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From Swedespeed.com Technical Features Every once in a while we have enthusiasts who like to take their cars to the next level. Michael Evans is one such enthusiast. Michael took out the stock sound system in his 2002 Volvo V70 T5 and transformed it into a true multimedia entertainment and navigation system. Michael was kind enough to work with us at Swedespeed and document the long and evolved process. Below is his complete description of what it takes to create such a system in hopes of helping others along the way if they want to do the same.
B. Using Previous Knowledge Before I sold the XC to make room for the X5, I removed all of the Alpine equipment, placed them back in their original factory boxes, and put the stock head unit back in. I purchased the Alpine equipment for my first Volvo ('98 XC) to upgrade the basic components plus add navigation, since Volvo did not offer this as an option on its U.S. specification vehicles at that time. Alpine has always had an impeccable reputation. The components that I used in my XC fit nicely and did exactly what I wanted them to do. Plus, I could always add-on later. Flexibility, performance, and reliability are paramount to what I want in entertainment and navigation in my automobile. My X5 had a CD based navigation system that was embarrassingly slow when providing directions. When I would miss a turn, I would almost always have to pull over to allow the CD to read and display new headings or routes. The X5 did not have the best sound system either. I don't feel that BMW goes the extra mile on managing sound in the X5, but that's not why people buy or lease these cars. I did not want a repeat of the navigation and stereo issues I had in my BMW, so I decided to investigate accessory items from Volvo to make my car everything I needed and wanted. C. Formulating Ideas This leads me to the next issue and challenge I had in this process. Volvo allowed me to get everything but the navigation system when I ordered my V70 T5. At the time of my order, Volvo was switching between the previous CD based system to the new DVD based system. This resulted in my order being stuck between system changes. To make matters worse, my car came without the Dolby Pro-Logic sound system I ordered it with and to add a 10 disc Volvo CD changer, they wanted $1000.00 plus. Volvo does not allow you to have a CD changer and navigation system together; you have to pick one or the other. It is all really awful and disappointing with a car of this caliber and cost. These issues can overwhelm someone who is obsessed with electronic gadgetry, so I took three deep breathes and began the quest on getting the DVD based navigation system installed after the fact and getting my speakers upgraded. After a month of twelve different answers from Volvo, it's dealers, and some people in the know from Swedespeed; I began to lose faith in getting Volvo's system at all. I ended up focusing on the speaker upgrade as the stock paper cone units were not that great. While waiting on my loudspeakers to arrive via Volvo, I dusted off my Alpine boxes and began my quest to find an installer for this project. This is really where the next part of my story begins.
D. Gaining Valuable Information One day while talking to the Volvo parts department in my local area, I mention that I was considering installing my Alpine DVD based navigation system. I mentioned this because it seemed that Volvo could not provide me with the accessory option listed on their web site since the purchase of my V70 T5 back in November of 2001. The person working at the parts department raised an eyebrow and started telling me horror stories of prior Volvo owners who have had their vehicle warranties voided for tampering with their cars. The reason for this was that it was causing lots of electrical damage to components beyond what they had imagined. I asked him why he would tell me this and he proceeds to inform me that my car has a multi-plex electrical system. Very complex and high tech, he warns. He told me that with the stock head unit removed, more than likely some of the speakers would not work with my Alpine head unit and quite possibly they would not work at all. I acted rather blasé about the whole conversation thinking that there is no way a manufacturer would shut out aftermarket suppliers. This made me want to install my Alpine head unit even more. I went online and discovered Volvo has an online bookstore called Volvo Technical Information. Here I found I could order the electrical manual for the 2002 V70, which I did promptly. This manual is a great resource for information about wiring color-codes, connections, and basically how the vehicle electrical system works. More importantly, it shows how the multi-plex system runs and what components this affects. The bottom line is that the speakers should work fine with my Alpine head unit. But wait, there's more here, much more in fact. After getting estimates ranging from $650.00 - $2200.00 for the install of my Alpine components, I opted to brave doing the install myself. This is where the install story begins! PLEASE NOTE: The following install story and guide applies to both the new V70 and S60 series since they have the same basic interior layout. II. Components and Accessories A. Pre-Ordering Accessory Components I ordered a new fascia adaptor, wiring harness adaptor, and diversity antennae adaptor. This way I could accommodate the formed Volvo factory radio fascia, keep from cutting my wiring harness, as well as use the factory antennae with my new head unit. After some expansive research I located InCar-Discounts out of London, England. The folks there have been great in accommodating my needs. I emailed with them for over a month in December 2001 and January 2002 while deciding on which way to go with this install. Once the parts came (about 10 days), I asked my best friend Jamey to come down from Seattle to assist with the total tear out of my factory unit. He is great with technical applications, can read wiring schematics, and is very patient with projects such as this. I was worried about tearing the car up but my friend assured me the worst that could happen was that I would end up with my factory head unit back in the car, so with that in mind we began laying out how to install the following units.
