MkII Stereo Upgrade Information
In my quest to upgrade my MkII stereo system, I searched through the
back postings of the mailing list to find articles listed below. Thanks
to all the people who contributed! - Geoff Seeley
From: uunet!aol.com!arvidj@uunet.UU.NET
Subject: Re: CD Player Qusetion
Date: Wed, 09 Feb 94 15:54:43 EST
Fred,
>1. Replace the head unit either with a 3 in 1 or an after-market unit.
I can tell you what the 'premium?' 3 in 1 unit consists of, and then
you can see what parts you may or may not have or need.
The in-dash unit (intuitively obvious).
Left and right speakers in bottom of doors. Appear to be 4" or so.
Left and right speakers in front door post at ear/eye level. Appear
to be 1" or or less.
Left and right speakers behind each seat. If I pull up the horizontal
'ledge' at the base of the firewall behind the seat, I find a plastic
box which seals the speakers against the vertical edge of the ledge.
Left and right power amplifiers for the left and right rear speakers
(not so intuitively obvious).
There may be more, but that's all I can remember from the shop manual
diagram I was looking at last week. If I find something significant
when I look tonight, I'll let you know.
>Any recommendations or other solutions are greatly appreciated.
I LOVE the factory installed 'premium?' 3 in 1. The CD player seems to
be well suited to rigors of stiff suspension, as it doesn't skip. I can
not say the same for my Sony DiskMan when I use it in the truck. I'm not
sure how much help that recommendation will be to you (i.e. can you
retrofit it?).
>The funny thing is that even though I'm a real music lover, I often
>perfer to drive along and listen to that engine purring behind me.
But it does give you something to listen to during those incredibly
boring turbo cool-down periods!!
Hope this is some help,
Arvid
From: uunet!skidmore.EDU!jdrout@uunet.UU.NET (Jonathan Drout)
Subject: CD Player?/ Tire?
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 94 19:22:43 EST
wrt the Toyota CD system -
Those speakers @ eye level are tweeters, the one in the door are
mid/basses with the lows pretty much crossed out. The rear speakers
handle most of the bass, as well as rear fill. So to create the whole
system, you'll need the proper crossovers for whatever speakers you
use, as well as the amps, head unit, wiring and fuses. You could run
the whole thing off one low current (2ohm stable amp) if you wanted
to- merely make sure each speaker carries its own frequency response
and there's no overlap - then the whole system can run as two channels
- L&R, each channel running a midbass, a tweeter, and a rear fill.
The rear fill CAN overlap the other two. You could also mono-bridge a
sub in and still use only one amp, saving $$.
thanks
Jonathan
From: uunet!artisans.footfalls.com!rick@uunet.uu.net (Rick Moll)
Subject: Re: Toyota CD players
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 94 09:54:20 -0500
> I have the standard Toyota CD unit in my 91 Turbo and it seems to work
> really well. I have no problems with it, and it only skips if I go over a
> severe bump ...
I too have a 91 Turbo with the standard CD player. It only skips for me
when I go over a large bump. It has been a little worse since I put on
50 series tires (that is "large" bumps got quite a bit smaller). My
only complaint is that I wish they had put in better quality speakers.
Rick
From: uunet!proteon.com!Anna.Klein@uunet.uu.net (Anna Klein)
Subject: Re: stereos
Date: Tue, 8 Nov 94 09:29:06 EST
I put a Pioneer 750 (I think) in my '91. I don't know if I'd call it
*great* (maybe just great), but it seems to meet all your other
criteria.
> Does anyone out there have any recommendations for a *great*
> stereo/CD player that:
> 1) Does not take up both slots in my dash (my sun
> glasses and coin holder take up the open slot)
I got it 3 years ago and it's like it was made for the car. And
there's still room for my sunglasses too! They've since replaced the
750 with a newer model, but I think it'll still fit in the single
slot.
> 2) Puts out the kind of power that will keep up with
> my T-tops being out (preferably without an equal-
> izer)
I've made myself nauseous by cranking the volume. It does require a
power amplifier to drive all 6 speakers though. I got the Pioneer 80
power amp and stow it in the subwoofer compartment behind the driver's
seat.
> 3) Doesn't skip (the CD player) given the stiff sus-
> pension of the MkII
I have yet to make mine skip, even while going over railroad tracks.
> 4) Relatively easy to install. I've seen that many
> radios require extensive modifications to the dash.
My cousin and my husband installed it in one (very long) day. No
modifications to the dash required. They took just about everything
apart, but made no mods.
> I'd like to get all of this sound/quality without having to
> replace the speakers, though I will if necessary.
I didn't replace mine. With lots of bass, I can hear some vibrating.
Other things that I like about this unit:
- It has a detachable faceplate. I probably wouldn't bother
removing and hauling a 6 pound radio. The faceplate fits nicely
in my pocketbook/briefcase. In its case, its dimensions are
approx 1.5"x6"x1" (WxLxD)
- It has 18 FM presets, 6 AM presets.
- I didn't pay a lot. For both units, I spent about $350.
The main thing that I don't like about the unit is that it draws a lot
of power and I've drained my battery on several occaisions while I was
washing/waxing the car with the radio on (it wasn't even on very loudly).
Anna
apk@proteon.com
From: uunet!mobile.bam.com!LSalsgiv@uunet.uu.net
Subject: Re: MKII Stereo Upgrades
Date: 18 JAN 95 08:55:16 EST
> Did the head unit mounting require any kit or custom-made fabrication, or
> did it fit perfectly?
> I assume the EQ is Alpines 3342?
Actually the radio and EQ bolted into the original Toyota mounting bracket.
This made for an easy installation. All that was needed was a piece of ABS
plastic to cover the extra space.
