How to ground? 2001 Wrangler factory subwoofer upgrade

[theo_jeep]

I'm new to this! This might be a dumb question but I haven't found the answer to it.

How do I ground my subwoofer? I bought an upgraded factory replacement for my 2001 Jeep Wrangler, and it plugged into the same electrical that the Jeep came with. (It's just a small subwoofer that goes in the center console.) However, the subwoofer cuts out after playing bass-heavy music or if the volume is up loud enough.

I did some preliminary research and it sounds like I should begin my troubleshooting by checking the ground connection.

Can I just add an additional ground by connecting a ground wire from any metal on the subwoofer to a grounding point in my Jeep?

It supposedly has a ground in the original wiring, but I don't know where that connects. Would it hurt anything to just add another ground wire? And if so, where do I connect it to on the subwoofer? (Or do I need a better ground on my stereo maybe?)

I'd also gladly read any introductory material if you could point me toward that. Thanks in advance!

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[Kickstand Premium Member]

The subwoofer itself doesn't ground
The ground your talking about is the ground for the amplifier.
That's going to be difficult to do considering it's coming out of a Molex and I don't know how much good it will do because eventually its going to go back down to the stock size unless you take the amp apart and solder right to the board (Not Suggested)
What kind exactly is the new sub, did you buy it right from Chrysler/Dodge or aftermarket
1 or 2 voice coils
Ohms rating per voice coil (it should say somewhere on the packaging or the speaker itself)
If it plugged in to the factory harness then it was built for it but aftermarket stuff is funny like that especially when it comes from ebay or amazon

 

[theo_jeep]

The subwoofer is this: https://www.quadratec.com/products/14133_1001.htm

Nothing fancy-- just an upgraded version of the stock subwoofer. And yes it does plug into a Molex.

Basically I'm trying to troubleshoot why the subwoofer stops working after I play bass-heavy music (or high volume). It's weird because I can bump it for a while before it cuts out. I double-checked the wiring and connections and they seem to be okay. My first guess was the ground, but I'd be happy to hear any other suggestions.

 

[Kickstand Premium Member]

I thought maybe that you had it wired or the new sub was too low (Ohms) but that would shut off the whole amp unless the sub out is independent from the rest of the amp.
How sure are you that the wires that attach to the back of the speaker are tight
Could the bass/high volume be shaking it a little loose?

 

[Betelgeuse]

The subwoofer is this: https://www.quadratec.com/products/14133_1001.htm

Nothing fancy-- just an upgraded version of the stock subwoofer. And yes it does plug into a Molex.

Basically I'm trying to troubleshoot why the subwoofer stops working after I play bass-heavy music (or high volume). It's weird because I can bump it for a while before it cuts out. I double-checked the wiring and connections and they seem to be okay. My first guess was the ground, but I'd be happy to hear any other suggestions.

That factory amp for your TJ is inside the sleeve that contains the subwoofer. If you feel around in there, you can feel the metal heatsink. Maybe your amp is getting tired? I'm not that great on electrical stuff, but that amp doesn't get it's own ground, it gets it through the harness. Unless a pin is loose on the plug, I would think more things would be using that ground would be acting wonky, too?

My LJ did not come with that option, but the console is the same. My console just had a big white tub in in. I drilled out the rivets holding it in then bought the subwoofer assembly off of ebay. It came with a brand new Qaudratec sub like you gave which I did not use. I used a Dual 1-ohm 6.75" kicker sub and a mini half-ohm stable kicker amp. I bypassed the factory amp, drilled a hole in the bottom of the assembly, ran my speaker wire through it, then sealed the hole around the speaker wire. It was ok, I guess.

Kicker 43CWRT671 6.75″ CompRT CWRT67 Series Sub 150W RMS 1 Ohm DVC Car Subwoofer
Kicker 42PXA2001 200W x 1