B. Component List 1. Alpine CVA-1005 Head Unit 2. Alpine CHA-S624 6 Disc CD Changer 3. Alpine NVA-N751A DVD Navigation System 4. Alpine DVA-5200 DVD Player 5. Alpine Mobile Mayday System 6. Alpine TME-750A Headrest Monitors 7. Alpine TME-750A Console Monitor As you can tell from the list, this is a full tilt multimedia system of sizeable proportions. I am three quarters of the way through the install with the Mobile Mayday, but the headrest console monitors are yet to be installed. Apart from making some final detail connections (which I am researching) with the vehicle speed sensor (VSS) and the brake circuit, the head unit, navigation system, DVD player, and CD changer work beautifully. C. Wiring Harness Issues I am not a fan of splicing car-wiring harnesses, so order the wiring harness adapters to save you from some potential warranty issues. My Alpine CVA-1005 came with a DIN cable to connect the control-unit of the station to the head unit as well as a power harness and speaker harness. Using the ordered power and speaker harnesses from InCar-Discounts Ltd., connect the appropriate wiring and make solid connections. III. Head Unit Removal/Installation A. Getting Started I began my installation on a trial and error basis. I would go to the Volvo Dealership and ask them to show me the parts list for the area I needed to work on so I could see how the individual pieces were assembled and came apart. After seeing and remembering this, I would then come home and start prying them apart. It was all pretty scary at first but I thought if I wanted to do this install myself, I needed to do some legwork. I also did some research on Swedespeed, asking questions, researching options, parts, and installs, particularly when it came to stereo installs. The information listed was minimal but helped me enough to brave tearing my car apart.
B. Removing the Factory Head Unit PLEASE NOTE: Removing the climate control module (CCM) will send the following message to your cars information center, *SRS Service Required Urgent*. Fixing this problem will require a visit to the dealership and I would imagine a small fee to reset the system. If you are not comfortable explaining to your service advisor why you had to unplug the CCM, please STOP HERE! Rather than trigger this message, disconnect both the ground and positive side of the battery. This should keep the message from being stored or even noticed if you accidentally unplug the CCM. Procedure 1.) Starting at the bottom of the console, remove the penholder fascia by prying both sides with a standard screwdriver. Make sure you cover the screwdriver with a soft cloth to protect the fascia and the soft console material. Pry one side up and out, hold it out while prying the other side. It should click up and out. 2.) The next thing you have to do is take out the four screws underneath the pen fascia. Remove the inner two screws with a magnetic torx screwdriver, making sure to hold on to these screws during removal. If you drop these screws, you will need to remove the center console to apprehend them or they will roll around underneath and drive you crazy. Don't worry about removing the outer screws as they are used to hold the center console in place. 3.) Once the screws are removed, reach both hands in, under the CCM and pull it out toward you. Give it a firm pull as there are two steel spring clips holding it in place at the top under the head unit. After the CCM is out at the bottom, reach your fingers behind the module with thumbs in front and pull again. 4.) After the unit is free, wrap it with a soft cloth to protect the plastic and the console, then set to the left of the shifter. If you decided to disconnect the negative and positive terminals at the battery, you should be able to disconnect the harnesses from the plugs and set it aside out of the way. 5.) Now that the CCM is removed, you should see the two torx screws holding the head unit to the dash. The screws actually hold the head unit bracket to the dash and the head unit attaches to this bracket. These two torx screws must be removed so that the entire unit can be pulled from the dash. Once again, be cautious about these screws or they will fall through the console. Plus, over time they could rub wiring free of it's shroud and short something out. WARNING: Be cautious and take care to hold onto your screws! 6.) Once the screws are removed, pull the bracket forward at the bottom and it will come easily toward you. There is a groove at the top of the bracket that fits the lip at the opening of the console, which is what holds it in place at the top. The cup holder and/or storage holder is attached to this bracket so the entire unit comes out as one piece. 7.) Next, unclip the green power harness and the gray speaker harness as well as the lack DIN cable and antennae lead. After this step, you should be finished with removing the factory Volvo head unit.