My EQ is Alpines 3321 an older model that I already had. It is a half din
unit and was mounted directly under the radio. Since it is only half din,
the above mentioned plastic was used to cover the gaps.
Using the Toyota mounts and predrilled option holes on the radio makes a
perfect solid mount. I should mention that the radio is Alpines 7618, if
that makes a difference.
> How big are the sub boxes?
The sub boxes are the same size as the compartments behind the seats. I used
fiberglass and other materials to seal the inside of the "golve boxes". This
technique give a good sealed enclosure. I like the sound of a sealed
enclosure over a ported one. Just my personal preference.
> Where did you route your +12vdc line for the amps?
If you mean the +12vdc remote turn-on wire, I routed this with the new
speaker wires through the exisiting wire harness access hole. Simply modify
the rubber gasket at the fire wall.
> What size Dynes did you replace the front 6 speakers with?
Well I am only using 2 speakers in the front and 2 subs. The front speakers
are 5 1/4" but I'm convinced that 6" will fit. I'm going to try the 6" up
front in the doors on Friday, I will let you know how it goes. Also, I am
using 1" tweeters mounted in the factory pillar locations. I like the front
stage created by using only front speakers. I almost never use the inside t-
top liners and because of this I get alot of nice rear reflection. Again a
personal listening preference.
loren
From: uunet!mobile.bam.com!LSalsgiv@uunet.uu.net
Subject: Re: MKII Stereo Upgrades
Date: 9 JAN 95 16:05:23 EST
This is what I did...
All the electronics were changed to Alpine components. In the dash I have
installed a Alpine AM/FM/CASS with CD controller and an eleven band graphic
equalizer with sub-woofer crossover. Under the passenger seat is Alpine's
new 6 disc changer. Yes it fits. I have 2 amplifiers. 1 30wx2 to drive the
new door speakers and 1 60wx2 to drive 2 8" subs mounted behind the seats.
The cabinets were constructed so I can still place my T-tops behind the
seats. The two amps are mounted in the front trunk. If you are facing the
front of the car they are located on the right / front most corner. The big
amp lays flat and the little one is mounted vertically on a specially
constructed mount. The subs are Blaupunkt Pro dual voice coils and front
speakers are Dyne (sp??) Audio. I hope to compete in IASCA ( International
Auto Sound Challenge Association ) this year. Best of all, everything is
rock solid so I can still run SCCA.
Loren
'91 na
From: uunet!melpar.esys.com!cdionis@uunet.uu.net (Chad Dionis)
Subject: Re: MkII Stereo Upgrades
Date: Mon, 9 Jan 95 13:07:34 EST
I wrote in about a month ago about my stock stereo locking me
out and requiring a security code only the previous owner knew.
Toyota wanted $150 to reset the code.
Well, I showed them. I replace the head set with a Pioneer CD
only head. The stereo was able to fill in the other three inch
space with a panel so there was no gap left from the oversized
3-1 stock head unit. I replaced the six inch speakers in the
door and the cooresponding tweeters. This gives me much better
high end sound. I put an Alpine 4x32 watt amplifier under the
passenger side seat. Finally, I had a custom made sub-woofer
box built to fit behind the passenger side seat, where the t-top
glass goes. The box contained an eight inch JL Audio sub-woofer
I kept the four inches behind the seat and disconnected the two
sub-woofers under the t-top area.
All of this cost me about 1100, including installation. The
sound is increadable with a great frequency response.
Problems: The power antenna doesn't work because the factory
requires four leads and my head unit only provides one. This
is still pending.
Chad Dionis
'93 Turbo
VA Licence: 0 TICKTS
-----------
$150 = OK sound
$1100 = increadable sound (its great not being married)
From: Ethan Fisher
Subject: Re: Stereo Installs
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 10:11:11 -0800 (PST)
Scott, My brother has a 93' Mr.2 Turbo and we were able to fit 8"ers in
the back, which I think is plenty with how close they are. We cut out
the metal bracing for the sub behind the driver's seat and the
sub/storage box behind the passenger seat. In the panels right next to
the sub went in two MB Quart 4" with a tweeter mounted on the built in
grill to the speaker. Two MB Quart 5 1/4" mids went down in the door
panel, which took just a little metal shaping as I remember and a little
patience as well. We put in two Sony Tweeters in the factory location on
the door. I don't know if you can do this as the 91's have smaller face
plates for the tweeters. They were the Titanium Dome Tweeters and are
very small so I don't see a problem with it though. Then we put in a Sony
U8000 Cd/Radio along with an Alpine EQ/DSP unit. The Alpine really
improved the sound. A JBL 38.5*4 Watt amp(I think that was the correct
wattage) powers all the mids and highs while a Sony 100*2 power the subs,
which were JL Audio's. It's real clean, tight, and can get loud although
I like to keep my ears for a rainy day. If you have any other questions,
please don't even hesitate to ask.
Later
Ethan Fisher
88 Mr.2 S/C
From: uunet!uclink3.berkeley.edu!qoz@uunet.uu.net (David W. Wong)
Subject: Re: Stereo Installs
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 11:44:55 -0800
>Has anyone installed a high-end audio system in their MR2? I'm a car audio
>freek who desperately wants to buy an 91' MR2 Turbo with in the year, and I
>would like to put in a *really* nice stereo system. I've heard the factory
>speaker sizes and placement are quite good, so I'll probably use the factory
>holes. Has anyone got 10" subs to fit? I'm curious to know if there would be
>enough room to put one in the center console (like in the Fiero system). Is
>there room under the seats? Any other ideas? I'm not looking for a boom car,
>but I'd like more bottom end than a 6x9"er could give. I'd appreciate any
>help in designing a system...Thank you!
