2000 Volkswagen Golf Re-Installation of Original Stereo

There's nothing in any service manual about putting back something that is already supposed to be done. The radio will just bolt in but it's the wiring you have to look at. Some people will cut off the original plugs, then splice in the harness for the new radio. That leaves a chopped up mess if they take the radio out. What you'd need to do then is visit a salvage yard and snip the original plugs. All you have to do is match up the wire colors, then splice them together.

I don't recommend butt connectors or Scotch-Lok connectors. The only way I repair wires is to splice and solder the joints, then seal them with heat-shrink tubing. Never use electrical tape in a car. It will unravel into a gooey mess on a hot day, and splices will touch and cause shorts.

Be aware that VW has built in some tricks to cost you money after the sale. One of those is needing to enter a code to unlock the radio. I've been told by a couple of very knowledgeable people that you get three attempts to enter the code, and if you guess wrong, the radio will be permanently locked. At that point, throw it away! Other people have told me the dealer can unlock the radio, but you know they won't do that for free.

Volkswagen uses an oddball antenna connector that is different than any other manufacturer uses, so you would need an adapter cable to plug in the antenna. Those adapters typical cost around ten bucks. Places like Best Buy will have them. A home radio will still work, but poorly without an antenna. Car radios are designed differently because they're moving around, and they absolutely must have an antenna connected. Without one, you won't get any AM reception, and the only FM you might get is from real strong, nearby stations.

I really hate those loud stereos, and I won't repair those amps. They are rude, and I can't imagine anyone needing that much attention. I'm glad you won't be damaging your ears. The problem though is most of the newer radios have two output systems. One will run the speakers, which is what you need, and the other requires a separate amplifier. That's the one that was probably hooked up before. If you can hear the CD player and the volume is normal, all you need is that antenna adapter cable. If the CD player appears to be working but the sound is not loud enough or you can't hear anything at all, you'll need to look into connecting the radio to the car's original speaker wires.

You can keep the conversation going as long as you want to.

That sounds like it could be the antenna, although I always thought those little ones above the rear window were for telephones. Regardless, you need to look behind the radio to see if the antenna plug is laying back there.

That's the antenna adapter I mentioned previously. Best Buy will have the right one for your car. It's a simple plug-in item between the radio and the original antenna cable.