Hello Folks

I drive a 99 Civic EX Sedan. I recently upgraded my head unit to a Sony Explod 7705 model which is rated at 52x4 power. I also recently bought through Ebay a pair of Infinity 6x9s 9603i rear speakers.

Can anyone refer a DIY to me for installing these? I read somewhere that these speakers are deep and might come in the way of the trunk rod. Will they fit in the factory speaker hole in the rear dash or do i need to modify the opening?

Any suggestions are welcome.

Salman

 

you may have fitment issues with those speakers. just to let your know, the whole back deck needs to come out.

this was a quick writeup i did for a 2003 civic sedan from a earlier post. should be really similar if i remember correctly. the reason the back deck needs to come off is because its all one piece of plastic. if the grills can come off, they would be screwed in from the bottom(integras are like this). you can check by laying down in your trunk facing up an look around each speaker. there should be some screw(really shiny) set in some holes that look like they are holding the grill in. i don't believe your car is like this, but you can check.

here you go:

you need to remove the side panels on the sides of the back window by popping them out because they are clipped in, don't worry about the removing it from the seat belt because you just leave it hanging. then disconnect the third brake light bulb, and the back deck is held in by clips so just pop it up, but don't force too hard. if i remember correctly you neeed to remove the sides of back seat(back part thats left when the seat is folded down on each side). this can be done by removing the bottom seat cushion(i think there is one 10mm bolt almost close the center or at the center that holds this in, right between the seat back and the back of the seat cushion. then pull up on the back of the cushion and its hooked in the the front, just unhook it with the seat cushion vertical), then after the seat cushion is gone on each back side piece is held in by a 10 or 12 mm bolt on the bottom. there may be seat belts attached to these so remember how they come out. after the bolts are gone you need to push up towards the rear window and it will slide out. this is because there is a hook on the top of each side piece holding it in. then you need to just pop up the back deck, but i believe there is a trim piece that goes across the top of the opening when the seat is folded down, so just unclip it. i may be forgetting some things cuz its been a while but this is the bulk of the work. take your time so you don't break anything.

 

hello vpuppy

thanks for your note. I checked a while ago by lying down inside the trunk (just out of curiosity as i have not done this before)...there are i guess four white clips around each of the speaker and they dont look like screws...i tried to push them but they didnt budget at all.

The speaker in the grill may not be the same as the integra....it looks like it is a part of the dash. I will attempt this over the coming weekend...lets see what happens. I will let you know how it goes...i will probably take a couple of pics as well.

thanks

 

This is a pretty helpful site:
http://www.installdr.com/

 

I couldnt do it all by myself for the first time but then tried with a friend finally and got the Infinities Reference 9603i pair installed in the back of my Civic sedan. It was the first time and a good learning experience. Also...i realized how much mis-information there is on HAN Most folks over here said that the whole rear needs to come off which as a matter of fact not true at all. I am not suggesting that it was on purpose but i guess there is always a better way.

Here is the DIY:

1) Fold the rear seats down
2) You now have to take out the side seat cushion (the side part which stays when you push the rear seats down)
3) There is a 10 or 12 mm bolt right underneath the bottom of the side cushion at each side which needs to come out. You will need to pass a socket extension b/w the side and bottom seat cusion as it is kinda deep inside bolted to the frame.
4) Once unbolted, push the side cusion upward. It will simply pop out as it is held with a clip on the top side. Remove the other side also.
5) THERE IS NO NEED TO TAKE OUT THE BOTTOM SEAT CUSION OR EVEN THE SIDE PANELS ON THE INSIDE. LOTS OF FOLKS SAID THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE BUT IT IS NOT TRUE AT ALL.
6) Disconnect the third brake light and pop out the key hole trim from the rear dash trim.
7) The rear dash cover is held on by clips only. Carefully push it upward and towards the rear window...it will pop out easily. Dont use alot of force as you might break the clips.
8) Now unscrew those ugly 15W stockies out by removing four philips screws. Make sure you unplug the harness first from inside the trunk.
9) Install your new speakers by placing them in the hole carefully. Align the speaker holes with the holes in the frame. I suggest you use the stock screws as they are a better fit. (Against popular belief, my Infinities were a perfect fit and they are also not anywhere close to the trunk rod....even though they are twice as deep compared the stockies)
10) Test the speakers.
11) Reverse the process to put everything back on.

Upon testing, i noticed that the speakers were too powerful for my Sony Xplod Head Unit (52x4). My friend suggested that i install an amplifier to get the right amount of juice out of the infinities...so this suggests that to get sound...you need to have the right combo. I turned up the volume on the deck and beyond a certain point....the highs were getting distorted.

I was earlier thinking of two options...Rockford Fosgate or MTX thunder. My friend adviced (His opinion only) that RF is better for subwoofers while MTX is a better choice for internal speakers. I am kinda new to all this so i would like to ask all of you guys to tell me whats best.

Also...i read reviews about the 9603i that if you have a good amp...you really need a sub with them. My front speakers are still stock 6.5 and i am thinking of upgrading them also. Any suggestions on the amp guys?

Hope this will be helpful.

 

ahh, what are you talking about????? the whole rear does need to come out of the car for a professional install. i am a certified installer and have done tons of those cars. the information i gave you was the best advice for someone who has never done speakers on that car before and does not want to break anything. there is no need to come back post that ppl on HAN misinformed you when i was the one who tried to help you in the first place. nice way to say thanks buddy.

 

Well...i never targeted anyone and i am surprised that being a professional installer, you did not know about this. I am still thankful for all the help and advice but the fact of the matter is....i did install my speakers this way.

Its open for anyone to try you know...cuz we did not take the back seat bottom cushion out nor the upper side panels and the whole job was over in about one hour. There is always room for improvement.

Being a professional installer...why dont you tell me anything that you may find weird in the DIY steps that i have listed.

 

Yes, I am familiar with the method you choose. Frankly, it is slightly more difficult to properly loosen the two bolts that hold the seat belts in place with the seat cushion (bottom) in the car, than with it out. This is the major flaw in your method. The likelihood of cross threading the bolts and improperly placing any washers attached to those bolts is greater when the seat cushion is left in place. Being a professional installer, I would rather go a step further in removing something than rather run the risk of damaging another (bolts on a safety device). Also, the method I outlined is one that I personally prefer. That is the reason I choose to explain that particular method to you and is the same reason I did not tell you to try any type of short cuts.

The method you outlined did work for you, but you honestly only saved 5-10 minutes (if you work slowly) by not removing the seat cushion and the back side panels. From the way you presented yourself in your reply, you were basically bad mouthing the people on HAN(myself included) and their efforts in trying to help you by saying that you were misinformed. That was uncalled for on your part because everyone is here to help each other. If you look at the method that I outlined and compare it to yours, it’s essentially the same excluding the part of removing the seat cushion and the back panels. Really, how misinformed were you? :thinking:

 

You are good at argument. Next time...i will try your technique

 

OK...now lets leave this topic behind. I have a quick question for you.

I need to upgrade my 6.5 stockies in the front and perhaps would like to get a new amp also. What is your recommendation? Someone suggested that i should have components in front and also a 4 channel amp. MTX, Pioneer or Alpine????

What is your recommendation. My head unit is a Sony Xplod 52x4 and you know what i have the rear now So let me know.

Thanks