

 

Woods,

Wouldn't the technician have explored that possibility? The Dealer has had three bites at the apple.
They did find a mouse nest in the vent system and they did look for additional mouse damage.
They have assured me the mice limited themselves to the fresh air intake and did not get past the cabin filter.

I am a retired electronic technician for the DoD (50 years). I gave it a good visual inspection. The wiring loom looks unmolested.

Best regards, Steven

 

Hey Steven,
I know in my '21, the mice come in from the cabin filter and go all over my truck cab. The poop and chewed things are the proof. Since closing off some of the entrances, there isn't any mice that come in the cabin.

You, by your experience, understand electronics ten million times better than I do. I just know that I have heard of people local to me, who have had to buy entire new electrical harnesses after mice have eaten them in their 2nd/2.5 gen Tundras. I too would think after this many issues, someone would have checked the entire thing, rather than keep throwing parts at it. But, I have learned the hard way, to never assume the dealer "went the extra step" to diagnose anything.

So, take what I say with a grain of salt, but also, look at the amount of results from a quick google search of this forum. There might be someone who has experienced a similar issue on some of these threads.

Good luck with this.

 

While I was at the dealer, a 2022 sedan had it's interior disassembled and spread all over the floor of the shop.
The verdict was there was so much rodent damage the car was determined to be a total loss.

They've wrecked my boat, they've gotten into every outbuilding I have.
The house has been mouse-proofed, three years and no mice. So to is possible to mouse-proof.