Factory Option Amplifier Subwoofer

[ALIKA T3]

Aloha all!

I thought you might appreciate this rare option on some late Vanagon Wolfsburg and Carat.This came from a 1989 Wolfsburg. The parts were made in 1987.
I cannot seem to find the M-code for it, and the van is missing the M-Sticker...

It's installed in the driver side panel, made by BlauPunkt (manufacturer code BNO). VW Booster.
Very few pictures on the internet, actually none besides this thread : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=364184
I found another thread but lost the link but there wasn't anything exciting in it, so here it is:

Let's start with the dashboard wiring. The rear speakers and subwoofer wiring loom is combined in one loom that goes under the van and gets back under the van close to the rear bench heater loom entry.

There is a red connector that probably goes behind the stereo unit that came with the van, so I'm not sure how that works since the stereo is missing.
The red plug has the Brown/yellow wire on pin #5, a switched ground?
Pin #9 is Blue/White, switched Power?
Pin #8 is green wire.

The 3 pin black connector you see at 11 o'clock has wires going into the same loom, and is bringing power to the subwoofer unit. Red, brown and a blue/white wire that has an unknown application to me going to the multi pin black connector on the back of the radio.
Marco Mansi told me it is a switched power from the stereo to the amp. Strange that it isn't done internally by the stereo unless the red plug was connected to something else...
The 3 pin black connector connects to the 3 pin white connector on the dashboard wiring loom.

All that stuff is daisy chained with the cigarette lighter and glovebox light , just a bit differently as a regular van.

The blue/white wire actually has a mating red/white wire from the universal adapter shown here:

Which I find no application for it on the ISO10487 connector chart, pin A3...

Ok, now let's move to the back under the bench where the loom enters the van . The white 4 pin connector goes to the rear speakers.

There is a little cut out in the panel for the wires

The grille part number is 253035435
The loudspeaker assembly as it's called on the parts diagram is 253035403

After the panel is removed:

Unforntunaltely I'm missing the dual speaker thing, which has the same part number as the entire box...
The other thread has a picture of it but I cannot make up the part number in the back, prolly a BlauPunkt part number anyway :637623038 maybe?
I don't think it's a VW part number, it should be XXX035XXX anyway.

Top mounting of the box with plastic rivets, similar to the ones for the ICM on the 2.1L.

Very well done assembly, some kind of plastic fiberglass, a peripheral seal too like a foam o'ring material.

Extra wire length bundled up in foam

BlauPunkt various part numbers don't return anything but I did find a similar module for Porsche

The backside has little insulators stuck on posts. Details matter....

And this is the connector that connects to the box. I didn't match the pin out with inside wires unfortunately but it can be guessed by looking at the pictures.
Notice a blue wire with white tracer, it goes to the red connector at the dash, different than the blue/white wire.

I hope you enjoyed the nerding!

EDIT January 29th 2023

I went to part out a van today, kinda on the fly, so I left the option behind.
No M-Sticker on this van either unfortunately, also a manual transmission van.
VW2YB0254KH059242, 12/88 & 1/89 manufacturing date.

Blaupunkt part number, at last:
8637621038

_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[D Clymer]

Pretty cool, Alika. Thanks for sharing. That speaker was listed as one of the special features of the 1989 Wolfsburg Edition Vanagon. As I remember, they called it a "base reflex speaker." The only vans I've ever seen it on are those 1989 Wolfsburg Editions. I don't think it was included even on the european Bluestar and Whitestar vans, which were basically the same model.

