Subwoofer

General Information

1986-88 AMPLIFIER, low freq audio (UQ6)   16040752  $41.15
1986-88 GASKET, speaker, subwoofer        16042197   $1.15
1986-88 GRILLE, subwoofer                 16042199   $3.95
1986-88 HOUSING, subwoofer                16029862 $117.00
1986-88 SPEAKER, subwoofer                16041072  $27.50
1986-88 HARNESS, amp wiring               12046518  $62.25
1986-88 HARNESS, reading lamp & subwoofer 20521747    N.L.
LAMP, reading & dome, w/UQ6   
  1986-88  DK gray                        20636322  $62.50
  1986-87  DK Saddle                      20636323  $62.50
  1988     Med Beechwood                  10076175  $62.50

From: Scott Backer

Installation and Removal

Installation - all models

These instructions are for installing a factory Fiero subwoofer onto any Fiero, regardless of the year, or option package. This installation method duplicates the factory installation, including the routing of the wiring harness.

You can SHORTCUT this procedure by skipping past the removal of the main instrument pod and main dash board. All the rest of this procedure is the same. The only difference between the two installations is that the SHORTCUT will have the wires routed across the steering column by fishing them between instrumentation frame work, rather than sharing the wire harness hold-down clips in that area.

Allow a day for this task, or 3 to 5 hours if you use the SHORTCUT method. Tools required are simple screw drivers, socket wrenches, pliers, putty knife, and a T15 and T45 torx driver. Installation is based upon a complete car with the interior and windshield in place. This is a one man/woman job, as there is no need for assistance.

Glancing at this article may scare you based on it's length. But it is not hard to do for someone with minimal automotive "Hands On" experience. The article is just Very descriptive.

Additional Recommended Upgrading

This job provides a good opportunity to upgrade the original 4x10 10 ohm dash board speakers along with the sail panel speakers (if equipped), with good quality 2 or 3-way, 4 ohm speakers. I also recommend installing "Good Grade" carpet padding as a speaker enclosure behind the front speakers to enhance their sound quality, as well as muffle the subwoofer's air burst noise. Get these items prior to starting the project.

Subwoofer Components

  • Subwoofer speaker in housing including
    2-wire connector
    Right angle vent tube
    2 mounting screws with 7mm heads
  • Amplifier and mounting screw with 7mm head
  • Courtesy light with slide control for subwoofer (reuse old screws) includes a 4-wire connector
  • Wiring harness which consists of two sections, which are likely to be connected together as one unit. Description is as follows.
  • First, main harness section consists of
    Milti-wire for radio connection
    Milti-wire for original radio wire harness connection
    Milti-wire for amplifier
    2-wire yellow and white for connection to 2nd harness
    2-wire black and blue for subwoofer connection
    Screw with 7mm head for mounting harness to chassis behind radio
  • Second harness section consists of 4-wire connector for courtesy light - orange, yellow, two white wires
    2-wire orange and white for courtesy light power distribution block
    2-wire yellow and white for connection to 1st harness

Old Components That Will "No Longer" Be Needed

  • Original courtesy light housing with 2-wire connector
  • 2-wire harness that powers up the courtesy light

The Procedure

The very first thing to do is...

Disconnect the battery, because you will be handling a number of electrical connections, some of which will have power. Remember that all connectors have locking features to prevent unwarranted removal, so do not force a disconnect. Lift or squeeze the locking taps, for proper disconnect. Always pull on the connectors, and not their wires. Study each connector carefully.

