Help installing JBL Cruise speakers on Yamaha QuietTech 2
 

I noticed lots of Yamaha gas carts have JBL Cruise speakers installed so I went and bought a pair. How are these wired into the carts? Are they just connected directly to the battery terminals?

Connected to 12v switched power. Will drain your battery is connected directly to the battery.
Bluetooth audio feed works well, but is an obsolete version.
They do not automatically power up when power is applied, you have to press the power button on the left speaker every time.

Quality of the sound is poor (lousy). I would return them and get a good quality sound bar.

I hope these are headset and not boom box speakers?

They are connected to switch power as the above post stated so you do need to press the power button on the speaker to turn them on. Personally I think that is a good feature so you can't run down the battery since they will shut down when you turn the key off.

I am very happy with the sound quality of the speakers given their small footprint. I guess you can get better speakers but they would be bigger and more intrusive. You are also riding in an open cart so you'll never get an audiophile sound but riding around I think they are more than acceptable.

I don't know about outdated Bluetooth but it always has stayed paired with my phone and has never disconnected until some other Bluetooth speakers I have.

I will add a word of caution, the "normal" switched 12 VDC is on the ignition switch and if you add to much load you could blow the main fuse, then your cart is dead. I would suggest adding a relay (low load) to the switched power supply, then run a new fused supply from the battery to the relay and then to the speakers. I have already seen 2 or 3 carts with additional lights, etc that blew this fuse. The final word of caution is some Yamahas sense the "battery voltage" from the switched source and can cause a significant overcharging to the battery due to the additional load. I posted additional info on this in another thread.

Thanks, Tinker. Does this mean the switched power supply is available on the ignition switch itself or somewhere else? Also, what type of relay would be appropriate?

Have a JBL speaker. Strap it down to bar above rear view mirror with straps bought at Lowes. Can take it out and use elsewhere. Speaker is Bluetooth and use Sirius for sound source. Battery lasts 12 hour. Ran a USB plug to the speaker and charge it up. Has very good sound. Some say it is not good. Problem is that cart makes too much noise, including engine, wind and tire noise,

I have the JBL speakers in my cart. They came with it. I guess they are boom box speakers. They are definitely not headset. They get decently loud and I think the sound is acceptable for the golf cart ride. If you hear a cart with Metallica or Megadeth coming that would be me.

After seeing some of the follow-up replies, I will suggest an alternative, have a USB adapter installed on your cart, this will supply 5 volts to the speakers, wiring these to anything else in the cart would provide 12 volts and damage the speakers. This is a very small load, and you should have no problem. These are available on Amazon, and I can do the install if you cannot find anyone. If you have an overhead tray, the USN adapter can be installed there which will tend to hid the speaker wires, and the power wires to the USB adapter can run up the windshield support (possibly inside the support). Let me know if you want help.

Hmmm. I just pulled my dash top off to take a look. I see where the switched portion of the wire comes off the ignition switch and has a number of things already connected (led lights, etc). There happens to be an open connection there already (picture attached).

The speakers are 12v and 5 amps. If I wanted to tap directly into the switched side of the ignition switch could use the open connection. Are 5 amps too much to pull?

Alternatively, I could use Tinker's suggestion of the automotive relay such as:

https://a.co/d/6SnSsVM

In this case, I would run a line from the positive battery terminal with an in-line fuse to terminal 30 on the relay, terminal 85 to the ground wire, terminal 86 to the switched side of the ignition switch, and terminal 87 to the speakers. (diagram attached).

I do have a usb port that is connected to the switched side of the ignition but the speakers are designed to be connected directly to a motorcycle battery so I don't think tapping into that would be a good idea.

What do you think?

I like your solution, I have no idea if 5 amps for the speakers will be a problem, but I had a situation where adding 2 amps for an LED light caused the 20 amp(?) fuse to blow. You would need to actually measure the current in the main fuse under all conditions to find the maximum draw. Your relay solution eliminates this.

Save yourself some serious time, hassle, and $$$ and just get a UE3 boom Bluetooth speaker that fits into a cup holder and plays great sounding music way louder than you will ever need and runs on a charge for about 15 hours. No wiring necessary, use not limited to your golf cart, and can be easily hidden if parked in a high risk situation.

It is a simple hook up. I purchased my speakers JBL’s on-line. Then I purchased the brackets from the Villages Golf car store in Brownwood ($41 for the bracket). I mounted the brackets to the front pillars as they do and made the connection to Yamaha label in the front of the cart, which comes on when you turn on the ignition. I have never blown a fuse or had any other issues.