C. Installing the New Head Unit and New Fascia I purchased my fascia adapter, wiring harness adapter (both power and speaker harness), and most importantly, the antennae adaptor, from InCar-Discounts. Volvo uses a proprietary, dual diversity antenna that requires an adaptor to install any head unit other than the factory units Procedure 1.) After removing the factory head unit from the mounting bracket that was described above, the new fascia adaptor slides right on the front of the bracket, ready to receive the new head unit. 2.) Make sure to align the mounting bracket with your particular head unit so that it will fit properly! 3.) The Alpine CVA-1005 multimedia unit slides right in, ready to receive two mounting screws to hold it in place (after alignment). 4.) I used the two mounting screws removed off of my factory head unit to secure my CVA-1005. You should now be done with the head unit installation. IV. Factory Amplifier/Harness Removal A. Getting Started PLEASE NOTE: If you have the additional factory amplifier, there are more steps that are involved, but essentially if your goal is to use a multimedia unit with a built in amplifier or head unit with the in-car speakers, lose the factory amplifier as it will not work for the application here. If a factory amp exists in your vehicle, the gray speaker harness plugs into the speaker harness that runs to the amp under the passenger seat. There is a thick black DIN cable plugged into the factory head unit as well, which is the return for the speakers from the amplifier. If you don't have a factory amplifier in your car, you can skip this part, but if you do, please read on. As I just mentioned, if your car is equipped with a factory amplifier, it is located under the passenger-side front seat. It is tight to remove it with the seat still in the car, but it can be done as I did it.
B. Removing the Factory Amplifier Procedure 1.) First, move the front passenger seat all the way forward. Working from the back seat, lift the carpet on the right side where it is split to make way for the power harness, speaker harness, and DIN cable. The power harness can be disconnected and taped off. We won't use it here. 2.) Next, remove the DIN cable and speaker harness. Now, if you feel cramped, it's going to get more crowded. Reach forward to the front of the amplifier and feel your way to where the amp ends and the flange holding the amp to the car frame is. There is a holding nut that needs to be removed. 3.) Using a socket set, remove the nut. Do the same on the second nut attaching the amp at the other end. Once the nuts are removed, the triangular shaped amp will be free. 4.) After you are done taking the amplifier out, set it aside for sale on eBay, and move the front passenger seat as far back as it will go. C. Removing the DIN Cable and Speaker Wiring Harness On the right side of the console there is a panel that can be removed. There is a nickel sized plastic flush clip holding this plastic panel in place. It is hidden behind the seat bolster and just out of reach of a standard sized screwdriver, but with a little pushing on the seat bolster, it can be reached and turned 180 degrees. Once this clip is released, reach forward to the console vent opening and push it toward the front of the car. The entire side of the console opens up and the panel can be set aside. The purpose for this is to remove the DIN cable and speaker wiring harness. There is no point in leaving them in the car unless you plan on putting the amp back in at some point. You should see the DIN cable and speaker harness running along the console area and up behind the dash and then entering the head unit area. You may elect to leave them in, but I strongly recommend removing them and selling them on eBay along with the amp. V. Control-Unit/Harness Installation A. Control Unit Installation PLEASE NOTE: I mounted the CVA-1005 control-unit under the front passenger seat.
