That's right people.. I promised this day would come! I felt that using the title "Deconstruct" made more sense than "Build". I want to apologize in advance for the terrible lighting, grammar and inability to articulate that may come with this post. If you have ANY questions what so ever, feel free to ask. I will update this thread as I take things apart. (And, late when I actually put the Dynamat on)


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What you need: Goto a typical hardware store, get plastic auto-panel removers.. like this one! These are very affordable for a whole set and are VERY useful in safely removing a panel.
Also get a set of these, they're only like $5 and help with one part of the removal. I didn't include a picture of a Phillips screwdriver but I figure you guys know what that one looks like.

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Behind your window switches in the handle of your door panel there is a tiny rubber flap down inside of it. Just find the edge and pull it back (I could do this with my hand alone). Underneath will reveal a screw, simply unscrew this, remove the screw (put it somewhere you wont lose it!).


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Now use one of your panel poppers, preferably a sharper/smaller one. Slide it under the edge of the window switch. (I found it to be easiest where the window switches meet the soft panel as depicted) Lightly push the window switch up until you hear a tiny "pop" sound. Now you'll see the entire panel has given you space, run the panel popper along the edge slightly pushing up on the window switch. The panel will separate from the door panel to expose the harnesses attached to the switches.


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This part is difficult for me to explain. The white switch has a tab in the middle of it, (this takes little effort) push up on the small tab and pull the tab back, you'll see a little arrow..go the opposite direction with the tab. The harness will then easily be pulled out of the switch. The second completely white harness is simple enough, there is a small moving tab on the top, push this in until it wont go any further..it will lock in place and then you can pull the harness out. Now the entire window switch is free, place it in a safe place!

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Now let's take a look at the door handle.. Look behind the handle. There is a small opening in the plastic back there. Put the sharp tool in there, push straight back, it will pop a clip, now use the hook to pull slightly on the bottom. You will see it come free but it's actually still tabbed at the VERY top. Be careful but firm with this part, hook the bottom facing your door lock and pull the small plastic piece until it lets free. It will then expose 2 screws and you will need to remove both. It helps on this part to pull the handle back, also if you have a microfiber cloth wrap it around the little metal poker, it's sharp and can scar your panels if it hits the exterior pieces.


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Now this part you're going to remove the actual panel itself. This scares most people, especially if it's your first time doing it. Use my method and keep your composure.

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Use the hooked end, and slide it under the panel's edge.

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Now firmly apply pressure to the panel, you WILL hear a POP and it may come to you at first that something has broke. Just take it slow this is natural.

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Do the same again in this area. It will POP..

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Again.

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At this point you've probably noticed your panel is nearly falling off.

Time to target your tweeter. You can use your hand on the top, pretty easily, and the panel popper on the bottom like so.




This is where I want you to pay attention closely because I could not get pictures of this in process. Your panel is now completely free. You will lift upward on the panel itself and it will remove from the metal door. Look behind the door and you will notice things are still attached, three different cables.


This is your door, your lock, and the harnesses we previously unhooked from the window switches.. all are still attached. I can only describe this mostly right now and will try to get more pictures to better depict this process.

Study the way this looks, cause you wont be able to see it from such a helpful angle when you get the panel off the door while the cables are still attached.

The white hook here will be holding a white plastic piece wrapped around the cable, pull back on it and it will let the cable free.

The second cable can be released by pulling back on this.

This piece is a pain in the ass.. I used the screwdriver to push up on it to get it to release. NOTE where the piece is opening and the direction it goes in.

These are the two cables in question. See the white pieces leading up to the metal ends? Those pieces are the ones you pull back on the clip to release. The "L" shaped cable you pull up on to get it to come out. The ribbed one is the one inside the white clamp that I used the screwdriver to open.


Once you finish that part.. move your panel to a safe location.

It's actually well made, I will give Acura that.

This is the foamy material that should keep your panel from vibrating on the door.

