Please reply to Jay!

-----Original Message-----
From: jlsnyder1@juno.com [mailto:jlsnyder1@juno.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2000 7:56 PM
To: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
Subject: '85 Radio Woes Continue

Has anyone had problems with stereo upgrades due to the common negative
wire VW uses from the dash back to the rear pair of speakers?  I have
messed up two stereo units for some reason, and this the only thing I can
see I may have done wrong.  (I described in my last post how I used a
spare rear window defroster switch to allow me to run the radio without
the ignition switch being on...)  I double checked my 12V supply
(switched and always hot) and my ground connection.  I ran a new ground
wire right to the dash.  (The original radio shared a 12V and ground
connection with the cigarette lighter or cigarette lighter light--I
forget which. Could this shared ground have been the problem? )  When I
get my Sony back from the shop--luckily it's still under waranty--I am
going to try it with the rear speaker jack unplugged.  I am thinking
about running two pairs of wires from the dash to under the sink area and
put in some speaker jacks for some small free-standing book-shelf units.
These could be aimed wherever they need to be.
Does anyone have any  thoughts on the original problem?

                                                                Jay