Procedure 1.) First, remove the four trim plates covering the bolts securing the front seat onto the frame. Next, remove all four bolts. 2.) After the seat has been released from the frame, rock it back so that it rests onto the rear seat behind it. WARNING: Do not stretch the wiring harness connection attached to the front of the seat! This is the airbag harness and I don not think that Volvo intends for it to be disconnected unless done so by a qualified technician. I took this precaution into consideration and was able to install the control-unit without removing the harness. Be very cautious and respect your Supplemental Restraint System (SRS). 3.) Next, remove the heater ducting by just pulling it out. I laughed at how cheesy this seemed but it serves a simple purpose, so it has a simple connection. 4.) Place the control-unit in the center of the area under the seat. Mark it’s location with a light colored crayon. Remove the control-unit and take very sharp and clean box or sheetrock knife, and cut the outline all the way around. 5.) Cut carefully and down through the padding and foam. Pull the cut portion of the carpet out. Next, place double sided tape around the border. You can just place the control-unit down onto the double-sided tape to secure its location. Mine does not move at all so I am very comfortable with its installation area. 6.) Re-install the heater duct over the top of the control-unit and your car mats. Winter or summer mats fit perfectly over the top of the control unit and still allow it to breathe.
B. Installing the Wiring Harness Procedure 1.) Make the power, ground, and memory connections for the green portion of the harness adaptor and the CVA-1005 wiring harness. Red from the adaptor harness is red for the power on the car, black is for ground and yellow is for accessory/memory. 2.) You will only use the three connections on the green adaptor. The remaining connection on the adaptor would be for the power antennae, (not needed here a dimmer wire, not needed here, and the CAN High and CAN low, not needed here. 3.) The CVA-1005 will not be talking to your car through the closed area network (CAN) like the factory head unit does. The control-unit only uses the car’s power, ground, speakers, and memory/accessory connections. 4.) Once your connections have been made from the wiring harness adaptors to the CVA-1005 harness, encase all of the wires in a cable sheathing you can buy at any hardware store such as Radio Shack. 5.) Make sure to tape most of the sheathing closed otherwise it will rattle around when routed and drive you crazy when going over bumps. It also protects the wires and other factory harnesses in the car. 6.) Take the end that will plug into your factory harness and route it behind the dash where you removed the side panel on the console. Just reach up and feed the harness through, making sure to feed about 12 inches of harness through the stereo opening so in the event of future removal there is enough to unplug the connectors without straining too much. 7.) The remainder of the harness must be fed smartly along the side of the console, under the carpet, and through the heat duct hole. This takes a bit of work, but if you run the harness over the hole instead of through it, you end up with a big noticeable hump under the carpet. 8.) Continue to feed the harness under the carpet and plug both the power and speaker connections into the control-unit. If you are installing a DVD player, digital signal processor (DSP), or any other unit that requires connections to the control-unit, do so before bolting the seat back down. Otherwise, you will need to undo the seat again to add another device. VI. CD-Changer Installation A. Getting Started The Volvo 10-disc CD changer costs around $1000.00 installed for the factory head unit. This is one of the reasons I elected to change out the head unit altogether. Instead of purchasing and installing the CD changer holder/cover for the left rear cargo area and mounting my Alpine unit in the area where Volvo recommends, I opted for a hidden area under the cargo floor just behind the rear seats. Granted, once installed and the rear cargo area is loaded, it makes it harder to change out CD’s, but my Alpine unit is a 6 disc changer so it’s not so bad. The install was easy as it took two ‘L’ mounting brackets, and some harness routing to the CVA-1005 control-unit under the front passenger seat and it was ready to play.