[ALIKA T3]

[ZsZ]

Isn't that red connector for a Gamma? M327 was the M-code
Aktiv-LS means active loudspeakers

http://antique-autoradio-madness.org/1autos/vw/montage-vw-1989_01.htm

_________________
Zoltan
1.9 MTdi 2wd Multivan (ex Caravelle)
Van since 2006, engine since 2008

[ALIKA T3]

[ALIKA T3]

Found this M327 option radio picture:

_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[Zeitgeist 13]

I'm a little ashamed to admit that I threw the sub housing away a few years ago, but I still have the "amp". It's gotta be the tiniest "amp" I've ever seen, and not really a serious attempt at impressive sonic endeavors. I wish I'd of kept all of the original stereo kit, but back in '04 when I bought the van I didn't think these things would ever be considered worthy of collector interest.
_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[ALIKA T3]

[Zeitgeist 13]

Nope, I just kept the electrical part of the "amp". Sorry man, wish I could help.
_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[ALIKA T3]

[Zeitgeist 13]

I'm a little puzzled by the "amp" wiring. The speaker inputs include a L+ but no negative, and both the + and - for the right side. I've never wired in an amp using any other speaker inputs other than the low output RCA plugs.

Other than the speaker inputs/outputs, it appears the amp just has a battery +, a ground and an ignition +. I can only assume the speaker inputs bypass the head unit's internal amplifier and are low outputs filtering out the highs and mids, but then again...
_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[ALIKA T3]

I edited the post with pictures, I found a speaker today on a parts van!!
Part number from BlauPunkt 8637621038
_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[jimf909]

Congratulations on finding the speaker part #.

Thanks for sharing this exploration of an esoteric audio option for the Vanagon. On one hand, it looks like a pretty cool museum exhibit you're assembling. On the other hand, it shows the crap that marketing departments spec hoping to increase selling price at the lowest possible cost.

Do you suppose the tweeter was never installed since it appears at least two vans didn't have it?
_________________
- Jim

[BrownEye02]

Bookmarked!
I've been wanting to dig into mine and see if I can get my aftermarket stereo to trigger and work the built in amp but haven't gotten to it yet. Transmission kind of took priority. That and winter. Of course the factory stereo was long gone when I got the van.
I had found the few pics like you did on here but nothing that dug into the wiring itself.
This should help me out a bit more.


My initial guess was that since its a mono sub you'd have your L & R + with a shared - and hopefully a remote trigger wire of sorts. I tried to fine something on the amp as far as documentation but had no luck....

Is the smaller hole not just the vent for the sub?

[ALIKA T3]

Found this brochure, Bass-Reflex speaker is what it was called on brochure. I'm trying to see which radio it was with this option.

Although the amplifier was made by Blaupunkt, I'm starting to wonder if it wasn't a Matsushita (Panasonic) unit in the Wolfsburg 1989, either the Heidelberg V 165035180A or the Heidelberg VI 165035180F. The Heidelberg VI makes sense as it has the 3rd plug on the back, but more pins than needed, and the pin out doesn't match as far as making sense.
The red plug has the Brown/yellow wire on pin #5, a switched ground?
Pin #9 is Blue/White, switched Power?
Pin #8 is green wire.

Looking at pictures online, I came up with the tags mentioning WC2 and WC3.
WC2 is original equipment, WC3 is aftermarket equipment (dealer installed), such as the pull out unit by Blaupunkt, the SCS, VW part number 000035191.

I also found out part numbers that start with 000 are Blaupunkt (BNO).
165 numbers are NipponDenso (NP2). I couldn't find if Matsushita/Panasonic (number 161) is the same company as NipponDenso online.

An optional radio would be the Blaunpunkt SC88 (Sound Choice) 000035188 or the Blaunpunkt SC90 000035190.

The SC88 has the 3rd connection, but I couldn't find a picture of an SC90 to confirm it has it as well.
The SC88A 000035188AP could be a candidate too, as well as SC88B 000035188BP.
The SC88C 000035188CP is made by Panasonic in Japan....for Blaupunkt. Awesome... How confusing, but maybe that would made the Heidelberg VI compatible with the Sound Choice radios

_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[ALIKA T3]

[jimf909]

^^^Ahh, bass reflex = vented speaker box.

https://audiojudgement.com/bass-reflex-speaker-design/
_________________
- Jim

[ALIKA T3]

[SyncroHead]

[jlrftype7]

So is the Subwoofer speaker just a Dual Voice Coil speaker?
_________________
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