As I take some time off from dealing with engine, I’ve replaced rear speakers. While in there, saw it was quite easy to dismantle enclosure. I replaced that cheap black felt (why Jaguar??) with some nice fake suede, $12 from JoAnns.
If you have the rear side covers off I advise pulling out the foam insulation and cut it short so that it doesn’t lay on the bottom of the quarter panel and hold water.
What size speakers did you install Greg? Speakers are on my punch list.
Gordon
I see you installed some decent speakers in the rear. I hope you removed the choke coils in the lines to them lest the tweeters never see action.
They are 4" speakers. Only spent $40, but went with JBL. They have to be better than the Jag ones.
I haven’t put the side panels back yet, what do you mean water? How could it get in there? Mine were dry.
What do you mean choke coils?
It looks like an inline fuse holder, but what’s inside is a choke coil, also called an induction coil. It ensures that no high-frequency sound makes it to the rear speakers. Apparently Jaguar felt that only bass should come from behind, all voice and higher-pitch sounds should come from in front. Just yank the choke coil and install an actual inline fuse in its place if you actually want to hear the tweeters in those new speakers.
Kirbert, what size fuse to replace choke?
Gordon
Ahhh, I was wondering what that was. I though PO replaced fuse with sawed off screw!
One does want more bass from behind, but that’s a strange way to do it.
I assume 10 amp should work fine? Or higher? Don’t want to pull the entire side to replace a fuse.
Might as well go with a 50 amp. You’re not trying to fuse the speaker, you’re trying to create a direct conduit to the speaker. If you’d prefer, you can cut out the entire fuseholder and just splice the wires together.
Whatever you do, make sure the fuse you choose has a straight strip of conductor inside the glass, not something coiled. I dunno how good your ears are at high frequencies, but I’ve discovered on my home system that I can hear the difference when fuses with coiled conductors are used. Just that tiny amount of coil influences the passage of high frequency sound.
Thanks, will do. Got 30 amp, highest in that size I could find.
Also, I assume it’s ok to turn on ignition so I can test out stereo, electrical windows, etc with no ECU? Won’t fry anything?
Water can get in the space from leaky seals and condensation. I have seen many an XJ-S with rust at the seam of the quarter panel and rocker panel. If it isn’t wet now it will get wet sometime and the foam holds the water.
Stephen
Ok, still not sure what part of foam I need to cutoff.
Did some digging. The choke is simple crossover. It prevents certain frequencies from being broadcast. One could just remove the choke and wire as if wasn’t there. This will give you full frequency response from the speaker.
Gordon
This isn’t something that was done for the facelift models, was it?
Got the speakers and panels reinstalled. Fyi, much easier if you take out rear seat (just two nuts below, and then it pulls out)
I recommend cutting out the fuse holders. While installing the panel, the speaker was intermittent. Turned out the bits around the fuse were corroded. You don’t want to do this job twice! Good to extend wires too while your splicing, it’s a bit fiddly, you don’t want to put tension on wires to speaker.
Very nice having two way speakers in the back. I’ll put three way up front later. Because I sit with seat all the way back, the rear speakers are almost in line with ears!!
If your car is as mine was the foam is a soft Styrofoam about 3/4" thick n the outer sheet metal. It goes all the way to the bottom of the space and sits on the flat bottom. If you cut an inch of the bottom and replace it there won’t be anything in contact with the bottom to wick moisture.