Need help from those of you who ran NEW speaker wire in Coupe
Ok,
Sorry for being a little dense here - just want to confirm that the Molex plug being disconnected is colored white and located at the top inside corner of the door on the inside frame just above the woofer. Then per 4080, the entire rubber hose with the Molex can be removed from the door. Then clips (not black lever) hold on the white Molex connecter inside the car in the side kick panel. That too releases and we can pull out the entire hose with Molex connectors on either end?
It's really tight inside the kick panel area to even get a look at it let alone get two hands in there - jeez. Just want to be certain I'm removing the right part before I break something needlessly...
(THANKS!)
Sorry for being a little dense here - just want to confirm that the Molex plug being disconnected is colored white and located at the top inside corner of the door on the inside frame just above the woofer. Then per 4080, the entire rubber hose with the Molex can be removed from the door. Then clips (not black lever) hold on the white Molex connecter inside the car in the side kick panel. That too releases and we can pull out the entire hose with Molex connectors on either end?
It's really tight inside the kick panel area to even get a look at it let alone get two hands in there - jeez. Just want to be certain I'm removing the right part before I break something needlessly...
(THANKS!)
There's a molex plug that's encased in the black rubber hose. The end that's connected to the body (door jam) of the car can be unplugged (male end). The end that's connected to the door can be taken off too, it's just not a plug but a rubber seal and once it's off, there's still wires running through it. The molex plug in the door jam has two ends, one on the outside of the body (male end) is held in place by a gray lever.
To release the lever, open your door all the way, flip the lever down (there's a little notch you need to press to release the lever). It will only go 1/4 the way down since the door is now blocking its' path. Close the door slightly and the path should be clear so you can flip the lever all the way down and release the molex plug.
The other end of the molex plug is on the inside of the car (female end) and you will have to take the panel next to your foot rest off if it's the driver's side or the glove box if it's your passenger side. If you're looking at the plug from the outside of the car, there's a little metal clip at the bottom of this white molex plug. Take a flat head and pop it upward to release the plug. Then just reach your small hands under the dash and pull on the wire bundle. I say small hands cause it's a really tight spot to reach for the molex plug.
Once you have both the male and female ends of the molex plugs out, you will see an area you can drill out. Make sure to test fit the plugs together with the speaker wires running through the molex plugs before assembling it back into the doors. To reassemble the plugs, just reverse the steps. It might be a little harder to assemble the plugs as it was to remove it. I have some photos I can post later today to show some of the parts.
To release the lever, open your door all the way, flip the lever down (there's a little notch you need to press to release the lever). It will only go 1/4 the way down since the door is now blocking its' path. Close the door slightly and the path should be clear so you can flip the lever all the way down and release the molex plug.
The other end of the molex plug is on the inside of the car (female end) and you will have to take the panel next to your foot rest off if it's the driver's side or the glove box if it's your passenger side. If you're looking at the plug from the outside of the car, there's a little metal clip at the bottom of this white molex plug. Take a flat head and pop it upward to release the plug. Then just reach your small hands under the dash and pull on the wire bundle. I say small hands cause it's a really tight spot to reach for the molex plug.
Once you have both the male and female ends of the molex plugs out, you will see an area you can drill out. Make sure to test fit the plugs together with the speaker wires running through the molex plugs before assembling it back into the doors. To reassemble the plugs, just reverse the steps. It might be a little harder to assemble the plugs as it was to remove it. I have some photos I can post later today to show some of the parts.
I just realized - you guys have the sedan. I have a coupe. I don't think they are the same - about to go attempt this (again)... '
Actually they are the same - just finished one side. Now to dynamat and move to the other side. I just loosened the inner metal panel and the glass is loose!!! Time to do some reading.
Actually they are the same - just finished one side. Now to dynamat and move to the other side. I just loosened the inner metal panel and the glass is loose!!! Time to do some reading.
Last edited by rcdash; Jun 4, 2005 at 02:12 PM.
Ok finished it. It took me 6 hours for one side, 4 hours for the other to:
1. Run speaker wire into the door (already ran it to the trunk).
2. Dynamat
3. Install Crossover, Midrange and tweeter (Diamond Audio S600a hex - huge crossovers but mounted nicely just below tweeters)
Not certain I will ever do that again. Thanks to 4080 and Espresso for making it possible. Here are my "tips" to add to the above great info:
1. The lever on the molex plug is dark gray, not black. If you depress the tab on the outside of it, it pulls down easily and detaches from the car easily. If you open your door you can see this molex plug and the lever in the "arm pit" of your door.
