Hello. This is my first post! I have an '02 Jetta Wagon that I just put a new stock radio in. It is a Premium 5 radio with the in-dash single cd and changer in the trunk. My car does not have the monsoon setup. The radio I got off ebay works great, however it is programmed to be a monsoon radio. I know that the radio can be programmed through the VAG COM. You can tell the radio what car it's in, whether or not it is a monsoon system and whether or not it has a cd player/changer installed. I know this radio came from a GTI and it says "Monsoon" when you first turn it on. Would it be worth it to take it to the dealer to get the radio programed without the Monsoon option? It sounds good...but it is a tad boomy in the bass, I'm thinking that maybe it thinks there is a subwoofer present? What do you all think? Any idea how much the dealer would charge to do this? Thanks

 

The monsoon systems themselves do not contain a subwoofer regardless of which MK IV platform it is in. The monsoon amp and the head unit that works hand in hand with that amp is basically at it's simplest, a huge crossover system. In fact, the monsoon amp itself hardly amplifies the signal whatsoever, it just divides the sound between high and mid and low range frequencies. If you do not like the amount of bass the unit is putting out, then simply toggle the bass **** or bass setting lower. There isn't anything the dealer can do about the frequencies at which your speaker system plays at or the level of which they play at.

 

What then, is the purpose of the VAG COM programming of the radio? Here is a link to the procedure: http://www.diakom.ru/mirors/tech/pdf/v919909.pdf

There is a code for car type, monsoon/non-monsoon and cd player/changer/non-cdplayer.

 

http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/cars/passatb5.html

Here is another link. Scroll down to the bottom and you will see the radio section.

 

The bottom line is: will there be a difference in the sound between a monsoon and non-monsoon radio in a car that does not have the monsoon amp or system?

 

The more I investigate, I found that the rear speakers sound worse. The front speakers sound great. I know that the speakers are ok and the wiring is because the head unit that was in there before sounded fine. Could the fact that my radio is programed for a GTI Monsoon car and it is in a Jetta Wagon Non-Monsoon car give me this result?

 

The head unit for a monsoon system is set up for 4 ohm speakers in the front and 2 ohm speakersin the back. A programming is extremely unlikely to change the players output from 4 ohm to 2 ohm, so unless it's a very special (and amplifiers that do this are very pricey) head unit and can change the resistance it puts out then you're looking at 3 options:

1. Live with the way it is (personally I couldn't, I have a monsoon system and put in a kenwood head unit, so i changed the speakers)
2. Put in a different aftermarket head unit that has its own 5 CD changer although I'd scrap CD's altogether and get an iPod...much easier than changing disks all the time.
3. Put a new pair of 4 ohm speakers (90% of all aftermarket car speakers are 4ohm) in the rear doors.

Hope I helped.

 

My car does not have the Monsoon option, therefore I already have 4 ohm speakers in the rear and I don't have an external amp.
Any amplifier of any type does not "put out resistance" ...the speakers are a load on the amplifier and amplifiers have a minimum impedance rating.
Lastly, I believe the speakers in a Monsoon system are connected to the external amp and not to the head unit.

 

I recnetly changed battery in 2002 passat. Now monsoon radio turns off when key is turned back on. It won't remember cd track or station.