Speaker issue - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

dcompress · 02-04-2008, 04:54 AM

I started on a mission Saturday to replace my stock door speakers with another set of 5 1/2s. I saw a few threads indicating that it wouldn't make much/any difference, but I already had the speakers and I think one of them was blown.

Any way, From what I read on other posts I should have been able to just take the door skin off and remove the speaker from the "pod" and replace it with the new one.

However, once I got to the pod and took off the grill, I do not see anyway to get that speaker out of there. Thinking I might need to get under the stock speaker, I pretty much destroyed the stock speaker cone. In looks like it is all one bracket with no way to remove it. This is on a 98.

Am I missing something???

Burg Boxster · 02-04-2008, 06:20 AM

if it's OEM, your door speakers are mounted in a tuned port (pod as you call it). It should look like this and have 4 screws (red arrows below) in the corners holding the grille cover and speaker in the port. Once you release those, the cone will pop right out. It did on my '99 w/ a little effort.

dcompress · 02-04-2008, 06:39 AM

That is what I did. But it didn't come out. I actually ripped the cone out. Underneath there is a metal bracket that forms the back of the speaker. It appears to be all one piece tied into the pod.

It is OEM.

Burg Boxster · 02-04-2008, 08:15 AM

Interesting as every one I've seen is built like the picture posted - including the MY98 I've looked at.

It's possible, not sure how likely, the plastic enclosure melted around the speaker frame (would take an extremely high temp though).

Ok, go to plan B and pull the whole pod out. It's held in w/ only 4 torx screws in the corners (green arrows below). Can't imagine it's open in the back as that would defeat the entire purpose but take a look. At the very least, you'll have it removed to make it easier to work on and see what's holding it up.

Also, try and post a pix of what you have as it would help.

dcompress · 02-04-2008, 10:37 AM

I finally got it out. Determined that it must come out, I stuck a large screwdriver in there and pried. It finally popped out. It was in there much tighter than I would have expected. Plus, just from looking at it, I really couldn't tell what came out and what stayed.

Thanks for the help!

shaman1204 · 02-04-2008, 12:07 PM

Let us know if you can really tell a difference with the new speaker.

dcompress · 02-04-2008, 01:03 PM

Ironically I am not expecting to. I started on the whole mission a while back. I first installed a set of PNP rear speakers (great upgrade over no rear speakers). At the same time I put in a 6 channel amp from a 996 to power rear speakers as well as dash and door. Then I purchased new speakers for dash and doors. Put the dash speakers in (Infinity Kappa 42.7i) Big improvement. Then I started reading that replacing the doors with another set of 5 1/2s doesn't really help. You need to go to 6 1/2s and build yourself piece to hold them. I almost decided to not put in the new door speakers and leave the stock ones. But since I already had the new speakers (Infinity Kappa 52.7i) I figured I might as well give it a shot. Hopefully it will be a small improvement.

My final step is replacing the CDR-210 with a factory refurb CDR-220 I bought on EBay. (I wanted to keep a stock look). The reason for this swap was the ability to have the aux in for an ipod. I picked up an ipod cable that will plug into the aux in and charge as well as play. I got word it is shipping today!

I will try it that way for a summer. If I really think I need to upgrade the door speakers, it will be a next winter project.

tombea · 02-04-2008, 03:24 PM

Crutchfield says the Infinity Kappa is a modified installation. Did you have any problems?

dcompress · 02-04-2008, 03:59 PM

For the front it is modified. I believe that no matter what way you go on the front, it is modified. I found a few posts on how to modify the existing speaker bracket. You have to completely destroy the speaker. basically I used a dremel tool to cut away the old speaker front the bracket. Then a put the new one in place, securing it with a little hot glue. It wasn't too bad of a job. Definitely worth it on the front speakers.

shaman1204 · 02-04-2008, 05:40 PM

If you bought the powered ipod connector you have to run a line to the fuse box and hook up the power that way. There are quite a few threads about powering it. The only problem is when charging you get a whine from the ipod. This can be alleviated by taking the fuse out when you don't need to charge it. The whine drove me nuts until I figured that out.

