Re: bad speaker cable?
Check the connector that goes into the back of th radio. They aren't in there all that tight and I noticed that I could make my speakers cut out when I wiggled the connector. You'll need a pair of those little knife edge tools to pull the radio out but you can get a set for less than $5.00.
Maybe you could swing by a car stereo shop or a dealer and ask to borrow them for a couple of minutes.