Rear Speaker Deck Removal and Amp Install

Ok, i just went in to replace the rear speakers, but it wasnt completely obvious how to remove the cardboard deck which is above them. I cant tell exactly which panels have to be removed to get it out of there. The first panel i removed has an airbag directly behind it, and so i am officially chickening out until someone else does it and can tell us the minimum set of panels that you have to remove.

Also, has anyone worked out the best place to go through the firewall for the amp power line? I am less worried about this, but maybe its just because i havent looked for it yet. in past cars i usually can find a knockout hole that isnt being used somewhere, but if someone else has already done it, i would love to hear what you did.

[EDIT] -- this is a very rambling thread. It started out with just rear speakers, but evolved into front speakers as well, which requires removal of door panels etc.
I went in thinking i was just going to replace the rear speakers and add a sub, but over the course of the installation i realized the front speakers also had to be replaced, and
maybe that sub wasnt so important after all. I used a AudioControl LC2i high-level to low-level converter to convert the rear speaker inputs into pre-amp inputs. These went into
a sound ordnance 4x75 watt amp, which then power the rear deck 6.5's and the 6.5's in the door. The tweeters are still running off the stock front channel wiring.

[EDIT] -- Door panel removal starts at the end of page 2

[EDIT] -- WARNING!!!!! so i used the rear speaker outputs to feed into my amp, and it turns out the sync bluetooth phone stuff is only routes through the front speakers. So dont do what i did! i am going to have to go in and fix it now. grrrrr.

Ok, routing the amp wire through the firewall is super easy. i think its just like the 5th gen cars. I took off the right front wheel, and then took off the wheel well cover. It has a dozen or so of those black plastic rivet things holding it on. Be careful, there are two different sizes of these things. If you dont pay a little attention taking them off its a hassle to figure out which size goes where. Just pry up the center of the plastic rivets with a flathead, and the rest of the rivet comes out pretty easy.

After that you have easy access to the engine wiring harness as it goes through the firewall, i just went in under it. I used a gromet cut in half to protect the underside of the wire, but its not a super tight fit.

All of the interior pieces come right off with a tug, and you can get at the wire right at the top of the carpet. after that the wire routes easy down the passenger side.

I havent zip tied everything tight yet, still working with the rest of the system, but you can see the routing is simple. I routed to the outside to avoid engine heat.

Nice clear instructions! Please keep updating your progress!

Great work! Keep us posted mate!

I would take a little rubber hose and make a grommet to go around those body openings to act as a chaffing ring.

activeGT said:

I would take a little rubber hose and make a grommet to go around those body openings to act as a chaffing ring.

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Great idea!

I'd like to have my speakers upgraded in my base GT. Thinking that may make a world of difference in sound if I get top end speakers, no additional amp though. Any opinions?

Where do you plan to place your amp and what did you go with?

Ok, i have made more progress. I have removed the rear deck, and it was actually very simple. you need to remove those far rear narrow panels that go all the way to the back of the window, and then you pull away the panels just forward of the far back panels that are the side of the rear seating area. You dont need to remove these, just pull them out a bit so you can get to the two little plastic fasteners (one on each side) that hold the deck in. Thats it, just those two and you can maneuver it out of there carefully. The whole job took maybe 15 minutes.

I found some odd stuff back there. There is some sort of radio/satellite module in the middle of the rear deck. I have the base model, so i have no idea what that is back there. Maybe GPS? It has an FCC ID on it so i think its some sort of emitter or receiver of some sort.

There are these little rubber bands on the rear panels that i also couldnt make head or tails of. Are they afraid you are going to lose these panels? they cover air bags, but its still not clear to me what they are for.

I bought a Sound Ordanance Amp, 4x75, to power new alpine 6.5 inch rear deck speakers, and a 10 inch sub. I havent built the sub enclosure yet, so thats going to take some time. I am using a AudioControl LC2i to convert the speaker outputs going to the rear speakers into inputs for the amp. I am hoping this will be enough to make me happy, i am not an audiophile or anything, but the base stereo is just too weak.

activeGT said:

I would take a little rubber hose and make a grommet to go around those body openings to act as a chaffing ring.

Click to expand...

Thats a good idea. The wire came as part of a small kit from crutchfield, and it came with a plastic wire loom, but its a bit large to fit in the holes.

robb said:

I'd like to have my speakers upgraded in my base GT. Thinking that may make a world of difference in sound if I get top end speakers, no additional amp though. Any opinions?

Click to expand...

Robb, my experience has been that higher end speakers tend to be made to handle higher power inputs, and so they dont tend to make more sound than the stock speakers. They make better sound, but not more. If the stock system is overpowering the speakers, it would be different, but i dont think thats what is happening.

If i can manage it, i will try to hook up these alpines to the stock system and run it like that for a day or so, and see if it improves the sound, but since i am just replacing the rears right now, it would have to be a pretty serious improvement for me to be able to tell. To balance the rear and front speakers in the drivers seat requires setting the fade control pretty far back.

Angry Irishman said:

Where do you plan to place your amp and what did you go with?

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Sound Ordanance 4x75. Nothing huge, but it should be more than adequate. I havent figured out where to mount it yet. I was thinking upside down under the rear deck, but i bet i would hit it with stuff going in and out of the trunk. Maybe the far left or right side of trunk? behind the Sub, or on the opposite side of the Sub. Ill put up pictures when i figure it out.

Thats the radio transceiver module

gzstang said:

Thats the radio transceiver module

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That makes sense, i just assumed that was still in the head unit. But this way its far away from the engine and other sources of interference.

Heinoceros said:

That makes sense, i just assumed that was still in the head unit. But this way its far away from the engine and other sources of interference.

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It's actually used for the keyless entry system...not the "radio"