# Door speaker toast! - difficult to replace?



## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

Hey there everyone!

My left side door speaker is kaputt! Dunno what happened, but it's not only producing very fuzzy noises. I saw those listed for 50$US (plus shipping) which I find too rich for me considering they are you run of the mill, low quality speakers... so I am tempted to grab one at the local junk yard (if they happen to have one). One question though: How easy/difficult would it be to replace by your average bloke? I mean, I don't have ReTTro's talent for car fixes and improvements... and what I'd like to avoid at all cost is damage to the door trims... :?

As always, thanks in advance for your help with this! 

EDIT: Can anyone confirm that *8J0035412A* is the right p/n for that speaker? :?:


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## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

are you absolutely sure it's the speaker? If you have Bose audio it could easily be the amp. I'm sure you've already checked, but just in case..


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

I don't have Bose audio. And I had a bit of water ingress in that door during winter... so I'm quite sure it's the speaker. But I didn't test the amp. I assume the head unit provides the amplification for this base system... and the unit works perfectly fine appart from that. A channel could be failing, sure... but it sounds like a blown cone anyway.

*EDIT*: I found this in the technical brief for the TT -> "_Integrated 2 x 20 watts power module (not used for concert and symphony radios in the Audi TT)_" So even with the Symphony radio, it looks like a have an amplifier somewhere in the car. I'll have to check this out...

To be honest, I would replace both sides with better speakers... but right now, I'm out of a job, so I am looking for a cheap fix. Later on, I plan on replacing the head unit with something that's not from the stone age anyway (I have the Symphony HU right now)... so I may replace the front speakers then.

BTW, I've found this thread... but was very disappointed to see that photos aren't showing. Can one of the admins have a look and see if it's only a link problem or if the pics are really gone for good? Thanks!
http://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=332557


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## bhoy78 (Oct 30, 2014)

No idea on your sound issues but from what I have read in the past it could well be your amp as efunc has said. Although much rarer I am pretty sure I have read about non bose amps having issues. The link is working and showing pictures on my pc so either brittan has fixed it or maybe the problems with whatever device your using to browse the forum.


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## poder (Mar 18, 2015)

Pics showing fine for me also.
Maybe you can try swapping wires for left/right speaker? That would determine if the fault is in the speaker. This would have to be either on the HU or amp.
If there is an amp in your car my guess is, that it's behind the left panel in the boot, same place as the Bose one.


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## the minty1 (Mar 27, 2011)

A cost free check. 
Remove door trim. There are two wires that go to the big speaker Disconnect the connections and apply a 9volt or similar battery. The speaker will move in one direction. Switch battery and it will go in the other. You can also check with a multimeter. Say 4ohms. Check the that the cone is intact as the surround of the speaker.
If the speaker it is riveted on and will need to be drilled off. The speaker is integrated into the speaker housing which is a pain. You will be able to get second hand if money is tight


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

Thanks everyone! I see the pics as well now... so they must have been fixed. I thought it would show how to remove the door trims and panel though... will look for another thread where that is shown. I really don't want to risk damaging that very nice interior. 

I will visually inspect the speaker first since I suspect water damage... and paper cones and water don't mix. Don't worry, I know how to test speakers. Those would be 4 Ohms, and I have a 4 Ohms amp I can use to test it properly. If it's not the speaker, I will work my way up to the amp and see what is happening there. Unfortunately, I don't have an oscilloscope handy... but I'll try and borrow one. If one of the channels is bad, it will have a very weird waveform.  I guess the output channels are all on a single connector though. I will have to find a diagram of it in order to test the proper channel...


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

Speakers should be pretty cheap from the dealer. Perhaps give them a ring first. Replacing is just undoing 4 torx screws, after removing the door card. Only spanner in the works can be that the plastic holders into which the screws are fastened don't stay in place, but start turning together with the screw. In that case the maintenance cover needs to come off too to be able to hold those fasteners from behind with a set of pliers. If you damage the seal of that maintenance cover, your door will start leaking.

Oh and better test the speaker with a 1.5V battery. Not 9 volts. 9 volts is close to what it takes to blow up the speaker.


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

Just to update this: I've now ordered a plastic 4-piece trim removal kit plus two screwdriver-like removal tool (one flat and one with an angle). Also placed an order for the retaining pins as I'm certain to break some of them: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/231420019730?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I also like to thanks member *Brittan* for providing me with a link to this extremely well done how-to guide on how to remove the door panel. I will wait (and suffer) a couple of weeks for the tools to arrive, then try my hand at this and see if I make a mess of it or not... 

