Mazda Rotary Club

General => General Technical => I. C. E. & Electrical => Topic started by: Nik da Greek on March 12, 2010, 11:49:27 AM

Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Nik da Greek on March 12, 2010, 11:49:27 AM
OK, roll up and have a bloody good laugh at my expense :D

I\'m replacing my rear speakers on the FD cos they\'ve basically disintergrated. The question is this; does it matter which wire goes to which terminal? The stock ones seem the same, but the new speakers have a little electronic gubbins for the tweeter coming off what I assume is the live terminal, so I assume it matters? So, which is which? There\'s a blue/white and a white/blue :confused:.....


...and yes, I know the stock wiring is hardly fit to power a doorbell but I really CBA with dismantling the entire car to try and replace it at this point, besides which I don\'t have the keys to get the damn headunit out anyway :mad:

Help! Fed up with more listening to more rattle than music :(
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: probedb on March 12, 2010, 01:10:10 PM
I think it means the speakers will be out of phase. So the woofer is being pushed rather than pulled etc. I\'m sure someone will correct me if I\'m wrong :)
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Nik da Greek on March 12, 2010, 01:32:22 PM
Yeah, thanks Paul. I managed to blag a multimeter thing off someone and the wires are both doing the same thing, around 4.5v. I believe the blue/green is generally earth , so I\'ll work on that premise and see what happens I think. Just didn\'t wanna blow anything up hahaha :D.


Damn but it\'s long past time the old ones were replaced though, there\'s absolutely nothing left of the mebrane joining the cone to the cage, no wonder they were flapping around like a prlck in a shirtsleeve :eek:
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Jono FD3 on March 12, 2010, 02:01:45 PM
LOL..... yea, if you connect them up wrong they will be working backwards as stated above "Out of Phase" multy meter won\'t do it my good man as they both run power to create the push pull affect on the electromagnet (voice coil) which gives you your sound ;)

Best thing to do is look at an FD manual and that should tell you which is positive out of the stock stereo, then just trace it back from there. The other way is to see if they run a common erth for the rear speakers. if they do you will have one wire the same colour on both sides, then the remaining 2 will be different colours.... hay presto you have found your + :)

jono
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: theduck on March 12, 2010, 02:55:54 PM
Out of phase refers to the individual speakers being wired differently. If they are wired the same it is fine.
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Nik da Greek on March 12, 2010, 03:21:01 PM
Cheers guys. Believe it or not, I\'m not an utter spazz... I understand the concept of speakers being in phase or not, I have owned a stereo in the house for a few years now and managed to wire the speakers up OK hahaha.

I was more concerned about whether wiring them up the wrong way round would damage the little resistor and gubbins wired onto the new set-up, but since I managed to find a wiring diagram it\'s all cool anyway, I\'ve got which wire is earth and which is live now anyway. For anyone who cares, it\'s blue/yellow for both sides is the earth (although mine are so old and manky the yellow looks green)
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Jono FD3 on March 12, 2010, 04:38:38 PM
Common earth on each side then ;)
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Nik da Greek on March 12, 2010, 06:13:39 PM
Nahh, they\'re different blue/yellows, believe it or not :HammerI think one\'s yellow/blue, if that makes sense :confused:. All sorted now anywya, is all good! Can\'t believe what a difference, but when you see the state of the grotty awful ones that came out its no great surprise. I think they previously saw service on the Titanic or something :eek:

(http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv43/Nik_da_Greek/RX-7%20Version%203%20%20Evoluzione/DSCF6160.jpg)

(http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv43/Nik_da_Greek/RX-7%20Version%203%20%20Evoluzione/DSCF6161.jpg)
Obviously there\'s meant to be a rubbery sorta flange joining the cone to the cage, it just rotted away and crumbled to dust and smeg when I touched it (where there was any left at all!)

