How-To: Tweeter's added to Pillar posts.

philiparcario · Jul 8, 2008

I added a pair of aftermarket tweeters to my new 2008 malibu. here are some install pictures. First off I have the basic 4 cylinder model it has six speakers. 2 in the pillars 2 in the front doors and 2 in the rear deck. I don't need heavy bass as much as clear sound. The oem tweeters are standard 4 ohm mylar. with a built in crossover . a capacitor of 4.7uf is the crossover. my replacement tweeters are 4 ohm and use a 4.7uf capacitor. since i don't replace the head unit I don't need super heavy duty tweeters that can handle a lot of power. I used tweeters from parts-express.com A DIY speaker company out of the midwest. first two photos show the drivers side with the new tweeter installed. the second is the passenger not done. note same look

philiparcario · Jul 8, 2008

Re: Tweeter's added to Pillar posts.

I have about ten shots of the install here goes.
1) this photo shows my fingers pulling the pillar post out. it can be pulled out with your hands alone. remember it has speaker wires and a safety cord attached on the inside don't pull too hard to pop it off.
2) the second photo shows the plastic safety cord. this works when the air bag goes off it can be removed and replaced without breaking it. If you break you will need to get the dealer to fix it, .also look at the brass clip and plastic guide then the white clip when you snap it back in it fits don't muscle it. the far right shows the oem tweeter and harness.
3) the third shot is a better look at the tweeter and harness. the harness has a snap clip to squeeze and remove from the car. note the silver bolt and white clothe that is the end of the air bag. don't cut or ffff with it.
4) this picture shows the airbag and tweeter harness
5)shot of installed pillar with some walmart 99 cents a bag pillow stuffing. very good to stuff speaker boxes with.

philiparcario · Jul 8, 2008

Re: Tweeter's added to Pillar posts.

more shots.
1)This is a shot of the installed tweeter pillar with wal-mart pillow stuffing. Also in the upper left is a piece of peel and stick felt gray from wal-mart 69 cents a sheet. works good and cuts down rattles. it comes in a 8 by 10 inch size that i cut and stick all over the pillar.
2) this is the back of the tweeter some black tape for damping and to stop shorts the tweeter was mounted on a piece of wood cut to size to hold it. this let me screw it into the original holes and leave the outside looking untouched.
3) snapping the finished pillar closed. it should close smoothly if all guides are lined up.
4) the back of the oem tweeter. if you look at it you can see the mounting holes the wire harness with the clip and the built in cap. It is not a hi quality tweeter. under it is the replacement tweeter from parts-express.com also is the uncut baffle. I used 1/4 inch oak I had laying around. pine ,mdf, maple all work just make sure in is 1/4 thick not half inch. if ti is half inch the pillar will not close. note the harness clip that is squeezed to from from the car.
5) the new tweeter back in the new wood baffle. that hole is 1 3/8 if you buy the same tweeter. the baffle needs to cut down in size to not much bigger then the tweeter. first drill six holes to let the baffle mount to the pillar and 4 to mount the tweeter to the baffle. having the oak piece oversized lets the drilling get done with out splits

philiparcario · Jul 8, 2008

Re: Tweeter's added to Pillar posts.

two more shots.
1)those two holes must be transferred from the old tweeter to the new baffle. they will be used to mount the baffle to the pillar.
2)this is a shot of a pair of oem buick tweeters from my 2005 Buick lacrosse. the sound system had these pillar mounted tweeters. same clip to attach to car wires.and I left a red spade connecter to mark where there is a better 4.7uf capacitor for the crossover. so you end up with a 4ohm tweeter and a 4.7uf cap on the new mount. same crossover point but better tweeter.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=275-035

link for tweeter. very good quality for the price

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=027-332

link for cap.

The cost for this is low 10 dollars plus shipping 12 bucks if you get it mailed and not ups. The felt and stuffing are 2 more dollars. This is a big improvement for under 20 dollars. I have done pillar post tweeter replacement for my last 4 cars. with 200 dollar Focal tweeters as the best quality ones , but bang for the buck this is a very good deal. I don't plan to swap out the radio or add an amp. Thats is why this is a good option. The tweeter handle 15 watts. If you are upgrading the radio and adding an amp do the same work with better tweeters. I will post my soundproofing and my door installs later this summer. soundproofing is huge when you are not adding an amp. most cars can be dropped 6 db to 9 db without spending a lot. 3 db sound drop means double your amp power 6db means 4x your amp power and 9 db means 8x your amp power.

philiparcario · Jul 8, 2008

Re: Tweeter's added to Pillar posts.

any questions ask i will try to help.

BuckyFan · Jul 8, 2008

Re: Tweeter's added to Pillar posts.

Did you take all of those pics with a camera phone? Theyre so small you can barely see them.

jr_78 · Jul 8, 2008

Re: Tweeter's added to Pillar posts.

What speakers do you recommend to upgrade the front door and rear deck speakers using the factory stereo? Will the factory stereo, power higher wattage speakers? thanks!!!

DOACanada · Jul 8, 2008

Re: Tweeter's added to Pillar posts.

WOW - Great right up....Thanks for the info...However further to BuckyFan's post....Do you have some higher rez pictures you can post?

philiparcario · Jul 8, 2008