92 VW new headunit blowing fuses

Hi.  I removed the original Heidelberg AM/FM Cassette player and tried to install a JVC AM/FM cd player.  Bit of an adventure for me, but I follow directions well (comes with being a woman?), but every time I plug the unit in, the fuse (in panel, not unit) blows.  Thought it was my work so I took to a repair shop who suggested an inverter. Dropped it off & paid $50 but now they say it needs $150 worth of speaker rewiring.  Speakers worked fine before, ... any suggestions would be hugely appreciated.  Thanks!Claire

did it have a Bose system in it?Kevin Gerry

Certified Electronics Technician

MECP First Class Installer

Owner/Installer

Classic Car Audio

since 1979

Well, Paying $150 worth of speaker rewiring work won't solve the fuse issue in your case. For $150 I would take your problem to another car audio shop. I simply think the repair shop is taking advantage of your mistake.    If the fuse is shorting out on the panal I think your wiring might have something to do with it. Don't worry, it's a quick fix to most installer if the cd player is not badly damage.      Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

Is a Bose system a brand name? It just had the stock VW Heidelberg stereo before. One thing that I thought might be a problem is that the new JVC stereo has connections for a + and - for each of the four speakers, where the original only had a + for each and two shared - connections.  Any thoughts?Claire

i'm betting that you have something called an "active speaker system", which was an option on golfs and jettas of that year, and standard on the passat & corrado. there are wiring harness adapters available for this system, but i tend to find that you'd end up with engine noise or static coming from the speakers if you use that harness. i usually opt to rewire, but it shouldn't cost you $150. they're probably just giving you a high quote because they don't want to do it. it's a bit tedious, i'll admit, but not worth $150! what type of vw is this?

the problem would be the shared speaker negatives... try this, unplug the speaker wires and power the radio up, did the fuse blow? no?   then you may have to run new speaker wiring.... the unit you are putting in uses a floating ground output and the wiring in the car is common ground.....   you should be able to run the speaker wiring yourself tho, it's a little time consuming but by no means difficult.....Kevin Gerry

Certified Electronics Technician

MECP First Class Installer

Owner/Installer

Classic Car Audio

since 1979

Kevin nailed it, have alook at the door speaker grills, do they say Aktiv or Activ on them, this is the indication of a factory amplified system which you seem to have. It does indeed sound like time to rewire all the speakers.Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.