But the small things kill Acura.. My 2003 Ford had foam around the handle piece to prevent it from vibrating.. also the window switches in my Ford had that foamy material on the switches to keep them from rattling. Both pieces in my Acura rattle.


The small amount of foam it would take to prevent rattles.. they kill you Acura! (I hope they read this)

The exciting moment! This is what the inside of your door looks like. Notice how much of the door ISN'T insulated leaving holes for air/noise to escape. (THIS AFFECTS ROAD NOISE AND SPEAKER SOUND QUALITY)

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Note the high quality speaker material.. (I know people have criticized this despite my pleas to blame the insulating materials)



This slight foam-cloth type material is on TOP of plastic.. I am sure it somewhat helps. I tested the bass without the panel on to see if rattles still existed.. the plastic rattled.

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Anyways, that's all she wrote for now folks. If you want the panel back on you will just reverse the process. I will try to get more details/info on this process up. Your FEEDBACK is very welcome on my writings and pictures. If there is anything I can help with or clarify PLEASE tell me.


Anyways, thanks for taking the time to check this out. I hope it will be useful for all owners.

 

Mods I need more time to edit and fix the pictures!

The pictures that are small are very important but I ran out of time trying to fix it.

 

Everyone would be pleased to know water does not fall into the door.

 

heck of a thread so far!

 

Wow this is awesome! Thanks for taking the time to document the deconstruction!

Quick question: do you also plan on putting some dynamat in the trunk?

 

Pabarile, I do indeed plan to do a write as well on the trunk and rear deck.

I appreciate y'all taking a look at this and glad y'all like it. I wish I could fix the picture mistakes!

 

Looks like the ILX has the same or more insulation than the 13' RDX.

The RDX doesn't rattle or is particularly noisy despite the lack of deadening material.

Attached is a picture of the driver's door of my RDX. The dealer did all the work, while replacing the window motor.

 

That's lucky
I am gonna reuse the foamy material from the middle of the door inbetween the window switch and door handle piece, that should eliminate the rattles. Once I am done.. This car should be substantially quieter, rattle less, and the speakers should bump! The speaker magnet is TINY!


I should point out I don't think the rattles in the car are from the lack of insulation.

 

I did indeed use the factory foam on the edges of the window switch and door handle.. Hopefully this eliminates rattle going down the road. Ill test it tomorrow and update!

 

My doors don't have the rattling noise, or I just haven't noticed. I do notice vibrations from the speakers though. Anyways, thanks for putting the time into showing us the process...looking forward to your updates.

 

Nice thread. As far as water not being in the doors doesn't surprise me in the least. I don't have these rattles you have but will be interested to see how this whole process works out. Your pics and details are terrific.

 

I agree! Thanks, Trent, for sharing. I will be keeping an eye on this thread for sure.

 

Thanks Trent!

 

Nice way to share. Thanks for doing this. One thing to consider is to not disconnect the cable's for the door releases, power door locks etc. This will save lots of time in trying to re-adjust the proper pulling lengths on the actuator cables. You can hold the disengaged door panel up by supporting it with a bucket. The speaker material is really much better than I thought. Yet, I would replace them anyway with a better sounding unit(s) that have the midrange and woofers combined in the door. Crutchfield has no cut plug in speaker wire adaptors and the proper door mounting adaptors for a solid no rattle mount. With the panel off, putting Fat Mat or Dynamat on the inside metal under the door panel is a breeze. Just watch that you re open any door panel mount holes covered and check that you have not limited the door cable actuators in any way.
Good advice<> to just take your time, and you will understand the benefits when you are done. Thanks for the tip in wrapping foam around the wires and connectors where possible. Have seen this on the BMWs and Mercedes too.

 

I personally didn't have an option to leave the cables on the door.. I was installing insulation on the door itself that would of been more frustrating than it's worth. The cables are dummy proof. You wouldn't need to adjust anything.

Like I have told others, you can remove the speakers.. it will not change the amp powering them. These combinations are carefully selected and would be risky to alter, I wouldn't recommend the switch without an amp swap as well. Let us know how it goes if you do change it.