B. Mounting the CD-Changer Procedure 1.) Mount the ‘L’ brackets to the changer unit so it can be mounted horizontally instead of vertically, which is typical. Lift the rear cargo floor area (the one behind the rear seat), and use a box or something to keep the floor open. 2.) In my particular case, I mounted a metal rod with rubber stopper to keep this open when changing the CD magazine. I purchased the rod, rubber stopper, and mounting bracket for $1.50 at my local hardware store. 3.) Once held open, measure back three inches from the front lip and over three inches from the left side. This is where the left front corner of the CD changer will sit. 4.) Have someone help you hold the CD changer in place and mark the holes on the upper ‘L’ bracket with a light colored crayon. Use a light colored crayon as the floor is painted black and you need to see where to screw in, to hold the CD changer in place. I used steel 1/2 Phillips head screws as they drill in easily and won’t poke through the wood and carpet on the top side. PLEASE NOTE: You may find that your particular CD changer fits to one side and back or forward under the cargo floor due to its particular size. Be sure to measure the space under the floor before you choose a CD changer so that it fits, if this is where you choose to mount your CD changer. I only say this as I wanted my CD changer to be hidden and the Alpine unit I have fits nicely under the floor. I don’t hear the changer rotating or switching CD’s, and there is no bounce or skipping as I experienced with the CD changer mounted in the back of my ’98 XC.
C. Connecting the CD-Changer Procedure 1.) Once the CD changer is mounted, you have to attach the Ai-Net cable. Remember to leave 12-inches of slack in case you ever need to remove the floor panel. 2.) You will have to run the Ai-Net cable to the right and under the rear seats, to the right rear passenger door. Fold the right rear seat back down. Pull the top of the right rear seat bolster out toward the front of the car and up. 3.) Continue to run the changer cable to the right and down under where the seat bolster attaches to the car. Allow the excess cable to hang out of the door and lift the rear seat back up into position. 4.) Lift the right rear seat cushion up and run the remaining cable under the seat cushion close to the door and along the existing factory wiring harness cover. Be sure the cable is not pinching or it will get pinched from reinstalling the rear seat bolster. 5.) Next, lift the seat cushion back into place. Now, remove the doorsill plate cover. It pops into place with plastic clips so grab it closer to one side and pull it up. 6.) Work this down toward the front seat and once all of the clips have come loose, pull it down from under the ‘B’ pillar. Continue to run the cable along the area where you just removed the sill plate and feed the end under the carpet and through one of the holes under the front passenger seat. 7.) Reinstall the sill plate, remembering to fit the one end under the ‘B’ pillar and popping the rest of the clips into the holes they came out of. Pull the rear seat back down and reinstall the seat bolster. 8.) Lift the seat back up and lock into place. Plug the cable into the CVA-1005 control-unit under the front passenger seat. Now you are ready to load some CD’s and rock! VII. DVD-Player Installation A. Getting Started I mounted my DVD player in the glove box. I never though Volvo’s glove boxes were very useful for anything other than the manual and my radar detector when not in use. This is why I removed the entire glove box, frame, and all, to prep for the install of the Alpine unit. While I chose my glove box for convenience so that my friends and I could easily change a DVD or play a random CD without having to insert it into the CD changer, I would imagine some of you may have a better idea that takes less time to do this portion of the install. I spent a little over four hours to make all the modifications but as the pictures show, it doesn’t look bad at all. My dealership was blown away, but that doesn’t take much! I like the way it turned out and if I decide to pull the player out, my car manual would still fit and hide the two small holes made by the screws used to hold the wood that secures the player.
