Can I install a Monsoon amp/or the speakers in my non-monsoon jetta?

tristan21

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Feb 13, 2010
Location
Marshfield, MO
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01 Jetta 02 Jetta Wagon (dead/rolled)
I have an 01 GLS Jetta has blown speakers. I have the in-dash cd-changer with cassette but I dont believe it is a monsoon.

My wrecked 2002 GLS wagon has a monsoon system and im possotive that all the speakers and the factory monsoon amp are good.

I think the Monsoon Headunit is bad because with the missing windshield the rain has hit it several days in a row.

I was wondering if:

a.) is my car wired for the monsoon speakers and amp, if so, where is the amp plug tucked away? (I dont see it under the back deck.)

b.) can a non-monsoon head-unit power, monsoon speakers? Will I need to rewire the plug or anything.

Im just trying to figure the cheapest solution to have a regular stereo without spending any money if possible. These blown speakers sound terrible.
 

tristan21

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Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Location
Marshfield, MO
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01 Jetta 02 Jetta Wagon (dead/rolled)
After a bunch of searching on this site it appears that it is a no go. I only have 2 questions remaining at this point.

Can I use these speakers from the monsoon without having the amp by cutting the wires and figuring out which ones go to the standard stereo?

Can some of the parameters from the stereo be changed with a Vag-com? I thought I read where different things could be changed on one post. crazy.
 

compu_85

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La Conner, WA
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You can install everything into your car... that's what I did.

First you remove the monsoon wiring from the rest of the harness:



Remove a few interior things to install the harness:



Then connect it up :D



On a serious note, I believe the monsoon speakers are a different resistance than the normal speakers. Does your car have a double din radio (IE CD and tape in one unit)?

-J
 

tristan21

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Feb 13, 2010
Location
Marshfield, MO
TDI
01 Jetta 02 Jetta Wagon (dead/rolled)
No thanks, on the full install. Your pics are the ones that made me decide not to consider any part of the monsoon install. I tried something similar on a Festiva I bought for $50 one time, and let me just say, one full harness swap in my lifetime is enough.

I have the tape deck that looks just like yours in the lower DIN and it has a cd changer mounted above it in the upper DIN. (Must not have been a popular option as I have only ever seen that in my car)

I was hoping that the necessary monsoon harness was already an installed harness from the factory. Sometimes car manufacturer instal one general harness that would allow ease of upgrades for the dealerships and cut the cost down of special applications. Several of the other vehicles i have had done something similar.

For instance all 04 Dodge Cummins had a block heater installed at the factory but most people never know unless they look it up online. Turns out that unless you order the cold weather package then they dont include the plug that is like $50 but the heater is there regardless. But you just have to buy a short plug harness to use it. I was hoping for something similar in the VW. No luck.

I would still like to use the speakers though. If they are the wrong resistance then how can they work with aftermarket radios? Shouldn't they work just like if I was installing an aftermarket radio? Maybe they wont sound as good as with the monsoon amp but I would think they would sound better than my blown speakers.

Right now I cant afford (or dont want to afford) an aftermarket stereo and the additional cost of speakers. So Im thinking i will try the install with the Monsoon speakers and the standard VW radio and then later I will add an aftermarket radio. I wonder if there is any protection at all built into the plain, non-monsoon factory radio to protect the tweeters from the bass notes and the woofers from the highs? If not I would say that is why they are blown.

I wonder if I might need some cheap resistors, I think they are like $5.00 each at the local car stereo shop, to put on the + side of the speakers?

Thanks for the response BTW. Any help is appreciated.
 
Last edited:

compu_85

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La Conner, WA
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... None :S
I have the tape deck that looks just like yours in the lower DIN and it has a cd changer mounted above it in the upper DIN. (Must not have been a popular option as I have only ever seen that in my car) I was hoping that the necessary monsoon harness was already an installed harness from the factory.
Ok. With a 1 din radio you can easily upgrade to an aftermarket headunit. That will get better performance out of the stock speakers.

The monsoon wiring is almost 100% different than the non monsoon wiring, and has over twice the physical amount of wire in it! FYI, the door harnesses are different too!

In your car things are wired like this:

Code:
Headunit
	\-RF Pair --> RF Woofer --> Crossover at woofer --> RF Tweeter
	\-RR Pair --> RR Woofer --> Crossover at woofer --> RR Tweeter
	\-LF Pair --> LF Woofer --> Crossover at woofer --> LF Tweeter
	\-LR Pair --> LR Woofer --> Crossover at woofer --> LR Tweeter
A monsoon car is very different:
Code:
Headunit
	\-RF Pair --> Monsoon Amp --> RF Woofer 
				 \--> RF Tweeter
	\-RR Pair --> Monsoon Amp --> RR Woofer
 				 \--> RR Tweeter
	\-LF Pair --> Monsoon Amp --> LF Woofer 
				 \--> LF Tweeter
	\-LR Pair --> Monsoon Amp --> LR Woofer 
				 \--> LR Tweeter
This means that all the speaker wires run back to the amp, and then individual speaker pairs come out.

