1998-2002 Honda Accord Tweeters Replacement (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)

Introdução

Recently I installed a pair of Infinity Kappa 10.9t tweeters in my Honda Accord Dx.

The Dx model is notable for having only two speakers stock. Aftermarket rears were already installed years ago, but I wanted to get a bit more sound from up front.

O que você precisa

Passo 1 Center Dash

1998-2002 Honda Accord Tweeters Replacement, Center Dash: passo 1, imagem 1 %32

Before going any further: disconnect the battery. I keep a 10 mm wrench in my center console specifically for this purpose.
Use a 10 mm wrench to disconnect the negative battery terminal, followed by the positive terminal.

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Passo 2

Note that the dash has been taken apart before, namely to install all those fancy gizmos you see in this picture.
The disassembly procedure is exactly the same for stock factory systems, but may differ when taking out the radio itself.

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Passo 3

Use a #2 Philips screwdriver to remove the two screws holding the center of the dashboard in place.

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Passo 4

Ferramenta utilizada nesse passo:

Spudger

$3.99

Use a spudger for the following step or, if you don't have one handy, cover a flathead screwdriver with a rag.
Gently insert a spudger or flathead screwdriver directly underneath the clock, just enough so you can pry out the clock. Perhaps a half inch or so will do it.

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Passo 5

Slide the clock out to expose a sole Phillips screw.
Alternatively, you can first disconnect the clock (see next step) and then proceed to remove the screw. It might be slightly easier to do that instead of the method you see here, but either way will work fine.
Remove the screw using your Phillips #2 screwdriver.

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Passo 6

Unplug the smaller connector first. There's a tab on top of the connector that you have to push downwards, then pull the connector. Make sure to grasp the connector itself, and not the wires.
Do the same with the larger connector. Again, there's a tab on top that needs to be pushed downward.

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Passo 7

Now, gently pull the bottom of the center console towards you. Don't yank it out, there's two more connectors holding it in place.

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Passo 8

First take off the red connector. Just like before, there's a tab on top of the connector that you have to push downwards first.
Follow suit with the green connector.
Center dash can now be fully removed.

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Passo 9 Stereo Head Unit

1998-2002 Honda Accord Tweeters Replacement, Stereo Head Unit: passo 9, imagem 1 %32

Remove the four screws (two on each side) holding the double-DIN stereo frame in place using a #2 JIS screwdriver or 8mm socket wrench.

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Passo 10

Slide out the stereo head unit.

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Passo 11 Tweeters

1998-2002 Honda Accord Tweeters Replacement, Tweeters: passo 11, imagem 1 %32

1998-2002 Honda Accord Tweeters Replacement, Tweeters: passo 11, imagem 2 %32

Unfortunately I forgot to show how to remove the plastic covers where the tweeters should reside.
There is a small notch on the cover, approximately located by the red box, under which you should insert a flathead screwdriver.
Twist the flathead screwdriver until the cover pops upwards, then work at it from each side if necessary.

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Passo 12

With your car door fully open, remove the side panel on the dashboard.
In the following steps, you'll be routing wire from the top of the dash to this side panel, and then from the side panel to the center dash.

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Passo 13

Start routing your tweeter speaker cable from through the hole on top of the dash.

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Passo 14

Keep inserting and moving the wire until you are able to see it in the small crack between the door frame and the dash.
Click on the second picture to see a zoomed in version of the wire hiding in the shadows.

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Passo 15

Use a very thin pair of needle-nose pliers to pull the wire out of the crevice.
Pull out approximately a foot of wire.
Then, route the wire along the edge of the dashboard / door frame, so that it ends up in the side panel below.

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Passo 16

Pull the speaker wire towards the side panel.

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Passo 17

Now, start routing the wire from the side panel to the bottom of the dash.
Pull out enough wire near your pedals so that you have enough length to reach your stereo head unit.

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Passo 18

Dig deep through your center dash (while being careful not to snag your hand on any of the wiring) and pull out the speaker wire you were routing.

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Passo 19

Perform the same speaker wire routing on the passenger side. The procedure should be very similar.

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Passo 20

Pull the passenger-side speaker cable all the way to the center dash.

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Passo 21

Now for the fun part: cutting some wires...
Make sure to cut the proper speaker cables! Check twice, cut once.
Locate the Left/Front and the Right/Front speaker cables coming out of the radio. There should be two wires for each speaker cable, a Positive and a Negative.
Use a pair of wire cutters to snip-snip those two cables. Don't cut too close to the radio -- make sure that you leave enough length to strip the wire and reconnect it in the following steps.

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Passo 22

Use a pair of wire cutters/strippers to strip a portion of the both the tweeter speaker wires, as well as the speaker wires you just cut on the stereo side.

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Passo 23

Take the Left/Front/Positive wire coming out of the radio and twist it together with the same wire going to the tweeter, as well as the one going to the front speaker.
Then, use a wire cap to secure the wires together. Wrap the wire cap and wires with electrical tape.
Do the same for the Left/Front/Negative, as well as the Right/Front/Positive and Right/Front/Negative wires.
You can alternatively solder the connections together, or use crimp connectors.
I used wire caps to to connect everything and to make sure it worked, with the intent to solder the connections later. But after verifying that the speakers worked... Well... They worked, so I didn't bother.

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Passo 24

Now, to install the speaker crossovers...
Cut the tweeter wires and strip them, just like before.
This step assumes that the crossovers will be located in the center dash, and not elsewhere.

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Passo 25

1998-2002 Honda Accord Tweeters Replacement: passo 25, imagem 3 %32

Insert the cut/stripped speaker wires on each side and use a Philips #2 screwdriver to secure them in place.
Make sure you connect the Positive wire to the Positive terminal, and the Negative wire to the Negative terminal.

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Passo 26

Carefully place the crossovers and wiring back into the dash, but don't close anything yet.

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Passo 27

Insert the routed speaker wire into the tweeter.
Use the Infinity-supplied hex wrench to secure the wire in place.

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Passo 28

Use a piece of cloth to secure the tweeters inside the hole. It will prevent them from rattling around.
Reconnect the car battery and turn on your favorite tunes. Use the fader to switch left-to-right as well as front-to-back and ensure all speakers are functioning correctly.
Adjust your fader. There's much more sound coming from the front of the car after installation.
The Infinity 10.9t tweeters were a bit too big for the recess, so I left them as you see in the picture. I did not put the factory covers nor anything else over them.