Main Instrument Pod Removal (If Using The "Complete" Method Only)
  • Remove the lower pod cover - 4 7mm screws (under steering column)
  • Remove upper/back pod cover - 5 T15 torx screws top, 2-7mm bottom
  • Remove the headlight control panel - 4 T15 torx screws and 2 connectors
  • Remove the trunk release and defroster panel if equipped - 4 T15 torx screws and 2 connectors
  • Remove 2 black plastic wire harness clips (horseshoe shape)
  • Pop off metal wire harness clip for light connectors (left side)
  • Pop off metal wire harness clip for trunk/defrost connectors (right side)
  • Pry off 2 clear plastic wire harness clips on the lower section of pod
  • Remove 3 multi-pin pod connectors
    One is left side/back
    One is right side/back
    One is left side bottom
  • Remove 2-10mm screws on pod top, and 2-10mm screws on pod bottom
  • Slowly lift and remove pod assembly
Center Console Removal (From The Shifter Forward)
  • Remove shift knob
    Unscrew knob for stick shifts
    Remove the clip in the front of the knob for the automatic, then lift
  • Remove shifter cover - 4 7mm screws under ash trays
  • Slowly lift and remove cover
    Disconnect indicator light connector for automatics
  • Remove radio cover plate - 4 T15 torx screws
    It has a snap feature so pull away carefully from the middle
  • Remove radio - 4 7mm screws
    Disconnect the radio multi-pin connector
    Disconnect the radio antenna
    Disconnect the 2-wire radio light connector
  • Remove vinyl radio/heater control pod cover - 5 7mm screws
  • Remove secondary instrument pod if equipped
    Cover plate - 4 T15 torx screws
    Instrument pod - 4 7mm screws in the lower metal piece
    Disconnect electrical connector
  • Remove metal console reinforcement plate - 4 or 6 7mm screws
Main Dash Board Removal (If Using The "Complete" Method Only)
  • Pop off the dash speaker grills using a flexible putty knife. Be careful not to lift one side too high, until the other side has lifted a little, to prevent breakage. Using a screwdriver or other narrow bladed tool could ruin the dash board by applying too much pressure in a concentrated spot.
  • Remove speaker screws - 8 7mm
  • Lift, disconnect, and remove speakers
  • Remove the 2 pairs of 7mm screws that are located by each speaker hole. These are screwed horizontally towards the windshield.
  • Remove the 2 10mm screws located at each lower end of dashboard below each side vent.
  • Remove the 3 phillips screws that attach the hood release lever assembly to the dash board.
  • The dash is held in by the 4 top 7mm screws and the 2 bottom 10mm screws, along with 2 tabs from the center console's black plastic skeletal structure. After removal of the 6 screws, carefully separate the 2 tabs of the center console from the dash. Then work the secondary instrument pod's wire harness out the hole of the dash, if equipped. Then carefully lift and remove the dash board out of the car.
  • There are no wires or ducts to worry about, other than the connection to the secondary instrument pod, if so equipped. The dash is very light, so no help is needed.
Time For Detailing

Take this opportunity to clean up all the interior components of the car. A smoker's car could certainly use a good cleaning. The results will make the interior look almost new.

Headliner's Courtesy Light, Sail Panel, And Associated Wire Harness Removal
  • Remove the driver's side sun visor by removing the 3 phillips screws.
  • Using a small screwdriver, pop off the 2 outer light lenses in the old courtesy light housing. Remove the 2 chrome T15 torx screws. Remove the 2 remaining T15 torx screws in the courtesy light housing located where the 2 sun visors snap in. Disconnect the 2-wire connector and remove the housing.
  • Remove the upper seat belt hoop, by popping off the plastic cover, and then using the T45 torx driver for disassembly.
  • Remove the driver's side rear speaker sail panel by first removing the visible phillips screw on the side where the door closes. Then place a LARGE screw driver above the screw hole by about 10 inches and pop out the fastener in the direction from rear to front of car. Then simply work the panel away from the wall. The only attachments are the screw, the one fastener, and the top seat belt bolt. The rest is held in by fit. With the sail panel removed, you can see that the speaker grill is not removable from the panel, as it is held in with hot melt pins. These pins are a little loose, so it is good to apply a dab of RTV on each pin to prevent vibration from the speaker's sound. This is a good time to replace those old rear speakers with some better ones. Of course you would have to do the passenger side of the car in the same manner.
  • Remove the driver's side door pillar trim. My opinion is that this is the trickiest part of the whole job. This long piece is held in 4 places using 2 types of fasteners. It is important to follow this procedure due to it's ease of destruction. First detach the area that is across the top of the side window by placing a putty knife from the outside-in, between the trim and the "car frame" and separate. During separation, look for the 2 plastic molded tabs from the trim to metal clips. It is there where the putty knife should be located during separation. It should take some force, but not too much. Afterwards the 2 remaining fasteners in the windshield area must be simply popped off by carefully tugging on the trim, away from the pillar. Do not pull the trim so hard as to break it. You could encourage separation with a long screw driver inserted behind the trim. Do not let the screwdriver make contact with the windshield. After separation, the 2 white clips will be stuck in the pillar. Use a small screwdriver to move the center tab of each clip away from the pillar's slot to easily lift the tab out of the pillar. Forceful removal will break the clip, making it unusable. Then reattach the two clips on the trim for reattachment latter.
  • Now that the trim is removed, pull the headliner down just far enough to access the old wire harness. Pop out the wire harness clips from the roof, and work the wires out the wire channel along the windshield. disconnect it at the white plastic power distribution block located in the far front corner. Make note of which position it plugged into so you know where to plug the new one in.
Installing The New Wire Harness

