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common ground speaker system?

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=111110
Printed Date: July 13, 2025 at 9:27 AM


Topic: common ground speaker system?

Posted By: pv13
Subject: common ground speaker system?
Date Posted: January 29, 2009 at 2:30 PM

My cousin just bought a 1985 Econoline van (I know!). It has the factory am/fm stereo with one 6x8 or 6x9 speaker right behind it in the dash.

It has the two factory plugs for ford (one for power the other for speaker).

I talked to an installer, and he said that I might have a common ground speaker system, and I would have to rewire it.

I guess I want to know what a common ground speaker system is, and how do I get it to work with my aftermarket cd player.

Thanks,



Replies:

Posted By: forbidden
Date Posted: January 29, 2009 at 3:36 PM

Your aftermarket cd player is a floating ground unit. This means that the two are incompatable due to how they are wired. Floating grounds take the - leads of the speaker back to the new head unit. Common ground head units have 1 output for the - speaker leads that is grounded with the main ground of the head unit. The speakers - terminals are then grounded as well. You need to either buy a floating to common ground adaptor (if you can still find one), or rewire all the speakers in the vehicle (a far better option).



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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.




Posted By: pv13
Date Posted: January 29, 2009 at 5:10 PM
There is only one speaker in that he is going to be hooking up to the stereo, and it is right behind the stereo. So I just run a new set of speaker wires from the speaker to two speaker leads on the back of the aftermarket stereo right.

And then I put in place my new ground for the stereo, and everything should work fine right?





Posted By: forbidden
Date Posted: January 30, 2009 at 4:07 AM

Yes that should be what you need to do.



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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.




Posted By: pv13
Date Posted: January 31, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Alright, Thanks.





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