> Scott
Hi Scott,
Like you, I'm also planning on buying a 91 or 92 Turbo this year (probably
June) and substantially upgrading the stereo system. I've done a bit of
research in the process...here are some specs:
- Head unit provisions are double-DIN. Head unit(s) mount via side-supports.
- Door speakers can accomodate 5.25", possibly 6.5" with minor drilling.
- Door tweeters (1"?) are mounted on sail panels (piece that attches to mirrors)
- Rear speakers mounted in rear corners of interior cabin. Not sure what size.
- On '91's there is one sub, one '93s and up there are two. Mounted behind
the seats, in enclosed compartments on the floor/firewall. Someone told me
the size is 5x7 or something odd like that.
As an example, here's my proposed upgrade:
- Alpine CD player/shuttle controller in top DIN location.
- Alpine 3342 EQ/DSP controller in bottom DIN location.
- Alpine 3342 EQ/DSP unit under pass. seat or behind center console.
- Kenwood 30x2 amp (for small rear speakers) under pass. seat.
- Alpine MRV-F400 amp (for fronts & subs) under driver seat.
- Polk or MB Quart midbass/tweeters up front.
- JL Audio 8-10" subs in small sealed boxes behind seats.
(Nice thing about the Alpine components is that their 6-disc changer is VERY
small, if and when I decide to add one to the system).
Everything should be fairly straightforward except for the new subs. There
is NOT a whole lot of room behind the seats, especially if you plan on
keeping the storage locations behind the seats for the T-Tops. Initially,
I'll install everything but the subs...I'm going to need some time to figure
out how much room I have and to custom design the sealed enclosures.
I don't recommend mounting any amps/signal processors in the rear trunk, as
the signal interconnects will have to pass through the engine bay, where
noise is sure to creep into your system. (Although you COULD stick an
easily-removable sub box back there, but you're no "bass-head", and neiher
am I.)
I made a posting here similar to yours a few months back. I've kept all the
threads. If you're interested, or need any other info, e-mail me.
Dave
From: uunet!cco.caltech.edu!charlesg@uunet.uu.net (Charles Grosjean)
Subject: factory stereo amplifier placement
Date: 23 Feb 1995 21:06:03 GMT
The previous owner of my 91 Turbo saw fit to remove the subwoofer and the
associated amplifier (I have the factory CD system with separate amplifiers).
My service manual indicates that the speaker and sub amplifiers are on the
left side of the car underneath the plastic panel covering the seatbelt.
Well, I pulled the panel off and found what I think is the sub-amp connector
(a ten pin connector with a two-pin connector and cable spliced to it), but I
couldn't find the factory amplifier which I doubt would be there given the
wiring connections given in the schematics, and I found no mounting points for
the sub-amp, although in the compartment behind the driver's seat I found six
screw holes.
So my questions are:
1) Where does the sub-amp go, and did I find the connect wiring harness?
2) Where is the external amplifier for the other four speakers?
3) Has anyone stuffed anything else into the compartment behind the drivers
seat and if so, how did it sound?
Also, has anyone replaced the factory door speakers with Boston Acoustic Pro
or Rally series 5" drivers?
Thanks,
Charles Grosjean
From: "Scott Kucera"
Subject: Re: factory stereo amplifier placement
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 95 17:50:02 pst
That 10-pin connector should have plugged into the amp itself, with the two-pin
connector going to the subwoofer, which lived in an enclosure behind the
driver's seat at the base of the rear bulkhead. For '91, I think there was this
one amp for the whole system, but there may have been a seperate smaller amp
inside the sub's enclosure to power the sub itself without drawing power away
from the main system. It is probable that the one amp ran everything (five
channels) with two front, two rear (much lower power) and one sub channel. I
don't have my wiring diagram here at work, but I'm 90% sure of this arrangement.
I will, of course, welcome more expert information.
Scott
From: uunet!simple.dallas.tx.us!bfriesen@uunet.uu.net (Bob Friesenhahn)
Subject: Re: factory stereo amplifier placement
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 23:04:18 +0600
> That 10-pin connector should have plugged into the amp itself, with the two-pin
> connector going to the subwoofer, which lived in an enclosure behind the
> driver's seat at the base of the rear bulkhead. For '91, I think there was this
> one amp for the whole system, but there may have been a seperate smaller amp
> inside the sub's enclosure to power the sub itself without drawing power away
> from the main system. It is probable that the one amp ran everything (five
> channels) with two front, two rear (much lower power) and one sub channel. I
> don't have my wiring diagram here at work, but I'm 90% sure of this arrangement.
> I will, of course, welcome more expert information.
My diagrams show a four channel "Stereo Component Amplifier". There is also a
"Woofer Amplifier" which drives the single woofer speaker. The four channel amp
is equipped with a 14 pin connector running to the radio and a 9 pin connector
running to the speakers.
Bob
From: uunet!sitka.triumf.ca!solu@uunet.uu.net (Richard Soluk)
Subject: MkII stereo systems
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 11:58:44 -0700 (PDT)
I've seen several recent posts about subs and component placement in
the MkII. I've found that there is enough room under the seats for
small to medium amplifiers, but the best spot is probably in the
forward trunk, that space really isn't good for much else.
I've seen two successful subwoofer strategies: with a lot of work you can
install a 12 inch sub in the front trunk and port it into the
passenger compartment or you can install subs behind the seats. I am
using a single ADS 7 behind each seat (these may be discontinued now
but they will have something similar). These subs are about 7.5 inchs
in diameter but have a very large cone excursion. The boxes are tiny,
maybe 0.5 cubic feet each, and although my seat travel is resticted I
made sure that I could still put the T-tops in their stock holders.
These subs are very impressive, even in such small enclosures they
have a strong response down to 20Hz (an equalizer is also a good idea).
