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Date:         Thu, 4 Jan 2001 18:46:46 -0500
Reply-To:     homee <homee@NETPATH.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         homee <homee@NETPATH.NET>
Subject:      Re: Speaker Ground (was Re: Aiwa CD stereo option)
Comments: To: Houston <dubwisened@YAHOO.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I learned this trick some many years ago when a local "Audio Car Shop" installed a new radio and speakers. After warming up the rear speakers sounded terrible, like they were blown. This was on a 1986 Vanagon, ran a separate ground wire and presto, no more problem. I also replaced the antenna with a power model from Auto Zone or Advance Auto (not sure which) now the antenna powers up when the radio is turned on, great for quickie car washes. This was about 8 years ago not a single problem since. And yes it mounts flush to the body, and retracts fully flush.

SR 86 Vanagon (sick, but Dr. Lilley is treating) 82 Diesel Truck 80 Rabbit Convertible 88 Vanagon (donor)

Houston wrote:

> Thanks Sam, that is interesting. So I can just snip > the ground wire running between the rear speakers? I > had a new blaupunkt deck and front speakers put in a > couple of years ago when I bought my van, but didn't > want to pay the installer his hourly rate to install > rear speakers or rewire the old ones (the deck install > was free), since he couldn't estimate how long it > would take and admitted he hated working on > volkswagons. I've been planning to have somebody who > does like volkswagons do it, but if it's just a matter > of snipping the ground wire and connecting the speaker > leads to the deck, I'm all over it. > > Am I missing something? > > Houston > > --- Sam Walters <slwalters@earthlink.net> wrote: > > Houston, > > > > Don't know the change year but do know that the 84's > > have the common > > ground for the rear speakers. Do your speakers hang > > from the ceiling? > > Remove them (from wherever they are located) and you > > can see the + and > > - wires that go back and forth to the radio/CD/tape > > deck for each > > speaker, as well as the third wire that travels > > between them - the > > common ground. Also when "in" the dash, you can see > > + and - wires > > leaving the deck going out for all four speakers. > > > > When I put a new radio CD player in my '84 recently, > > I just left those > > speakers hanging and put in new ones that would > > handle the power of the > > new deck and all the wiring was the + and - out and > > back to each of > > the speakers. Temporarily just put the new rears > > 6x9 in free standing > > speaker enclosures that I have under the middle seat > > with new wiring > > running from the dash under the carpets and out > > under the middle seat. > > (Also mounted new 4" ones in the same holes in the > > front > > doors.) Rears handle 100w per channel and fronts > > 80w. FWIW Circuit > > City > > said that no decks are now made that handle the > > common ground wiring > > system. At least they don't sell any, but they do > > handle all of the > > major brands. > > > > The new setup has no ground wires at all connected > > to speakers. Guess > > the grounding is accomplished from the ground wire > > of the deck. So my > > question is - if you simply disconnect, or cut, the > > common ground wire > > running between those two VW speakers, can you then > > use them with a low > > powered deck. This is what seems to be implied in > > the instructions that > > came with the JVC deck I bought. It had a diagram > > of a generic common > > ground system that seems to mirror what I say when > > digging around in the > > van. But the deck I had bought was 4 x 45 watts and > > it made the question > > one that I did not need to answer. The new > > speakers, relatively modest > > priced Kenwood 2-ways were indistinguishable from > > all but much more > > pricey speakers when in the Circuit City showroom > > and sound great in > > the van. Such an incredible improvement! > > > > If you want I could try to find the diagram from the > > JVC instructions > > and scan it into a .jpeg for email. I have bought > > another van and may > > soon try to find out the answers to this question. > > I do not see any > > common ground wires when I detach the rear speakers > > in the 89 Syncro. > > > > I am no electronics wizard so if there are some > > errors or oversights > > here, sound off. (Pun was inadvertent, but > > recognized and left in.) > > > > Sam Walters > > > > 84 Vanagon - original owner 174k, may try a 15W per > > channel deck with > > the original speakers or the ones from the 87 or 89 > > (haven't > > looked at the 87 wiring configuration yet) > > 89 Syncro GL weekender - soon to get Wolfsburg/Carat > > style weekender > > interior from an 87 Wolfsburg and the better music > > deck from > > the 84 and probably the new speakers mounted in > > door and under > > rear seat. > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online! > http://photos.yahoo.com/


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