HI Guys,
I hope someone can help. Is there a way to tell which speaker wires from a stereo are positve and which are negative. The speakers are fine, I know how to tell which is which on them but the wires from the headunit are not labelled. Anyone?
Replies (4)
Swez on 10/8/2003 09:18:58
The easiest way I have found, pull one of the speakers that is easy to get to and look at the speaker for a polarity ID (+) marked on the terminal. Then match the wiring scheme of that speaker back to the HU. Usually, the rear deck speakers are the easiest to get to.
Most speaker wiring is coded with a solid color, coupled with a solid with stripe. Each speaker loaction will have a different color scheme, but the same coding. Just have to figure out which is which on one and the rest follows suit.
Your other option, is to pull the HU and look at the back metal stampings on the speaker harness connection and see how these are marked. The HU in my GM vehicles have these stampings and just log the wire colors that are noted on the HU.
The last option I can suggest, pull one speaker from the housing, get a 9 volt battery and some wire with clips, then touch the speaker terminals with the battery probe wires. When the + wire off the battery is connected to the Pos on speaker, the cone will push out. Then mark that lead in red marker and reinstall. The wire that fits to that lug, is the positive wire off the HU.
Good luck,
Swez
admin on 10/8/2003 20:21:49
calaist :
accusedmonk on 10/9/2003 21:04:13
This also works, if you have a voltmeter, pull it out and measure it that way, be sure you have it set to measure AC voltage, set it to about 20 volts so you don't blow the fuse in the meter. If you touch the positive probe (usually red) from the meter to the positive speaker wire, and the ground (usually black) to the ground speaker wire, the meter should have a positive reading. If not the speaker wires are the other way around.
Kind of a crappy explanation of how to do this, but it's much easier doing this then ripping apart the car. Someone else might be able to word it better, Just thought I'd tell you you could use a voltmeter and be for sure which is which.
Swez on 10/10/2003 08:30:24
Not exactly there Monk... AC signals have alternating voltage swings. AC meters only measures the amount of voltage present and not the polarity.
The only measuring device that would give you any clue to polarity swings of and AC signal is an Oscilloscope. Even that tool would not give a useful reading other than amplitude and frequency of the incoming signals.
If you wish to test your AC meter VS polarity theory, set your meter to 150 volts and measure the voltage coming out of a common wall socket in your home. Try switching leads as you test and you will note no difference in meter readings... it will still be ~117 volts (RMS) AC, no matter which way the leads are inserted to the wall plug.
Swez more COFFEE please
I hope someone can help. Is there a way to tell which speaker wires from a stereo are positve and which are negative. The speakers are fine, I know how to tell which is which on them but the wires from the headunit are not labelled. Anyone?
Replies (4)
Swez on 10/8/2003 09:18:58
The easiest way I have found, pull one of the speakers that is easy to get to and look at the speaker for a polarity ID (+) marked on the terminal. Then match the wiring scheme of that speaker back to the HU. Usually, the rear deck speakers are the easiest to get to.
Most speaker wiring is coded with a solid color, coupled with a solid with stripe. Each speaker loaction will have a different color scheme, but the same coding. Just have to figure out which is which on one and the rest follows suit.
Your other option, is to pull the HU and look at the back metal stampings on the speaker harness connection and see how these are marked. The HU in my GM vehicles have these stampings and just log the wire colors that are noted on the HU.
The last option I can suggest, pull one speaker from the housing, get a 9 volt battery and some wire with clips, then touch the speaker terminals with the battery probe wires. When the + wire off the battery is connected to the Pos on speaker, the cone will push out. Then mark that lead in red marker and reinstall. The wire that fits to that lug, is the positive wire off the HU.
Good luck,
Swez
admin on 10/8/2003 20:21:49
calaist :
- I take it you have a radio that you want to install in your car that currently doesn't have a radio?
accusedmonk on 10/9/2003 21:04:13
This also works, if you have a voltmeter, pull it out and measure it that way, be sure you have it set to measure AC voltage, set it to about 20 volts so you don't blow the fuse in the meter. If you touch the positive probe (usually red) from the meter to the positive speaker wire, and the ground (usually black) to the ground speaker wire, the meter should have a positive reading. If not the speaker wires are the other way around.
Kind of a crappy explanation of how to do this, but it's much easier doing this then ripping apart the car. Someone else might be able to word it better, Just thought I'd tell you you could use a voltmeter and be for sure which is which.
Swez on 10/10/2003 08:30:24
Not exactly there Monk... AC signals have alternating voltage swings. AC meters only measures the amount of voltage present and not the polarity.
The only measuring device that would give you any clue to polarity swings of and AC signal is an Oscilloscope. Even that tool would not give a useful reading other than amplitude and frequency of the incoming signals.
If you wish to test your AC meter VS polarity theory, set your meter to 150 volts and measure the voltage coming out of a common wall socket in your home. Try switching leads as you test and you will note no difference in meter readings... it will still be ~117 volts (RMS) AC, no matter which way the leads are inserted to the wall plug.
Swez more COFFEE please
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