Thanks again for all the help!


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## Templar (Mar 9, 2012)

To be honest mate you won't really need the trim removal tools for the door card just remove the torx screws as shown in the guide, then get your fingers under the lower edges of the door card and pull away from the door local to the mounting clips. (door card stands off about 4mm or so away from the door so your removal tools won't help much there tbh). Trim tools might however help remove the speaker grille by the armrest where two of the screws are hiding.


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

Templar said:


> To be honest mate you won't really need the trim removal tools for the door card just remove the torx screws as shown in the guide, then get your fingers under the lower edges of the door card and pull away from the door local to the mounting clips. (door card stands off about 4mm or so away from the door so your removal tools won't help much there tbh). Trim tools might however help remove the speaker grille by the armrest where two of the screws are hiding.


I am especially apprehensive about that speaker grille TBH. :-| Since I've read that it's rather easy to break, I'm still hesitant about the whole enterprise... but I will still attempt it. This is the first really good car I've owned, so I want to be really careful about doing any damage to it. I've taken off door cards, various liners and consoles before on previous cars... but they where Hondas, Mitsubishis and the likes. But this car is "my precious"!  It's still in almost perfect condition and I am determined to make it better in every way... not worst. :wink:

And that's why I come out as a noob who's too chicken to do anything on his car. :lol:


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## Templar (Mar 9, 2012)

Will be surprised how easy it was to remove once you have it off.


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## ReTTro fit (Nov 9, 2014)

The upper speaker grills are only £11 if it does break mate

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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

If I recall correctly the lower speaker grille doesn't need to come off for removing the door card. The smaller one yes and you have to be very aware where the clips are and where the plastic edge. Get it wrong and it's off to the dealer for a new one.


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

Update on this issue: I've just removed the door card and had a look inside the door.

First thing I noticed was that there was clear indication that there had been water ingress on the wrong side of the door! :? (see pictures) This doesn't feel normal at all... but could any of you confirm my suspicions? And in any case, it looks like someone had removed the door card once before. I had a couple of broken clips, the bigger of the two black plastic panels wasn't closed tight... so that would have been done by someone who didn't know squat about doing that sort of work.

Second, the speaker had a bit of water left in its casing... and when I move the membrane by hand, I can clearly feel and hear that the coil and the cone are not completely free to move... it's like the is corrosion in there... :-| So I will be looking for a replacement speaker in the coming days. Since the back of the speaker is open to the elements, I can't see how it would not end up being defective in the long run. I wonder why Audi chose to set these up the way they did... 

Water ingress traces in the speaker section of the door









Water ingress traces under the large black plastic panel of the door









Water still present inside the speaker casing


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

Guys, I cannot locate a replacement speaker at a decent price...  If any of you know of a vendor who has this in stock at a decent price or if someone has a used one that he/she wants to part with, let me know. I can't find one for less that 36$US + shipping over here... which is really pricey. I will try the scrapyards tomorrow... but the TT being such a rare car here, I don't have much hope.


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## ReTTro fit (Nov 9, 2014)

$36 pricey ?? 
How much is postage ????

Where abouts are you ? 
There £27 from the dealers here

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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

36$US is 50$CAN. Plus shipping (from the US), I am looking at nearly 80$CAN. It is pricey from my point of view. I cannot justify paying that much for such a low-grade speaker. I would even consider replacing both with good quality after-market speakers if that was possible for not much more money.

But let's see how the scrap yard solution pans out tomorrow... who knows...


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## TTurbodan (Mar 18, 2012)

Hi Workz

How was the door card removal for you? I'm as concerned about it as you were and just wondered how easy you found it?

In terms of the water ingress, I guess it's possible that the window regulator has been replaced and the seal on the large panel compromised.

Thanks
Dan


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

TTurbodan said:


> Hi Workz
> 
> How was the door card removal for you? I'm as concerned about it as you were and just wondered how easy you found it?
> 
> ...


Dan, hi!

With the proper tools (my plastic trim removal tools were really helpful), the door card removal went rather well. I'm just a bit frustrated that I did think of protecting the leather under the small (upper) speaker grille before removal as I made little scratches on it. Nothing obvious of course... but still a bit frustrating as this is the kind of thing I wanted to avoid in the first place. I should have put painter's tape on it (as well as the door handle).

