The 1998 Volkswagen Passat relied on an eight-speaker audio system mated to a combination AM-FM radio and cassette player. Pairs of domed speakers mounted behind both front door rearview mirrors and inset into the rear door panels provided high-range audio response, while a woofer-type was fitted to the bottom of each door to fill in the mid-range and bass responses. The front woofer speakers are riveted into place and can be accessed by removing the front door panel. The tweeters, however, are permanently affixed to their triangular trim panels, making it necessary to replace the entire panel should a tweeter fail.
Park the Passat on a level work area. Set the parking brake and turn off of the ignition switch.
Open the door completely.
Slip a narrow flat-blade screwdriver into the gap between the driver side power window switch panel assembly, located on the armrest, and the panel grip. Lift the screwdriver up to pry the grip off of the switch panel. Place your fingers against the rear of the switch panel, then push the panel toward the outer edge of the door until it can be removed from the armrest. Unplug the wiring harness from the bottom of the switch panel. Remove three screws from the inside of the armrest switch panel recess, using a Phillips screwdriver. This step applies only to the driver's side door.
Place a small plastic spreader against the base of the passenger door pull handle cover. Pry the handle cover off of the door panel, using the flat-head screwdriver. Unscrew the bolts from the top and bottom of the handle pull, using a Torx driver. This step applies only to the passenger side door.
Remove two bolts from the bottom of the door panel, using a nut driver. Pry the clips along both sides of the door panel out of the door frame, using trim pliers. Lift the door panel up and out of the window channel.
Pull the hooked cable off of the door latch on the rear of the door panel. Unplug the wiring harness from the back of the power door lock switch. This step applies only to the passenger side door.
Push upward on the triangular trim panel behind the driver side rearview mirror to disengage its mounting hooks. Pull the trim panel away and unplug the tweeter speaker's wiring harness. Skip this step, if you are not replacing the tweeter.
Unplug the woofer speaker's wiring harness. Drill out the rivets attaching the woofer speaker to the door frame, using an electric drill. Pull the speaker away from the door frame.
Hold the new woofer speaker against the door frame and align the speaker mounting holes. Select four suitably-sized rivets, then rivet the speaker in place, using a rivet gun. Connect the speaker to the wiring harness.
Hold the triangular trim panel near the door and plug in the tweeter wiring harness. Align the hooks on the back of the trim panel with the slots cut into the door frame behind the rearview mirror. Push the trim panel down until it snaps into place.
Hold the passenger side door panel against the door frame. Hook the door latch cable over the door latch on the rear of the panel. Plug in the power door lock switch wiring harness. This step applies only to the passenger side door.
Hook the top of the door panel over the window channel at the top of the door frame. Align the panel's mounting clips with the recesses along the sides of the door, then push the clips firmly into place by hand. Screw both bolts into the bottom of the door panel and tighten until snug, using a nut driver.
Plug the power window switch panel into the wiring harness. Lower the front of the switch panel into the armrest recess, then push the panel forward and down until it locks into place. Hold the panel grip at a 45-degree angle above its mounting point on the power window switch panel. Push the grip onto the switch panel while rotating it downward until it snaps into place. This step applies only to the driver's side door.
Screw two bolts into the passenger side door handle pull, using a Torx driver. Push the handle cover over the handle pull until it snaps into place.
Close the door.
