DIY - Remove Door Interior Panel and Replace Door Speaker
 

Perform Do-It-Yourself auto maintenance at your own risk. You can kill or injure someone or damage the car. Work or raise an auto only on a level, concrete floor. Do not go under any auto unless you are completely certain that it is secure. You and only you, are responsible for your work and safety.

Front and rear, left and right is ALWAYS related to the car itself, NOT how you are facing it:
LEFT is always the DRIVER side.
RIGHT is always the PASSENGER side.

Text relates to the picture below the text.

The older mid-range door speakers in the RDX are known to fail. If your door speaker sounds tinny or fuzzy, it may need replaced. The old speaker was part number 39120-STK-A11. They have been replaced by a new part with a superceded part number. The new speaker is about $26.00 and the new part number is 39120-STK-A12.

Tools and parts needed:

1. Plastic auto body prying tools (a few bucks at Harbor Freight). Plastic is less likely to damage or scratch anything.
2. Cross-tip screwdriver.
3. Needle-nose pliers.
4. Mid-range door speaker 39120-STK-A12
5. Eye protection, face protection, gloves and protective clothes.

Plastic prying tools are about 15 cm long and look like this:

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/2...ryingtools.jpg

Begin removing the door panel by gently prying at the leading edge of the tweeter to pop it's nylon fastener out. It will remain attached by the wire plug:

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/2589/trim1t.jpg

Compress the spring tab on the wire plug, on the back of the tweeter. Gently pull it out of the tweeter and remove the tweeter and set it aside.

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/4852/trim2.jpg

At the bottom of the interior door pull handle, pry down the hinged plastic cover and remove the lower door pull screw. Put it in a labeled baggie.

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/8540/trim3.jpg

Behind the interior door release handle, pry at the bottom of the plastic cover to remove it.

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/7264/trim4.jpg

Note the position of the 2 black and 1 silver upper door pull screws. Remove them and place in a labeled baggie.

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/8708/trim5c.jpg

Now the door panel is ready to be unsnapped. Locate the prying notch at the bottom of the door panel. Insert a plastic pry tool and pop the lower nylon fasteners loose. Using your gloved hands, work around the door panel pulling the fasteners free. Pull just far enough to free the fasteners -- do not stretch the cables and wiring behind the panel.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6716/trim6.jpg

The top of the door panel rides in a slot in the top of the door frame. Pull and bump upwards on the rear of the panel to ease it out of the slot. Then work forwards pulling it up. Be mindful of the cables and wires that are still attached.

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/5039/trim7.jpg

When the door panel is free, hold it a few inches away from the door and use needle-nose pliers to release the 4 spring clips holding the inner latch release to the panel. Gently let the latch and cables hang free.

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/8456/trim8.jpg

Gently squeeze the tab on the window/lock power plug and disconnect it.

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/788/trim9.jpg

Now the trim panel will be free. Set it aside. Here is what the inside of the door with speaker looks like. It is a good idea to use some old house wire to support the loose latch/cable assembly.

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/369/trim10.jpg

Here is the inside of the removed trim panel:

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/1167/trim11.jpg

Next; Replacing the mid-range speaker.

Continued, Replace Door Mid-Range Speaker
 

The new speaker, 39120-STK-A12:

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/3212/speaker1.jpg

Remove the top speaker screw and place it in a labeled baggie:

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/1553/speaker2n.jpg

Gently pry the top of the speaker away from the door. Do not go much farther than depicted, or the lower speaker tabs may break. Then lift the speaker up and remove the lower tabs from their slots. The speaker is still attached by the speaker wire.

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/5575/speaker3.jpg

Squeeze the plastic tabs on both sides of the wire plug to disconnect it, and place the speaker aside:

http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/4607/speaker4.jpg

Here you can see the slots for the speaker lower tabs and the upper screw nutplate:

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/734/speaker5.jpg

This is testing the new speaker for Honda required nominal resistance of 2 ohms DC. (Speakers are classified 2 ohms, 4 ohms, 6 ohms, etc.) Testing a speaker for DC resistance is not that useful, as it is only a general measure of the actual impedance; and the old, failed speaker tested at 2.1 ohms as well.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/1431/speaker6.jpg

Plug the wire connector into the new speaker. Carefully slide the speaker into the lower slots and insert the top screw.

Check the nylon fasteners on the door trim panel for servicability. Note how the trim panel hooks over the top of the door frame.

While holding the door trim panel close to the door, plug in the window/lock electrical connector and snap the inner latch back into the 4 spring clips.

Hook the upper trim panel into the slot in the top of the door. Make sure it is seated properly, and the nylon fasteners should line up with their holes. Work down the sides and bottom of the panel bumping the nylon fasteners into place.

Install the upper and lower door pull screws. Use caution, the metal screws are driving into plastic nutplates -- don't overtighten. Check the door pull handle for security and snug down as needed. Snap in the plastic screw covers.

Connect the tweeter wire plug and insert the wire protector into it's slot on the bottom of the tweeter housing (look at the tweeter pic for reference). Snap the tweeter into place.

You are done. Crank up the Barry Manilow! :butthead:

This is an awesome article - one of the first DIY's I'm going to attempt because, as much as I love the idea of a premium sound system... those speakers, IMO, just aren't premium in quality.

I concur this is a great post, for a novice or an experienced installer. Good job

Great DIY :thumbsup:

Thanks for this DIY, I was able to change left speaker and I did right side mirror assembly. Did both less than one hour.

Just bought the wife a 2007 RDX and this is going to be my first DIY on the new ride - so glad to find such a thorough and clear one! Thanks 737 Jock!

Hi 737 Jock
I'm looking to replace my speaker and hoping to use your DIY. Do you know why pictures are not showing up on this post any more?

Thanks

He hasn't been active in over a year......



This is the problem with using offsite picture hosting (such as PhotoBucket); if the user removes the pictures from their hosting site (or closes their account), we all lose access.


I need to replace a couple door speakers, so I'd also really like to see the pics.

RDX Door Panel Removal and Speaker Replacement
 

Here's a video about removing the front door panel and replacing the speaker:

Here’s a question. The speaker amplifier is bi-amped. Meaning a special signal is sent to the door panel speaker & a separate signal is sent to the tweeter. In that video, the person puts in a coaxial speaker. Wouldn’t that be bad for the amp and speaker?