Amp ground question

[Jbarbier 10+ year member]

I searched for this question, but i couldnt find EXACTLY what i want to know. My question is, if you have an "improper" ground will it cause your amp to NOT turn on? B/C i have three amps that wont work and i'm pretty sure atleast ONE of them SHOULD work, b/c they all did in a previous vehicle. I;m concluding that my install is not right, cuz the power lights aren;t coming on...i checked my wiring and the only thing that could be wrong is the ground...im powering it directly from my alternator as well, and i dont think that would cause it NOT to work, b/c it worked fine before. Im getting discouraged, lol, i want basssssss (again) lol. let me know, i HOPE all three aren't blown //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

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[TheVanMan 10+ year member]

Well, the ground is important. If the ground doesn't work then there is no complete circuit which means no power to the amplifier. The ground is where the voltage exits the amplifier. The remote wire just tells your amp when to turn on. The power and ground actually make the amp work. If you really want to check to see if your amps work just temporarily connect the ground of the amp to the ground of the battery. If it powers on then you should know if your amps work.

 

[Jbarbier 10+ year member]

lol yea that kinda was a dumb question, lol, if the circuit isnt complete, well.....thankz bro

 

[TheVanMan 10+ year member]

No problem. I am in school for electrical engineering. It just the way I talk. Kinda sticks on you. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[Jbarbier 10+ year member]

lol thats kinda funny i asked that question, cuz i just graduated highschool and also electronics and advanced electronics, lol....and i aced them both....i think its cuz im tired and i didnt know what i was asking, but once i read it, i was like.... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/banghead.gif.8606515f668c74f6de0281deb475b6fd.gif duh! lol...thankz again dude

 

[somekook 10+ year member]

directly to the alternator? what are you mad? the alternator puts out AC current which is then rectifiedto DC to charge the battery.... you need to run the power wire from the positive terminal of your battery... and if you want to know if your ground is actually a ground, get a DMM and connect the negetive lead to the ground and the poistive lead to the positive battery terminal... if it reads the same voltage of your battery, (12.5, 14, whatever) then youhave a good ground

 

[Jbarbier 10+ year member]

I dunno, my local shop (whom i trust with most everything) hooked it through the alternator, and i thought it was strabge too, but the guy does comps and stuff, so he prolly knows what hes doing. anywayz it would be IMPOSSIBLE to hook a power wire to my battery terminals, the way they're designed...so i have no choice anywayz, and it works, so i dont care

 

[Jbarbier 10+ year member]

plus i've had many systems hooked up through the alt. with no apparent probs

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

plus i've had many systems hooked up through the alt. with no apparent probs

Pardon me, not to sound speculative but I never have or have ever seen anyone hook up a system through the alternator.

Adam

 

[Jbarbier 10+ year member]

LOL, everyone tells me that. I guess it's all i knew before this board! another reason this board kicks ***, you learn something useful everyday, lol

 

[joshpoints 10+ year member]

LOL, everyone tells me that. I guess it's all i knew before this board! another reason this board kicks ***, you learn something useful everyday, lol

I've never heard of that. Alternators on a car put out DC current. There is no tansformer prior to the battery except for the rectifiers on the alternator itself that switches it to DC current.

 

[Jbarbier 10+ year member]

lol i wish i could delete this thread....ok no more replies please, i feel stupid now, lol

 

[abcdefg 10+ year member]

just get u a battery terminal so u can hook up the power wire but first try this to see if its ur remote wire not working, take a small piece of wire and run it from the pos on the amp to the remote on the amp and see if the amp turns on