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Date:         Wed, 25 Oct 2006 08:40:35 -0700
Reply-To:     Jesse Reynolds <jesse@REYNOLDS.NAME>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jesse Reynolds <jesse@REYNOLDS.NAME>
Subject:      Re: stereo speaker wire colors?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Thanks for the help... I was able to do some further investigating

tonight and have it largely figured out. The large black cable with all the wires in it goes to the right and connects to what appears to be an amplifier under the passenger side dash. Its a metal box with heat sinks, powered by a hot and a ground. The cable connects via a strange plug, sort of like an S-video plug. The box's output is to four pairs of speaker wire. Each pair of wires is initially brown, and brown with a red stripe. Soon each pair connects to other colors.

I assumed that the read stripes mean positive. But, my understanding of audio electronics is that if the polarity of all the speakers is switched, the sound is the same. So, with that assumption, for the record and archives, my colors are:

Front right: Red + / Brown - Front left: Blue + / Brown -

Rear right: Red + / Grey - Rear left: Blue + / Grey -

Now, my problem is that it appears the rear left speaker has been disconnected, and I can't find the wires. But that is a different story...

Thanks again, - Jesse

On Oct 24, 2006, at 11:15 AM, Jesse Reynolds wrote:

> Hi folks, > > I am new to the list, and new to the water-cooled VW vans. (I owned a 76 > for years.) I recently got an 1986 Westy, and I am upgrading the > stereo. I can't figure out the speaker wiring, partially because I am > not 100% sure that all the speakers work. > > Does anyone have knowledge of the speaker wire colors? The speakers > don't seem to be on the Bentley book's wiring diagram. I do know that on > most 80's vans, the rear speakers shared a common negative, and that > needs to be re-wired for most after market stereos. > > A cable wrapped in black comes off the original stereo. Inside it is a > twist of copper strands, a red wire, a brown wire, and two cables with > still more wires inside: there is a gray cable with a twist of aluminum > strands, a blue wire, and a green wire, and there is a white cable with > a twist of aluminum strands, a white wire, and a yellow wire. > > What stumps me is this: 4 speakers = 8 wires. If the rear uses a common > ground, that is 7 wires. But there are 6 wires not including the loose > strands, and 9 if they are included. > > Any help is appreciated - thanks in advance! > > - Jesse


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