Position the new harness behind the radio cavity. The black boxed connector plugs into the old radio connector, and then gets screwed to the car frame by the provided plastic flap with hole. A predrilled hole in the car frame is also provided. The duplicate connector will plug into the radio latter. The smaller multi-pin connector must be worked behind and down to the passenger floor. The blue and black 2-wire goes to the subwoofer above the passenger's feet. A plastic tab in the heater core housing is for the clip in that harness. The yellow and white wire pair gets placed across the steering column (sharing the wire clips) and then up the windshield along with the orange and white wire pair to the courtesy light. The orange and white wire connector goes to the power distribution block as previously discussed. Remember all the parts you removed earlier must be reinstalled, so make sure that the harness will not get pinched or twisted during final assembly.

Installing The Subwoofer Enclosure

The subwoofer enclosure is mounted just above the passenger's right foot vinyl rest. Position the subwoofer such that it's mounting brackets align with the dash and chime unit brackets. The speaker faces down, and the vent tube is up and to the driver. The chime and dash brackets have predrilled holes dedicated for the screws of the subwoofer. Complete the wire harness connection.

If you are following the SHORTCUT method with the dash and main instrument pod in place, working the subwoofer into position is much easier with the passenger side dash speaker removed. This will allow you to get your hand in there to help position the housing properly. See dashboard removal section on how to remove this speaker.

Installing The Amplifier

Remove the carpet clips on the passenger side console, and pull the carpet back. Identify and remove the 4 black retainer buttons for the large black plastic side cavity. It measures roughly 2 feet long by 10 inches high by 2 inches thick. It has a number of bends in the top to follow the center console's shape. Pull this piece out and mount the amplifier in it with a 7mm screw. Reposition it back, and attach the small multi-pin connector to it. Keep in mind that the harness must not get pinched or twisted, but rather lay nicely from the radio to the black plastic side cavity, with no interference to the missing console pieces yet to be installed. Reassemble this cavity and carpet to the car.

Installing The Courtesy Unit, And Then Test The Subwoofer

Plug the courtesy unit with the subwoofer slide control, into the 4-pin connector, and mount to the roof. Double check all subwoofer connections, and then plug in the radio, and antenna, along with the two dash speakers. Again, make sure all cables are laid and held down properly. With all other instruments and dash still removed, make sure their connectors are not touching metal. Then connect the car battery and power up the radio by turning the ignition key to accessory. Test the functionality of the subwoofer. Assuming you did everything right and you have a good subwoofer unit, it should work.

Disconnect the car battery once again, and then reinstall the balance of components in the reverse order of disassembly, making sure that all wires are secured the way the factory did it, and watch out for wire pinching and twisting. Don't forget the upgraded speakers and carpet padding too.