Rear parcel shelf speakers not working

[johndownunder]

Hi all, a week or two ago I came across a video someone posted about his rear speakers not working and discovering that they hadn't actually been connected. Once he connected them they were fine! Out of curiosity I checked my own car and discovered that my rear speakers are also not working (yes, I did check the fader position). Is this a common thing? Has anyone else observed that their rear speakers were not working because someone forgot to plug them in. I've yet to pull everything apart and check the connectors but I'm
hopefull.. I'll let you know what I find.

[psjr]

Someone posted just this week that theirs stopped working after they had a mechanic replace their rear shocks (which requires removing the rear box), so it's certainly plausible they were accidentally left unplugged at some point.

[clarkitect]

Someone posted just this week that theirs stopped working after they had a mechanic replace their rear shocks (which requires removing the rear box), so it's certainly plausible they were accidentally left unplugged at some point.

Yep, that was me. I haven't messed with it yet but am planning to take care of it tomorrow. Planning to upgrade the rear speakers to Monsoons so it'll all come out anyway, but if I wasn't doing that, I would be interested in using a hole saw from the trunk to cut the metal and expose the connector to re-plug. Not sure if that is possible, but it seemed like it could be a shortcut. Not even sure where the plug is located though.

[johndownunder]

Not wishing to sound a bit full but is it possible my 2000 735i sport didn't come with rear parcel shelf speakers?? Without pulling the shelf out I can't see any sign of speakers from underneath (looking from the boot side) and I can't feel any slots in the area immediately behind the rear headrests!

[psjr]

Not wishing to sound a bit full but is it possible my 2000 735i sport didn't come with rear parcel shelf speakers?? Without pulling the shelf out I can't see any sign of speakers from underneath (looking from the boot side) and I can't feel any slots in the area immediately behind the rear headrests!

Rear shelf speakers are only present on models with the "Top Hifi" package which also includes DSP. If there are speakers there, there will be grilles for them as well.

[johndownunder]

Ok thanks. Is it something I could retro fit, that is, would the wiring loom still be there?

[psjr]

I really doubt the wiring would be there - the DSP is a very different setup.
My understanding is that the regular system outputs 4 channels and the DSP outputs 10 or 14.

[psjr]

Just went ahead and looked it up in WDS.
The "Stereo" radio with no amplifier does output just 4 channels.
The "Hifi" is probably what you have in Australia (an Australian version was specifically mentioned) sends those 4 channels to a discrete amplifier which then outputs 10 channels (everything but the rear shelf).
The "Top Hifi" (aka DSP), as most here are probably aware, sends 2 channels to the amplifier, which then outputs 14.

Despite the similarities in speakers between the last two systems, the amplifier plugs are not interchangeable, so the wiring looms are probably different too.

[johndownunder]

Ok thanks

[racer2086]

I added the rear speakers to my HiFi (not Top HiFi) non-DSP car with an aftermarket amp. I have a sub in the trunk on a separate amp and the speaker in the rear shelf on another amp. They pull the same signal from the factory amp. With some aftermarket amps, you can adjust the crossover to only have those speakers output what you want.

They are good for midbass down to about maybe 60 or 70Hz. I have the 10" trunk sub take over for frequencies below that. Sounds pretty good to me.

If I were you, I wouldn't go out of my way to retrofit the rear speaker box, unless you get it free. Just put a single sub in the trunk and I bet that will be more than enough. You can make your own small enclosure that only takes up about a 12" x 6-8" square area in your trunk depending upon the depth of your sub driver.

Edit: Another good option without losing trunk space would be Dville's Monsoon upgrade to the rear shelf speakers. That would make the bar worthwhile, but you will still need to amplify it with your own amp.

[johndownunder]

ok, thanks