I had one of the single CD players in my car for a while, but it got flaky and I replaced the cubby.

-J
 
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Strykeviper

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Orlando, FL
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2000 Jetta GLS 5 speed swap, 2002 Jetta Wagon, 2015 Passat SEL, 2013 Jetta Sportwagen
I have the tape deck that looks just like yours in the lower DIN and it has a cd changer mounted above it in the upper DIN. (Must not have been a popular option as I have only ever seen that in my car)
I have the same thing in my Jetta I bought recently. I don't even know if the cd player works. My speakers are blown and I have been using a cassette adapter to plug in my iPhone.
 

tristan21

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Feb 13, 2010
Location
Marshfield, MO
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01 Jetta 02 Jetta Wagon (dead/rolled)
That's very helpful, Thank you. So I might have to splice a little bit but I think it can be done. So I should already have a crossover. It sounds like there is a wired crossover already in-line in each door and thats good to know.

Do you remember if the speaker connector is the same style or is it different? I may have to rob the one off the other car and splice wires if not.

I was hoping to get at it tonight but to much seminary homework tonight.

I'll let you know, whenever I finally get into it what I find in case anyone else ever gets a bone head idea like this.

Strykeviper, I use my tape deck mostly with my iphone. It is an invaluable tool for listening to lectures while I drive 45 min. to and from work everyday. But with all the popping and cracking it is easier with headphones.
 

tristan21

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Feb 13, 2010
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Marshfield, MO
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01 Jetta 02 Jetta Wagon (dead/rolled)
NB that was the exact face I made when I saw the rats nest. Looks like an electronic spaghetti vomit.
 

compu_85

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La Conner, WA
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... None :S
Speaker plugs are the same for monsoon and non-monsoon. The crossover is built into the tweeter, it would be easy to transfer it from the non monsson speakers.

The ASR wiring is easy epassy... it's just 3 or so on your car IIRC!

Of course even a 1 wire install can take a while, like when I wired up the rear fog lamp on my SDL..



-J
 

NB_TDi

Vendor
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Mar 16, 2008
Location
NB, Canada █♣█
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2014 Jetta SE
The ASR wiring is easy epassy... it's just 3 or so on your car IIRC!

Of course even a 1 wire install can take a while, like when I wired up the rear fog lamp on my SDL..

-J

It was easy biggest issue was fitting the wiring in behind the dash since I already installed the heated seat wiring :cool:
 

tristan21

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Feb 13, 2010
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Marshfield, MO
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01 Jetta 02 Jetta Wagon (dead/rolled)
Thanks again for all the help. Maybe will have time this week. Football season is a lot of fun but its also a lot of work for parents.
 

iknownothingaboutvw

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Yarmouth County, NS
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2004
Hey I just found this and was wondering if you can straight wire a aftermarket single din in a mk4 that doesn't have the monsoon system I have no cd changer just the basic stereo system and want to run like a single din JVC or something
 

jettawreck

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Northern Minnesota-55744
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2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
12 year old thread..
Just buy the stereo headunit of your choice from Crutchfield. They send you the correct plug in wiring adapter for the system you currently have.
 

iknownothingaboutvw

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Location
Yarmouth County, NS
TDI
2004
I seen that it's a 12 year year old thread but I don't want an adapter I'd like to run it straight to the harness and my system is non monsoon so I'm wondering if the adapter is a single plug wired in cause if it is I'll bypass the plug and go wire to wire
 

wonneber

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Monroe, NY, USA
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2014 Jetta Sportwagon,2003 Jetta 261K Sold but not forgotten
When I installed a Kenwood navigation radio I cut all the VW tinsel speaker wires from the Monsoon in the quarter panel out and ran 18 gauge wires from the Kenwood to the four door speakers.
When I found replacement speakers the right size in Best Buy clearance I installed them.
The system sounded better then the Monsoon system.
I know it wasn't the cheapest way to go but I did it as I found the pieces I needed and time permitted.
My 2 cents (US) only. :)
 

compu_85

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La Conner, WA
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If your car is an 04, and non-monsoon, you can get a wiring adapter to go from whatever radio you have to the car's plug, no cutting needed.

-J
 

mattboyd

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Dec 10, 2017
Location
Fredericksburg, VA
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04 Jetta TDI Wagon
I just bought a new head unit for my car. I wasn't sure whether to buy one for a Monsoon system or not. Here's the thing -- my car does not have Monsoon, but the pictures on Crutchfield for a non-Monsoon showed a very small radio with just a tape player. My car has a unit the exact same size as a Monsoon system's unit, and mine has CD and tape player, so I went with that unit.