B. Installing the DVD-Player in the Glove Box Procedure 1.) First, begin under the glove box by removing the two torx screws holding the cover plate on. This allows you access to route the wiring harness for the DVD player once mounted in the glove box. Once the screws are removed the panel should pull down. Remove the plug for the floor light and set the panel aside. 2.) Lower the glove box door completely by reaching in and grabbing both limit clips. Pull them forward over the stops and the glove box will drop a bit. 3.) Reach in on the right hand side to find the mini shock that allows the door to glide nice and smoothly, up and down. It is attached at the top. Pull the shock off at the top toward the rear of the car and it will come off easily. 4.) The door should drop all the way down now. Remove the six torx screws holding the frame onto the dash. Remove the plug for the glove box light. Inside the glove box there is an area where your manual sits. Somewhat of a plastic shelf, this is where I slid my DVD player through. 5.) I used a Dremel tool and a grinding blade to cut down the side of the shelf until my unit fit snugly with carpet wrapped around it. You can get some carpet at any audio store. You will need enough to wrap the DVD unit and any object you intend to secure it in place. 6.) My local stereo store gave me a 3’ x 3’ piece of which I was very grateful. Since Alpine units essentially hook-up the same way for each device, I used the same power, ground, and accessory/memory connections used for the head unit. 7.) I spliced into the harness running from the head unit to the control-unit on the side of the console and created a second harness that plugs into the DVD player. For now, let the DVD harness rest on the front floor and wrap it with some sheathing and tape it up. 8.) Take your double sided tape and wrap the DVD unit at the top and bottom so that the carpet piece you will cut stays put and looks clean. I made sure that the seam was on the bottom and that the carpet was long enough to keep the DVD player from rattling against the plastic at the back of the glove box. 9.) Once you have made the adjustments so that your DVD player fits snugly to the back of the glove box, make sure the A/V wires from the back of the DVD player are routed to the left and available for you to hook up.
C. Securing the DVD-Player Procedure 1.) While my DVD player was going to stay put and rest in the glove box without any further effort, I took a piece of material (wood) that was 1.5” x 1.5” and cut the length of the area where the car manual would fit for further security. 2.) I cut 45 degree angles on both ends and removed some of the wood on the bottom so that it fit snugly on top of the DVD player. This slipped back into the glove box with carpet around it to match the DVD player. 3. Next, I screwed the wood in with two steel screws about 1-inch long from the top of the glove box, which keeps the unit from bouncing and would deter someone from just pulling the unit out during a potential theft. 4.) I also cut two 3/4-inch holes on top at the back of the glove box. This will allow ventilation for the DVD player. It’s important to note that when you wrap the Alpine DVD player with carpet, do not block the small fan that allow air to circulate and cool the unit. 5.) You will also want to cut a 3/4-inch hole on the left side of the box through where the pens would sit as this is where you will route your harness, A/V wires, and Ai-net DIN cable. D. Installing the DVD-Player in the Car Procedure 1.) Now your player looks somewhat stock and you have a clean install, remove the two top screws holding the wood that secures the player and slide the player out. 2.) Install the six screws that hold the glove box frame to the dash. Route your wiring harness, Ai-net DIN cable, and A/V cables behind the glove box up and over the back. Push the player into the glove box and secure it in place using your wood stop and two screws. 3.) Make sure to route the power harness so that it can plug into the back of the DVD player, along with the DIN and A/V outputs. Remember to leave a bit of slack so your connections will not bind as the door is opened and closed. 4.) Next, reconnect the glove box light. Push the glove box up and re-secure the mini shock. This little shock will really help now, as the glove box just got a little heavier with your player. Re-install the cover plate under the dash making sure to connect the harness for the floor light. 5.) Route our DIN cable and A/V connections along the side of the console and down under the carpet, through the heat duct and connect them up into the control-unit of the CVA-1005. Your player is ready. VIII. DVD Navigation Control-Unit Installation A. Getting Started With the exception of hooking up the vehicle speed sensor (VSS), the Alpine navigation unit installed very easy. The actual DVD based system fits well under the driver’s seat. As with the DVD player and head unit, I used the car’s power, ground, and accessory/memory leads. I took power and ground from the harness left when I disconnected the amplifier that existed under the passenger front seat. If you didn’t have this amplifier, just splice neatly into the CVA-1005 control-unit harness. Do not worry about doing this, because even if all of the units, DVD, NAV, and Radio are on, the amps drawn are not enough to blow a fuse.