The new ones are just a gnats better :chat

(http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv43/Nik_da_Greek/RX-7%20Version%203%20%20Evoluzione/DSCF6155.jpg)

(http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv43/Nik_da_Greek/RX-7%20Version%203%20%20Evoluzione/DSCF6170.jpg)

Only drawback is now they\'re showing up just how pony and atrocious the fronts are, gonna have to be hitting the ol Bay of E for some 13cm fronts now, methinks :Laugh
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: m1tch on March 12, 2010, 06:37:16 PM
Your OEM speakers not clarion carbon fibre then? wonder why they downgraded the speakers for the FD?
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Nik da Greek on March 12, 2010, 07:12:30 PM
No makers ID on them that I can see, Mitch. They appear to be made out of cheese and recycled wasps nest, certainly nothing as durable as CF :rollin
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Jono FD3 on March 12, 2010, 09:00:23 PM
LOL, they resemble mine when I took them out last year!! Bizzar how they can fall apart so much when sun light doesn\'t even get to them!!
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: theduck on March 12, 2010, 09:08:57 PM
Sorry, was typing on my phone earlier otherwise would have given an mroe in depth response.

As I said earlier as long as positive and negative are connected the same way round on each speaker it doesnt really matter which way round they are.  As the current is AC not DC it wouldnt damage the crossover (the little resistor etc) as connected either way round, current will still pass in both directions through the circuit.
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: m1tch on March 12, 2010, 10:19:42 PM
Quote from: Nik da Greek;678648No makers ID on them that I can see, Mitch. They appear to be made out of cheese and recycled wasps nest, certainly nothing as durable as CF :rollin

Its ok, my MX5 speakers are made of cardboard lol

here are the OEM FC3S speakers in mine:

(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l49/m1tch_2006/DSC00500.jpg)
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l49/m1tch_2006/DSC00499.jpg)
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Ada7 on March 12, 2010, 10:49:14 PM
I\'ve got a manuel you could of borrowed :p
Will come help me with mine now you\'ve mastered this skill? :D

Adam
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Nik da Greek on March 12, 2010, 10:51:16 PM
Quote from: Ada7;678693I\'ve got a manuel you could of borrowed :p
Will come help me with mine now you\'ve mastered this skill? :D

Adam

Err, yeah, think I know where you came by the manual, too :Giggle It would be a pleasure to assist you, old chap :yes. You can do the unclipping the sidepanels bit though, that way I can\'t get blamed when half the little clips get lost or broken like mine did :mad:
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Ada7 on March 12, 2010, 11:17:35 PM
Most of the clips or probably lost anyway hence why the panels are all falling off. Being cut up doesnt help either :o

Adam
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: trotter on March 13, 2010, 12:30:31 AM
Does anyone else think that the "Premium" in "Premium Sound System" does, in fact, mean "sh!t" ?? :o
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Jono FD3 on March 13, 2010, 08:57:35 AM
no need to take the pannels off to change the speakers guys... if you just pop the speaker covers off you can access all the screws that hold them in place on the cage ;) did mine in about 30 mins! one screw is a sod to get to, but not impossible!

Jono
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Nik da Greek on March 13, 2010, 12:37:36 PM
Quote from: Jono FD3;678719no need to take the pannels off to change the speakers guys... if you just pop the speaker covers off you can access all the screws that hold them in place on the cage ;) did mine in about 30 mins! one screw is a sod to get to, but not impossible!

Jono

How do you get to the wiring block connector and the cable clip that holds the wires to the speaker bracket through the grille hole :3Confused? There was nowhere near enough slack in the wires to do it on mine...don\'t believe that\'s possible, tbh, and even if it is, it\'d take so much faffing around I think it\'d be easier and quicker to just take the panel off. Plus, now I\'ve been able to tape up all the clips so they will stay in place the next time I  have to take the panel off :yes
Title: Really stupid speaker wiring question....
Post by: Jono FD3 on March 17, 2010, 05:47:21 AM
LOL... don\'t remember, but I know I didn\'t take the panel off ;) LOL
Think I just took the speaker out of the cage? but it is possible