2. The other half of the molex connector is white and is located inside the car in the foot well. It can be released by raising the metal tab that holds it in place at the bottom of the plastic, visible by looking from OUTSIDE the car with the door fully open (in the "arm pit").
3. The pics that Espresso showed look like the sedan. The coupe has the same plug but the wire harnesses are shorter. There is no way to get the inside half of the connector to reach the outside half when you pull everything apart to work on it (to drill the hole in it). So you have to drill the same spot on each connector independently.
4. When you route the wire inside the door, remember to avoid the window guide rails.
1. Run speaker wire into the door (already ran it to the trunk).
2. Dynamat
3. Install Crossover, Midrange and tweeter (Diamond Audio S600a hex - huge crossovers but mounted nicely just below tweeters)
Not certain I will ever do that again. Thanks to 4080 and Espresso for making it possible. Here are my "tips" to add to the above great info:
1. The lever on the molex plug is dark gray, not black. If you depress the tab on the outside of it, it pulls down easily and detaches from the car easily. If you open your door you can see this molex plug and the lever in the "arm pit" of your door.
2. The other half of the molex connector is white and is located inside the car in the foot well. It can be released by raising the metal tab that holds it in place at the bottom of the plastic, visible by looking from OUTSIDE the car with the door fully open (in the "arm pit").
3. The pics that Espresso showed look like the sedan. The coupe has the same plug but the wire harnesses are shorter. There is no way to get the inside half of the connector to reach the outside half when you pull everything apart to work on it (to drill the hole in it). So you have to drill the same spot on each connector independently.
4. When you route the wire inside the door, remember to avoid the window guide rails.
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It took me 12 hours to do this today, with some earlier prep work last weekend.
Last weekend I took everything apart to get acquainted/practice, and also drilled-out and cleaned up the molex plug for the 3 wires I was going to run through there.
Today I finished the install putting 3 14awg wires through the molex plugs, through the stock rubber hose, and into the door. I used a wire coat hanger to do this. The rubber hose may be counquered with your friend WD40 (I didn't think of using WD40 until I already spent a few hours just to get one wire through it). With WD40 it slips through as if it were meant to be - just break out the paper towels to wipe it off the wire once you get it through.
A lot of my time was also spent on manipulating the wire while trying to reconnect the molex plugs.
Some tips and misc info that might be useful
- unplug the other molex plugs under the dash (1 on the left, 2 on the right) and unbolt the pieces that hold their receptacles to give yourself room
- wire can be run behind the stock deck, but check out the DIY elsewhere on this forum for removal of the center dash area.
- weatherstripping around your speaker mounting rings/spacer on the side it meets the door metal is a nice touch
- measure your speaker mounting depth and make a spacer that fits just right (I'm guilty of not doing this and I had to make new ones).
- depending on the size of your tweeter, you may be able to use the stock mounting bracket to hold it in
- label both ends of your wires before running them (no-brainer, but easy to forget)
- use WD40 to get wire through rubber hose
- pull out the door end of the rubber hose for easy access. Getting it back in later is easy
- thread the coat hanger into the rubber hose from the door side of the hose, and try to stick to the side of the hose, so you don't run in-between the stock wiring (if you weave in-between stock wires, it makes this a lot more difficult).
- tape the wires to the end of the coat hanger, being very generous. WD40 makes electrical tape come off real easy, but if you cover it up enough, you'll be ok
- only use the WD40 after it gets hard to pull the wire through, so you don't get everything too slippery
(Edit - heed the warning below (intgr8r) before using WD40 - I don't accept responsibility for anything that could go wrong, and if it does go wrong, don't worry - I'll be in the same boat haha)
Wire lengths:
To Left Door: going from the point where the trunk meets the back seat, down the left side of the car, up the left kick panel/fusebox, into the molex, through the hose, and into the left door takes about 13-14ft. You'll get ~2ft of slack on both ends.
To Right Door: same path as left, but after the left kick panel, going under the steering column, behind the stock deck, behind the glovebox, into the molex, through the rubber hose, and into the right door takes about 22 ft IIRC. Again, including about 2ft of slack on both ends.
