JL 1000.1 Low Voltage Indicator / Strange circumstances

[JohnnyZ]

Hi Guys,

Everything has been running superb until a few nights ago. I hop into the car, hear my subs, turn the volume up to 12, sub cuts out. I go to the trunk and see the low voltage indicator light on. I turn the car off, rinse and repeat same problem. Sometimes I can literally blast the sub too for a short while and it will not cut out. This leads me to believe it's an electrical problem not the amp. The sub has been pounding for the month I have it with no issues whatsoever. The battery is only a few months old. I have a cap in the mail that I was going to try for shits and giggles but I am lost in to what way I should approach this. I haven't used the volt meter yet to check anything.

My questions:

What is the likely hood that the amp actually gave out?

What approach should I take with a volt meter?

Things I have done:

Checked / cleaned off all grounds (minus the alternator)

Remount power cables

My current setup:

JL 1000.1

JL 13.5 W7 / Huge Ported Box

Eclipse 3 Ways

RF T600.4 (80 (4 x 20) AMP Fuses)

Pioneer Indash

4 Gauge Wiring wherever applicable

100AMP Fuse before battery

10 Farad Cap not installed yet

Thanks for the help in advance!

Click to read more...

 

[VisceralSound 10+ year member]

No need for the capacitor,

alt/battery?

 

[JohnnyZ]

The alternator is the stock which I believe is 80 amps. It powered great for a month, do I need an upgraded one?

 

[sacsking916 5,000+ posts]

instead of the cap just install a small battery in the rear. and get your front battery tested and make sure its working properly

 

[Timmothy Web 10+ year member]

check the fuse connection.

 

[JohnnyZ]

Whats the best way to test the front battery. Dump a load onto it and make sure the voltages dont drop below a certain level, or just if it is in the healthy level? If so, what would that level be if the car was off and or on.

I have a 100 amp fuse before it, it seems to be working fine.

 

[JoshC 10+ year member]

Whats the best way to test the front battery. Dump a load onto it and make sure the voltages dont drop below a certain level, or just if it is in the healthy level? If so, what would that level be if the car was off and or on.
I have a 100 amp fuse before it, it seems to be working fine.

No, auto zone or any auto parts store will test them free. Ide get my alt checked too

 

[ahole-ic]

I guess it's simple logic but if your amplifier is telling you it's protecting due to low voltage, why not check the voltage going in to it? That seems to be the most logical thing to me. Then if the voltage really is something less than 13.8v in the back with the car on, you can then test the alternator etc. A bad battery would have problems starting the car. It would have nothing at all to do with low voltage when the car is on.

 

[JohnnyZ]

Alright so here are some results:

Car on:

Battery Reads: 14.2

Sub Amp: 14.2

Speaker Amp: 14.2

System on volume 8

Battery Reads: 14.1

Sub Amp: 14.1

Speaker Amp: 14.1

> volume 8

Battery Reads: 14.1

Sub Amp: 4.2

Speaker Amp: 14.1

As soon as I start drawing more power the sub amp drops to 4.2 v then gradually builds backup. I didn't have time to swap the power/ground from the 4 channel amp to the mono block, but without doing that does this sound like a bad ground for the monoblock?

 

[ahole-ic]

Alright so here are some results:
Car on:

Battery Reads: 14.2

Sub Amp: 14.2

Speaker Amp: 14.2

System on volume 8

Battery Reads: 14.1

Sub Amp: 14.1

Speaker Amp: 14.1

> volume 8

Battery Reads: 14.1

Sub Amp: 4.2

Speaker Amp: 14.1

As soon as I start drawing more power the sub amp drops to 4.2 v then gradually builds backup. I didn't have time to swap the power/ground from the 4 channel amp to the mono block, but without doing that does this sound like a bad ground for the monoblock?

It sounds like a terrible ground. Something is way wrong.

 

[destined2race 10+ year member]

well the 1000/1 do draw some current and with you running 2 amps id go higher than 4 ga, def do big 3 if you havent, and return that capacitor and do a Battcap or just another battery. And check your fuse itself under the hood as mentioned. Sometimes they go bad depending on what kind you have. One of my ANLs use to do the same thing... id turn it up and it would cut out. replaced the fuse and was good to go.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Did nobody notice he only has 4awg? Or did I read it wrong?

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

well the 1000/1 do draw some current and with you running 2 amps id go higher than 4 ga, def do big 3 if you havent, and return that capacitor and do a Battcap or just another battery. And check your fuse itself under the hood as mentioned. Sometimes they go bad depending on what kind you have. One of my ANLs use to do the same thing... id turn it up and it would cut out. replaced the fuse and was good to go.

Your a ninja

 

[destined2race 10+ year member]

Your a ninja

haha yes beat you to it!!!!

 

[ahole-ic]

It could be the fuse. It can't be the 4 awg. That amp only has 4 gauge inputs (not that it really matters at all). He is dropping due to resistance in the line. That's USUALLY a bad ground, but a bad fuse or bad connection can easily cause this. The 4 gauge not being enough would not drop so low in this scenario.