Certainly not our experience- we ordered the speakers when we ordered our 2023 Cart - they come on automatically as soon as the cart is turned on and have great sound. Wouldn’t have bought a cart without speakers- love music and the JBL’s have been awesome!

That funny, I tried to buy the brackets at Village Golf up on 27 and they wouldn't sell them to me! I cobbled my own mounting solution together from local hardware stores.

Is your cart gas or electric? When you say "made the connection to the Yamaha label" what do you mean? You have a light in the front and you just tapped into that? Mine doesn't have a light like that (mine's probably older) but I have plenty of other accessories I could tap into that are on the switched ignition.

Without going into too much detail, I mounted a remote fuse block under the front hood with 8 different circuits powered by a main lug from the battery. Each is independently fused, various amps. From the fuse block, I can run whatever I want without concern of blowing a main in-line cart fuse.

Agree with all that the best approach is to use a relay as described. I will add that you might want to consider adding a marine fuse box in serial with the relay. They are very cheap to buy, and give you the ability to then independently add multiple additional fused circuits very easily. It will also allow you to clean up the rats nest tap in approach that many of us have on our carts. Coming from motorcycles, each of those tap in connectors is an opportunity for issues down the road. If I have to tap into a wire, I've had good luck with Positap connectors, or often splice/solder then liquid tape seal the connection.

There is one additional solution, albeit more expensive and overkill for most. They sell smart fuze boxes that can be wired directly to the battery, then a single wire to switched power --- no relay needed. The boxes then use a phone app to set up each port/connection, and you have full control of each circuit. This comes of value say if you wire in Christmas lights and want them to stay on for say 1 min after you switch cart off. Tons of flexibility, and can be very cleanly installed --- but often overkill. I've used the Neutrino smart box in the past, but there are several available.

Just a heads up, I don't know if applies to golf carts or not. I was told of this by a friend so I looked it up. Text of Florida Statute 316.3045

Operation of radios or other mechanical soundmaking devices or instruments in vehicles; exemptions.—

It is unlawful for any person operating or occupying a motor vehicle on a street or highway to operate or amplify the sound produced by a radio, tape player, or other mechanical soundmaking device or instrument from within the motor vehicle so that the sound is:
Plainly audible at a distance of 25 feet or more from the motor vehicle; or
Louder than necessary for the convenient hearing by persons inside the vehicle in areas adjoining churches, schools, or hospitals.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to any law enforcement motor vehicle equipped with any communication device necessary in the performance of law enforcement duties or to any emergency vehicle equipped with any communication device necessary in the performance of any emergency procedures.
The provisions of this section do not apply to motor vehicles used for business or political purposes, which in the normal course of conducting such business use soundmaking devices. The provisions of this subsection shall not be deemed to prevent local authorities, with respect to streets and highways under their jurisdiction and within the reasonable exercise of the police power, from regulating the time and manner in which such business may be operated.
The provisions of this section do not apply to the noise made by a horn or other warning device required or permitted by s. 316.271. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall promulgate rules defining “plainly audible” and establish standards regarding how sound should be measured by law enforcement personnel who enforce the provisions of this section.
A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318.

What so I can’t play my Slayer albums? I mean they only allow volume 10 for Slayer albums. :D

That’s what I use; great sound and I have the ability to hide it from thieves.

Thanks for everyone's responses. I did end up going to Brownwood Village Golf Carts and they did sell me the brackets for $42.

My neighbor opened up his dash on both of his Yamahas (installed by Village Golf Carts) and they have this voltage regulator between the switched power and the speakers:

DC 5.5~32V to 1~27V 5A Buck Converter/Adjustable Voltage Regulator/Car Adapter/Power Supply Module/Driver Module

What would be the purpose of this? Just to make sure the voltage going into the speakers would be around 12 v without the spikes, etc? Doesn't seem like the speakers would be that sensitive since they're designed to be connected directly to a motorcycle battery.

Thanks, I did end up getting the brackets from Brownwood Village Golf Carts!

Here is my GUESS, some Yamahas have a problem with the voltage regulator that causes the battery to be overcharged and the voltage to go the 17+ volts, this regulator would stabilize the voltage to the speakers. IMHO, the fix should have been applied to the golf cart voltage regulator.