Let's play a game of guess wtf is up!

[Roasted 10+ year member]

I drive a Pontiac Grand Am GT, 1993. I also have a Tsunami DB1100 wired to 2 ohm on a Resonant Engineering 15 inch subwoofer, sealed to 2.2 cf. The Tsunami right now is the only amplifier I have in the vehicle.

The problem: Back when I had my first head unit, a Pioneer DEH1500, I had some trouble with the preouts. The amplifier wasn't sending enough power to the subwoofer. I thought my expectations were just too high, until a buddy of mine said dude, that's not right, something is loose.

So, being an inexperienced car audio fan, I just ruled out that the Pioneer's preouts had blown. I then got the cheapest thing I could think of to "fix" the problem... a line output converter. I got this item for 10 dollars at a local Circuit City, wired it up, BAM my rear view mirror fell off a day later.

*around a year later*

I decided that I wanted to get a new head unit. I picked up a JVC G710, wired it up, etc... Strangely enough, it was doing the SAME thing. Confused as hell, but not happy with the head unit in the first place, I went back and picked up a Pioneer DEH4700mp. This deck is quite nice, and I'm very happy with it... but after wiring up this Pioneer, and hearing no output to the sub, I became a firm believer something is goofed up elsewhere.

But, what? Well, it can't be the amplifier. The amplifier works with the LOC. It cannot be the RCA's, for they work with the LOC as well. Perhaps my gain settings are off? Even with 100% gain and the volume cranked, I'm LUCKY to see 2mm of movement in the subwoofer when the RCA's are plugged into the back of the head unit. This was true for the Pioneer DEH1500, the JVC G710, and the Pioneer DEH4700mp... all the exact same.

So I thought, well maybe something is wrong with my car, like down in the wiring or something. Well, I double, triple, quadruple checked everything, there's no other way to say it, the head unit is wired up perfectly... this was done with every head unit as well...

Hm, how would I go about testing this? Well, my original (first) deck, the Pioneer DEH1500, is now in my girlfriend's car. So I figured, let's get a little tricky here... so we did, a few hours ago.

I unplugged my RCA wires from my line output converter, and plugged them into the back of my girlfriend's Pioneer DEH1500 in her vehicle. I then turned both vehicles on, because my deck (Pioneer DEH4700) had to be turned on to activate the remote wire so the amplifier would kick on. So basically, her car was being the brain of it all, while my vehicle was being the powerhouse.

Well, guess what happened? My sub started moving. Amazing, thinking for all of this time that the DEH1500's preouts were blown, and now in another vehicle seeing it move, jamming along to BABY WHEN THE LIGHTS... GO OUT... hahaha.

So, now what? I'm lost. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

Click to read more...

 

[BassAddictJ 5,000+ posts]

shitty ground fro the head unit maybe..causes the pre outs to F up....??

shitty rca's???

 

[Roasted 10+ year member]

shitty ground fro the head unit maybe..causes the pre outs to F up....??

shitty rca's???

The ground I'll check in the morning.

RCA's won't matter. As I said, I tested the SAME RCA's with the LOC, they work great. SAME RCA's with my gf's car + deck, work great.

 

[cpierce 5,000+ posts]

Where are the rules to the game? I don't want to cheat....

 

[Roasted 10+ year member]

Where are the rules to the game? I don't want to cheat....

The rules are tell me what you think the problem is. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Justin89T 10+ year member]

that's bizzare. If you figure out what the problem is be sure to post it, i'd like to know.

but check your ground... matter of fact, forget checking it, don't even bother. reground your headunit //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[cjjackson85 5,000+ posts]

Too long, didn't bother reading... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

 

[Roasted 10+ year member]

Too long, didn't bother reading... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

k.

My head unit doesn't work.

Now tell me what the problem is... f*cking smartass.

 

[theCybe 5,000+ posts]

Is there a sub-level on the headunit? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Unless something's pooched in the headunit, I can't think of any other setting it could be.

Press the reset button on the headunit!

 

[Goldenknob 10+ year member]

I vote ground also, or maybe you had the high pass wires hooked up or touching something and the RCA's didn't work at the same time.