I have the 10" MBUX system on my 2019 2500 170 Passenger Sprinter. The center speaker is too loud and there is no way to control it. The fader controls do not affect it at all, only the door and rear speakers. Many on this forum have disconnected it making the overall sound better.
I decided to control it. I popped the cover off the center speaker and disconnected one of two connectors attached to the speaker. Just pull the speaker straight up and it will pop out, then disconnect the connector closest to the windshield. DON'T disconnect the other connector or your SOS system and other non-music signals will stop functioning.
I then took the connector and cut the purple wire. I ran 2-conductor wire from the speaker housing straight down into the dash to toward the stearing wheel. Under the dash, I pulled it down to the switch plate to the right of the steering wheel. I popped off one of the blanks and ran the wire through the opening.
Then, I soldered the 2-conductor wire to each end of the purple speaker wire I had cut, then used shrink-tube to insulate the connection. I reconnected it to the speaker, replaced the speaker and the speaker cover.
Then, I modified the switch blank I had removed from the dash. I removed the plastic ribs inside the back of the switch plate and cut the sides down to fit a small 5K potentiometer. Once it fit, I marked and drilled the hole through the front for the control post to fit.
Then, I connected the 2-conductor wires to the potentiometer. Connect to the center post and one of the side post. Select the side post based on which one makes the control work left-quiet to right loud. If you pick the wrong post, the control will be backwards. I soldered the connections.
Then I slid the potentiometer into the switch blank and secured it with the nut. Then, place the control knob on it and everything is done.
Now, I can control the volume of the center speaker to my liking. For music, I turn it off. For talk-radio, the center speaker improves legibility in some frequencies.
The entire project only took about an hour. The hardest part was modyfying the switch blank.
I included some photos. I didn't remember to take any of the center speaker. Photos are the switch area and a video you can sort-of hear the difference through my cell-phone microphone.
Video of results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMGxX5vaWIw
Parts
5K small potentiometer
control knob
2-conductor wire (3 feet)
Tools
plastic pry tool (to remove speaker cover)
wire cutters/stripper
soldering iron
shrink tube
exacto-knife
drill
I decided to control it. I popped the cover off the center speaker and disconnected one of two connectors attached to the speaker. Just pull the speaker straight up and it will pop out, then disconnect the connector closest to the windshield. DON'T disconnect the other connector or your SOS system and other non-music signals will stop functioning.
I then took the connector and cut the purple wire. I ran 2-conductor wire from the speaker housing straight down into the dash to toward the stearing wheel. Under the dash, I pulled it down to the switch plate to the right of the steering wheel. I popped off one of the blanks and ran the wire through the opening.
Then, I soldered the 2-conductor wire to each end of the purple speaker wire I had cut, then used shrink-tube to insulate the connection. I reconnected it to the speaker, replaced the speaker and the speaker cover.
Then, I modified the switch blank I had removed from the dash. I removed the plastic ribs inside the back of the switch plate and cut the sides down to fit a small 5K potentiometer. Once it fit, I marked and drilled the hole through the front for the control post to fit.
Then, I connected the 2-conductor wires to the potentiometer. Connect to the center post and one of the side post. Select the side post based on which one makes the control work left-quiet to right loud. If you pick the wrong post, the control will be backwards. I soldered the connections.
Then I slid the potentiometer into the switch blank and secured it with the nut. Then, place the control knob on it and everything is done.
Now, I can control the volume of the center speaker to my liking. For music, I turn it off. For talk-radio, the center speaker improves legibility in some frequencies.
The entire project only took about an hour. The hardest part was modyfying the switch blank.
I included some photos. I didn't remember to take any of the center speaker. Photos are the switch area and a video you can sort-of hear the difference through my cell-phone microphone.
Video of results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMGxX5vaWIw
Parts
5K small potentiometer
control knob
2-conductor wire (3 feet)
Tools
plastic pry tool (to remove speaker cover)
wire cutters/stripper
soldering iron
shrink tube
exacto-knife
drill
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