chuck bernstein

Hi, I want to upgrade my head unit and speakers. I plan on just updating the 4 " speakers in the doors and the 6.5"speakers in the rear and the 4" speakers in the upper hatch area. I do not plan on replacing the component tweeters. Can I use the existing factory wires to install the new speakers? Can I use the factory booster? On the 6.5 " speaker, I see two harness connections, do i have to modify them. Any info would help, even a wiring diagram. Thanks

Chuck
89 s4
87 911 cab

deliriousga

I replaced the stereo with a 200W MP3/WMA CD system recently. No problems with that, the wires matched pretty nicely with a couple of colors having to be figured out. I can pull it out this weekend if you still need the wiring and post what's what. I labeled everything as I put mine in. I wouldn't use the factory booster. It's much weaker than most standard systems already have and you'll probably blow it out with too high output from the new head unit. I don't know this as a fact, mine didn't have one, but I can't imagine the factory booster being over 100W total, probably not even close to that.

Just replaced the two rear speakers in the hatch. The connectors matched perfectly and the wire that's in the car was a thicker guage than the wire included with the speakers. They work beautifully and sound so much better with a much wider range. I think the rest of the speakers are going to be my next change.

Btw, the rear speakers I pulled because of a buzz disintigrated when touched because they were the old paper type. Wonder if that's why they buzzed.

chuck bernstein

Hi, I thought the factory speakers are 2 ohm. Are the speakers are working well with your new head unit? What type of deck and speakers did you install?

chuck

deliriousga

I put in a Panasonic unit. 200W (50/channel). Plays CDs, MP3s, WMAs, AM/FM. I got it from eBay because they were cheap ($130). Panasonic got rid of them because the color didn't sell. It's a metallic brown so it will match the oxford burl woodgrain I'm putting in. I believe the only necessity is for the amperage that's pulled needs to be lower than the fuse for the radio circuit and the wires in the car need to be the same guage or larger than the ones in the head unit.

The speakers I put in are 4" 90W rms. They fit in the factory hole and I used the factory cover because I don't want to change the look from the original. 2 ohms might be a cause of the blown speaker in the back.

I'm assuming the wires that go from the back of the unit to the speakers are continuous so it should be fine as long as the guage in the car is at least the same size as the wire that comes with the speakers. Someone please correct me if there's anything between the head and speakers.

The power was a problem with the old system that was in there, but that was because the main ground and jump connectors under the hood were very dirty and corroded. Once they were cleaned and shiny all of the dash lights are bright and steady and the stereo works great.

JPTL

It's my understanding that only the 6.5 speakers are 2 ohm, and are therefore separately powered/wired by the oem amp...the rest are 4 ohm. Stephan Weiss at SW Stereo could confirm this, if nobody does in this thread.
You're going to have a tough time finding decent, reasonably priced 2 ohm 6.5 speakers, and the selection is slim. I found some 4 ohm MB Quarts for the same price as a pair of Blau 2 ohms, so it was a no-brainer for me.
When replacing the 4" speakers, 4 ohm speakers will work fine. Before you buy, check the depth however, because you don't have much depth to work with if you're trying to use the original grilles, and you don't want to use spacers...JBL makes a good shallow 4" that takes the oem grille with only minor mod's, if I recall.
I've found that you can get some decent sound by wiring your head unit to play through the factory amp....only for the 4 inch speakers. IMO, the power that the factory amp puts out is adequate for decent mid/tweeter sound, and you can use the original wiring between the oem amp & the speakers.
Now for the rear 6.5"s.....and assuming two things:
You're planning on 4 ohm replacements, and you want to use as much of the oem wiring as possible. Both can be done, but don't bother trying to power them with the oem amp. It will sound like crap, and the 928's need all the bass they can get.
You should be able to isolate the oem wiring for the 6.5" speakers by playing the system & unplugging the connections at the amp.
You then run wires from the amplified outputs of your head unit for the new 4 ohm 6.5 speakers that you've installed. They only need to be run to the location of the oem amp. You'll then connect them to the oem connections that you've isolated & disconnected from the oem amp, thus bypassing the oem amp, and running 4 ohm power to your 4 ohm speakers.
This isn't the absolute optimum, however. Rewiring the whole system, installing new amps, sub, etc. is the ultimate. There are many people here who've done that, but it's much more labor & $.
PM me if you want more info on this, and if you want a recommendation for a self-powered sub that's small and can be tucked behind the passenger seat. It's easy to hook up & just as easy to pop out, adds much needed bass, and keeps the oem look of your interior (unless you look behind the pass. seat).
Good luck.

chuck bernstein

Thanks for all the great responses.


chuck

Flott Leben

Thanks for the info guys. Let's say I just wanted to install a new Alpine head unit (to replace the Panasonic unit the PO installed) and not change the factory speakers - at least for now.
1) How would you guys suggest I route the power?
2) Will there be any problems with impedence of the factory speakers?
3) Should I cut out the factory amp by the passenger seat entirely or use it to power a certain set of speakers?

Thanks.

Fishy928S4

This is my upgarde.

Flott Leben

Wow, hope you don't shatter your hatch window!!

deliriousga

Mine doesn't have the factory amp so it works well with the factory speakers. Can't say one won't blow tomorrow, but then that's a good excuse for new speakers.

