Almera 1.4 Sport rear speakers

Peterbilt

Greetings all.
Anyone drive an Almera 1.4 Sport '99-'00? Have just bought a mint one with genuine 63K. Only fault is rear speakers dont work. Have been told that the head unit is only designed for the front speakers, which are working fine. There is only one plug attachment at head unit rear plus the radio antenna. It's an old style radio/cassette unit, but it does have a fader option to adjust front AND rear speakers, which leads me to believe that it should be able to reach the rear speakers too.

Anyone with an Almera 1.4 with same issue?

Oh and merry christmas!

Wheelnut

I had one of those Almeras and the rear speakers definitely worked. It's so long ago now that I can't offer any practical advice. I was going to suggest the fader but you seem to have thought of that already.

colm_mcm

What make is the headunit?

Think the original should be Phillips?

Is it saloon or hatch?

Peterbilt

You're bang on. It's a Philips ARC 399. It says 40Wx4 but only front speakers are getting anything, rears totally dead.

Peterbilt

Should have added that rear speakers are Clarion. A Philips head and Clarion speakers? Doesn't sound factory fit does it?

colm_mcm

Are the speakers on the parcel shelf?

I seem to remember micras and almeras of that era coming with pretty massive rear speakers as standard.

Peterbilt

Right again, big speakers part of parcel shelf. No loose connections. Clarion. Max 40W. Nom 20W. Could it be that original head unit was Clarion too and connections dont match Philips?

colm_mcm

Nope. Most Likely the clarions were factory fitted in Japan, and the Philips unit was fitted by the distributor in Europe.

There should be a multiplug coming from the parcel shelf, it unplugs if you heed to remove the shelf. is this plugged in?

Peterbilt

There is one cable going to each speaker. Unplugged each and reconnected them. Both tight. No sign of a multiplug. Will try taking off parcel shelf tomorrow. Thanks for your help so far.

colm_mcm

Isn't there 2 pairs of cables, can you post a pic of the cables and plugs, also the ones behind the headunit

Peterbilt

Sorry, yes two little wires inside single outer casing, looked like one cable at first glance, so four little wires in total, two to each speaker. Cant do pic cos dont have digital camera! Or camera phone! :eek: Can check what colour each little wire is if that's any good? Have tried to find wiring diagram of the Philips head unit but no joy.

ianobrien

Follow the speaker wiring from the parcel shelf to where it goes behind the boot trim. There should be a multiplug there. Make sure it's connected.

Peterbilt

Removed parcel shelf, no multi plug that I can see. Wires from speakers enter loom which disappears into actual body of car. No plug visible.

Just also noticed that little boot light not working either. Bulb fine. Could both probs be connected? Both seem to share same loom.

Peterbilt

Forget to ask could it be speakers themselves rather than connections?

Could connections at the speakers be tested with a circuit tester?

Wheelnut

I think what Colm and Ian are pointing out is that there must be a way to remove the parcel shelf completely from the car because it's a hatchback. The speakers are contained in the shelf so there must be a multiplug which allows a quick disconnection of the speaker wire from the car as shelf is removed (not the individual leads at each speaker). My Almera was a saloon so I can't be more specific.

Peterbilt

This Almera is a saloon, not hatch. I removed parcel shelf this morning. Parcel shelf only contains speaker covers. Speakers themselves are secured to steel structure which forms inner roof of the boot. Leads to speakers form a loom which divides into two wires to each speaker with single connection at each speaker. There is also a two wire feed from this loom to little boot light - light not working either and bulb ok. There is no multiplug visible anywhere in area of speakers/parcel shelf/boot roof in this car. Leads to speakers join to form sheathed loom which disappears into steel body of the car. Wish I had pics! It looks like it hasnt been touched since factory either, so dont think anyone was messing with it.

iamthemanwork

The ARC399 has iso connectors so the proper thing to do is try another radio and see if it will operate your rear speakers. Going from experience the 399 is a very reliable radio and I doubt very much that it is at fault.

colm_mcm

Peterbilt wrote: »

This Almera is a saloon, not hatch. I removed parcel shelf this morning. Parcel shelf only contains speaker covers. Speakers themselves are secured to steel structure which forms inner roof of the boot. Leads to speakers form a loom which divides into two wires to each speaker with single connection at each speaker. There is also a two wire feed from this loom to little boot light - light not working either and bulb ok. There is no multiplug visible anywhere in area of speakers/parcel shelf/boot roof in this car. Leads to speakers join to form sheathed loom which disappears into steel body of the car. Wish I had pics! It looks like it hasnt been touched since factory either, so dont think anyone was messing with it.

Sorry I assumed you had a hatch

Peterbilt

iamthemanwork wrote: »

The ARC399 has iso connectors so the proper thing to do is try another radio and see if it will operate your rear speakers. Going from experience the 399 is a very reliable radio and I doubt very much that it is at fault.

You're right, it's got the iso connections. I think the brown plug is supposed to handle the speakers, but could be wrong. It's either the connections, the speakers themselves or the head unit. The front panel has a broken retaining lug but cant see how that could have anything to do with it.
Buy the way I'm only over the road from you! There's supposed to be a chap over your direction who is very good with car audio systems but dont know his name.

Wheelnut

colm_mcm wrote: »

Sorry I assumed you had a hatch

Likewise. Colm did ask at post 3 which type it is but did not get an answer. Subsequent references to the parcel shelf and the multiplug also lead me to think it's a hatchback.

Peterbilt

Wheelnut wrote: »

Likewise. Colm did ask at post 3 which type it is but did not get an answer. Subsequent references to the parcel shelf and the multiplug also lead me to think it's a hatchback.

My error. Should have said. Sorry:o

Wheelnut

Peterbilt wrote: »

My error. Should have said. Sorry:o

No problem.

If that radio has press-buttons for adjusting the volume up and down, it's the same as my 00 car and is standard issue. The saloon was built in Japan (hatchback in England) and the radio reception bands are different there. I suspect the radios were swapped for Philips units when it was imported to Europe and the original Clarion speakers were left in place.

That model Almera saloon was the best-built car I ever owned and it will last you forever if you mind it. The radio is also pretty good. The fact that both rear speakers are out indicates to me that it is not a speaker fault because it is more likely that just one or the other would go. I think I would concentrate at the back of the radio and check the fader again.

Peterbilt

They have very good reputation right enough. The 1.5 that came afterwards not so much I believe. Something about input from Renault and timing chains that stretched.

Will have to bring to someone to sort the speakers. Dont have second head unit to test them with.