1. Home
  2. Subaru Cars Forum
  3. '02 WRX Wagon: Removing doors to access speakers

'02 WRX Wagon: Removing doors to access speakers

Hi, all.

I have a reasonably potent stereo in my WRX, and am noticing some resonance in the doors and the dash at certain bass frequencies from the speakers. The speakers are after-market. I'm pretty sure they're not blown, and it's just a question of some bits of plastic 'buzzing' when the tone hits the right spot.

I want to pull the door panels off, see what's rattling, and secure it.

I went looking for instructions on removing the inner door panels, and did find a post from awhile back (quoted below).

The point about removing the window control modules is not clear. Is this suggesting pulling the toggles off the panel?

I wonder if someone could help to clarify the process here... I don't want to pull on the wrong thing and break a clip somewhere.

Thanks!

BD

*********** The front doors were very easy:-

- Remove electric window control modules, they pretty much just unclip from the front side first, then unplug the electrical connector . Then you will see a philips head screw holding the trim to the door.

- Remove the screw that you can see in the door handle (the bit you open the door with) and remove that little plastic casing.

- From memory there were also another 1 or 2 screws hiding behind plastic lugs in the arm rest. After having done all that, if you gently pull the trim away from the door, starting at the bottom of the door first, you will see where the plastic plugs are so you can sort of put your fingers close to them when you pull the trim off. The trim will pop off pretty easily, I think there are about 6 or so plastic plugs. When the trim is completely free, lift it un an upward direction and it will slide out of the gap between the window and the inner side of the door.

************
Reply to
BD
Loading thread data ...

With prodigious amount of sound deaddener I hope. RAAMmat is cost effective. I highly recommend to install that in all 4 doors and possibly in the trunk. Treat both the metal AND the plastic inner panel. Treat the speaker shelf too if you have a sedan.

I think with the clips you just have to be careful and push them with a very thin screwdriver. Other than that I recommend to get the subaru repair manual for the body.

Reply to
isquat

Look here:

formatting link
Find one for speaker upgrade kit. Most years and models look almost the same. The images here should clarify the instructions.

Blair

Reply to
Blair Baucom

And here is the site:

formatting link
one roll should be enough for 4 doors. I recommend to treat the front ones first. if you plan to install closed cell foam on top of the butyl based mat make sure to order a spray can of adhesive. As a personal plug I liked dealing with Rick before he put the uber system/shipping fee calculator for online ordering. The closed cell mat can be had from second skin (but I haven't seen any adhesive in spray cans on their site)

this

formatting link
be of some help too.

Reply to
isquat

paint the insides of doors while you are at it. .... any primer, any color. Metal buzzes like... metal. This is common to every car I have owned with door speakers. that dang sheet metal cars are made out of do not like anything beyond thier specs. Bass frequencies are like inline fours with no exhaust- you can feel it running on the metal of other cars, and never get in trouble with laws that do not exist apparently.That buzzing noise may be deserved in your own car, if it is primally bellowing for 3 blocks outside of it.

Reply to
bgd

I don't get it. The problem is easily cured and the effect is about the same as installing a subwoofer, but is cheaper when you do it yourself. The only disadvantage is added weight and many hours you'd spend installing the materials. But with

3200lbs in WRX extra 50-100lbs won't make much of a difference while the difference in sound quality is not just pronounced, it's profound. At least if you treat the outer metal skin behind the moisture barrier, the inside skin and the plastic trim (on the inside obviously). You can laugh all you want, but until you do it you won't know what you are missing. From the sound quality perspective that is.

Did you bother to read this:

formatting link
the link that I provided?I assure you that piece was not written by me.

Reply to
isquat

doors while you are at it. .... any primer, any color.

Well - this was more info than I was expecting - all I expected was a tip on how to disassemble the door panel. Now I have a whole summer project laid out for myself! ;)

As to ambient noise in my car, I usually have the stereo turned up loud enough to drown out all that; so I doubt I'll be treating all surfaces; but the doors, I can certainly see that being worth the time and investment.

Thanks!

Reply to
BD

"BD" wrote in news:1172508591.306971.101160 @m58g2000cwm.googlegroups.com:

Here you go:

formatting link

Reply to
Fuzzy Logic

doors while you are at it. .... any primer, any color.

In my experience it's not quieter, at least not noticeably (but like you I did not treat the floor and the roof). But the sound quality is significantly better. Found the page for the Overkill foam mat:

formatting link
It seems to help some to cut back the sound reflection some but definitely secondary to treating the doors with the butyl sel adhesive mats. Second Skin damplifier is easier to apply than RAAMmat but RAAMmat is much cheaper per pound.

If you have a subwoofer and it's in the trunk I'd recommend to tear the liner apart and treat all surfaces there.

Yep. Once you have the plastic cover off it's not much more work removing the moisture barrier (careful, you want to reuse it) and treat the metal surfaces.

Priorities:

  1. Outer door skin
  2. The inside of the plastic panel
  3. inner dook skin
  4. optionally closed cell foam past the moisture barrier

First door is the slowest but then it gets easier :-) I take my old advice back: start with one of the rear doors. if you screw up you'll regret it less. The do the passenger's front then driver's front and then the remaining back door. The driver's is the most important to treat and the most important not to screwup on dis/reassembly obviously :-)

If I were to convince my wife to let me tear obs apart I'd do the floor too because that's where subaru subwoofer is located. Not that it rattles but still I expect an improvement there.

There is no way to tear the mirrors apart and treat the inside of the cases, is there?

Reply to
isquat

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.