The factory door mounts are okay for mid-bass drivers but don't use
the factory tweeter locations. Not only are they too small their
placement is terrible from an imaging standpoint. The best location
for tweeters is in the kick panels which keeps your highs close to
your midrange. The kick panels are a trivial location to install
speakers in and naturally angle the tweeters upward toward the drivers
head. Surprisingly the music does not sound as if it is coming from
your feet but maintains a good eye level stage.
Finally you do not need rear speakers in this car. I don't
know why Toyota bothered, except perhaps that people expected it.
A single Phoenix Gold M44 amplifier drives all channels.
Personally I was surprised that so simple a simple a system would sound good,
but the car scored high in all sound quality categories when I
competed with it last year (including, of all things, rear fill :-).
And actually sounds better then the 12 speaker system I had in my old
car. And using only 6 drivers with one amplifier both reduced the
cost and weight of the system.
...Richard
solu@sitka.triumf.ca
From: drlum
Subject: Re: Sub boxes in MR2 mk1?
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 1995 11:20:00 -1000 (HST)
On Tue, 25 Apr 1995, Burns, James B. wrote:
>
> |I have a MKII MR2 and am having the same problem. I want to replace my
> |two stock 5" subwoofers with something more substantial.
>
> The subwoofers in my '94T (with the 3 in 1 stereo) appear to be 6"X9". At
> least that's what the grills in the car and the cutaway picture in the MR2
> brochure look like. I think that a good pair of 6X9 subs with a proper
> amplifier would sound just fine.
Yes, the grille looks like a 6x9, but the grill pulls off (just has some
firm plastic clips that snap in) and it will reveal (at least in my '93)
a 5" speaker with a 1 1/2" port. I suppose I could cut the front out to
mount "6x9 subs" but is there such a thing as a 6x9 that is a true
subwoofer with low f3 in a 0.25 cubic box?
Darryl R. Lum
drlum@ohana.com
CIS: 76440,45
1993 MR2 Turbo
From: uunet!sitka.triumf.ca!solu@uunet.uu.net (Richard Soluk)
Subject: Re: MkII stereo systems
Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 14:07:35 -0700 (PDT)
> A while back you wrote, regarding stereo systems:
>
> | The best location
> |for tweeters is in the kick panels which keeps your highs close to
> |your midrange. The kick panels are a trivial location to install
> |speakers in and naturally angle the tweeters upward toward the drivers
> |head. Surprisingly the music does not sound as if it is coming from
> |your feet but maintains a good eye level stage.
>
> Is this setup with the separate tweeters in the kick panels significantly
> better than just putting full-range coaxials in the doors?
>
> Brad Burns
>
I haven't tried putting full range coaxials in the doors, but given
the direction the door cutouts face you would be sitting quite a bit
off axis. The sound quality of most tweeters falls off rapidly if you
are too far off the centre axis of the speaker. My stereo shop
thought the door cutouts were a bit marginal even for midrange
speakers, if I recall correctly the speaker is actually angled
slightly forward toward your feet. Since there is a lot of depth in
the part of the door panel covering the speaker we tried angling the
speakers upwards but didn't get any improvement. This was probably
due to the plastic speaker grill but modifying that would ruin the
stock appearance.
So the door is good enough for midrange but I wouldn't put tweeters
there. If you already have coaxial speakers you may be able to remove
the tweeter and locate it seperately from the main driver. I know
stereo shops which have done that.
Hope that helps...
...Richard
solu@sitka.triumf.ca
From: uunet!sitka.triumf.ca!solu@uunet.uu.net (Richard Soluk)
Subject: Re: MKII Stereo Systems
Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 10:20:57 -0700 (PDT)
> >> | The best location for tweeters is in the kick panels which keeps your
> >> |highs close to your midrange. The kick panels are a trivial location to
> >>
> > ...Richard
> > solu@sitka.triumf.ca
> >
> Just a quick note before you all go hacking up the panels in your cars; the
> MKI cars have speaker locations (speaker grills included) in the plastic
> panels which outline the roof, right above where they meet with the small
> triangular side windows. Basically they are located just behind and above
> the driver's left ear and the passenger's right ear (on U.S. spec cars),
> just perfect for the location of tweeters. Is it possible that this
> ideology was carried over to the MKII cars? If so I would consider mounting
> my tweeters there.
>
> Matt Edwards - medwards@hrfocus.attmail.com
>
The MkII does have a location for small rear fill speakers in the
side panels behind the driver and passenger. But if you are
installing an aftermarket stereo the best thing to mount there is air.
I'd make the same statement for the location you describe on the MkI.
Except for subwoofers, speakers mounted behind you are generally a
disaster (unless you want to put in a surround sound system :-).
Even in larger cars, the rear speakers should only be powered at a low
level or they will drag your image toward the back seat.
For best sound response all of the frequencies that are high enough
for you to locate (mainly mids and highs) should be near one another,
i.e. the tweeters should be near the midrange drivers, and the ratio
of pathlength from your head to the left and right channels should as
close to one as you can make it. That's one of the big problems with
the factory tweeter location in the MkII and the location you describe
in the MkI. They place one speaker very close to the listener while
the other is much farther away. To some extent you can tune that out
for the driver (by sacrificing listening quality for the passenger)
but its not ideal.
These comments aside, a good auto manufacturer tunes their stereo
system for a particular car, and the premium factory systems in the
MkII sound quite good (for a stock system). But if you are putting in
an aftermarket system the stock speaker locations are not the best
ones to use.
...Richard
solu@sitka.triumf.ca
From: "Burns, James B."
Subject: Re: Car Audio Recommendations?
