Installing new speakers in the Toyota Prado

Toyota Prado - Installation guide - Speakers

Home
Stereo Upgrade
Connect an iPod
Stereo installation
Speaker installation
Prado V 200 series
Engines
Tyres - Cooper ATR
3 months review
6 months review
12 months review
24 months review
FAQ & Misc. stuff
Accessories
History of the Prado
4wd systems
Pictures
Links & Contacts

Prado front door trim

Here are some instructions and notes on how to remove the door trim on the Toyota Prado.

A screw location 1.
B screw location 2.
C screw location 3.
D Triangle garnish panel.
E Plastic plug.

How to remove the front door trim of the Prado:
Lift the armrest padding up and out.
Use a screwdriver to lift the garnish panel from behind the door handle.
Lift out the remote window winder button panel.
They are all clipped in by plastic lugs. You can use your hands if you want to.
Behind each panel is a securing screw. Unscrew all three.
Take off the triangle panel near the wing mirror.
Remove plastic plug near the air vent.

There are three electrical connectors to unplug.
Unplug the window winder control panel electrical connector and the smaller tweeter and remote wing mirror power. Don't forget the courtesy light at the other end of the door panel.

The grab the edges of the door panel and lift forward. They make loud unclipping noises so don't be afraid.

You'll end up with the door panel with just the door cables still attached. I wouldn't bother with removing the door cables because there's plenty of room to move.

What type of speakers?

The type of speakers to choose as replacements is again a subjective thing. I always pick quality sounds as opposed to volume,

The standard speakers while sounding OK is clearly not premium quality. Rather they are robust.

What are the best car speakers? I have always liked split or component speaker sets as they do sound better. However the secret to the best component tweeters is the cross-over settings. Get it right and you have a very well balanced sound. Sure AMP power, cables etc... all play a part but if the speakers are bad so is the sound.

The best sounding tweeters are soft dome tweeters. In my opinion they sound smoother and more natural. They do not have that noticeable harshness are loud volumes in plastic or hard dome versions.

For the mid range I always look for one with a rubber surround. As for the cone section I like composite paper based for mid range. Again because of the softer sound. For bass either plastic of some sort.

Hence I'm having difficulty trying to find a suitable replacement speakers that are reasonably priced and available.

Prado door speakers

So what is the speaker size Toyota has decided to use in the Prado? Surprisingly it's a standard size! Yep the Prado uses 6 x 9 inch speakers and what looks like a 1 inch tweeter.

A - It's a regular size 6 x 9 inch on a raised base that's about 3cm or 1 inch.

B - That's the plug for the tweeter. Doesn't appear to be a separate crossover.

The picture below is tweeter mounting bracket on the back of the door panel.

A & B - This is the main bracket looks like a one inch tweeter. Just 3 screws to undo.