’94 Blazer Complete Audio System

I bought a '94 S-10 Blazer Tahoe LT 4x4 w/4 Doors. I am doing a complete audio system. The engine compartment and dash in this vehicle are incredibly tight. I knew it was going to be a challenge, but I feel as if I have lost Round One! Please help with any tips on your own installations.

Are most vehicles this tight to work with and install these days? My last installation I did was years ago, in a Honda CRX and it was very easy.

DECK:

I installed my head unit with a kit. It is a tight fit, because of the depth issue, but it is seamless. It was tricky getting it right, but it did work.


DASH SPEAKERS:

I installed Alpine 4x6's in the front dash. I first did the one on the passenger side. It fit perfect and I was very happy. When I attempted to install the same speaker on the drivers side it would not fit! There is a big plastic corner that comes out of the dash, preventing the large magnet on the speaker from going down.

I logically pulled out my file and started grinding it down. Eventually I could see a printed circuit board. I then decided that it was a good time to stop filing down the obtrusive plastic corner.

My solution will be to get 4x6 plate speakers with the 4-inch round woofer and 1-inch dome tweeter. This orientation should allow the woofer to slide by. Alternatively I could try a 4-inch round speaker, which would be nice, if I could get find 4-inch component speakers.

I want to run these speakers off of an amp, but I think it will turn into another nightmare. The dash is so incredibly tight! I have no idea how I am going to run the speaker wire up to the dash. I fear this day! I believe I will be tearing my entire dash apart.

AMP POWER:

My next step was trying to install an amplifier in the hatch. I was attempting to do it in steps.

My first step was to run power, but it was really tight. I started tearing out parts of dash, until I ran into a stripped screw that would not come out. I tried for a very long time. I ended up having to cut the trim of the piece I was removing and then cutting out a chunk of dash to remove the screw.

After wasting way too much time with that, I started looking for a place to run my (+) through the firewall. The only potential place I could find was a place on the drivers side, just to the right of the fuse panel. There is a single black cable going through it already.

I don't like this location too much. My battery is on the passenger side and I don't want to run cables across the engine compartment. I want to avoid running 'extra' cable under the hood, saving the wire to run to the amplifier itself.

Trying to find a suitable location to run the power through the firewall on the passenger side was a nightmare. There were no obvious locations. Drilling through the firewall from the passenger compartment, I have no idea where and what I would be drilling into.

Drilling from the engine side in... yeah right. I could hardly crawl under there, never mind see what is going on, or fitting a drill in there. I could try driving it up on ramps to get a better look, which is probably what I will attempt next.

After I get through this hurdle, I was going to run the power cable down the door trim. Hoping I can get it to run on the passenger side, where the battery is.


RCA's and SATELLITE RECEIVER CABLES:

I can tell that the next issue is going to be running the RCA and satellite recevier cables. Even though I had quite a bit of the dash ripped apart, I still could not see up into the stereo compartment. It may be quite obvious when I attempt to run the RCA's out from the deck, but any tips would be great.


REAR DOOR SPEAKERS:

I want to run these speakers off an amp as well. Preferably they will be component speakers. I will just follow the door trim, up the B Pillar, into the door conduit and to the speaker.

The tweeter will run up the B Pillar and reflect off the roof. Most likely it will be tilted back a little, so as not to scream in your ear and share it with the rear passengers.

The only problem I have thought of is that the power cable will be running down one of the sides. I don't want to run the speaker along-side the power, because of interference. I'll probably have to run the wire through the carpet and cross over the power cable.


CONCLUSION:

This is going to be a huge job! I had no idea that it was goingt o be such a big project. I have done other, older vehicles and they were much easier!

I will add information to this install as I tackle my problems, for others to follow. Thanks to anyone who helps me!

for the front speakers you can . if you want to run them off a amp .just use the wire that is there already. you can hook up speaker wires from your amp. behind the H/U to the wires that are already ran up the dash.to the speakers. hope this helps some.

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1974 ford pinto 4 15" punch Z power punch bd 1001 pioneer DEH-6700

Does this vehicle have front door speakers? If so buy components for the front and put the tweeter in the dash, mid in the door and crossover under the dash or front seats. Keep the rear speaker to a good coax type speaker. Absolutely no need for a component type speaker in the back unless the fronts are something uber nice.

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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.

OK i had a 95 s-10, and now own a 99 blazer. there was always ample room behind the deck to hook up all the connections. i would suggest get the adaptors so the stereo output goes straight to RCA for front and rear channels.   then run ALOT of wire back up to there from the amp in the trunk all on the driver side, it isss doable..

as for the power wires, there is a grommet in the passenger side behind the carpet of the passenger seat, peel it back a bit you will see... Stuffing a big gauge wire down the side is tricky, i cut out a lot of little channels in the plastic door clippy parts...

As for the dash speakers... Stuffing a 4x6 will be difficult, I did it on my S-10 with a infinity 4x6 panel which has the 4" driver, and the 1" tweeter. I found my blazer to have good enough sound with the door speakers all replaced I just left the stock 1" tweeters in the dash, they go along great with my infinity speakers in all the doors.

I would suggest hooking up the amp power into the head unit area, and not deal with splicing below the pillars, unless you feel the need for the headache, your choice.

I think you are making more work than necisary... If you tie into the speakers in the dash by the head unit, other than running direct to the speaker itself, you will be in pretty good shape.


I hope i helped you some, and i know you adressed alot, if you need any other suggestions just say so. and good luck

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99 Blazer LT.   Yellow Top. Big 3. Infinity Kappa Speakers All Around. Jensen CD/DVD flip out. 2 Infinity Kappa Perfect 12DVQs powered by a Alpine PDX600.1 (in one custom box, building a FG box)

If you do browntweeters idea disconnect the speakers from the factory amp you do not want that to fry might cause an electrical fire(If you have one, if not go right ahead with a harness). I would say though run new wires i donn't like touching factory wires if i can. Easier to take the system out after you sell the car. Get a snake for running wires, a cheap one is to go to home depot, buy some house zip types(The huge ones) cut of the end a viola (i cut the ends into triangles makes it manuver easier i think). Wth you need to take your dash to run power wire, the best place is go through the fire wall and just tube the power wire and aviod hot parts of the engine. Think simple. Don't take apart more then necessary.

The stock speakers for my the 94 S10 Blazer 4 door are 4x6 Dash and 6.5 in rear door.

The whole idea of using the component speakers in the rear was to use the tweeteron the B Pillar. I could go with the kicker panels and 5 1/4 in components in the front.

I have always considered kicker panels, but I have am concerned about the speaker positioning. Burying them down low under the dash. How is the sound quality?

I was thinking of maybe putting additional 5 1/4's in the front doors at a later time. Perhaps, 5 1/4's in the kickers, 4x6 Infinity Kappa's and 6 1/2's in the back doors would be the best.

Maybe I am being fussy, but I really don't want to use the factory wiring. We'll see how patient I am to do that.

The head unit is an Alpine with 3 RCA Outputs. I will be running all 3 RCA's to the hatch, even though I will only be using 2.

I am also running 4 gauge power to the hatch. I figure that should be enough power for any additional amps that I would hook up. I don't think I'll be running insane power. A system with 4 amped decent speakers and a sub or two is all I need. I like my systems to be balanced and not overpowered by huge amounts of bass.

Once my Satellite Receiver gets here, I'll have all of my wires to run, excpet for speakers. That will be a future project.

Thanks for everyones help. I will update as I figure this out. ANy more suggestions and tips are welcome.