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 95 09:41:00 EDT
>What you are now enjoing in your 3-in-1 stereo is apretty poor excuse for
>sound
>reproduction.
I agree, but for a factory system it sounds good. Most people are very
impressed with it. I know a guy with a '93 NA with the 3-in-1 system, he is
100% happy with it, and he can't believe that I have any complaints about
it. However, I have a very high-end system at home, and I'm very picky
about how my music sounds, so I'm not totally happy with the 3-in-1.
>Most modern car systems, as well as consumer systems in general, are guilty
of
>number of faults. One of the more pronounced, and more common tricks is to
>exxagerate the mid-bass at about 100-150Hz (bump) and cut off anything
below
>that. At first it sounds like the bass is pumping, the sound is full the
>listener is happy. The other thing is highs extension. If you take out your
>speakers and look at them, I can guarantee you that they have untreated
paper
>cones. And most likely aluminum tweeters. The resulting sound is pearsing
at
>best.
A big problem in the MR2 is that the stereo sounds great until you turn on
the engine, then the low frequencies are drowned out which gives a very
harsh tonality. For CD playing, I adjust the bass up and the treble down so
the EQ graphic is a downward-sloping line. For radio I use this setting
with the treble a bit higher. Sometimes I might bump the midrange up one
click if I really want to hear the guitars.
Richard S. recommends not using the factory tweeter locations. Instead, put
the tweeters in the kick panels. This puts the tweeters near the mids for
good imaging, and it will probably also help alleviate that harsh tonality
problem. I plan to try this someday.
Brad
From: uunet!e-mail.com!doogie-racing@uunet.uu.net
Subject: Re: MKII left door speaker
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 1995 15:22:35 EDT
Sean- I had the same problem last summer. The left speaker worked
intermittently until finally it quit altogether. Tearing apart the door panel
is pretty easy. You will need a good selection of slotted and Phillips
screwdrivers, needle nose pliers, some solid wire of approx. 1 mm in diameter
and at least 3 feet in length (to pull the new speaker wire through the rubber
wire harness protector between the door and the body), electrical tape, 1/2
dozen or so of those christmas tree push-in tabs (yes there are a ton of them
holding everything together and some will break when taking the door apart),
solder, soldering iron, and speaker wire. I'm sure I forget something, but
that covers the majority of the items.
Mark
'91 MKII turbo t-top red 134K miles
From: "David W. Wong"
Subject: Re: Door Speakers etc
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 1995 18:49:59 -0700 (PDT)
On Thu, 24 Aug 1995, Sean Gould wrote:
> I have a '91 MkII. Both door speakers in the driver side (left) door
> have failed because the wires in the hinge broke.
>
> I'm wondering if anyone has taken the door panel and side kick panel
> off their MkII and could offer some advise. I'd like to know:
I took off my door panels the first day I got my 91T to replace the stock
door speakers with an MB Quart component set. Not very difficult, and you
don't need that many tools...
> What tools are required
Flathead (small/thin) and philips screwdrivers. Cover the flathead with some
vinyl/electrical tape; you'll use it to pry various panels out, so you
don't want to scuff up the surfaces.
> How do I do it
This is all from memory, I might leave out a few details...
1. Remove small phillips screw from the concave "cup" that the inner door
handle/door lock is attached to. Then carefully remove this cup by
pulling "up and out".
2. Using flathead, pry out the tweeter cover.
3. Using flathead, CAREFULLY pry out the curved panel that contains the
powerr window/door lock switches, by wedging the screwdriver into the
front (or rear?)-most crevice. Once the panel is out, disconnect the
wiring harness.
4. Repeat step 3 for the recessed door-pull cup just aft of the switch
panel.
5. Using flathead, pry out screw cap located on the on the forward part
of the door panel. Using phillips, remove the screw underneath it.
6. Using phillips, remove the 3-4 exposed screws located on the bottom
part of the door panel.
7. Tricky part: using flathead, pry out the tabs. I believe there are
between 6 and 8 of these. I have the service manual which shows exaclty
where these are. I could fax the diagram to you, but otherwise, you'll
have to locate them yourself...get underneath the door, lie on your back
and try to pry the panel from the door with your hands, trying to locate
these white tabs. Each tab has 2 pieces: one attached to the panel, and
one attached to the door itself. Wedge the flathead between these 2
pieces, and pry them apart.
8. Once the tabs are separated, start pulling the lower half of the panel
away from the door. Oh yeah...at this point, you can pull out the red
dome light housing and detach the wiring harness.
9. Once you're sure you've gotten out all the screws and tabs, continue
to pull the panel OUT and UP. This may take a few attempts.
10. Once the panel is removed, you can access the wiring.
(As I mentioned, I may have left a few minor details out. Just be careful.)
> Will I need to buy some of those easily broken plastic tab things
> that are used to snap the door panel on... before I attempt the
> repair?
Might be a good idea...I didn't buy any, and fortunately I didn't break
any of the originals, but then again I had the service manual diagram to
look at.
Good luck.
Dave
91T 52k mi.
From: "Burns, James B."
Subject: RE: Making changes to Premium Sound System
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 95 11:46:00 EDT
>Wat I would really like to do is drop in my Infinity 225 per side amp
>and some replacement 6x9's behind the seats. Has anyone done this??
>Anyone have any ideas on mounting depth limitations? Are the Toyota
>6x9's in any kind of sealed container, or free-air??
The subs behind the seats are not 6X9. The grilles look like it, but remove
the grille (they just pop off) and you'll see that the driver is only about
4" inside a vented fiberglass enclosure. You can also lift up the top of
the box behind the seat and see the enclosure. I'd like to put in a pair of
6.5" woofers behind each seat in custom enclosures the same size as the
boxes that the T-tops stow on top of, but this would probably be very
expensive, and I don't want to attempt it myself.