B. Installing the DVD Navigation Control-Unit Procedure 1.) In any event, remove the front driver’s seat, following my warning about not stretching the SRS power harness, resting the chair back once unbolted. 2.) Place the NAV unit under the chair similar to how I installed the CVA-1005 control-unit. Remove the console side panel on the driver’s side just like we did on the passenger’s side for harness routing. 3.) Cut the carpet out from under the NAV unit and use the double-sided tape to secure the unit to the floor pan of the car. Make sure you place the front of the unit facing the back of the car so that the DVD navigation disc can be changed or removed if needed. 4.) Route the wiring harness through heat duct hole and through the console area. Continue the harness through to the passenger side and make the necessary connections under the front passenger seat with the CVA-1005 control-unit. Next, connect the plug into the navigation control unit. 5.) Now it’s time to route the GPS antennae from the dashboard near the ‘A’ pillar to the navigation control unit under the driver’s seat. Use double sided tape to attach the antennae to the dash close to the front window so you can’t see the antennae lead. 6.) Push the lead close in to the glass and around the ‘A’ pillar and down along the weather stripping. Lift up the driver’s side doorsill. It’s just held in with a few plastic clips. Route the antennae along the sill till it can be pushed under the carpet. 7.) Plug the antennae into the navigation control unit and wire tie the extra line and place it under the carpet. Replace the doorsill. Bolt the driver’s seat back and replace the trim pieces that hide the bolts. Now you are ready to roll with an awesome DVD based Alpine navigation system! IX. Door Panel Removal/Installation A. Getting Started Since I ordered my car with the loudspeaker Dolby Pro-Logic package and the car showed up without it, the dealer refunded the amount optioned and I ordered the loudspeaker packages for front, rear, and ‘D’ pillar speakers. The speakers are tuned, located, and designed for each model car, and are not universal throughout even though they may be the same size. These loud speakers are highly rated and Volvo sound systems are one of the best in the industry, so I was very comfortable exchanging the paper cone stock speakers for the carbon fiber upgrades.
B. Removing the Front Door Panels For the front doors, there are two torx screws that are hidden behind the door pull. The door pull is the long vertical bar that you grasp to pull the door closed. Take a very small standard screwdriver and pry the cover off, starting at the bottom. Once it begins to come off at the bottom, you can pull it straight off exposing the two torx screws. There is one at the bottom and one at the top. Pop off the triangular side view mirror covers above and to the right of the door panel. C. Removing the Rear Door Panels For the rear doors, there is a torx screw hidden behind a small plastic square cover inside each door pull release. Take a very small standard screwdriver, and gently pry off the cover. Take out the torx screw and pull the panel out at the bottom about four to six inches. Next, grabbing the panel at the bottom, begin to pull it up and off the windowsill it sits on. It is best to work it back and forth off the windowsill, because eventually it will free itself.