 

Great thread!!! The speakers seem to be made of a high quality honey comb material..I think the only way to get better sound is, like Trent mentioned, by replacing the source unit or amps themselves. Good luck with everything, Trent...haha, I listen to the music too loudly to worry about interior noise and, even then, I don't feel like it's too bad.

 

I listen to the music very loud, after installing the dynamat in the front 2 doors the speaker volume seems much higher, it's also more accurate sounding. My rattle issues are eliminated, even with heavy/varying frequency bass. The road noise reduction is noticeable however not night and day. The reduction in road noise has made the wind noise more prominent.. This battle I fear I don't know how to approach.

Thanks for reading guys.

 

It's funny that their is wind noise as this car was built with thicker glass as compared to the 2012 civic.

 

Not quite thick enough... in my opinion.

I know it may sound nit-picky but I DID have about the same amount of window noise on a 2003 Cobra.. The car itself, yes it's quieter but the window noise is about the same. Weird considering the age, technology and vehicle class difference. However your mileage and critique may vary this is my opinion based on my personal experiences.

..and if anyone feels the need to argue this.. let's remember it's subjective and based on opinion. Please don't take offense when I say this car is unacceptably loud with road noise to me. This does not mean I dislike the car but it is my goal to have it meet my expectations.

If anyone does have a suggestion as to reducting and/or eliminating the window noise.. I am all ears.

Again, I appreciate all the feedback.

Tyson if I PM you a fixed template for the middle of my article would you be willing to edit that into my original post for me? I'd like people to see that imparitive part of the process.

 

As long as you are mindful of matching the replacement speaker impedance, when you add a new better quality speaker, there is more than enough power for the door mounts. I'd our 2009 Civic EX with new door speakers on a stock 160 watt amp with great results. My ILX has over 400 watts on the stock amp and I added some JBL Coaxials with a lower base range to compliment the higher range mid speakers. The difference in the magnets was huge and the sound range is even better. The swap took 45 minutes, not disconnecting the door cables, and also adding some fatmat to the doors.

 

What was the RMS on the JBL speakers you had good luck with?

 

Did you get 2-way coaxials for the door speakers? You know that those are tweeters on the doors (near the side-view mirrors) that are supposed to work with the woofer on the door.

 

55 watts RMS, 165 Peak Sensitivity 94 db Dome tweeter does not replace factory tweeter, just places more sound lower in the door.

 

What I would fear in using 55 watt RMS is that you're gonna shorten the lifespan of your amp.. but we'll see. Hopefully no bubbles, no troubles. That's cool that it worked out for you though!

 

That shouldn't be a problem. Using a lower rated speaker with a high-powered app rarely damages anything as long as the impdence is maintained properly. For example, adding a 2 ohm speaker to a 4 ohm system would allow the amplifier to "push" too much energy which could potentially damage the amplifier. Personally, I think that the system is a little too "bright" for my tastes. If I was going to change anything, I probably add a very small (50 to 100 W) dedicated amplifier to the subwoofer channel alone. Possibly utilizing the existing speaker but crossing it over at 60 Hz.

 

Good point. I suspect the factory amps probably are rated more towards "peak" than RMS. Sub might need just a little more push that and extra amp could give. I understand the factory crossover is about 80 hz so it is close.

 

I was actually going the opposite direction. I highly doubt the Acura amp is all that impressive.. 55w RMS I am 99% sure is incredibly high for the factory amp. However, the speaker can be used with less power, it still wants more. As long as he doesn't play it into distortion (as a result of not enough power) he probably wont have any trouble.

Me, personally.. if it's a 300W RMS sub I try to match it within 50 watts. It just makes sense. I am not saying it wont work, and that it can't work.. But, there is no arguing that there is a point to all the numbers.

Problem is we don't know what the Acura amp REALLY is. That's why I said I wouldn't swap it with a different speaker.. and it can be a long term problem that a more powerful speaker will wear the amp down. It's not expecting to give that much power and as the volume goes up the speaker will try to take it regardless.