Burg Boxster · 02-05-2008, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaman1204

If you bought the powered ipod connector you have to run a line to the fuse box and hook up the power that way. There are quite a few threads about powering it. The only problem is when charging you get a whine from the ipod. This can be alleviated by taking the fuse out when you don't need to charge it. The whine drove me nuts until I figured that out.

two other solutions are:

- get power from the phone power cord (in 986s) as opposed to going to fuse panel
- use a GLI (ground loop isolator) inline to the AUX-in adapter for the Becker head unit to eliminate alternator whine.

dcompress · 02-06-2008, 06:45 PM

Where do I find the phone power cord?

Burg Boxster · 02-07-2008, 05:20 AM

the phone power cord is behind the center console. Pull off the carpeted side panels in either foot well and reach around in there. It looks like a flat 4 wiring harness for trailers except the pins are all female (MY97 and maybe MY98 only had 3 wires/pins). In this picture, the leather side panels to the center console are also taken off but you don't need to in order to reach the phone power cord - just the carpeted ones.

Might be taped/velcro'd to the floor dead center. Here's my generic wiring diagram of it. Radio Shack used to sell the exact size male bullet connectors to fit but I don't think they do any more. So, you can either modify (trim) some slightly larger ones to fit in it, use some 3M splice tap connectors (as shown in my schematic), or cut the plug off completely and use butt splices.

dcompress · 02-07-2008, 12:41 PM

great details. Thanks!

tombea · 02-08-2008, 01:40 PM

I guess I'm a little confused on the dash speakers. I thought that the dash speaker was a 4" speaker, like the Infinity Kappa 42.7i's which I ordered. After reading something on another site it appears that there is a small tweeter which is located in the dash enclosure. How does this affect the speaker grill mods and is this speaker also replaced?

KevinH1990 · 02-08-2008, 01:58 PM

Tom,

Check this post on Renntech:
http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=6617&hl=trunk+strut

You will probably decide to remove the stock tweeter from the assembly. The Kappas are a coaxial design with the tweeter in the middle of the larger cone. A crossover directs the signal to the proper part of the speaker.

tombea · 02-08-2008, 03:05 PM

Thanks Kevin, I'll drop the separate tweeter.

dcompress · 02-08-2008, 08:09 PM

Awesome. I got the power and the ground hooked up. Tried it out and it sounds great. Now I need to actually put it all together. What is the best route to get the plug up through the back and to the head unit?

Burg Boxster · 02-09-2008, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcompress

Now I need to actually put it all together. What is the best route to get the plug up through the back and to the head unit?

I presume you're talking about the iPod Aux in connector, correct? If so, it's very tight..... but you can try and plug it into the back of the head unit from behind. Reach up there and feel around. Otherwise, just pull your head unit and fish it up. With the head unit out you can see down behind the console.

Incidentally, if you've never pulled your h/u before..... don't slice off your fingers doing so. It's in verytight. Put the keys in the slots and drop a screwdriver into the holes in the keys and pull on the screwdrivers. If it's never been pulled before, it will be very hard to get it out the first time. Just pull evenly but harder than you think you should be.

Once out, push the blue tabs in on the side of the h/u and release the keys. To re-insert, make sure everything is lined up and the AUX-in feed is clear and slide the unit back in the dash. It needs to go in perfectly level/lined up. Sometimes it'll catch on the frame in the dash, just wiggle up/down and side to side until it lines up.

Tip: Once everything is hooked up but with the radio still removed.... make sure you start the engine and try the iPod. Now that you're powering it w/ the vehicle, you may get alternator whine (humm/buzz amplified through the speakers in relationship w/ engine rpms). If so, just drop in a GLI (ground loop isolator) on the RCA plugs between the iPod and the h/u Aux-in cord. (pick up at Best buy, Radio Slack - $15-20). I prefer the one from Best Buy as it has m/f connections and shorter leads. The one R/S is m/m and much longer leads which just leaves more loose wires jumbled behind the console plus you might then also need to add a m/f converter.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=4118145&st=gli&type=product&id=1122655296186

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062214&cp=&sr=1&origkw=ground+loop&kw=ground+loop&parentPage=search