>
>I am assuming I will need to use a speaker to amp level adaptor-- I
>don't really want to mess with the head unit end of it!! I was
>wondering how specifically the premium sound system is equalized for
>this car (ala Bose Z system "ruin" it if ya mess with it) and where
>amplifiers are located (if they're not all built into the head unit).
The amps are located at the bottom of the panels where the 3" mids are. The
drivers side has a sub amp and the main amp, and the other side has a sub
amp -- total of 3 amps. I haven't actually seen them, but this is what the
service manual shows.
Brad
From: "Vernon Natewa"
Subject: Making changes to Premium Sound System
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 14:44:30 -0600
Gary,
The factory bass module is a 5-1/4 or 6" sealed unit, although the
grill implies that the speaker is oval. I took the enclosure out and put an
amplifier and crossover unit in its place. I replaced the single sub with 2 -
8" MTX Blue Thunder Boxes 1 behind each seat. I temporarily put another amp for
the MB Quart 2 way components between the sub box and the rear window trim. I
couldn't get an amp underneath the seats and I didn't want to put anything in
the trunk since it is so hot. I first tried to use a speaker to amp level
adaptor with the factory unit, but there was too much noise. I eventually
replaced both tape & CD with a SONY CDX 8000 head unit.
Vernon
From: Kostas Chryssos
Subject: RE: Making changes to Premium Sound System
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 1995 15:49:24 +0200
tHE NO. OF AMPS DEPENDS ON THE RADIO INSTALLATION YOU HAVE , AT LEAST UP TO
93 MODELS. tHERE IS ALWAYS A SUB-WOOFER AMP, BUT THE OTHER TWO AMPS ARE NOT
ALWAYS INSTALLED. tHEY ARE NOT ON CARS WITH RADIOS THAT INCORPORATE POWER AMPS.
i DO NOT RECOMMEND CHANGING THE SUB WOOFER. THE BASS IS VERY GOOD. MORE
WOULD BE TOO MUCH.>
>>What I would really like to do is drop in my Infinity 225 per side amp
>>and some replacement 6x9's behind the seats. Has anyone done this??
>>Anyone have any ideas on mounting depth limitations? Are the Toyota
>>6x9's in any kind of sealed container, or free-air??
>
>The subs behind the seats are not 6X9. The grilles look like it, but remove
>the grille (they just pop off) and you'll see that the driver is only about
>4" inside a vented fiberglass enclosure. You can also lift up the top of
>the box behind the seat and see the enclosure. I'd like to put in a pair of
>6.5" woofers behind each seat in custom enclosures the same size as the
>boxes that the T-tops stow on top of, but this would probably be very
>expensive, and I don't want to attempt it myself.
>
>>
>>I am assuming I will need to use a speaker to amp level adaptor-- I
>>don't really want to mess with the head unit end of it!! I was
>>wondering how specifically the premium sound system is equalized for
>>this car (ala Bose Z system "ruin" it if ya mess with it) and where
>>amplifiers are located (if they're not all built into the head unit).
>
>The amps are located at the bottom of the panels where the 3" mids are. The
>drivers side has a sub amp and the main amp, and the other side has a sub
>amp -- total of 3 amps. I haven't actually seen them, but this is what the
>service manual shows.
>
>Brad
>
'73 de SV1BT (Kostas G. D. Chryssos Ph.D.)
e-mail : sv1bt@compulink.gr
30,Ikarias str. Glyfada GR16675, Athens, Hellas
Tel: xx-301 9628212, Fax: xx-301 9628539
From: Sean Gould
Subject: Speaker Repair-Rusted wire
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 95 11:15 EST
I succeeded in repairing the broken speaker wire in the door of my
'91 MkII. Thanks to all the people who gave advise and instructions.
Also, thanks to Toyota for such detailed diagrams in the Service Manual.
Send me a note if you want details.
The job was pretty simple, once I understood how to take everything
apart. So next time I will be able to do it much quicker. You're
probably thinking "What do mean next time?" Well, I'm sure more wires
in the door are going to break.
When I removed the wire loom from the door, I found a considerable
amount of water inside. In fact the break was caused because the hole
ground wire (for both speakers) rusted and broke! I am afraid that all
the wires (maybe 20, for windows/locks/speakers/mirrors) are in this
condition.
I have no idea how the water could get in there. Nonetheless, I taped
up everything I could. I suggest that all MkII owners get an extra
wiring harness for the driver door if you can find one at a junkyard.
I foresee many problems in the future. Good luck!
smg
'91 MkII NA, 65k miles
From: uunet!diane.csg.mot.com!mikep@uunet.uu.net (Mike Pittelkow)
Subject: RE: Speaker Repair-Rusted wire
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 1995 08:33:18 -0500
> I also had a Drivers door speaker wire stop working in 1992. Luckily, my MR2
> was still covered under warrenty, and the dealer fixed it. It is interesting
> to find out that other people have had the same problem. Hopefully it will
> not happen again. It has been three years since then and so far so good.
> LukyDuck
> Email: lukyduck@aol.com
There was a service bulletin about this some time back - something about one
fo the connectors in the door not sealing right. Don't rememeber wher I got
this information, I don't think it's listed as a TSB.
-mike
From: uunet!proteon.com!Anna.Klein@uunet.uu.net (Anna Klein)
Subject: Re: Speaker Repair-Rusted wire
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 95 10:03:19 EDT
There was a technical service bulletin issued on corroded wiring
harnesses in the doors, which resulted in shorts in the electrical
system that seemed to affect the radio and/or speakers of many on this
list.
