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Speaker Water Protection

aplatz

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Frederick, MD.
I've got a corrosion problem w/ my driver door speaker cable conncetions. Probably the 2nd time I've lost connection due to "green" corroded conncetions. The root of it all is what I suspect, the gap where the outside wiper seal and fixed cigarette window pillar allows water to enter. I'm thinking of making a baffle or wrapping the connections w/ Saran Wrap and taping it. Then caulking the gap from the outside w/ some black urethane. I thnki I've seen baffles you put over the frame of the speaker before you mount it also. Crutchfield maybe? Maybe some Dieletric grease over the connections?

Anybody else done this or anything like it?
 
aplatz said:
I've got a corrosion problem w/ my driver door speaker cable conncetions. Probably the 2nd time I've lost connection due to "green" corroded conncetions. The root of it all is what I suspect, the gap where the outside wiper seal and fixed cigarette window pillar allows water to enter. I'm thinking of making a baffle or wrapping the connections w/ Saran Wrap and taping it. Then caulking the gap from the outside w/ some black urethane. I thnki I've seen baffles you put over the frame of the speaker before you mount it also. Crutchfield maybe? Maybe some Dieletric grease over the connections?

Anybody else done this or anything like it?

You may wanna look into liquid electrical tape? I've seen it in some auto parts stores but it's more common in electronics houses. Hot glue might be a low-tech approach to consider and should be easier to re-work if the problem persists. Tape ain't gonna handle this if you need a water-tight seal. Silicone rubber should do the trick too though.
 
About the baffles, I'm running them in my front doors. I got them from Crutchfield a while back. They're labeled as "waterproof foam baffles", but I didn't get them for water. They also help to insulate from road noise and help to project the sound from the speaker's into the vehicle. They did make a noticable difference in audibility in my rig.
 
Dont use RTV / Silicone rubber. It outgasses acetic acid as it cures and will cause horrible corrosion in the connections. Liquid electrical take works well. I even use spray rubber cement.
 
Try shrink tubing, it makes a pretty good seal. You could also try dielectric grease on the terminals. Possibly do both, light coat on the blades and then wrap.
 
nhrocker said:
About the baffles, I'm running them in my front doors. I got them from Crutchfield a while back. They're labeled as "waterproof foam baffles", but I didn't get them for water. They also help to insulate from road noise and help to project the sound from the speaker's into the vehicle. They did make a noticable difference in audibility in my rig.

Are they the slim baffles (2 3/8" depth), or the regular ones (3 1/4" depth)?
 
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