My 3rd row subwoofer blew out a few weeks ago and I finally got around to replacing it. Thought I do a quick write up in case anyone else has to go through this.
The OEM JBL enclosure in my 2003 LC with Nav contains one Dual Voice Coil 5.75"" subwoofer. I replaced it with a 6" sub and had to trim away some plastic around the mounting surface with a dremel.
Dual Voice coil means that there are two connector sets (4 wires) on the woofer.
During the installation I found that the JBL sub may be proprietary in some way. I say this because when I installed the replacement sub with dual voice coil, it stopped working when both connectors were hooked up. It works fine when only one connector is used. I thought there may be a short in the new woofer but another brand of speaker showed the same problem. I am no car audio pro, so not sure what this means. I completed the install with one connector and it sounds fine.
Tools you will need:
14 mm Socket
10 mm Socket
Torx T-20 Bit
Medium Philips Head Screwdriver
Dremel
Speaker I used:
Audiopipe TS-V6
Step by Step:
1. Clear cargo area to give yourself some room
2. Remove left side 3rd row seat if installed
3. Fold and tumble left side of 2nd row seats
4. Unbolt seatbelt connector for left side second row and left side third row with 14mm socket
5. With firm force, pull up the left rear door sill cover and remove. It is held in with 2 or 3 plastic plugs and comes up easily
6. Starting at the rear of the cargo area and using the same force as for the door sill, pull the side cladding away from the sheet metal. Once you create a small opening you should disconnect the 12V rear power outlet cable. There are lots of plastic plugs you need to pull out. Work your way forward until the panel folds away and lets you access the subwoofer. There are lots of cables and connectors back there so be careful.
7. You can now disconnect the subwoofer connector on the right side.
8. Remove the screws holding in the subwoofer enclosure using the 10mm socket
9. Set the enclosure on a stable work surface and remove the 4 Torx screws holding the woofer in the enclosure using the T-20 bit.
10. Cut the speaker wires as close to the terminals as possible to leave as much speaker wire as possible.
11. Using your new woofer as a template, mark the area you need to trim on the enclosure. If you can find a woofer that fits perfectly you may be able to avoid trimming.
12. Connect the speaker wire to the new woofer. In my truck, red (+) / yellow (-) made one pair while green (+) / black (-) is the other. If you are using a single voice coil woofer, just insulate the unused wires and tape them to the other to avoid rattles. I tried connecting both voice coils on the Audiopipe TS-V6 but this did not work. I just connected the red / yellow combo and it works fine. Still disappointed that I could not get both to work - I did spend quite a bit of time troubleshooting.
13. Use the Torx screws to mount the woofer in the enclosure.
14. Re-install the enclosure in the side panel and connect the woofer plug back to the enclosure.
15. Test the woofer
16. Watch for plastic plugs that may have popped out and put them back in the slots on the panel. Work slowly and take your time. It will all go back together.
17. Starting at the bottom, push the carpet and padding back into the channel. Then begin installing the panel starting at the rear door and moving back to the rear hatch.
18. Re-install seatbelt bolts.
19. Re-install door sill cover
I think I covered most important points. I would love some feedback on the dual voice coil issue as this is bugging me.
The OEM JBL enclosure in my 2003 LC with Nav contains one Dual Voice Coil 5.75"" subwoofer. I replaced it with a 6" sub and had to trim away some plastic around the mounting surface with a dremel.
Dual Voice coil means that there are two connector sets (4 wires) on the woofer.
During the installation I found that the JBL sub may be proprietary in some way. I say this because when I installed the replacement sub with dual voice coil, it stopped working when both connectors were hooked up. It works fine when only one connector is used. I thought there may be a short in the new woofer but another brand of speaker showed the same problem. I am no car audio pro, so not sure what this means. I completed the install with one connector and it sounds fine.
Tools you will need:
14 mm Socket
10 mm Socket
Torx T-20 Bit
Medium Philips Head Screwdriver
Dremel
Speaker I used:
Audiopipe TS-V6
Step by Step:
1. Clear cargo area to give yourself some room
2. Remove left side 3rd row seat if installed
3. Fold and tumble left side of 2nd row seats
4. Unbolt seatbelt connector for left side second row and left side third row with 14mm socket
5. With firm force, pull up the left rear door sill cover and remove. It is held in with 2 or 3 plastic plugs and comes up easily
6. Starting at the rear of the cargo area and using the same force as for the door sill, pull the side cladding away from the sheet metal. Once you create a small opening you should disconnect the 12V rear power outlet cable. There are lots of plastic plugs you need to pull out. Work your way forward until the panel folds away and lets you access the subwoofer. There are lots of cables and connectors back there so be careful.
7. You can now disconnect the subwoofer connector on the right side.
8. Remove the screws holding in the subwoofer enclosure using the 10mm socket
9. Set the enclosure on a stable work surface and remove the 4 Torx screws holding the woofer in the enclosure using the T-20 bit.
10. Cut the speaker wires as close to the terminals as possible to leave as much speaker wire as possible.
11. Using your new woofer as a template, mark the area you need to trim on the enclosure. If you can find a woofer that fits perfectly you may be able to avoid trimming.
12. Connect the speaker wire to the new woofer. In my truck, red (+) / yellow (-) made one pair while green (+) / black (-) is the other. If you are using a single voice coil woofer, just insulate the unused wires and tape them to the other to avoid rattles. I tried connecting both voice coils on the Audiopipe TS-V6 but this did not work. I just connected the red / yellow combo and it works fine. Still disappointed that I could not get both to work - I did spend quite a bit of time troubleshooting.
13. Use the Torx screws to mount the woofer in the enclosure.
14. Re-install the enclosure in the side panel and connect the woofer plug back to the enclosure.
15. Test the woofer
16. Watch for plastic plugs that may have popped out and put them back in the slots on the panel. Work slowly and take your time. It will all go back together.
17. Starting at the bottom, push the carpet and padding back into the channel. Then begin installing the panel starting at the rear door and moving back to the rear hatch.
18. Re-install seatbelt bolts.
19. Re-install door sill cover
I think I covered most important points. I would love some feedback on the dual voice coil issue as this is bugging me.
