Greetings everyone.

I need to change the rear speakers in my estate as they are truly dreadful. Can anyone tell me how to get in at them and save me hours of "will I won't I" before ripping the trim off in a frenzy !

Thanks for the help

Hi there,

I have some interesting recent experience of taking the rear door panels off my Fabia 1.4 Classic Hatchback when fitting the central locking kit. Assuming that the rear doors on the estate version aren't any different to the hatch (no reason why they should be I don't think) it is a pretty straightforward job (at least it is now I know, so I'm glad to help you avoid the same level of sweat and bloodied knuckles) ... here we go:

1. The interior door handle/grab things is in two sections - the bit you can put your hand in/on and a little tray holder (or power window control section if your car has it). On my one the tray holder levers out with screw drivers inserted around it - it's quite a tight fit but it will eventually pop up.

2. Then the top of the other handle part will slide in and pop off, to reveal three or four large screws holding the panel onto the door - these can obviously be undone and kept safe.

3. The speaker cover also prises off with a fine screwdriver, and there is a small screw holding the panel onto the door behind that.

4. If you have a manual window winder (like I have) this was the biggest pain - eventually I put a small mirror underneath the centre of the winder handle to reveal a small recess in the plastic. When you push a small screwdriver or allen key into this the holder clicks to the side allowing the handle to be removed.

5. This frees the panel of the main fixings leaving only plastic fasteners around the edge of it - you need to slide in a knife/screwdriver or three at various spacings around the perimeter to gently ease these popper type fixings out of the metal door. Once one or two have come out it gets easier. (By the way, you think "if I pull/push these things any more they're going to break" - but I did four doors and nothing snapped!)

6. The interior of the door will be revealed - you may wish to disconnect the metal wire from the door handle to the locking mechanism (I think it just clicks in and out of a little holder).

7. You should then see the rear speaker and wiring in the door, along with maybe wiring for central lcoking motors and power window controllers.

8. My one dooesn't have rear speakers, but I suppose you could either (a) remove the existing speakers, cut the existing wire and replace the speakers joining them to the existing wire inside the door panel or ( remove the wiring right through to the connector inside the rubber grommet to the B pillar - but you'd need a new VAG style wiring connector.

9. Reassembly of the door is the reverse process.

10. If you also have rear speakers in the sides of the back parcel shelf the carpets in the boot seem to unclip to reveal access to this area.

Hope this helps - I'm not expert but I did something very similar with the central locking and lived to tell them tale. And felt quote chuffed with myself too!

D.

I have just bought a fabia estate and only have speakers in the front what are the options for fitting rear ones..

Do you know if the wiring for rear speakers is in place on versions without speakers fitted..

Thanks

John

The wiring wasnt present on my Fabia which only had front speakers, so just put some speakers in the parcel shelf, lot less hassle.

I rang my local Skoda dealer Sparshatts in Fareham and asked them about rear speakers. They asked me what model and mine is a Fabis Classic Estate (basic model), ah the man said, there is no speaker cables on that model.

Went to see my local car electrical and stereo fitter and he quoted me

Urm - the Fabia estate has no parcel shelf so that won't work..

Also, the rear speakers on the estate are not on the doors. They are on the 'panels' by the rear quarter panels by the rear side windows

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