Stereo Rear Speaker Replacement

Introduction

Rear speaker replacement in a 944 or 968 requires some patience but is manageable. The rear quarter glass need not be removed — the job can be completed with or without removing the glass. Both methods are described.

Tools

• Medium Phillips head screwdriver
• Metric socket set
• Flat-tip screwdriver or small pry bar

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Speaker Removal

1. Open the door and remove the plastic kick plate strip at the bottom of the door opening. It is held by clips — slide your fingers under each clip and pull up gently.

2. Pull the rubber trim off the back of the door jamb, from the bottom of the door to approximately 3/4 of the way up the door opening.

3. Remove the Phillips head screw located near the bottom of the door opening in the interior trim panel.

4. Remove the Phillips head screw at the base of the trim panel below the speaker opening.

Note: Later 944s are equipped with a shoulder harness for the rear seats. If your car does not have rear shoulder harnesses, skip step 5 and go to step 6.

5. Open the rear hatch and remove the plastic cover from the rear seat belt shoulder harness mount. Remove the hex head bolt holding the shoulder harness mount in place.

6. If your car is not equipped with rear shoulder harnesses, a large Phillips head screw is in place of the harness mount. Remove this screw (position 1) and also remove the small Phillips head screw below and toward the rear (position 2) of the shoulder harness mounting point.

7. Remove the rubber cover from the rear seat latch pin. When removed, a hex-shaped section of the pin is visible. Use an open-end wrench to remove the latch pin.

8. Remove the two Phillips head screws at the top of the trim panel.

9. Use one of the following options to loosen the interior panel from the window opening:

   Option 1 — Rear window not removed:

   a. Work a flat-tip screwdriver around the perimeter of the rear window (from inside the car), lifting the rubber trim to pull the panel upholstery away from the lip around the glass. Pull gently to avoid tearing the upholstery.

   Option 2 — Rear window removed:

   a. Lift the rubber trim around the rear window from inside the car while gently pushing outward on the window. Start at the lower back corner. Use care — pushing too hard can crack the glass.

10. The speaker panel should now be free to pull away from the body. The seat belt still passes through the panel opening, so work around it as you remove the panel.

11. Remove the screws holding the speakers into the body behind the trim panel. The speaker may be mounted on plastic bushings — do not drop the bushings during removal. On later cars, the factory 4×6 speakers are mounted in a bracket that can be removed to allow fitting a larger speaker.

12. Disconnect the wires from the back of the speaker and remove the speaker.

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Installation

1. Attach the speaker wires to the back of the replacement speaker.

2. Mount the speaker using the four mounting screws. If plastic bushings were present, reinstall them.

3. Test the speaker before proceeding to panel reinstallation.

4. Push the speaker trim panel into place.

   Rear window not removed:

   a. Lift the rubber trim around the rear window and slide the trim panel upholstery under the rubber trim.

   Rear window removed:

   a. Wrap a length of heavy string around three sides of the window glass inside the groove of the rubber trim piece (top, front side, and bottom — not the back/hinge side). b. Insert the back edge of the glass into the window opening with the rubber trim groove on the window frame lip. Leave the string ends on the inside of the car. c. While holding the glass against the outside of the car, pull one end of the string from inside — this draws the rubber trim piece over the window frame lip. Repeat on the other end as needed.

5. Install the five small Phillips head screws for the trim panel.

6. Install the rear seat latch pin.

7. Install the rear seat belt mount (if equipped) or the large Phillips head screw.

8. Press the rubber door trim molding over the door jamb and speaker panel trim.

9. Install the plastic kick panel strip.

Repeat this procedure for the other rear speaker.