I had this problem in my '91 3 years ago, on the driver's side. They
fixed it under warranty, but after I'd already taken the radio out and
sent it to be repaired, only to find that there was nothing wrong with
it. There was current flowing through the wire going from the speaker
to the radio, even though it was cut at both ends.
Anna Klein
apk@proteon.com
From: Sean Gould
Subject: MkII Door Dismantling
Date: Fri, 1 Sep 95 11:46 EST
This message is for Sean Byrne and anyone else who's interested in
how to remove the door panel in a MkII. It's easy, and well documented
in the Toyota service manual. Good luck.
Disclaimer: If your anything breaks while you are doing this, you
did it, not me. Blah blah blah blah...you're reponsibility.. blah
blah blah.
Tools:
thin flat head screw driver
electrical tape (rap around screw driver)
medium phillips head screw driver
10mm wrench (optional, see wire harness section)
Terminology used below:
trees = those plastic, snap together, clipping thing, connectors
I did not break ANY of these. If you're careful you wont either.
flanges = tabs, hooks
forward/front = toward the front of the car
rear/back = toward the back of the car
top = top
up = up
etc.
First, remove the tweeter cover behind the mirror by pulling the top
out. There is only one trees at the top and two flanges at the
bottom. Lift out.
Remove the pull handle on the inside of the car by pulling it up and
out. There are two trees on the bottom (they are white).
Remove the door latch handle cover by removing the small counter sunk
phillips head screw. The latch handle has two posts, on the top and
bottom, that secure the cover on the rear side, be careful to pop the
cover off of these posts one at a time.
With taped flat head screw driver, pry the front of the window/mirror/
lock console up. There is a metal clip at the front and a flange in
the rear. Lift forward and up. Disconnect both plugs by depressing
the plastic tab on the connector and pulling straight out.
With screw driver, pop of the screw cap button located on the forward
middle inside of the door panel (you can't miss it). Beneath the cap
is a Phillips Head screw. Remove.
Remove the other three phillips screws found on the very bottom of the
door panel.
With flat head screw driver, starting at the rear ward end of the door
panel, pop the seven trees (on power window models). They are located
no higher than mid hieght. And except for the tree above the speaker,
they are all on the perimeter and can be seen by slightly pulling out
the door panel (they are yellow).
Now lift the door panel up and out. The top of the panel has a lip
that hanges onto the steel door.
The speaker has three phillips head screws.
To access the wiring harness
----------------------------
Additional tool required: 10mm wrench (I think, can't remember)
Remove the "scuff plate/door treshold" by using the flathead screw
dirver to pop the five trees (white) on the threshold, starting at the
back end. Now remove the plastic nut infront and below the dead pedal,
with the phillips head srew dirver. (This is a cool nut. It is plastic
and is pressed on with your thumb, but must be unscrewed to remove.)
Remvoe the front trunk/boot latch mechanism (left hand drive, not sure
on right hand drive models) by unserwing the two phillips head screws.
And finally, remove the bracket with a 10mm wrench.
The wire harness connectors are right behind the latch bracket. There
is a 20 pin connector and 12 pin conncetor. Remove these by depressing
the tabs and pulling out.
The ground for both the tweeter and the midrange/bass is a pink wire
with red rings (this is the one that rusted and broke on my car).
The midrange/bass power wire is purple with a red stripe.
Now, compress the rubber boots and push through the holes from inside
the car into the car. And let common sense take over from here. Fix
whats needed and snap everything back together. It's real easy! Good
luck! :)
Sean Gould
'91 NA 65k miles
From: uunet!diane.csg.mot.com!mikep@uunet.uu.net (Mike Pittelkow)
Subject: Re: MkII Door Dismantling
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 09:40:31 -0500
> Terminology used below:
> trees = those plastic, snap together, clipping thing, connectors
> I did not break ANY of these. If you're careful you wont either.
I broke a few of these a while back whilst removing and replacing the trim
around the back part of the cabin. (I was installing some sound quieting
material)
These are VERY expensive. .50-.75 each, if I remember.
Also, the white ones are NO LONGER AVAILABLE. If you order them, they've
been replaced by the yellow ones. I know the configuration is a little
different, but they seem to work just fine. If you're doing working
on the inside of the car (behind trim panels -n- stuff) It's probably
good to have a few on hand, becuase those same yellow trees are used behind
everything. Front edge of the speaker boxes, side panels, threshold trim,
rear window trim, the whole shebang.
-mike
From: Bill Chen
Subject: Re: compartment behind the seats
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 1995 02:16:52 -0400 (EDT)
On Tue, 19 Sep 1995, ken wong wrote:
> According to the 92 catalog for the MKII, there are two compartments
> behind the seats (where the bass speakers are). In the catalog they
> distinctly shown a picture of a camera and walkman being placed in this
> compartment saying this is a good spot for private things.
> Anyways, in the 93 catalog this compartment wasn't shown nor mentioned.
> I was excited after seeing there is a compartment behind the seat and
> proceed to check it out. To my disappointment, the compartment has not
> room at all! the speakers occupied it fully! The lid did open as if it is
> a compartment for stuff to put in. Anyways, are behind the seats
> compartment only availiable for 1991-1992 models?
>
I believe that the 91-92 models had an optionally 7 speaker
system. The would-be storage space behind the driver was the 7th speaker.
So this left one compartment behind the passenger seat. In 93-up models,
I think it is standard 8 speakers. Thus the 7th and 8th speaker would be
located behind the seats.
Bill Chen
91 Turbo
From: Brent Matthew Dye
Subject: Re: 3-in-1 stereo problem
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 12:58:26 -0400 (EDT)
On Mon, 2 Oct 1995 uunet!aol.com!RobSuts@uunet.uu.net wrote:
> In a message dated 95-09-28 12:44:46 EDT, you write:
>
> >Pull the knob off, then put a drop of crazy glue in it, and place it
> >back on. After it has dried you will find that when you pull it, it will
> >"click" out to a second position, at which point it will affect the
> >balance rather than the bass. Push it in to the first position, and it
> >controls bass again.
