When it comes to wiring tweeters without crossover, it can seem intimidating if you’re not super familiar with cars. The actual wiring is only one piece of the puzzle, and the steps that come before it are the most demanding part of the entire process.
Don’t fret, as this guide will cover different mounting methods and the actual process of wiring tweeters without crossover in detail.
Once you are done, you’ll have your quality sound system up and running!
How to Wire Tweeters to Coaxial Speakers
Turn Off the Power
Before working with a car battery, or anything involving wires and electricity, make sure you take the necessary steps to protect yourself. Rubber gloves and your standard pair of safety glasses are what you need.
To begin, you’ll want to turn off the power for the vehicle you’re working on to avoid any accidental short-circuiting of the vehicle’s electronics.
To do this, make sure the ignition is off. After that, you’ll need to remove the negative connector cable from the battery.
Most batteries are under the hood of a vehicle. However, the placement can still vary, so
look for a rectangular-shaped object with two small knobs on top.
Every vehicle manual also shows the location of the battery, so you can use that to find the battery as well.
There should be visible + and – signs on top of the battery. These indicate the positive and negative terminals, and each one should have a cable connected to it.
In most cases, the negative connector cable will be black. The positive connector cable is red, so you’ll be able to distinguish between the two easily.
Sometimes the negative connector cable will have a plastic cap covering it.
If there is a cap, remove it. Next, using a wrench, turn counterclockwise to loosen the connector cable’s nut. Turn until the nut is loose enough for you to remove the negative connector cable from the terminal.
Lastly, move the negative connector cable away from the battery, so the two don’t come into contact while you’re working.
Consider Where You’re Going to Mount Your Tweeters
With the power off, you can get started on the actual installation process of the tweeters. Start by deciding where you want to mount the tweeters in the vehicle.
There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to mounting tweeters.
Typically, the three main ways to mount are surface mounting, bottom mounting, and flush mounting. Choosing one is a mix of personal preference and accessibility within the vehicle.
Surface Mounting
Surface mounting is arguably the most painless of the three methods. Unlike the other two options, this one involves installing the tweeter atop wherever you choose to put it. Hence the name.
The most significant con of surface mounting is that it might offer a less pleasing aesthetic. Still, this comes down to individual preference more than anything else.
With this option, you won’t need to make any big holes in the vehicle’s interior. If you want the tweeter on either the door panel or dash, then you can drill a small hole in the surface and use that to run the tweeter’s wire through to the head unit.
However, mounting cups are a great option if you are trying to preserve the vehicle’s original interior as much as possible. These eliminate the need for drilling entirely, though the trade-off is that they won’t look as seamless.
Bottom Mounting
Like surface mounting, bottom mounting is relatively simple in terms of how much work it requires. The only caveat is the vehicle has to have grilles already installed for this method.
To bottom mount a tweeter, remove an already existing grille and install the tweeter inside. Next, put the grille back in place. You do not need to drill or cut any holes for this particular method to work.
Flush Mounting
Flush mounting is a bit more technical than surface and bottom mounting. This method often sees usage when a vehicle does not come with factory tweeters.
To flush mount tweeters, you’ll have to make a hole the same size as the tweeters you’re going to be installing. Generally speaking, the sail panel and the upper door are good locations for flush mounting in most vehicles.
The best way to create the hole is to use a drill with a serrated circular blade. Once you’ve made the hole, you may need to smooth it out by using a knife or something else sharp.
Again, this is a more complex and time-consuming mounting method. However, it will give the tweeters that factory look that has a far cleaner appearance than a surface mount.
Also, this method will likely require you to remove the door or sail panel to gain access to head unit wires. Removing panels will also make it easier to create the needed holes for your tweeters without damaging the vehicle’s interior.
Make sure you have a screwdriver on hand, as most panels are held in place by multiple screws.
Wiring the Tweeters to the Head Unit
Now, once you’ve decided on a mounting method, it’s time to wire the tweeters without crossover.
To do this, connect the tweeters directly to the vehicle’s head unit speakers.
On tweeters, the speaker wires should be color-coded. The positive wire usually is red, while the negative wire has a black stripe running down it. Take the positive and negative wires of the tweeters and connect them to the positive and negative terminals of the speakers.
Having polarities in the wrong order will result in a short circuit, so be sure to do this step properly!
Finally, you’ll want to test the tweeters, which means it’s time to turn the power back on. Reconnect the negative connector cable to the battery and try playing some music to gauge the sound of the tweeters.
If something sounds incorrect to you, turn the ignition off and disconnect the battery again before checking the wiring to see if anything looks wrong.
Enjoy that Sweet New Sound!
A lot goes into wiring tweeters without crossover, but these simple steps will have you listening to your new tweeters in no time.
You’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing you did the work yourself, making that fresh sound all the more satisfying!