Two things I must say: First off, once the two screws are removed, you can fiddle around trying to pry off the fasteners one by one. But rather than do that, you can simply pull hard from the bottom of the door card and they will pop off. This method may cause a bit more damage to the fasteners as the careful, fiddly one... but I'm quite sure some of them still end up damaged anyway.

That leads me to the second tip: Make sure you have replacement fasteners in hand _before_ you take the door appart. I had some on order... but there was a problem with the vendor's account (eBay), so the item was refunded... but now I've had to temporarily put the door back together with missing fasteners... and will have to do it all again later on. But anyway, I didn't have a speaker to put in the place of the old one... so yeah, to be continued. :wink:

EDIT: You can definitely trust this how-to guide... it shows everything you need to know. 
http://lz7w.blogspot.ca/2015/03/door-panel-removal-and-window-switch.html


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## TTurbodan (Mar 18, 2012)

That's great, thanks for your hints and tips. I'm going to order the speaker from Audi tomorrow and will get some clips at the same time. All with a view to attempting the replacement next weekend (weather permitting).

Good luck finding a replacement speaker over there!
Dan


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

TTurbodan said:


> That's great, thanks for your hints and tips. I'm going to order the speaker from Audi tomorrow and will get some clips at the same time. All with a view to attempting the replacement next weekend (weather permitting).
> 
> Good luck finding a replacement speaker over there!
> Dan


No problem mate.

Don't forget to roll down the window before you begin. The door card is way easier to lift off the door if the window is down. It's only hanged from the top of the door... but it needs to rotate a bit to pop off easily. :wink:

Let me know if you need any more info... but I think you're good with the how-to guide and the additional info.


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## Dash (Oct 5, 2008)

I replaced my speaker not so long ago. I disagree with everybody else on here, it was a nightmare.

The rubber clips on your first picture are a pain, on mine, two just span when I tried to take the screws out. Only option in the end was to pull them through. Putting them back together wasn't much easier.

Good luck.


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

Dash said:


> The rubber clips on your first picture are a pain, on mine, two just span when I tried to take the screws out. Only option in the end was to pull them through. Putting them back together wasn't much easier.


You mean the rubber-lined screw holes for the speaker? On my pic, the lower left one just clips in, while the 3 others unscrew... but appart from them being kinda hard to unscrew, I didn't have a problem taking them off. Then again, my TT is a 2010 North-American model, so for you it's a 2009, pre-facelift car. Maybe they changed the type of fasteners for the speakers with the facelift? :?:



TTurbodan said:


> I'm going to order the speaker from Audi tomorrow and will get some clips at the same time. All with a view to attempting the replacement next weekend (weather permitting).


Dan, I forgot one piece of info: There is a pressure sensor for the airbag mounted on the door. So be careful to have the ignition off when working on the door. Also, the fasteners and the panels are all sealed... and they all need to seal back properly when you put the door back together. That's why it's important to have replacement fasteners on hand... because if the seal is not good anymore, the sensor might not trigger in an accident. The system works by measuring air pressure inside the door... that's why it needs to be sealed off. Don't worry too much about it though, it doesn't require NASA precision and a cleanroom environment. Just take care to put things back properly... :wink:


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## ReTTro fit (Nov 9, 2014)

Firstly the speaker grommets are plastic and are square with a serrated edge on them, they should sit in the square hole and not turn

Secondly, the " pressure sensor "

It is an "impact sensor", not a pressure sensor,
sealing the door card is impossible, not one part of the door card is sealed to the door, the clips don't allow this

Having the ignition on or off makes no difference what so ever

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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

Normally, I would bow to your extensive knowledge of car systems. But in that case, I must disagree as I have researched this last week:

*Front Side Airbag Crash Sensor 
Follow the safety precautions for pyrotechnic components.
Follow the safety precautions for front side airbag crash sensors (pressure sensors).

*See second part of the page for details
http://astech.com/oem-info/audi-front-side-air-bag-crash-sensors-safety-precautions/

That sensor is not an accelerometer but in fact a pressure sensor.

From ELSA reference material:

*The crash sensors for side airbags are very sensitive to pressure changes and must therefore be handled with great care. Please note the following:

· Always observe correct installation position: ONLY install in correct fitting location in door.

· Protect crash sensor from jolts and knocks. Crash sensors which have been dropped must NOT be used. When working on the body in the area of the doors ALWAYS remove crash sensors.

