Lights & Speakers Installation

[pacman99]

Hey,

I just bought my first car, the '95 Sunfire and well there were some minor stuff wrong with it so I was hoping maybe I could fix it myself, learn something on the way, and save some money
The biggest problem I have right now (aside from that darn oil leak heh) is that my reverse lights don't work. They could either be unplugged (which I really really doubt) or I need new bulbs. Either way, are there any manuals that can help me replace the bulbs? I think I need 9007 bulbs, but since this is my first car, I need to experiment with taking out the light and I don't want to break anything
Secondly, one of my rear lights leak. So I have water in them. I think i'll need some sort of silicon sealer to fix it right? I guess if someone can explain how to install the reverse lights it might apply to taking out the rear lights and sealing them up so water doesn't get in again.
And finally, my left speakers don't work. I got a new deck and found out that my left speakers were already blown. SO I'll need to get 4 new speakers (since only 1 front and 1 rear are blown and they have to "match" ) Any guides on how to install speakers myself too?

Thanks a lot!

[hotbug1776]

wow, you need a lot of help. If I remember right, the reverse light are mounted so that you have to remove the center section of the trunk lid to remove them. if not, then look inside the rear of the trunklid and look for the wires. As for the tail lights, pull back the trunk liner on that side, and there will be a wire harness that leads to the light. around it will be three bolts, undo the nuts, and the tail light will fall out.

the speakers are more difficult, for the rear, remove both the front seatbelt bolts at the top. pull down the rear seat and sit on it, feet into the trunk. remove the rear seatbelts from the plastic grommets. Pry each side panel of the rear of the car towards the center (where you are sitting). They are clipped in so be careful not to break the tabs, but it may take some force. pull the tops of each side as far down as they will go to clear the rear deck. pull the four press pins out of the rear deck cover. remove the plactic trunk side pieces ( they are on either side of the trunk opening and are connected to the rear compartment sides) again it may take some work. Now you should be ready to lift the rear cover, be careful not to break the seatbely grommets as you lift. when you have it lifted, it may be stuck to the rear window, so you may have to give a tug. now, slide it and yourself out of the car, grab a beer and start thinking about how you are going to cut the holes to fit your new speakers (GM's 6x9 is a little smaleer than everyone elses 6x9) I cut mine with a cutoff wheel and a sawsall and modded the trim rings to fit my new speakers for a factory look. once you get the speakers in getting the back end is still a pain, so have fun and buy really good speakers so you never have to do it again.

to do the fronts and any of the other things, I suggest you get a Haynes Manual (NAPA, Autozone, Advanced Auto, Wal-Mart, Local stereo shop maybe) as you have to remove the doorskin, and it is pretty hard to explain. it involves screws around the outside edge, the door pull (and a screw behind it I think), removing the Power lock panel and the mirror trim pieces, pulling out the bottom of the doorskin, and lifting it off of the door.

It's been a few months since I've done mine, so it's a little fuzzy, but I'll review the manual, and correct myself if it's wrong.

[hotbug1776]

one more thing, buy the speaker harness adapters, don't be the jerk who cuts the wires and tapes them together, they are not that much $ and it is so much nicer to do it properly the first time.

You may need the new style, so make a drawing or take a pic of your connectors, as there where at leat 2 different type for the 95.

[pacman99]

wow...sounds more complicated than I thought. Guess I'll get good speakers then. I was planning on getting cheap ones for the back (like a Pioneer or something) and good ones for the front (like Infinity or maybe even Alpine).

[Robbie1]

If you change your reverse lights, check the fuse and still no work, there is a switch for your reverse lights, but it is a pain to get at.
If you take out the battery and air cleaner, there is a sensor with one wire that is about 4" above that battery towards the fire wall.
Thats on a 5spd

[Brandish]

Fronts actually aren't all that bad to replace, but it depends mostly on the aftermarket speakers and their compatibility with the GM factory mounts (whether they'll drop in nicely with all the screw holes lining up). At any rate, the door skins have to come off, which in itself isn't that big of a deal. If you have power windows, it'll make the job a little easier.

