Testing a speaker wire?

[K85 Octane]

Dammit all. I gone and ripped my speakers out trying to finish something else and forgot to look at which wire was positive/ negative. How can I check before putting everything back together? Also, I'm not sure if I'll be able to turn the radio on

Thanks

 

[454Sub]

Is it a stock radio or aftermarket? And why can you not turn it on? Are you afraid it will blow the speakers?

Constant 12V+Orange
Switched 12V+ Yellow
Ground Black
Illumination Gray
Dimmer Brown

Antenna Right Front

Front Speakers 3 1/2" Dash

Left Front (+) Tan
Left Front (-) Gray
Right Front (+) Light Green
Right Front (-) Dark Green


Rear Speakers 4" x 10" Rear Sides

Left Rear (+) Brown
Left Rear (-) Yellow
Right Rear (+) Dark Blue
Right Rear (-) Light Blu

 

[454Sub]

Hope that helps.

BTW, if aftermarket, the either Solid Blue or Blue with White stripe is a remote turn on/antenna raiserupper wire.

 

[rampage]

Speakers don't have a real ground, the wires just go to a coil of wire that wraps around a magnet (well, very close to the magnet but not touching it so it's able to move). The only reason they have positive and negative markings on the speaker is so that all the speaker cones move in the same direction. Otherwise if you had some cones moving in while others were moving out then they'd be out of phase and sound kinda funny, i.e. some of the sound waves would get cancelled out.

You can use an ohm meter to check which two wires on either speaker have 0 ohms. Just connect one probe from the meter on one of the left speaker wires and the other probe to one of the right speaker wires until you find two wires that read 0 ohms. That would determine the 'negative' or common wire. Or the 'negative' wire will have a black stripe or some other identifying mark to let you know they are the same.

 

[K85 Octane]

This is aftermarket with different wires installed. I normally make the wires with tracers my positives, the solid being my negative. I just can't remember if that's in fact what I did this time. I can always take the radio out but that's a pain.

Thanks for reminding me about the phases. I'll just make sure to wire all 4 speakers the same.

 

[chevydan3]

Most meters will tell you if it is 12v or -12v. If it reads negative, switch the leads on the meter and it will read positive. Red for posi lead and black for negative.

 

[454Sub]

Them colors I posted are factory colors. The blue I added incase you have an amp or somethin else you turn on with the speakers.

 

[rebelgregory]

Easiest way is rampage's method. I've done it many times. Just hook up the wires. When some bass hits if the cone goes in instead of out, switch the wires. At least you've got a 50/50 shot the first try. And no, it won't damage your speakers.

 

[rampage]

Or if you have access to the wires that connect to your head unit you can momentarily connect a 1.5v battery to the wires and see which way the cone moves.