Either way, the unit I bought is the unit recommended for either a non-Monsoon or Monsoon car. The only things I'm worried about is the pigtail they send (the pre-wired connector between the radio and the car's wiring harness), as well as the custom instruction manual.
 

hskrdu

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Maryland and New England
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2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
The double-DIN size radio was used for both Monsoon and non-Monsoon equipped MkIV's (some even say "Monsoon" on the tape deck). The better indicator is a Monsoon "amp" (cross-over) in the trunk. The adapters for 1DIN/2DIN systems are readily available, but the larger issue is having components produce the correct sound when used in the "wrong" system. I've never mixed and matched, but we have lots of threads about it.
 

mattboyd

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04 Jetta TDI Wagon
Well hopefully I didn't make a mistake. What I did do in addition to the radio is get a new Kicker amp and 2 pair of Kicker speakers. Nothing extravagant (60 watts per channel amp and speakers that will handle that). Overkill for my Jetta but I do a cam belt job every 100k miles and at that time I do anything extra to carry me the next 100k. This time around the clock, it's finally getting an Android Auto unit with a screen so I can use Spotify/Waze. I'm also going to put all the plugs in the climate control doors to improve airflow. Also on the list is replacing whichever oxygen sensor is tripping my check engine light. I'm at 396k miles so this will happen in the coming months and carry me through to 500k miles. :)

It'll all look good with my sweet wheels....
 

hskrdu

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2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
I think with the MkIV you will be able to make most things work! I'll be interested to hear what you think of the new speakers, maybe our MkIVs could use a refresh at 20 years, although my Golf still sounds really good.

I'm still watching for Spice Red side view mirrors when at the LKQ, but so far they have all been faded, cracked, or abused.
 

J_dude

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SK Canada
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2003 1.9l “Jedi”
So... @compu_85, what happens if I put Monsoon speakers into a non-Monsoon car that has an aftermarket headunit?

@tristan21 never did give a final update on what he was attempting...
 

J_dude

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Hmm well I’ve no idea what it means but the non-Monsoon speakers are marked 4 ohm and the Monsoon speakers are 2 ohm...
 

Zak99b5

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2 ohm speakers will make the HU put out higher wattage than if connected to a 4 ohm load. If the aftermarket HU can handle a 2 ohm load, it will be fine (should be in the specs/manual).
 

PakProtector

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You will not hurt a woofer with high frequency. HOWEVER...running the output into clipping flattens off the tops, and that is a source of high-power, high frequency content which WILL wreck a tweeter.

Douglas
 

J_dude

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You will not hurt a woofer with high frequency. HOWEVER...running the output into clipping flattens off the tops, and that is a source of high-power, high frequency content which WILL wreck a tweeter.

Douglas
Does this mean I need the Monsoon tweeters or the non-Monsoon? They look a bit different but are both labelled 4ohm...

Here’s the deal, I’m swapping my dented/paint-peeling doors with clean doors from a parts car, and the parts car is Monsoon, but mine is not.

I could, of course, swap the non-Monsoon speakers into the new doors, but that’s a pain as they’re riveted in and I’m missing the drivers front speaker anyway, so figured I’d get a full “new” set with the new doors.
(I will be swapping the harnesses back though, as the Monsoon harness won’t work with my non-Monsoon car.)
 

compu_85

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If you do this, be sure there's still a crossover going to the tweeters in the rear doors. I didn't rewire this, and blew them up.

-J
 

J_dude

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If you do this, be sure there's still a crossover going to the tweeters in the rear doors. I didn't rewire this, and blew them up.

-J
Oh boy. I have no idea how this works. 😜
Will it be okay if I use the non-Monsoon tweeters then? It’s still just a stock non-Monsoon system, powered by some random JVC headunit...

Also realized that only the *rear* Monsoon speakers are 2ohm, the fronts are still 4ohm like the other system.
Is that why the rear tweeters will blow? If I were to put the old 4ohm speakers back into the rear doors, would that alleviate that issue?

Boy I wish I knew more about audio... 😝
 

Zak99b5

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Ohm rating of drivers doesn't make them blow. Way more power than they were designed for does (as does age/dry rot of the surround).

Tweeters are built only to handle higher frequencies (captain obvious, I know). If you flood them with lots of low signal, they can be damaged. That's why we have crossovers. A low pass filter feeds the woofer (to keep the sound clean), and a high pass filter prevents overpowering lows from getting to the tweeters.

I'd think with a normal aftermarket head unit, if you use the base (non monsoon) crossover components with any speakers, you'd be fine. Tweeters' impedance is normally not of concern, really. It's the woofers that matter most.

You should be perfectly fine installing monsoon drivers in your car with the crossover components that are from the non-monsoon system.

Worry less and crank up the Rush more! (Bad Canadian joke.)
 
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