Typically factory amp/speaker combos are choosen in a safe manner as a means for them to not blow each other out.. reliability in other words less than performance.

Just my mileage, as yours may vary. There is no right or wrong but there are some undeniable pieces to the puzzle.. it's the undeniable parts that would lead ME, personally, to not do it.

As far as a amp for the sub, again the issue comes up.. will it blow? Would it even benefit you? The amp is not likely designed to use the power that would be sent to the sub and divert it to the speakers. What is the RMS of the sub to even know if it's worth the money? You could always take a solo amp to an aftermarket sub.. that would be more worth while if you ask me.. but then you have to inline converters.. ect.


Anyways, I do hope it holds up. That sounds like a good/easy mod. I am just skeptical myself.

 

^^ I agree on just about everything he said. Generally, I would not swap out the sub woofer without also changing the amplifier. However, I would have no qualms about changing/adding an amplifier for the stock subwoofer. The reasoning behind this is that if you can hear distortion and/or the sub woofer "bottoming out" there is no danger that you will blow something up. Distortion is what destroys speakers and this route would be the "budget" way to go. You can always add another sub or replace the factory one if "plan A" is insufficient.

For most people, adding bass with the bass control is the problem. Depending on what frequency it is adjusting, you could be adding +12 dB at 80 Hz. Each +3 dB requires a doubling of amplifier power so you can see where the stock amplifier will quickly run out of juice. This is why my approach has always been to add "gain" versus adding "equalization". That said, my comments are only regarding beefing up the stock system at the smallest possible expense. If your goal is to build a true high-end system, you are going to junk most of it anyway.

However, since Bluetooth is so tightly integrated into the audio system, you're probably going to end up keeping the stock factory head unit. This means at some point you're going to need to use level adapters, be it line level or speaker level.

 

There are some high quality tuners that you can set-up with the factory radio to act as the equalizer, pre-amp, ect.. However they are expensive and no cake walk to install.. and at that rate I'd want all new speaker wire which is no fun task even when you've done it several times..

But, understanding you were talking about the cheapest approach possible.. you make perfect sense. Just know.. when you hear distortion that is the damage to come so be very careful, like he said just nerf your "gain" til it's safe.

For readers that aren't directly discussing that may consider something like this.. also consider enclosing your rear subwoofer.. it would be a custom job but could be done with fiberglass, wood, or even a insulating material (not selling Dynamat but something like it even) that is solid surfaced. Back in the day we would shove a trash bag (heavy duty so it doesnt rip) and push dynamat down into it until it created a U shape into the hole.. then you take the trash bag out, stick the dynamat into the hole and BAM custom-enclosure!.. lol something creative, but who knows.. maybe I'll add that to my write up and do a personal judgement on wether I think it's worth your time.. I am willing to be it would take 1 sheet of dynamat and you'd still have extra left over. (**note ANY insulation that is plyable and solid surfaced would work, my only personal experience is Dynamat)

 

I saw you mention enclosing the sub woofer earlier. I wanted to ask if this is "guaranteed" to work. I only question this because I remember doing some pretty heavy calculations on internal "Q" of speaker enclosures to determine the appropriate internal volume for the specific driver. (Mind you, I was in the audio business aboutn20 years ago so I'm open to the idea that things have changed). I am only asking because back then, a trunk loaded speaker was designed to work in relatively "open" air.

 

On the noise reduction front, do you have anything else planned? Since Acura is using an active sound cancellation system (vs passive sound insulation), is there anything that can be done to enhance that?

 

From a realistic standpoint it goes back to the lack of specifications available and I dont see why it would react poorly to a box in comparison to open air.. Typically we can look at the manufacture's recommended enclosure sizes.. ect. Since this isn't the case there are no gaurantees.. and typically this is a trick we used on the door speakers.

