Head Unit Powers On = Lights Dim

[xstatic26x 10+ year member]

Hey everyone, this is a new problem and I'm wondering why it's happening to me. I recently switched my amp for an Audiobahn to an MTX, using the same wiring (wiring is adequate gauge). I reconnected everything to the amp correctly, the same way I had the Audiobahn one wired up.

Anyway, as soon as my head unit turns on (when I put a cd in or something), the amp powers on right away, or within a second -- like its supposed to. However, right when the amp powers on the lights dim real bad for a second, whether I'm at idle or driving. The lights don't even dim when I have the bass thumpin', so its not my alt size I don't think, and this didn't happen with the other amp.

Any ideas? It's not really affecting anything it's just annoying me

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[Twistid 5,000+ posts]

ground?

 

[xstatic26x 10+ year member]

That's what I was thinking, I'll re-do the connection to the car and to the amp tommorrow and see what happens.

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

Amp is acting funky. Not a good sign.

 

[djman37 5,000+ posts]

Could be the amp charging it's internals (caps), basically full current draw for a brief period.

 

[stones 10+ year member]

If that the worst of your problems your doing alright.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[xstatic26x 10+ year member]

Could be the amp charging it's internals (caps), basically full current draw for a brief period.

Is that normal for some amps? Haven't noticed anything else weird w/ this amp yet.

 

[jrpro130 10+ year member]

mine and a friend of mines mtx 801d's used to do that. a buddy of mine has 3 of them...lights basically go out and he has a ho alt, big 3, and an extra bat ( i believe he even has 2 extra's now)

they dim bad...maybe it's mtx???

i know it has something to do w/ the remote...it pulls too much current from the remote source or something...thats what some "professional installer" told me

 

[xstatic26x 10+ year member]

Anything wrong w/ the amp doing that, don't want any damage or anything to occur, but what you said makes sense to me.

 

[djman37 5,000+ posts]

Anything wrong w/ the amp doing that, don't want any damage or anything to occur, but what you said makes sense to me.

too much current being pulled through the remote wire = no HU. Get a relay. PE has one with a diode in the socket pretty cheap.

 

[xstatic26x 10+ year member]

too much current being pulled through the remote wire = no HU. Get a relay. PE has one with a diode in the socket pretty cheap.

Ok, I'm new to this stuff...can you tell me what PE is and what a relay w/ a diode is too?

Thanks

 

[djman37 5,000+ posts]

Ok, I'm new to this stuff...can you tell me what PE is and what a relay w/ a diode is too?
Thanks

PE is http://www.parts-express.com they sell bosch relays and sockets. That'll let you wire true 12v power for remote wires and have the HU, or switch, turn it off and on for you. A relay uses a low voltage signal to switch higher voltage. Your car already has a few. Example- HEADLIGHTS, you don't REALLY have the 12v line for your headlights running through the switch. That signal trips a relay that does the heavy work for you. Go give http://www.bcae1.com a read too, plenty of good info with demos and graphs and stuff. Another source for audio info is http://www.the12volt.com/

 

[xstatic26x 10+ year member]

How easy are those to wire in?

 

[imaspaceguy90 10+ year member]

**** u need to do the big 3

 

[djman37 5,000+ posts]

How easy are those to wire in?

They aren't too bad. I'm about to put in two.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/naughty.gif.94359f346c0f1259df8038d60b41863e.gif

Parts express has a free instruction sheet they'll send you to.. it's actually on their site with the relay.