For my friend Aidan, his Vizio sound system is a massive part of his day. In the evening, he enjoys its high-quality sound to either watch TV with his family or listen to music. Connectivity issues with his subwoofer are upsetting and often fixable.
I decided I would help him by compiling a list of problems others have experienced and their solutions.
If you’re also experiencing trouble with your Vizio subwoofer not connecting to the soundbar, you can take these steps to troubleshoot and hopefully resolve the issue.
Whether your subwoofer isn’t pairing, stays unpaired, or encounters other connectivity problems, this guide will help you get back on track. Let’s dive right in!
Troubleshooting Guide
To get started, follow these initial troubleshooting steps. They’re a good place to start, especially if you aren’t too familiar with the specific model you’re using.
- Ensure that the Vizio subwoofer is successfully paired with the soundbar. Download the user manual for your Vizio model. Check the user manual to find out the exact pairing steps.
- Subwoofers are meant to play low frequency bass tones. However in the event the media you’re playing has no deep bass tone your Vizio subwoofer won’t play anything. We suggest playing media with heavy bass tones to check the subwoofer.
- Unplug the subwoofer and soundbar from the power source. Wait a couple of minutes. Then plug it back in to see if it works.
- Check your User manual to find out the steps to test the speaker. The speaker test will play sound first through the speakers and then the subwoofer. If the subwoofer plays sound during the speaker test, the issue is with the source content and not the hardware.
Subwoofer and Soundbar Not Pairing
Problem
In the event you followed the manual instructions to pair the subwoofer and soundbar, but the LEDs flash repeatedly. This is an indicator that your subwoofer and soundbar are not pairing
Solution
If your Vizio subwoofer isn’t connecting to the soundbar, follow the steps below to power cycle your Vizio soundbar.
- Unplug the soundbar from the power source.
- Press the power button on the soundbar for five seconds.
- Plug the soundbar back in and try pairing the subwoofer and soundbar again.
If power cycling the soundbar didn’t help, and your Vizio subwoofer is still not connecting to the soundbar, follow the steps below to reset your soundbar another way:
- Unplug the power cord of both the soundbar and subwoofer.
- Wait for at least 60 seconds
- Press and hold the power button on the soundbar for 60 seconds before plugging it back in
- Keep holding the power button and plug the soundbar and subwoofer back in.
- Hold the power button after plugging back in the soundbar for another 60 seconds.
- Ensure that the soundbar and subwoofer are plugged directly into the wall outlet (not power bars or surge protectors)
- Try the pairing process again
The Vizio subwoofer only pairs with the soundbar it comes with. The subwoofers of one model don’t pair with the soundbars of other models. Ensure that your Vizio subwoofer and soundbar are compatible
Subwoofer and Soundbar Pair Temporarily Before Disconnecting
Problem
Your Vizio subwoofer pairs to the soundbar but doesn’t stay paired, and the LED indicator light keeps flashing slowly
Solution
You can try following these steps centred around performing firmware updates and resetting your subwoofer, soundbar, and TV.
- Update both the TV and soundbar with the latest firmware.
- Turn off and unplug both the TV and soundbar.
- Hold down the power button on the TV and soundbar for about 10 seconds (no need to do it simultaneously).
- Plug in and power up both the TV and soundbar.
Reddit thread that discusses this solution
The following solution walks you through factory resetting your Vizio subwoofer and will help you in troubleshooting your subwoofer troubles.
- Press the Menu button on the remote control.
- Navigate using the Up/Down buttons to reach “Reset No.”
- Use the Next button to move to “Reset Yes,” then press the Play button.
- Check that “Yes” is displayed and press the Play button to proceed.
- Once “Confirmed” is shown, the sound bar’s Indicator LEDs will flash three times.
Now your soundbar is reset to factory default settings!
Another method to factory reset your soundbar is to press and hold the Bluetooth and Volume Down buttons simultaneously on the soundbar for five seconds. All the LEDs will flash three times, indicating the factory reset is complete.
It is recommended that you follow all preceding steps before attempting this final solution.
- Using a small pick or tiny flathead screwdriver, gently pull the grill off the subwoofer. It is attached by a gasket and it comes off easily. Pull slowly to avoid bending.
- After taking off the grill, carefully remove the speaker (driver).
- Place the speaker away from other electronic components in a safe spot.
- Locate 4 small Torx screws on the silver sides. Unscrew them.
- There are adhesive strips as well; carefully remove the silver sides.
- Slide off the front black plastic from one side.
- It only slides in one direction, which might be tricky. Start removing visible screws.
- Check under the grill, around the speaker, and under the Vizio tag for hidden screws.
- By following these steps, you can disassemble the subwoofer systematically.
- Now, disconnect and reconnect the ribbon cable going to the wireless module (it’s possible that the connection was poor).
- This should resolve your issue, and your subwoofer will stay paired with the subwoofer.
Note: ⚠ This is a DIY solution, only to be used as a last resort. Please understand that opening the subwoofer voids the warranty and should only be taken on by individuals who are comfortable working with electronics hardware.
Summary
The steps mentioned above can help resolve various issues with your Vizio subwoofer. Hopefully this article has helped you along your way to enjoying your sound system. We recommend following each step and referring to your Vizio user manual for extra guidance if needed! Write and let us know if these tips helped you or if you need help with any other problem.