Over time, the speaker wires coming from a car's factory radio may chafe and short out or become disconnected, requiring complete replacement. Because speaker wire is not very expensive, the most challenging part about the job is the actual labor (and the difficulty level varies based on model).
Instructions
1. Remove the head unit from the dash. Depending on year and make of vehicle, this can be rather easy or extremely difficult. Sometimes the speaker wires going to the back of the radio can be accessed from underneath the dash, but this is not always the case. Whichever way you decide to access the wires, there will be connectors from the outlets on the head unit to the speaker wire going throughout the vehicle. Simply disconnect these terminals but do not remove the factory wire yet.
2. Attach the new speaker wire to the outputs coming from the back of the head unit. Then use the old, existing speaker wire as a guide to run the new wire so you know the best way to route it. Once the speaker wire has been fished through where the stock wire is, the original wire can be removed and discarded.
3. Install the wiring to the factory speakers. Once again, depending on the model, this can be easy or rather difficult. Most door speakers and rear deck speakers are accessible by removing four screws and the grille. Some, however, require removal of the entire door panel which can be difficult, especially on vehicles with power locks and windows. When the back of the speakers are accessed, simply remove the factory terminal connectors and replace them with the new wires.
Tags: speaker wire, head unit, coming from, remove factory