Go Back   986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners > Porsche Boxster & Cayman Forums > Boxster General Discussions

Post Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 05-08-2018, 08:59 AM   #1
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 163
Can someone answer what I hope is a simple car stereo wiring question for me?

My car is a 02 Boxster S. It was originally equipped with a Bose stereo system. The previous owner replaced everything with aftermarket. He decided before selling the car that he'd rather remove everything from the car and sell it all separately, and did what I will generously call a fairly inelegant removal.

It was a fairly complicated system - a four channel for (I am guessing) driving both the separates and the sub box (??). There are Focal subs in the old Bose sub box, a double din head unit, JL Audio two way speakers with crossover, etc. What I have here now is lots of wires not connected to much of anything. I'm trying to track down what wires are connected to what speakers, as none of the wires are in the frunk are connected to anything.

Using a 9v battery, I have been able to determine this. The two way system is a JL Audio 6" woofer (maybe 5 1/2" ?) with tweeter and crossovers mounted in the frunk. I've been able to determine that he has the tweeters from the system in the dash top grille, and the main speakers of the JL Audio separates in the doors.

I have removed one of the dash speaker grilles previously, and had seen the tweeters and also the original "main" Bose supplied speaker that were in the grill still intact. Does anyone know what colors the speaker wires are that lead to the original dash speakers? Believe it or not I think he was driving those main Bose dash speakers from the amp in the head unit, while driving the JL Audio tweeters mounted in the same grill from the 4 channel amp through the crossover on the same channel as the door mounted JL Audio main speakers - very strange, but I can use some help trying to determine that. If I can find the original colors than that would help me track down what in the world he was doing.

Lastly, in the frunk again on the drivers side he has two twisted/braided wires connected to speaker wires that used to go to the 4 channel amp. One set of wires is a brown with white stripe braided in a pairing with a white. The other is a mostly white with a brown stripe, braided in a pairing with another white. Strangely enough, he has these the two solid whites spliced together to an extended piece of wire and heading to where the 4 channel amp was mounted, and the BR/WH and WH/BR wires spliced together and extended to the 4 channel amp area as well. Can anyone tell me what these wires were originally for and if anyone can guess what the heck he was doing? Did these wires originally head to the rear Bose sub box? The box is out of the car now, and there is no wire whatsoever back there now to see what it was connected to. This guy just sloppily tore everything out.

In the end I suspect there's a good chance I'll end up taking all this wiring out and starting over, but I'd sure like to know what I'm working with before I start. It's hard to know where you're going if you don't know where you're at. At this point I see little use in using any of the factory wiring at all, but you never know. It'll sure make it easier if I can use some of whatever is there, assuming I can figure out exactly what IS there.

Thanks.


Last edited by Doug427; 05-08-2018 at 09:04 AM.
Doug427 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2018, 09:22 AM   #2
Registered User
 
Cunningr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Spain
Posts: 985
WoW! Sounds like a mess. I just did an upgrade without cutting any wires, so this is an example of why i went slow made speacial adaptors.

I havent seen a bose set up, but in the m490 there was a large black connector, on amp that was speaker output plus power. The twisted pairs were to the speakers. I am on my way out but i will do some research see if i cant help you. You might be better to start fresh or do you have the equipment previous owner removed?
__________________
2000 Boxster S Ocean Blue Metalic
Cunningr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2018, 09:26 AM   #3
Registered User
 
Cunningr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Spain
Posts: 985
Did a quick google search see if this diagram helps you at all.

https://www.google.com/search?q=986+bose+speaker+wire+code&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=isvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiwlo7c0PbaAhVjleAKHWXzBtcQ_AUIESgB&biw=768&bih=913#imgrc=84WjYX-vVqd47M:
__________________
2000 Boxster S Ocean Blue Metalic
Cunningr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2018, 01:44 PM   #4
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 163
Looks like it's for the sub box somehow. Thanks for that! I'm thinking that at least for the sub box I'll just run new wires. No idea at all what the guy was trying to do in there.
Doug427 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2018, 08:40 PM   #5
Registered User
 
Cunningr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Spain
Posts: 985
Probably upgraded the focal subs and was running off aftermarket amp in the frunk. I beleive the bose sub has a builtin amp possibly.
__________________
2000 Boxster S Ocean Blue Metalic
Cunningr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 02:22 AM   #6
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 59
Just installed a double DIN or what ever they are called today. Includes GPS navigation. I have all the wiring diagrams and after a lot of shagging around I binned the frunk amp and ran wires from the head unit straight to the dash and door speakers.

Remove the dash speakers, cut the wires near the connector, soldered on new wires and ran them back to the amp. Easy to run the wires under that dash.

Both door speaker wires are easily found by removing floor wells carpeting on the sides. Near the big loom coming for the door connector, look for a pair of larger wires. These are the speaker wires. Cut and spliced them and ran new ones back to the amp.

Use a meter with the old big connector to the old head to find power and aux wires. Spliced them into the new amp.

All fine now.

I cannot believe the number if redundant wires and fuses the 986 has. There must be 40kg of copper in each car. Totally ridiculous.

marsheng is offline   Reply With Quote
Post Reply



Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -8. The time now is 11:42 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page