I find it would most likely be successful with the subwoofer though because it's so small.. 1FT cubed would be the space for most high powered 8 in a sealed environment. I am willing to bet a bass increase in volume and quality would be the result.. if a custom wood or fiberglass is an option for some.. i figure a sealed .75 ft cubed would be more than enough. No promises though


I am not actually entirely sure how the active sound cancellation works. I am willing to guess there is a microphone in the car and that determines the negatives the speakers themselves give out.. Not sure how we could manipulate that.

On the sound front though I plan to modify the front wheel wells.. probably a coating on the bottom and dynaliner on the top of them.. should reduce road "howl" substantially.

 

Personally, I've always liked "free air" sub woofer's because you gain efficiency by not having to push against the internal volume of the box acting as a "spring". Having said that, I'll contradict myself by saying in a well designed speaker system with a driver properly matched to the box, I prefer sealed boxes versus vented. Haha.

In automotive applications the trunk becomes your enclosure. Since it already exists, I tend to use it. Of course, you'll need sufficient mechanical dampening on the driver or sufficient current in the amplifier to control the excursion of the woofer. So from this point of view building an enclosure could help if you are lacking in either or both.

The active sound control utilizes microphones located inside the vehicle to listen for unwanted noise. It will then use the vehicle's speaker system to play out of phase sound to cancel it out. In our other cars the first microphone is located by the rearview mirror and there is a second located over the rear seat passengers. In the ILX, I don't see the second microphone so it is possible it's hidden or they are only using one.

 

Trent, when I moved my website a few years ago, I didn't fix all the old posts. This discussion prompted me to go back and finish up one of them. It's my build in our 1994 Integra and very relevant to this discussion. Hope you like it!

http://www.satoauto.com/odds-and-end...egra-gs-r.html

 

That's awesome, Colin. Thanks for sharing.

it's awesome that 170hp was a big deal then on such a lightweight car!
That speaker system looked promising and by reading it turned out more than such! Good read.

 

So I came to a somewhat shocking realization today.. Before I started this whole endeavor I had rattling up by my ear level on my drivers side.. I never thought to check the passenger side. Well the passenger as it turns out doesn't rattle.. But my driver side does.. I put on some bass'y songs to replicate the issue.. (It does it on rough roads that vibrate the car itself too) and sure enough it rattles.. Well the scary part is I put my hand on the window and its vibrating.. A LOT. The passenger side sits firm. What could this be?

Keep in mind the rattle has happened before and after me messing with anything.

 

I have effectively went through and deadened sound piece by piece.. but there is a point where I have to say wtf.. I have been in and driven tons of cars that were more beat up, older, and cheaper that didnt have the tiny little creator-errors this car has.. Things I am noticing at 7K miles ~ the passenger side head rest rattles, not even just on rough roads. It sounds like someone put a playing card in their bicycle wheel and I have no idea how to fix it.

There is a point where I can't defend Acura, this is the result of pure laziness on their part.. but, that's on me I have always heard complaints about their cars interiors rattling no matter what.

If anyone has a suggestion as to how I may fix this headrest rattle, please let me know.

**I wouldn't complain but I hear this EVERY day to and from work..**

 

Trent, would you say adding the dynamat to the trunk is a good bang for the buck? It seems easier to apply it to the trunk then in the doors and under the seat, so, out of laziness, was wondering how well you think just applying it to the trunk would work. I don't have any rattles, so, i'm mainly interested in toning the road noise a bit as well as muting the exhaust tone a tad.

 

If you want to mute some road noise that is resulting from the rear of the car you can dynamat the rear fender wells(interior) which will kill a good amount of the rear howl, the rear passenger side nook above the exhaust in the trunk I think is what killed the exhaust note.. I have to roll my windows down to hear more than the motor. I can't really say bang for buck because I don't wanna mislead you. I actually did the entire rear of the car at once. I can say all my noise is now upfront if that helps.

And, the trunk was by far the easiest area to do, if you have a flexible back lol

 

Trent
Do you have a pic of what the door looked like after dynomatt?