Kick Panel Speaker Upgrade

[PMC II]

I am upgrading the kick panel speakers. When I removed the stock speaker (4x6), it had 3 wires attached to it. The replacement speaker (4x6) only has connections for 2. What should I do with the 3rd wire?

[UKDaveJ]

I am upgrading the kick panel speakers. When I removed the stock speaker (4x6), it had 3 wires attached to it. The replacement speaker (4x6) only has connections for 2. What should I do with the 3rd wire?

Welcome PMCII!

I'm guessing at one of a few possibilities - assuming that is that you've found only one speaker with 3 wires.........

If so, then it could be;

1) a connection from a previously fitted mobile cellular phone?
2) a connection from a separate tweeter mounted somewhere else?
3) a connection from a fader control
4) the third wire is another earth, connected to something else

Hope that helps! What speaker are you upgrading to?

Dave

[GRNSHRK]

Yes, welcome PMC II

I think UKDaveJ has some good ideas, but I would guess that these 3 wires are all part of one harness. So I would have to rule out most of his suggestions

However, since there was always that fader control on the knee panel to the right of the steering wheel (on my early 6er anyway), this seems to be the logical purpose for the third wire. True, one is for ground (earth) which is probably brown. The positive lead to the speaker would be the second, maybe blue? And the third would go to that fader control. Mine has never been connected to the stereo head unit, rewired by the PO, so I can't verify this. But I do know that there are harnesses going away from the fader control, to parts unknown behind the dash.

Most modern stereo head units handle front to rear fade anyway, so I doubt that you will need it anyway.

HTH

[TorQue_635]

I am upgrading the kick panel speakers. When I removed the stock speaker (4x6), it had 3 wires attached to it. The replacement speaker (4x6) only has connections for 2. What should I do with the 3rd wire?

If you have factory tweeters in the doors the third wire is to power that.

An extra ground is already attached to the tweater directly, the third wire just provides a signal from the crossover, on the back of the speaker.

[PMC II]

The third wire was for the stock tweeter in the door. Because the speaker that I upgraded to, a 3 way Pioneer, has a tweeter, I may not use the stock tweeter until I upgrade the head unit and find a trustworthy installer to take the door panels off.

[val_c]

PMC II,
What kind of speakers you installed into the kick panels?
Pioneer TS-A4670R 4" x 6" ?

TIA

[PMC II]

Chevale, those are the exact speakers that I upgraded to.

[val_c]

Thanks for the answer.
Do you have a picture of speakers installed? Are those speakers shallow enough not to touch body metal? What speaker covers did you used?

[Manny]

this may help ...

look what a guy in Ottawa is making.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-Fron ... otohosting

they are custom fit tweeter pods! He is also selling speaker pods in place of the kick panel speakers. A little too intrusive for me.

[UKDaveJ]

this may help ...

look what a guy in Ottawa is making.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-Fron ... otohosting

they are custom fit tweeter pods! He is also selling speaker pods in place of the kick panel speakers. A little too intrusive for me.

Manny, I think you'll find that these are made by 'Dobe', a member on here who also has made inner front wing/fender plastic liners.

D :)

[Manny]

Dave,

Yeah, his company is called Dobe as well :) I'm driving the 4 hrs to ottawa to visit friends. I"m going to drop by his house if i have the time. I Like his tweeter pod, finally putting the up at ear level. Funny, i even invited him to going this forum! Small small world.

Did you read my posting about having trouble shifting? Its in the transmission forum. Any help would be appriciated.

THanks!

[Mountain Shark]

Hi -

I have those same Pioneer speakers as well. (about the only option out there for the kick panel.) The stock grill can be used. My speakers (at least one of them) touches the metal and the magnet grabs it and holds on.

I've left it that way. Doesn't seem to make a difference. What should be expected to happen?

[sohlman]

I have some JBL competition 6x4 at the front rates at 90w RMS. My local Ice dealer who incidentally has had 3 sixes found them for me. They are no longer made, but were the best i could source in the UK. I them have some tune up tweeters mounted on the dash along with another 5 speakers mounted in various locations around the car and three amps mounted in the boot.
James