>
> Help... I thought I was the only one that didn't like the 3 in 1 stereo. I
> mean, the CD/Tape/AM/FM 8 speaker stereo is nice, but I like to have a fade
> control. Seems like everyone I talk to and every manual that I look at has a
> different radio in it. I have the "electronic" 3 band equalizer and a
> pull-out balance (on the volume control), but I want a fade control.
> Does anyone know where this is?
> thanks - Rob
> '93 N/A 29K miles
Rob,
You want to hear something funny? I was wondering about where the
"fade" went on my 3-in-1, and I just happened to browse thru the old 91
brochure Toyota put out for their sales dept that year. Guess what? The
3-in-1 stereo in THAT year's catalogue had a "Bal-Pull-Fade" written
underneath the "Bass Mid Treb" knobs! I guess they used to have the
fader when you pulled out the Treble knob, but why would they go from
better to worse from 91 to 93/94's stereo? I just as confused as you
are. Luckily, I'm not planning on speaker upgrades, so I really don't
have a use for a fader. Sounds just fine the way it is!
From: "Gary Friedman"
Subject: Re: 3-in-1 stereo problem
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 18:04:53 +0000
> >Pull the knob off, then put a drop of crazy glue in it, and place it
> >back on. After it has dried you will find that when you pull it, it will
> >"click" out to a second position, at which point it will affect the
> >balance rather than the bass. Push it in to the first position, and it
> >controls bass again.
>
> Help... I thought I was the only one that didn't like the 3 in 1 stereo. I
> mean, the CD/Tape/AM/FM 8 speaker stereo is nice, but I like to have a fade
> control. Seems like everyone I talk to and every manual that I look at has a
> different radio in it. I have the "electronic" 3 band equalizer and a
> pull-out balance (on the volume control), but I want a fade control.
> Does anyone know where this is?
> thanks - Rob
> '93 N/A 29K miles
I don't believe that there is a fade control. However, I would think
it not to difficult to hook up a potentiometer to the rear side
panels alone to control them.
Keep in mind that when you alter the balance from dead center you
loose subwoofer from the side you are reducing. Boy, do I wish that
the subs were wired mono so that they weren't effected by the balance
control!!!!!!!
Gary
From: "Burns, James B."
Subject: Stereo Speaker Upgrade
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 95 13:55:00 EDT
I think upgrades and modification information is some of the most useful
info on this list, so I'll share my latest improvement with you. I just
replaced the door speakers in my '94 with Blaupunkt 6.5" triaxials.
Originally, I was going to go with a component speaker system with the
mid-woofers in the doors and the tweeters in the kick panels, but
installation was more involved, and component speakers work best with more
power (i.e. they are less efficient than coaxial/triaxial speakers).
Replacing the 4" stock speakers with the 6.5" new ones was pretty easy. The
door holes are the correct size for 6.5" speakers (holes are 5" diameter);
all that is required is drilling new mounting holes. A stereo shop told me
that I had to get low profile speakers because of lack of mounting depth,
but there is at least 2.75" of mounting depth available, even with power
windows, so pretty much any standard 6.5" speaker will fit. (Not the 6.5S
size, though, which is an oversize 6.5" speaker).
The 6.5" speakers deliver noticeably better bass than the stock 4", and the
harsh tonality that used to exist when cruising at freeway speed is pretty
much gone, but the change wasn't as dramatic as I expected. The stock
system really is quite good. I left the stock tweeters connected, and they
sound fine. The one thing that I am still experimenting with is the 3.5"
rear fill speakers. They add some ambience and rear fill which is nice, and
they add some midrange which I like since I am a guitar nut, but their tonal
quality is cheap-sounding which almost detracts more than it adds to the
sound. And I think that a lot of that harshnes I talked about comes from
these speakers. I thought about an aftermarket 3.5" replacement, but I
don't think any 3.5" speaker is going to sound very good. It is easy to
unclip the top two clips from the panels covering these speakers and get
access to the speaker connectors, so I am still experimenting with the
speakers connected and disconnected to see which I like better. Anyone else
tried this?
I have replaced a lot of car speakers in various cars (both my own and in
friends' cars), and the MR2 door panels were the easiest to remove and
replace, and no mounting clips were broken in the process (a first for me).
The construction of this car continues to impress me.
Cheers,
Brad
From: uunet!harvey.carol.net!bob (Robert Rogers)
Subject: re: t-tops, tires, speakers
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 14:44:36 -0500
>Hi,
> My 86 MKI's deck is now toast. I only had the 2 6" speakers
>in the front dash. Now, I'm upgrading my deck, and adding another 2
>speakers. Any idea where I could put them? I'm hestitant about
>putting them right behind the seats against the firewall.
along related lines, i have a 93 with the 8 speakers and i have been
thinking about buying pickup style wedge boxes and installing 8 inch polk
subwoofers. you could do a similar thing, but buy the truck enclosures with
the tweeters...
i was thinking of using a double pole switch on the subs that are already
there so then i could take them out when i needed cargo space. anyone have
any thoughts??
bob rogers
bob@carol.net
From: Derek Motloch
Subject: More mods....
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 95 12:44:39 -0500
I've done a few things to my 91 NA...
Installed two speaker boxes behind the seats.... they have 2" tweeters,
6" mid range and 8" passive woofers.... it seems to sound pretty good,
even without an amp. I like the boxes, cuz they come out easy too.
Derek Motloch - 91na
Last Update:
Saturday 09-Dec-95 17:13:16