Access to the front door connector.

[harm]

Hi,

I would like to guide ambient light from the front doors to the rear. I need to modify door connectors.
The connector in the rear doors seems to be easily accessible from the b-pillar as well from the door side. This video shows exactly how to do this:

But I could not find any instructions how to access it in the front doors. It seems, from the pictures and videos, the black rubber cover is far away from the connector.

It also looks as if there is some vertical door part directly behind the cover:

I'm not sure if I can reach the connector the same way as in the rear doors, where the cover is significantly closer.

Is there a way to access the front door connector?

 

[Cuzoe]

Hi,

I would like to guide ambient light from the front doors to the rear. I need to modify door connectors.
The connector in the rear doors seems to be easily accessible from the b-pillar as well from the door side. This video shows exactly how to do this:

But I could not find any instructions how to access it in the front doors. It seems, from the pictures and videos, the black rubber cover is far away from the connector.


It also looks as if there is some vertical door part directly behind the cover:


I'm not sure if I can reach the connector the same way as in the rear doors, where the cover is significantly closer.


Is there a way to access the front door connector?

Remove the speaker. You'll have to drill out the rivets. You can rivet them back in place.

Or use some clip-on nut plates and screws to make the speakers removable. This is what I've done.

 

[harm]

Yeah, that's the part I would like to avoid

I wonder if the connector could be pried from the outside.

 

[Cuzoe]

Yeah, that's the part I would like to avoid

I wonder if the connector could be pried from the outside.

It won't come "out" from the outside because of the weather flange. In any case, it wouldn't move out very far. It's secured in the door right after it goes in... routed below/around the speaker and has to stay out of the way of the window glass. Drilling the rivets is inconvenient for sure but you've only gotta do it once, unless you re-rivet to put the speakers back in.

 

[Reaper1]

Yeah, that's the part I would like to avoid

I wonder if the connector could be pried from the outside.

You'll most likely break the clip and it wont be water tight anymore, proper way to do it is to remove the speaker, depin the entire connector and run the wires through the new rubber grommet, insert the pins back to the connector and finally rivet the speaker back in place.

 

[harm]

I see. Thank you for the replies.

Do you know if there are dedicated replacement rivets for those speakers?

 

[harm]

I think I found them: WHT005353

 

[Cuzoe]

I'm going to recommend nut plates and screws again. In case you ever have to remove the speakers again. Unless you like rivet-ing . And I know some of you all do.

 

[harm]

The nut plates indeed look like a more practical solution. But I wonder if they create additional space between the speaker and the door?

 

[Cuzoe]

The nut plates indeed look like a more practical solution. But I wonder if they create additional space between the speaker and the door?

In theory yes, but there's a foam seal on the back of the speaker ring. You could re-seal it with something if you wanted.
The existing foam will be compressed already but the nut plates were still less-thick when I reinstalled my speakers.