O ya, this is for an '05 coupe.
Good deal on wires, locally - WalMart has small 50ft spools of decent-looking 14awg speaker wire in their car audio section. It's about $10 each. And no, I didn't buy my equipment from there.
Thanks to all above for the help. I'm pretty ecstatic to have gotten this done finally. Crossovers in the trunk is so much more convenient!
Aaron
Last weekend I took everything apart to get acquainted/practice, and also drilled-out and cleaned up the molex plug for the 3 wires I was going to run through there.
Today I finished the install putting 3 14awg wires through the molex plugs, through the stock rubber hose, and into the door. I used a wire coat hanger to do this. The rubber hose may be counquered with your friend WD40 (I didn't think of using WD40 until I already spent a few hours just to get one wire through it). With WD40 it slips through as if it were meant to be - just break out the paper towels to wipe it off the wire once you get it through.
A lot of my time was also spent on manipulating the wire while trying to reconnect the molex plugs.
Some tips and misc info that might be useful
- unplug the other molex plugs under the dash (1 on the left, 2 on the right) and unbolt the pieces that hold their receptacles to give yourself room
- wire can be run behind the stock deck, but check out the DIY elsewhere on this forum for removal of the center dash area.
- weatherstripping around your speaker mounting rings/spacer on the side it meets the door metal is a nice touch
- measure your speaker mounting depth and make a spacer that fits just right (I'm guilty of not doing this and I had to make new ones).
- depending on the size of your tweeter, you may be able to use the stock mounting bracket to hold it in
- label both ends of your wires before running them (no-brainer, but easy to forget)
- use WD40 to get wire through rubber hose
- pull out the door end of the rubber hose for easy access. Getting it back in later is easy
- thread the coat hanger into the rubber hose from the door side of the hose, and try to stick to the side of the hose, so you don't run in-between the stock wiring (if you weave in-between stock wires, it makes this a lot more difficult).
- tape the wires to the end of the coat hanger, being very generous. WD40 makes electrical tape come off real easy, but if you cover it up enough, you'll be ok
- only use the WD40 after it gets hard to pull the wire through, so you don't get everything too slippery
(Edit - heed the warning below (intgr8r) before using WD40 - I don't accept responsibility for anything that could go wrong, and if it does go wrong, don't worry - I'll be in the same boat haha)
Wire lengths:
To Left Door: going from the point where the trunk meets the back seat, down the left side of the car, up the left kick panel/fusebox, into the molex, through the hose, and into the left door takes about 13-14ft. You'll get ~2ft of slack on both ends.
To Right Door: same path as left, but after the left kick panel, going under the steering column, behind the stock deck, behind the glovebox, into the molex, through the rubber hose, and into the right door takes about 22 ft IIRC. Again, including about 2ft of slack on both ends.
O ya, this is for an '05 coupe.
Good deal on wires, locally - WalMart has small 50ft spools of decent-looking 14awg speaker wire in their car audio section. It's about $10 each. And no, I didn't buy my equipment from there.
Thanks to all above for the help. I'm pretty ecstatic to have gotten this done finally. Crossovers in the trunk is so much more convenient!
Aaron
Last edited by aaron6166; Jul 12, 2005 at 03:52 AM.
Originally Posted by aaron6166
Thanks to all above for the help. I'm pretty ecstatic to have gotten this done finally. Crossovers in the trunk is so much more convenient!
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 21,095
Likes: 47
From: Toronto, GTA north
FWIW....
I am in the instumentation business.
I would not use WD-40 or any other oil product for pulling in conductors.
In the short term, no problem.
It will however degrade wire insulation over time.
There are specific lubricants for pulling/fishing conductors.
In lieu of that, a little liquid soap is the best choice.
I am in the instumentation business.
I would not use WD-40 or any other oil product for pulling in conductors.
In the short term, no problem.
It will however degrade wire insulation over time.
There are specific lubricants for pulling/fishing conductors.
In lieu of that, a little liquid soap is the best choice.
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 106
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intgr8r:
How long would it take and under what environmental conditions would WD40 cause damage? Insulation on the speaker wires is pretty thick, but I guess I would worry primarily about the tiny stock wires. I know WD40 shouldn't be used in contact w/conductors, but I tried not to spray too much.
Also, can you recommend some purpose-made lubricants for this type of job?