· The crash sensor is adapted to the air volume inside the door: If the door is deformed, causing the air volume in the door to be reduced, the function of the crash sensor will be impaired.

· Make sure the crash sensor is not badly soiled: Do not use compressed air near the crash sensor. Protect the crash sensors against shavings when filing or drilling (e.g. when retrofitting loudspeakers in the doors). Do NOT use cavity sealant or spray oil in the area of the crash sensors.

· Protect against heat and cold: Protect crash sensor against heat, e.g. when painting or carrying out other body work. The crash sensors must NOT be subjected to temperatures lower than -40 °C (e.g. must NOT be transported in non-climatised aeroplane hold).

· The crash sensor must be protected against moisture, both during storage and when installing. 
Ensure that the door is properly sealed when it is installed, otherwise the crash sensor may not function correctly. Please note the following: 
- All components (e.g. cover, loudspeaker, door trim) must be installed correctly. 
- The door trim clips serve to seal the system. If necessary the door trim clips must be renewed.*

I am thinking of replacing mine as I have sprayed silicon grease in that area to fix a problem with my window actuator... plus the fact that I've seen a lot of muck in there.


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## ReTTro fit (Nov 9, 2014)

Totally disagree

Seen that written already 
But the door is sealed from inner skin to outer skin

The sensor is on the inside, the door card is NOT sealed, it sits away from the door, it also has two massive holes in it called speaker grills ! 

I've driven miles without door cards on

Fitted LOTS of window regulators for people which includes testing and adjusting the window before fitting the door cards back on etc etc

On iPhone using Tapacrap


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

Let's agree to disagree then. BTW, my speaker's enclosure is sealed to the door with the same seal as the two black plastic panels... and the speaker itself is sealed inside it's enclosure as well. Could be only for water proofing I agree... but in any case, I will not chance my airbag sensor not triggering in a collision. :wink:


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## TTurbodan (Mar 18, 2012)

Despite the great advice and excellent how-to, I've bravely decided to get Audi to do mine.


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

LOL :lol: I can completely understand that Dan. :wink: At least if they break something, they should also fix it to your satisfaction.


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

Update:

Contrary to most other members, I have now decided to replace both front speakers with aftermarket products instead of paying the same price (or more?) for a cheap OEM speaker. The cheapest replacement speaker I have found so far would cost around 80$CAN shipped to my door. I can find a matching pair of better quality 6.5" speakers for less money than that...

As always, I have a McGyver solution in mind. I will hollow out the OEM speaker enclosures and retrofit them with the aftermarket ones. That way, I don't have to buy brackets and they will install just as the OEM parts... including the speaker connectors.

Here is what I will be installing:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Boston-Acous...981632?hash=item51e5657180:g:sIkAAOSwQaJXQunc

The only unknown is that I can't find any details about the frequency response of the OEM speaker... so I can only hope that the aftermarket ones will fit in nicely with the rest of the audio setup of the car. I guess there's a good chance that might actually improve the sound quality... and not much chance that they will make things worst. I mean, we're already pretty low on the sound quality side with these factory setups anyway... :roll:


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## Dash (Oct 5, 2008)

Make sure you take lots of pictures of your progress for everybody else to follow suit.

I don't think you'll need to worry about frequency response, obviously 8" will go down lower than a smaller cone, but the amp/eq is clearly the main limiting factor in the standard setup. The cross-over will be higher for a smaller cone so again, that shouldn't be a problem as the amp will be filtering before top-end of the cone - I think 3KHz is often banded around as a standard cross-over point.


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## Templar (Mar 9, 2012)

Because of the amps and set up in the TT there will be a frequency cut off to the upper and lower door speakers so the new ones you're purchasing will only get the range that's intended for them.


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

Thanks guys! That's what I thought as well... but who knows with these weird OEM setups sometimes. :lol:

Will be gutting out the two OEM speaker frames in the coming days and we'll see what I can achieve. I am not going for esthetics for sure as all of this is going to be hidden behind the lower grille anyway. So it will just be a fitting job.


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## Templar (Mar 9, 2012)

I would say it's the ideal time to add a little sound deadening material to the doors while you're at it


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## WoRkZ (Sep 19, 2015)

Templar said:


> I would say it's the ideal time to add a little sound deadening material to the doors while you're at it


There's already a kind of insulation mat on there. I have never felt like it was that noisy in the TT. Then again, I come from a Focus ST... you thought the windows were always open when you drove that car... :lol:


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