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Thank you
for purchasing a JBL
Decade™ Series multielement speaker
system. We’ve organized this manual to
make your installation as simple and
trouble-free as possible. Please read it
thoroughly before proceeding.
Remember to keep your sales receipt
with this manual in a safe place so both
are available for future reference.
Important
Installation of automotive stereo compo-
nents can require extensive experience
with a variety of mechanical and electri-
cal procedures. Although these instruc-
tions explain how to install a JBL
Decade Series multielement speaker
system in a general sense, they do not
show the exact installation methods for
your particular vehicle. In many cases,
removing door or rear-deck panels
is necessary to gain access to the
mounting location. This procedure may
require specialized tools and a skilled
installer. If you do not feel you have the
tools or experience necessary, do not
attempt the installation yourself, but
instead ask your authorized JBL dealer
about professional installation options.
Warning
Playing loud music in an automobile
can permanently damage your hearing,
as well as hinder your ability to hear
traffic. The maximum volume levels
achievable with JBL speakers, combined
with high power amplification, may
exceed safe levels for extended listen-
ing. We recommend using low volume
levels when in your car. JBL accepts no
liability for hearing loss, bodily injury or
property damage as a result of use or
misuse of this product.
Installation Warnings and Tips
• Always wear protective eyewear when
using any tools.
• Turn off all audio systems and other
electrical devices before you start.
Disconnect the negative (–) lead from
your vehicle’s battery.
• Keep speakers in their package until
final installation. When moving a
speaker, always rest it with the cone or
dome facing up. Never use force to
install any speaker.
• Check clearances on both sides of a
planned mounting surface before
drilling any holes or installing any
screws. Remember that the screws can
extend behind the surface.
• At the installation sites, locate and
make a note of all fuel lines, hydraulic
brake lines, vacuum lines and electrical
wiring. Use extreme caution when cut-
ting or drilling in and around these
areas.
Caution: In some cars, fuel tanks may be
located directly beneath the rear deck.
Check for adequate speaker-basket clear-
ance before considering this location!
• Before drilling or cutting holes, use a
utility knife to remove unwanted fabric
or vinyl in order to keep material from
snagging in a drill bit or saw.
• For door installations, check the clear-
ance with the windows throughout the
range of the window’s travel, and verify
that a mounted speaker will not inter-
fere with the window crank or power-
window mechanism.
• If mounting speakers elsewhere, check
for clearance around rear-deck torsion
bars, glove box or other structural
elements.
• Do not mount speakers where they will
get wet.
Grille
Screen
Trim Ring
Car Door
Installation
Note: The DS35, DS645 and DS75 speak-
ers are designed for direct replacement
of factory speakers. Therefore, they do
not contain the grilles and trim ring
shown in Fig 1. Installation of these mod-
els simply entails reversing the steps
taken to remove the original speakers.
Figure 1
Typical installation of the DS45, DS55,
DS65, DS965.
DS35,45,55,65,755,965 OM 4/1/99 9:30 AM Page 2
