Amps turning off???

[wren57 10+ year member]

For some reason when I turn the volume up (and sometimes at medium levels) the sound will cut off from both the speakers and the sub, and cut back on a few seconds later. Sometimes it effects just one amp at a time. The amps are behind plexi, but this has happened many times when the amps were in no way hot. Sometimes the music plays VERY softly for those few seconds and sometimes it shuts off completely. Suggestions?

Specs:

300/4 bridged to diamond audio s600 in front doors

500/1 to jl 13w6v2

optima yellow top, 0 gauge big 3, 4 gauge main power wire split at distribution block into two 8ga, one powering each amp

PLEASE help. This is really annoying.

Click to read more...

 

[DammitJames 10+ year member]

check voltage when your turning your volume to the right //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[wren57 10+ year member]

Pardon my ignorance, but what will that tell me?

I've tried turning the gains down and it still has the problem even at only moderately elevated volumes.

 

[Bumpin' Goalie 10+ year member]

Grounds. They may not be secure and when the volume goes up, so do vibrations, current, etc. They may be wiggling on you. Recheck all your wiring, etc. Also, what is your wiring situation?

 

[wren57 10+ year member]

Off the battery:

100A (i think) fuse on 4ga

Distribution block (with appropriate fuses) splitting into 8ga into amps

Ground is 8ga into non-fused distribution block (4ga)

Grounded to sheet metal behind panel - wire lug similar to this:

Remote-on is from Alpine deck - split near amps for two signals

RCAs run from Alpine IMPRINT unit to amps

 

[ahole-ic]

Off the battery:
100A (i think) fuse on 4ga

Distribution block (with appropriate fuses) splitting into 8ga into amps

Ground is 8ga into non-fused distribution block (4ga)

Grounded to sheet metal behind panel - wire lug similar to this:

Remote-on is from Alpine deck - split near amps for two signals

RCAs run from Alpine IMPRINT unit to amps

That doesn't sound like a good ground. You connected your batt and alt to the frame with the big 3. Now connect your amp ground to the frame... or whatever is closest to a frame. If you have a unibody, look for the thickest piece of metal under your car that stays in 1 solid piece up to the front. Most cars will have something like this because the structure of the car cannot be held together with only welds. They try to have a thick piece of metal supporting the car length-ways as that is where the most leverage would be applied. Sheet metal is often thin, very poorly connected to the chassis with a strap, and just not a very good idea.

 

[Bobby322 10+ year member]

Pretty sure its your ground. You can drill a hole in your frame and connect the ground there, then on the other side of the bolt you can run a ground wire to the chassis

 

[wren57 10+ year member]

Well the ground is finally perfect and it is still doing this crap! I took my multimeter to it and it appears to only do it when the voltage gets to ~10 at the amp. I don't understand why this would be. I have an optima yellow top and 4gauge fused wire to a fused distribution block with 8gauge going to the amps. The 500/1 I have hooked up to the same distribution block is fine. What gives? Is my amp shot?

 

[x1le 10+ year member]

so you're saying the amps turn off when your voltage dips into 10v?

lulz. amps are going into protection man, and you're running the risk of frying them.

you should not be going lower than 12v. ever. upgrade to 4gauge wiring and in the mean time turn your gains down.....

 

[wren57 10+ year member]

But why would this problem be happening now? I've had this setup 8 months and it hasn't started acting up until 2 weeks ago...

 

[wren57 10+ year member]

For the record, the problem was my stock alternator. Upgrading to a 250amp alternator this weekend.