'89 speaker wireing

[gadget73]

Amp is in the trunk. if it helps, I believe the front speaker feed back from the trunk comes through a connector in the passenger side kick panel. You can probably tap in there.

[sly]

that's where the connector was in my 82 as well. one large connector there, a harness from that to the head unit and the other end went back to the amp. Though, in my 82, the speaker wires all went back to the head unit too because of the premium sound switch. I think they did away with the switch some years later, if not the next year.

[ojh]

Amp is in the trunk. if it helps, I believe the front speaker feed back from the trunk comes through a connector in the passenger side kick panel. You can probably tap in there.

Yup, I am taking a break at the moment but I identified 2 pair of wires at the rear amp and have them connected to the rear speakers (they work). I took the passenger door apart to replace that speaker and get the color code - the schematic i downloaded isn't even close - when i pulled the kick panel there was this seperate connector to the door speaker. The same color code continues on, maybe to left front? it was just the one pair and seemed odd to me. It had only the two colors, a single pair but was piggybacked and they continued on.
Anyway, it is a hateful job but now i can listen to Mark Levin on my way home at night.

[jaywish]

Do you have the dash speakers? They may be linked to the door speakers.

[ojh]

Is there a speaker in the dash as well? that would explain a few things.
I am sorely disappointed, after getting the passenger speakers replaced and proper wired, the door and interior panels reassembled i was on the downhill slide. All i had to do was pull drivers' side kickpanel, locate the connector (i had already replaced the drivers' door speaker) and run the new wires back to the CD player and then i could wrap everything up! Piece of cake.
Do you know they did the wireing completely different on the drivers' side and at the least i'll have to pull the emergancy brake mechanism to even get a peak at where the harness might be? That came as a final blow last night, i may have said a fowl word as i put that side of the car back together and resigned myself to listening to 3 speakers for the short term.
Anyway, i will continue this thread to completion at a later date. I was disappointed that i still have oil leaks too.
Thanks for all the help fellas. I am a member of a few other car forums and i'd expect a couple guys trying to help and offering good advice. About half of the responders will have negative opinions, try to make you feel stupid and want to argue.
Being on here has been a positive experience, with your permission i'll stick arond for a while. oj

[miamibob]

You will find the folks here MOST helpful and most if not all "remarks" are meant in jest. As for your audio system, I would be careful running it with less than the expected speakers as it could affect the output transistors in the head unit. I know that is true for home units and not sure if car units are also affected the same way. Just something to think about....Bobby

[sly]

there are speaker spots in the dash, but if the car came wired with the doors, there's probably not any under the dashpad. I think only the Lincolns got the 6 speaker treatment. I could be mistaken though.

[luddite]

I had premium sound with commond ground in my 89 Grand Marquis.
I removed the "football" amp located in the back.
Used a ohm meter to locate 4 seperate lines from one of the connectors on the football to the front plug under the dash.
Used those 4 wires to connect to the other plug on the football to the 2 rear speakers.
Wired the front speakers direct to the front speaker outputs of the new SONY head unit.
Worked well so far for 4 years.

[miamibob]

Didn't just the Premium Sound units have 6 speakers??

[RyPow]

Didn't just the Premium Sound units have 6 speakers??

I thought this was the case as well? I assumed the boxes had 6-speakers with the Premium Sound, which was reduced to 4 in the aeros/whales.

[gadget73]

There are usually a pair of them, at each corner under the perforated section. They're probably shot if you can't tell they are there. The sun kills those things. I've never seen one without the dash speakers, unless it was an earlier model that came with the 2 shaft radio. If you have speaker feed to the door speakers through the factory wiring, you should also have dashboard speakers. I believe the connection is in each kick panel. Probably its the connector you found with the piggy-backed wires. Wire colors I believe are the same for the dash and door speakers.

[jaywish]

I believe you are correct dash and door colors are the same.

[ojh]

I've been away for a few days and doing some investigating. My CD/Receiver is considered poor quality so I've been looking better pieces and have settled on a Pioneer 'head'? i guess is the right term. The one i am looking at has 4 X 50watt amplifier, should i go with more power? I like a powerful sound, a 'live performace' type sound that is razor crisp. I am into retro swing and when Brian Setzers' Orchestra hits the live version of 'In the Mood' it has to be heard with authority! No mambypamby system will do that song justice.
If any of you guys have suggestions speak up. I've a ways to go, the number of speakers available alone are staggering!

[gadget73]

Add an amp and a small sub in the trunk.

I've always been of the opinion that the power ratings from a head unit are grossly optimistic. Just a little math to show why. watts = amps x volts. 4x 50 is 200 watts. At 14 volts, thats 14.28 amps. Most head units won't have more than a 10 amp fuse, and many are more like 7 or 8. Thats also assuming 100% efficiency and no power draw by the preamp and the tuner and all that. So yeah, the power ratings are basically BS. If you read the fine print, its probably "IMP", or instantaneous music power, which is pretty much a made up measurement. Its what power level it sounds like for some super brief period. Its not steady maintained power, which would be an RMS watt rating. Another trick you'll see is single channel driven at some very high distortion level. You'll never hit that with all channels driven, and you won't get near that without it sounding absolutely horrible either.