mkhuffman
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Mike
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2020
- Threads
- 24
- Messages
- 6,075
- Reaction score
- 8,021
- Location
- Virginia
- Vehicles
- 2021 MME GT, Jeep GC-L, VW Jetta
- Thread starter
- #1
It took me forever to finish this modification because of other things happening in my life, and I didn’t want to report on an incomplete project. I had a few mistakes and problems along the way, but now that it is done it is great!
Using the volume control I installed, I can either turn the backup beeper (and that stupid fake engine sound) all the way down so the car is completely silent, or turn it up so it is easily heard. Because I am using a potentiometer in parallel with the speaker, the volume of the beeper is quieter than stock at full volume - about a third quieter I think. But it is still easily heard in parking lots and on streets.
The hardest part of this project was probably running the wires from the speaker to the cabin. I had to remove the frunk and get under the car to properly route and secure the wires. And then punch through a grommet in the firewall to send the wires into the cabin.
The second hardest part was placing the location of the speaker volume control. The first location I picked would not allow the panel to seat all the way because the potentiometer was interfering. I had to move it about ¾ of an inch to get it to fit into a gap behind the panel, and then the panel would seat all the way. So now I have an unused hole in the panel. Luckily the potentiometer came with a plastic bezel that covers up the mistake. Whew.
OK, first the schematic:
By looking at the way it is wired, you can see the potentiometer cuts off the speaker when fully turned down. When turned up, the potentiometer is in parallel with the speaker. Since the speaker is 4-6 ohms (I think) more of the current flows through the speaker but it is still lower than stock since some is flowing through the 8 ohm potentiometer.
I purchased two mating connectors to allow me to connect wires into the car, and I ran the car signal to the cabin and then back to the speaker. Here is my chicken scratch drawing that hopefully clarifies what I did:
Here is a picture of the wire connections at the speaker:
Here is a picture of wires routed by the frunk and how I secured them with tie wraps (yes I cut off the tails):
This picture shows exactly where you need to put the potentiometer to prevent interference. You can see that to the left of the pot there is no room, which is where I put it initially of course.
This picture shows the final location for the potentiometer and the hole I made in the wrong location:
I painted the potentiometer bezel because I didn’t like the chrome lettering.
Before:
After:
Here is a picture of the final installation, and I think it looks stock to the untrained and uneducated. Which is most of the general public.
The potentiometer I used:
The knob that came with the potentiometer is super ugly, so I tried to find one that looked similar to those already used in the car and came up with this:
Here are the connectors.
If you want to try this, and you have any questions, let me know! Happy moding!
P.S. And just to clarify, I always want to be quiet. But just in case I feel the irritating noise is needed, it is an easy flick of the knob...
Using the volume control I installed, I can either turn the backup beeper (and that stupid fake engine sound) all the way down so the car is completely silent, or turn it up so it is easily heard. Because I am using a potentiometer in parallel with the speaker, the volume of the beeper is quieter than stock at full volume - about a third quieter I think. But it is still easily heard in parking lots and on streets.
The hardest part of this project was probably running the wires from the speaker to the cabin. I had to remove the frunk and get under the car to properly route and secure the wires. And then punch through a grommet in the firewall to send the wires into the cabin.
The second hardest part was placing the location of the speaker volume control. The first location I picked would not allow the panel to seat all the way because the potentiometer was interfering. I had to move it about ¾ of an inch to get it to fit into a gap behind the panel, and then the panel would seat all the way. So now I have an unused hole in the panel. Luckily the potentiometer came with a plastic bezel that covers up the mistake. Whew.
OK, first the schematic:
By looking at the way it is wired, you can see the potentiometer cuts off the speaker when fully turned down. When turned up, the potentiometer is in parallel with the speaker. Since the speaker is 4-6 ohms (I think) more of the current flows through the speaker but it is still lower than stock since some is flowing through the 8 ohm potentiometer.
I purchased two mating connectors to allow me to connect wires into the car, and I ran the car signal to the cabin and then back to the speaker. Here is my chicken scratch drawing that hopefully clarifies what I did:
Here is a picture of the wire connections at the speaker:
Here is a picture of wires routed by the frunk and how I secured them with tie wraps (yes I cut off the tails):
This picture shows exactly where you need to put the potentiometer to prevent interference. You can see that to the left of the pot there is no room, which is where I put it initially of course.
This picture shows the final location for the potentiometer and the hole I made in the wrong location:
I painted the potentiometer bezel because I didn’t like the chrome lettering.
Before:
After:
Here is a picture of the final installation, and I think it looks stock to the untrained and uneducated. Which is most of the general public.
The potentiometer I used:
The knob that came with the potentiometer is super ugly, so I tried to find one that looked similar to those already used in the car and came up with this:
Here are the connectors.
If you want to try this, and you have any questions, let me know! Happy moding!
P.S. And just to clarify, I always want to be quiet. But just in case I feel the irritating noise is needed, it is an easy flick of the knob...