Tweeter wiring

Post by **Supplanter** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 7:41 am

I am going to install a new head unit and it has 4 outputs (front R & L, back R & L). How do I connect the factory tweeters? Are they already wired in with the front speakers or do they have seperate wires in the stereo loom?

scarecrow · Post by **scarecrow** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:55 am

They are already wired in.

G_A_V · Post by **G_A_V** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 9:14 pm

It was ages ago I replaced mine, but isnt the cross over wired in to the amp in the boot ? if so you should replace the amp and put in new cross overs

Post by **Supplanter** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:27 pm

I am talking about the stock tweeters... and amp? I don't have one of them newfangled doodads

Dr_Jones · Post by **Dr_Jones** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 6:20 am

Are you sure you don't I thought the factory upgrade system had tweeters and a small amplifier stashed somewhere.

G_A_V · Post by **G_A_V** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:11 am

IT depends there was a premium upgrade (which most ftos seem to have) and that included an amp in the boot.

I am pretty sure if you have tweeters then you have the premium sound upgrade

Post by **Supplanter** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 5:56 pm

The tweeters are working with my current head unit *cough* POS *cough*... where is the factory amp located?

G_A_V · Post by **G_A_V** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 6:49 pm

in the boot, under the carpet in one of the storage pods (the left or right, cant remember)

Post by **Supplanter** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:13 pm

Nope, they are both empty... no amp for me

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 7:31 am

hi Mate

I never got to the bottom of it but I think the stock tweeters are wired directly in parallel with the doors....mine seemed to be as I only had one wire for L+R in the front and they both worked (ie dorr+tweater). I pulled mine out and replaced them recently (made new brackets) and re-wrired the tweaters+6" door driver to the new adjustable cross-overs I got. Running new wires for the weaters is fairly easy....running new wired for the doors is not as easy...but can be done...
THe stock tweater is 12Ohm from memory...whie all you new speakers might 4ohm i.e. if you wire it "as is" the resultant impedence is around 9ohm....your head unit will probably expect 4ohm. It will work but not ideal and will not be as loud as u migt like it

KJ

G_A_V · Post by **G_A_V** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:35 pm

if you are wiring as is, it would be wired series, meanning the result impediance is R1 + R2 ( 12 + 4) = 16ohms.
Your car stereo will most likely be designed for 4ohms per channel, so it will have to put out 4x more power. This will result in the sound quality beeing very bad, especially at medium to high volumes.
I reccomend you use a crossover rated at the same impediance as your stereo.
I am not sure if they have a cross over in the non premium stereo on the ftos, is it a mitsubishi cd player in there at the moment ?

edit: just noticed you said the tweeters are wired in parallel, dont know why i thought they were in series, hehe never seen spekaers wired in series before any ways change that formula to 1/R = 1/r1 + 1/r2
so the total resitence would be 1/r = 1/12 + 1/4 dotn have a calculator handy, but someone can do the maths quick estimate i think 8

scarecrow · Post by **scarecrow** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 6:22 pm

I didn't have tweeters in my FTO, but the wiring was still there. I stuck a crossover under the steering wheel and took the input from the wires going to the tweeter, then i ran a new wire to the door for the woofers and wires up the tweeter spot for the new tweeters. Worked fine. Sooner or later I have to redo the passenger side like that, currenlty the crossover is ducttaped in a plastic bag to the bottom of the door, using the door speaker wires as input, and then I ran new wires out of the door up to the tweeter spot.

Getting wiring through the door is extremely easy... once you know how. I tried for maybe 3 hours to no avail. If anyone is looking to do this:
1. Stick your hand inside the door and push the door grommet out.
2. Use a flathead screwdriver to lever the car grommet off.
3. Ducttape the wiring to a thick straight length of coathanger.
4. Coat very liberally in WD40 (this is the key to it working).
5. Manouver the grommets in such a way as to make the piping between them straight, then ram the coathanger up it.

Takes 5minutes if you do it right.

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:48 pm

G_A_V wrote:if you are wiring as is, it would be wired series, meanning the result impediance is R1 + R2 ( 12 + 4) = 16ohms.

Nope. Its in parallel..the join is in the harness somewhere but I couldn't find it. To test, unplug the tweater and see if the door woofer works..if it does (like mine) it must be in parallel...otherwise the other speaker wouldn't work. I assume base din this its a kind of Y connection. My advice just re-wire..its pretty easy.

****edit...lol you fixed it already...now your right!!

Buy an external cross-over. I got mine from Jaycar with three settings at so its adjustable and wacked it under the headunit in some dody fashion...to my suprise it doesn't rattle yay

Dr_Jones · Post by **Dr_Jones** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 5:49 am

I would suggest that the stereos with a factory woofer and tweeter simply have a small coil somewhere near the woofer and a cap on the tweeter itself. As suggested I would just hook up your new system and I think everything will work.

Post by **Supplanter** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:50 pm

Dr_Jones wrote:I would suggest that the stereos with a factory woofer and tweeter simply have a small coil somewhere near the woofer and a cap on the tweeter itself. As suggested I would just hook up your new system and I think everything will work.

And it did

I replaced a malfunctioning 2DIN HU with a single DIN one, which leaves me with a 1DIN space to have fun with MUHAHAHA *cough* *cough*

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:05 am

Dr_Jones wrote:I would suggest that the stereos with a factory woofer and tweeter simply have a small coil somewhere near the woofer and a cap on the tweeter itself. As suggested I would just hook up your new system and I think everything will work.

maybe dunno...this would make sense as its a simple LC circirt for the cross over. Do yourself a favour and replace the lot...

cb · Post by cb » Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:38 pm

Ok So there was an option of a stereo upgrade as standard? Damn I missed out I had some crappy paper speakers and thats about all i have 6 1/2" Splits but I wired the tweeter directly to the wire in the meshy thing at the top is it easy to put them in the door instead?

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 11:05 pm

my splits have cross overs which are loctaed under the head unit inn the centre console...so all the wiring goes back to that point. Its easy to use the "mesh thing" mount I did by making some simply brackets...works awsome and would suggest u do the same. running the cable is easy I found...

Dr_Jones · Post by **Dr_Jones** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 6:30 am

khunjeng wrote:my splits have cross overs which are loctaed under the head unit inn the centre console...so all the wiring goes back to that point. Its easy to use the "mesh thing" mount I did by making some simply brackets...works awsome and would suggest u do the same. running the cable is easy I found...

That's exacly how mine is setup.

RK1-WhiteKnight · Post by **RK1-WhiteKnight** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:01 pm

Sorry to bring up an old topic but I cant seem to find where the tweeter wire is joined with the speaker wire. I need to install the cross over and check it is wired in parallel. 2ohm tweeters an 4ohm head unit don't mix lol