First thing to do is remove the 4 or 5 phillips screws along the bottom of the door skin. Once those are out, grab a 9/32 nut driver or socket and pull out the two bolts from just underneath the door handle. They're hidden fairly well, so you may need to search. After those are out, remove the one phillips screw just above the door skin near the A-pillar to remove that little triangular plastic piece. Then you'll need to pry off that oval plastic piece just behind the door opening lever. Press down firmly on the top of it to slide it down, and you'll feel it snap out easily. After that, if you have power windows you can start pulling on the bottom of the skin to get the panel off. If you have manual windows, you'll need to remove the window crank which usually requires a special tool ($5 from an automotive store). After all that, the skin should release fairly easily with a flat head screwdriver or panel too. Start from the bottom and pull outwards until it feels loose. From there it's just maneuvering the skin off over the door lever. You have to pull upwards to release the panel from the top of the door frame, and then it should come off.

After that, you'll see your factory 4x6. You can either remove the speaker from the plastic baffle, or remove the whole baffle itself and mount your aftermarket speaker outside of the car. It doesn't really matter either way; whatever works for you. Usually I just solder the factory wire onto the new speaker (should be red and black, so easy to differentiate + and -), and its easy to clip the factory harness back in. Mount your speaker and then re-attach th door skin. Sometimes it's tricky to get the skin to sit properly, so be patient with it. fire all your screws back in and then start the whole process over again on the other side.

[pacman99]

Robbie: I unscrewed my lightbulbs and took them out. Guess what I found? Something that looked liek SILICONE or glue or something in the casing that holds the bulb!!! I got rid of as much as I coudl and bought the same type of bulbs (3057). It still didn't work
SOOO i tried looking for the fuse. I found two fuse panels, one next to my steering wheel and one near the engine. Which fuse should I check?

I should seriously invest in getting a manual for this car. And guess what else I found? Where the spare tire is, there was beer spilled everywhere.

Anyways yes it is a 5 speed, manual :P

[Robbie1]

Originally Posted by pacman99

Robbie: I unscrewed my lightbulbs and took them out. Guess what I found? Something that looked liek SILICONE or glue or something in the casing that holds the bulb!!! I got rid of as much as I coudl and bought the same type of bulbs (3057). It still didn't work
SOOO i tried looking for the fuse. I found two fuse panels, one next to my steering wheel and one near the engine. Which fuse should I check?

I should seriously invest in getting a manual for this car. And guess what else I found? Where the spare tire is, there was beer spilled everywhere.

Anyways yes it is a 5 speed, manual :P

OK.
The stuff that looks like silicone that held your bulbs in is dielectric grease.
With your reverse lights not working, there is a switch GM part number 10094661. Call your dealership and ask them to fax you a parts breakdown of where this is.
It is under the hood on the transfercase.
That will be your problem. 7/8 wrench(or deep socket) will get it out.
That was the problem with my 98. Change that and the lights will work again.

[pacman99]

u think I should let a mechanic handle this or can I do this myself with no probs? Keep in mind that I've never done anything like this before

[Robbie1]

I found it fairly easy.
The way i had to do it was take out my battery, air box, intake snorkle.
I have also pretty much ripped my car apart about 5 times.
I would take it to a mechanic and let him...less headache for you.
Buy the switch though, it around $20cdn.

[pacman99]

ahh..I need to learn this stuff heh. Gotta find some people who know this in my area so i can learn

[Robbie1]

Where are you from?
I'm in Medicine Hat Alberta

[pacman99]

Mississauga, Ontario
on the other side of Canada hehehe

[Robbie1]

Thats way east!
What do you got for a motor in your wagon?

[pacman99]

I feel a bit embarassed...i don't know what you're asking :P heh