Stock speakers and wiring

[Gauntlet 5,000+ posts]

I'm putting aftermarket speakers in my car, but the stock speakers/wires in my car do not have positive/negative labels, therefore I don't know which wire the wires from my aftermarket speaker should hook up to. I've tried using a process of elimination, but for some reason neither sounds right. I know it's just my ears playing tricks on me because I don't know if either one is correct for sure. Now I know there is a way to hook the wires up to a 9 volt battery or something to determine if its positive or negative, but I dont know how. Anyone know the process?

Thanks

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[Mr. Loki 5,000+ posts]

Your factory speakers terminals should have been labeled with a - or a + therefor you would know which wire goes to which terminal.........

 

[Gauntlet 5,000+ posts]

Your factory speakers terminals should have been labeled with a - or a + therefor you would know which wire goes to which terminal.........

No they do not. If they did, I wouldnt have this problem and wouldnt have made the post.

 

[Mr. Loki 5,000+ posts]

Ok try this little simple idea your right terminal when the grill is facing away from you should be your - and the other will be the +

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

Although there's no gurantee of a standard, you can at least assume the factory wiring is consistent. So...

If one terminal was bigger than the other, use the bigger one for the positive. If the terminals were all the same, then if one wire has a stripe, use it for the positive.

Otherwise you need to get an electrical schematic for your car or ask the dealer or some forum specific to your car. If it's an Oldsmobile, I could tell you..

 

[Gauntlet 5,000+ posts]

Otherwise you need to get an electrical schematic for your car or ask the dealer or some forum specific to your car. If it's an Oldsmobile, I could tell you..

It is an oldsmobile, 89 Cutlass Ciera SL. The right speakers have a dark green and light green wire, and the left speakers have a yellow and gray wire. No stripes on any of them

Thanks

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

you might check caraudioresources.com they generally have good info on sterio wiring...good luck

 

[Steven 10+ year member]

Connect a 9-volt to the factory speaker.

If the cone pushes forward the post connected to the + of the battery is the +

Line up the original connector with the speaker. Now the wire that comes out where the positive connector would go in is the + wire

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

Originally posted by Gauntlet It is an oldsmobile, 89 Cutlass Ciera SL. The right speakers have a dark green and light green wire, and the left speakers have a yellow and gray wire. No stripes on any of them

 

Thanks

I will have the answer for you by tomorrow. I have a wiring diagram for the Olds.

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

The positive terminals are larger than the neg on all speakers. If you snipped 'em off before writing down which is which... shame on you. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

Front Left

gry +

tan -

Front Right

dark grn +

light grn -

Rear Left

yel +

brn -

Rear Right

light blu +

dark blu -

 

[Gauntlet 5,000+ posts]

Front Left gry +

tan -

Front Right

dark grn +

light grn -

Rear Left

yel +

brn -

Rear Right

light blu +

dark blu -

check out http://www.installdr.com/Harnesses/GM-Wiring.pdf

You were completely wrong on all of them.

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

I used the Olds factory service manual schematic for 1985. They show speaker terminals as A & B, not +/- . Silly me, assumed A to be the plus side and B minus

Since they were ALL reversed though, it would've worked fine.

 

[Gauntlet 5,000+ posts]

Touche. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[rco8786 10+ year member]

I've found that a lot of stock speaker wires are one color, and one wire will have a line of some other color on it..this is the negative. this is only my experience and im sure there are cars out there that dont follow this but it's worth a try

 

[marcopolo 10+ year member]

The easiest way to determine + and - on your stock wires is to connect some voltmeter to it. Then run sum tunes and connect the voltmeter to the wires. You'r display should show either +xx.xx Volts or -xx.xx Volts. Then just remember which color of the wire of the voltmeter (usualy there are black and red) was connecter to which wire of the stock wires and decide, say when I read + on the voltmeter, the stock wire that is connected to the red wire of the voltmeter goes to speakers +, and then do the same for all the speakers. This is how you're gonna have the phases on all the speakers the same.

I can't remember which color (black or red) is + or -, but you can always test it on a battery to see which color you put on + and - to get positive (or negative) readings on your voltmeter.

You should be fine with that.

Hope it help, bye!