D. Removing all Door Panels in General Find small Phillips screwdriver, wrap the end with a soft rag. At the edge of each panel there are a number of plastic rivets. In the center of each rivet, there is a pin that when pushed through the center, will release that rivet. The pin will not go all the way through, so don’t worry about losing it. Take your rag covered Phillips screwdriver and push gently in the center. Without any hesitation, mine released right away. When you have all of these released, pull them off completely. Safeguard these pins and rivets, and put them to the side for later re-installation. You will want to separate the pins and rivets when you are doing the re-installation later. Unplug any wiring harnesses off the door, including the door release cable. The things described above are very easy, so do not worry about anything at this point. Set the panel aside in a clean and dry area. E. Re-installing all Door Panels In General After you have completed the speaker installation procedure, which has been described in the next section, re-installing the door panels is basically the reverse of what I described above. The plastic rivets should be installed without the pins at first. Push the plastic rivets through the panel and into the hole on the door. Then, push the pin though until it is flush with the rivet and it will click and secure that portion of the panel. X. Speaker Removal/Installation A. Removing the Factory Speakers
Procedure 1.) The removal of the factory speakers was really not a problem, but drilling out the 16 rivets (4 per door) was a pain. Not only do you need to drill out the rivets, but also toward the end of the drilling them out, the entire rivet begins to spin, making it tough to complete the drill out process. 2.) I just pushed the drill a bit harder. I aimed the drill toward the edge of the rivet with continued pressure and drilling. The heads eventually popped off. Drill out the remaining rivets with a 1/4-drill bit. 3.) Once the head of each rivet has pops off, pull the speaker out completely. Make sure you have released the factory wiring harness. Also, reach into the speaker hole and remove any fragments of left over rivets. 4.) There is some sticky stuff in the bottom of each door but I doubt any of you wish to hear rattling rivets during any drive! If the pieces have fallen into the small crevice area, use a magnetic extension tool to pull them out. This tool may also come in handy if you drop any screws into the door during installation. B. Installing the Volvo Loud Speaker Kit Each Volvo model can be retrofitted with loudspeakers. Each model dictates what can be ordered, but knowing what I know now, I never would have ordered the Dolby Pro-Logic system. This is because the loudspeaker kit is cheaper, plus I learned a lot during the install. Typically this kit consists of front door, rear door, and ‘D’ pillar speakers (for wagon owners), and rear deck speakers (for sedan owners). Check your local Volvo dealer for the correct loudspeaker kits. One great thing is that installation instructions are also included in these kits! You may be able to get these kits cheaper online, so it is your call.
Procedure 1.) Install each speaker with the four screws and nuts provided in the package. This tough part is that you must separate out the watertight gray membrane from the doorframe, to be able to reach in and secure the four screws. 2.) Pull the membrane back far enough to reach your arm in and place each nut on a screw you have pushed in from the front. I used a small socket to tighten each nut and really secure the speaker in place. 3.) I recommend doing this as the Volvo installation instructions say nothing about it and I imagine a lot of rattling speakers are causing some grief out there. These speakers kick so be sure to secure. 4.) Once you have each speaker secure, press the membrane back in place, making sure the sticky holding bond is sticking to the membrane. WARNING: Do not tear this membrane! This is what keeps water and dirt off of the door panel and electronics! 5.) Once you have the speakers in place, push the factory speaker harness in and reattach the door panels. It’s the reverse of what I have described above. Once this is finished, you are done with the speakers. XI. Conclusion/Final Thoughts A. Cleaning Up Make sure you have adequately secured your seat bolts and replaced all trim pieces. Remember to wipe off any residue from plastic parts and seats. Replace all the mats and vacuum up any wire casings stripped during installs. Also, while the seats are up it would be a good time to clean up all the crumbs that catch underneath! B. Future Plans My system rocks and I have had many offers locally to do these installs in many vehicles. I’m not up to it yet since I am still planning on installing my Mobile Mayday system, Digital Signal Processor (DSP), and Playstation system. I can use my Playstation now on the front monitor since I purchased the new small unit and 12v power adaptor. I plan on installing this in the rear armrest so I will keep everyone appraised as I go!
C. Special Thanks I would like to give a special thanks to my friend James who helped me immensely with the head unit install. He is great with detail work and I want to thank him for his bravery in helping me tear up my car and deal with this complex work. I also wanted to let you all know that working with someone does help make the process go a lot faster. Also, thanks to Trysha who’s recent posting on Swedespeed allowed me to brave the multimedia install. D. Enjoy! Start the head unit, watch the monitor rise up, and rejoice in the superb sound, CD’s, DVD navigation, and DVD movies. I am sure you will enjoy the system, because I know I love mine. For more information or help on this feature, contact: Michael Evans
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