I don't know what kind of output the Alpine you're looking at has, but that's the only thing that would worry me with the factory amp. If you're pumping alot of power into the amp and it can't handle it, goodbye amp. The amps of today are so much better, especially if it's an Alpine, so I would bypass the whole thing. According to a previous post, the only speakers that could give you any trouble with power are the two 6" in the back seats. At $50 for a decent replacement set of 6" (much better than what's in there), I wouldn't worry about it too much. The 4" speakers I got for the hatch were $25 (90W rms) and sound great. They fit perfectly with no mods needed.

Flott Leben

So bypass the factory amp, right? Wire the hatch and the 6" together as rear speakers? I am not worried about blowing out speakers, just damaging my new Alpine head unit - CDA 9835 - 26 watt rms/ 60 peak into 4 channels.

John, What 6 inches would you recommend? What 4 inches are you using? Thanks.

deliriousga

You can just cut the wires that run into and out of the factory amp (leave some wire on both ends of the amp for possible future use or eBay sale) splice the + to + and - to -. Then you can just wire the Alpine in with the standard speaker wiring configuration without any problems. With the amp out of the loop there should be no chance of a backward surge messing with your head unit. The speakers don't pull power, power is pushed on them so they won't harm the head unit. If you're really worried about surge, put an encased fuse in the power wire (red) running out of the head unit (if it doesn't already have one) so it breaks the circuit if anything surges.

If I get a chance at lunch I'll pull mine and put the speaker wiring diagram up real quick.

Have a great one!

Flott Leben

John,
A wiring diagram would be unbelievably helpful! Then I can just wire in the head unit, bypass the amp, as you say, and be on my way - at least until I get the time and $ to intall better speakers and an amp.

Any tips on removing the head unit that the PO put in place? It is a Panasonic. I assume I'll have to take apart at least part of the console, right?

deliriousga

Ran out at lunch and pulled it out, here's the wiring.

Power Connections:
Thin Red (18GA?) - Battery (constant power for clock, mem, etc.)
Thick Red (14GA?) - Power when key is in on position.
Brown - Ground

*Revised*
VERY IMPORTANT! If you have another wire in the car, it's probably blue and for the power antenna. The blue wire on your stereo will attach to this wire if you have it. If you don't have a power antenna, check the big antenna wire in the car thoroughly. It should have a small, black wire attached to it with a square connector on it. The small black wire is a signal booster for the windshield antenna. Connect the blue wire from your radio to the small black wire that goes with the antenna wire. IF YOU DON'T HAVE EITHER THE POWER ANTENNA OR THE SMALL BLACK ANTENNA WIRE DON'T ATTACH THE BLUE WIRE FROM YOUR NEW STEREO TO ANYTHING. This is extremely important. My daughter's boyfriend connected that to the power wire in her car and the car would run horribly at times and shut down others. Took $600 worth of labor at a shop to find the darn thing.

*Revised*
Speaker Connections (The wire colors listed are after the factory amplifier. They are located by the passenger seat in the box under the hatch switch.:
Brown w/ Fat White Dashes & Blue/White Striped - Right Front (runs 2 speakers in passenger door)
Brown/Black Striped & Blue - Left Front (runs 2 speakers in driver's door)
Brown w/ Thin White Stripe & Green/White Striped - Right Rear (runs 6" speaker in passenger side back seat and 4" speaker in hatch)
Brown & Green - Left Rear (runs 6" speaker in driver's side back seat and 4" speaker in hatch)

I don't know +/-, but if you connect solid-to-solid and striped-to-striped for each circuit the +/- will match. If anyone has the +/- matchup that would be handy.

deliriousga

No need to remove any of the console if it was installed properly.

Before you start with the radio, disconnect the negative battery terminal and take the ash tray out. There are two small screws and it slides right out. The wires for the lighter are short so don't yank it out or you may damage them. Mark the wires or take a digital pic before you disconnect the lighter. It's wide open behind the ash tray and clock so you can reach in and move wires, etc.

After removing the ash tray, pray your PO didn't glue it on and remove the plastic piece that surrounds the face of the Panasonic unit (the surround should pop off easily with some light pulling around the edges. Try not to use a screwdrive unless you have to so you don't put a dent in your console while prying against it.)

Once the surround is off, you should be able to see two metal tabs, one on the right and one on the left. You will push those tabs toward the center to release it later. If you don't have the tabs, there may be two slots on each end that you have to stick a special tool into in order to release it. A thin piece of metal about 3" long that will fit in that slot should work if you don't have the tool.

Once all of this is done it's ready to come out. Put your hand in the hole where the ash tray was and get a finger or two behind the head unit on one side. While pulling the head unit toward you from the back (not too hard), push the tab toward the center of the face on the side you are pulling on. You should feel it pop loose on that side. Push it out a little so it doesn't clip back in then do the same thing on the other side. Once it's released, it should slide out easily. You may have to push it out a little from behind in order to get enough of the unit exposed in front to be able to pull it out.

Your new head unit should clip into the same frame so you don't have to re-do that.

If I have some time tonight after my meeting, I'll take a picture of the tabs so you can see what it looks like.

Hope it helps!