What do you need for a 2001 Honda Civic door speaker upgrade?

Answer 1

7th GENERATION HONDA CIVIC FRONT SPEAKER UPGRADE

Replacing the front speakers in your Honda Civic will yield a big improvement in sound quality. It is not too difficult to do, but it does require a few light modifications and you will wind up destroying the stock speakers. No loss, but don't promise them to your brother-in-law.

The stock speakers are 6" in diameter in spite of what the fit charts might say. Do yourself a favor and don't fall for the 6.5" speakers. Don't exceed 2 1/2" mounting depth.

You will need the following tools:

• Small straight screwdriver
• Phillips screwdriver
• Diagonal wire cutters
• Body panel tool (not absolutely necessary, but really helpful)
• Soldering iron & rosin core solder
• Small saw for cutting plastic. A hacksaw blade or a modeling saw would work. A dremel would really be handy.
• A file for cleaning up your saw cuts if you are a little on the compulsive side

OK, here we go.

Removing the door panels...

1. Put a little hook on the end of a paper clip and pull out the wire retaining clip on the window winder, if you have one and remove it.
2. Using the small screwdriver, pick the plastic trim cap out of the bottom of the door opening lever and remove the screws there.
3. Pop the door handle apart using the body panel tool and remove the two deep screws that hold the handle to the door.
4. Use the body panel tool to lift the clips that hold the panel in place. Start on one of the lower corners and put firm steady pressure on them one at a time and they'll pop out.
5. Pop the panel upward with the palm of your hand on the bottom rear of the panel to slide the top out of the window channel.

Removing the stock speaker...

1. Push the flat blade of the body panel tool down behind the top of the speaker ring and pry outward to release the spring clip holding the top of the speaker ring onto the door.
2. Tip the speaker out slightly and pull it upward to release the two hooks on the bottom of the ring from the door. Don't break anything yet.
3. Unplug the speaker connector.

Now you see the problem. You are either going to have to make a 3/4" thick ring to mount your new speaker on, or hack the old speaker.

Hacking the stock speaker for the ring and wire connector.

Our objective here is to excise the mounting ring and wire connector from the stock speaker.

1. Cut around the speaker cone, freeing it from the plastic ring.
2. Using the diagonal cutters and saws, dremel, files, etc. , free the ring from the speaker.
3. While you're at it, free the plug connector from the plastic housing as well, clipping the wires long on the plug connector.
4. If your speakers will fit into the ring, you're good to go. I had to remove the 1/4" lip on the top of the ring to fit mine.
5. You don't need to cut the wires at all, I just got mine installed in 5 minutes with the adapter speaker plug, I got them from Amazon and eBay for 16 bucks but you save a lot of time and you don't mess the wire system of your car with the black tape and stuff.

Installing the speakers...

1. Look on the inside of the door panel for a ring that corresponds to the speaker. Check to see if your new speaker will fit inside that ring. If it does, good. If it doesn't, cut the ring away.
2. Fasten your new speaker to the ring using glue, screws, etc. A good seal is important to the quality of the sound.
3. Solder the plug connector to the speaker wire posts, paying proper attention to polarity. Check the polarity by looking at the plug end in the door. The solid colored wire is positive and the one with the black stripe is negative.
4. Find a good place to hold the plug connector, either glue it to the ring, hot melt it to the new speaker cage or clip it somehow somewhere to keep it out of trouble.
5. Plug in the speaker & test it.
6. Rig any crossovers, pass filters, etc.
7. Install the speaker/ring assembly by reversing the removal procedure.
8. Reinstall the door panel.