Espresso:
I bought a set of CDT ES-630Z braxials (http://cdtaudio.com/eurosport_zseries.htm), with the Upstage kit 519(http://cdtaudio.com/stagefront_upstage_systems.htm). I kinda went out on a limb as it's kinda unconventional, but o well. The braxials are components where the tweeter is mounted on an angled arm, right in front of the woofer. I angled these to aim the tweeters roughly at the opposite-side occupant's ear. The Upstage kit includes tweeters that supposedly bring the sound stage higher, on top of the dash. It does it to some degree, but I still need to adjust parameters on those puppies.
There are 2 'crossovers' for each side, so that's a major motivation for me to keep them in the trunk. There are a bunch of adjustments that need to be made on those things - and they're huge, too.
How long would it take and under what environmental conditions would WD40 cause damage? Insulation on the speaker wires is pretty thick, but I guess I would worry primarily about the tiny stock wires. I know WD40 shouldn't be used in contact w/conductors, but I tried not to spray too much.
Also, can you recommend some purpose-made lubricants for this type of job?
Espresso:
I bought a set of CDT ES-630Z braxials (http://cdtaudio.com/eurosport_zseries.htm), with the Upstage kit 519(http://cdtaudio.com/stagefront_upstage_systems.htm). I kinda went out on a limb as it's kinda unconventional, but o well. The braxials are components where the tweeter is mounted on an angled arm, right in front of the woofer. I angled these to aim the tweeters roughly at the opposite-side occupant's ear. The Upstage kit includes tweeters that supposedly bring the sound stage higher, on top of the dash. It does it to some degree, but I still need to adjust parameters on those puppies.
There are 2 'crossovers' for each side, so that's a major motivation for me to keep them in the trunk. There are a bunch of adjustments that need to be made on those things - and they're huge, too.
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 21,095
Likes: 47
From: Toronto, GTA north
Originally Posted by aaron6166
intgr8r:
How long would it take and under what environmental conditions would WD40 cause damage? Insulation on the speaker wires is pretty thick, but I guess I would worry primarily about the tiny stock wires. I know WD40 shouldn't be used in contact w/conductors, but I tried not to spray too much.
Also, can you recommend some purpose-made lubricants for this type of job?
.....
How long would it take and under what environmental conditions would WD40 cause damage? Insulation on the speaker wires is pretty thick, but I guess I would worry primarily about the tiny stock wires. I know WD40 shouldn't be used in contact w/conductors, but I tried not to spray too much.
Also, can you recommend some purpose-made lubricants for this type of job?
.....
We normally use the yellow 77. The guys affectionately refer to it as snott.
They are available through electrical wholesale/retail outlets.
If you're in the install business, I'd def recommend a proper lubricant.
For a one off, liquid dish soap would be a good choice.
As far as effects of the WD-40.... I really don't know for sure.
It would degrade over time.
More than likely it's not a problem for the small amout you're likely to have used.
I wouldn't worry about it too much.
It's just that there are better choices.
WD40 is a solvent with kerosene as a major component. It can apparently melt plastics - if you soak it for days/weeks in the stuff. That being said, I used it cause I wanted something that would evaporate - and WD40 does evaporate. The small amount used is long gone by now. That's one of the reasons people complain about it being advertised as a lubricant - the lubrication is only temporary till it dries up...
No worries - your wires are safe (and probably a little cleaner!). Now I really don't know how long a 26 or 28 AWG insulated wire could withstand being exposed to WD40. You could try to soak a wire and find out? If you want to make it more scientific, soak several wires for different periods of time, then let them dry out - hmmm.... makers of WD40 probably would not like the results of this test
No worries - your wires are safe (and probably a little cleaner!). Now I really don't know how long a 26 or 28 AWG insulated wire could withstand being exposed to WD40. You could try to soak a wire and find out? If you want to make it more scientific, soak several wires for different periods of time, then let them dry out - hmmm.... makers of WD40 probably would not like the results of this test
Last edited by rcdash; Jul 12, 2005 at 09:11 AM.
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rcdash - I'm gonna do that experiment. I'd like to sleep easier. To accelerate it, I'll probably soak a small wire ~24awg in a closed (or mostly closed) container to see how much WD40 it would take to have degredation within a week. I suppose measuring the thickness before and after would be a good way to do this. Hopefully it'll give me some sort of indication....