VERY helpful, thanks. I believe I got an "a" in electric shop in ninth
grade, but that was nearly thirty years ago so I am back to square one<g>.
Here's hoping for a lack of continuity! I have absolutely no dexterity when
it comes to pushing small things through small openings, and no patience.
Both seem to be required to run the wires through the post.

Tim

> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Brodbeck [mailto:gull@gull.us]
> Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 8:17 AM
> To: Tim Beidel
> Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Definitive on the 87 not using a common ground for rear
> speakers
>
>
> On Thu, 2 Oct 2003, Tim Beidel wrote:
>
> > Others have said I should use a VOM to check for myself. If I
> had a VOM (a
> > voltage ohm meter?), what should I look for? How do I use one
> to test these
> > wires? (I am sure I can borrow one from somebody).
>
> Identify the pair of wires from each speaker, then simply test between
> each wire in one pair and both wires in the other pair.  There should be
> no connection between any two wires that don't go to the same speaker
> (i.e., infinite resistance if you keep your fingers off the probes).  If
> you put the probes across the two wires that go to the same speaker,
> you'll read a low resistance, probably between 3 and 16 ohms.
>
> If the grounds *are* connected together in back (and I don't know why
> they'd do this if they're already running four wires) then you may be able
> to find the connection point and cut it.
>
>
> David Brodbeck, N8SRE
> '82 Diesel Westfalia
> '94 Honda Civic Si