Major problem w/HU and voltage drop!

[altyboy 10+ year member]

Hey guys, I have a Pioneer 5500mp that I've been running for a few years now. It's been repaired once a few months back for 'bad ground tracks' by some local auth Pioneer repair shop. I'm using a DEI1100d for the subs and USAcoustics 2100 2 channel for the midbasses.

Anyway, I installed a DEI1100d yesterday. No wiring changes, just pulled the wires from the Profile CA800 and installed them on the DEI. Everything sounded great.

Today, while driving around town, I get out of the van and 10mins later, I get back in and notice no bass. I pull over and see that the USAcoustics power strip is not lit up and the protection light is on the DEI.

I have 12v+ from the battery/fuse breaker/distro block up until the amps.

Each amp only reads 4.59v. However, I pulled the remote leads from each amp out of curiosity and then each amp reads 12.37v (though the DMM takes awhile to get from 11v to 12.37 on the DEI while it reads 12.37 immediately on the other amp,odd?).

So what's up with the HU that's causing something w/the remote wires to kill the amps input voltage?? I like the HU, but I'm not sure if I want this shop to work on it again...

Jeremy

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[johnecon2001 5,000+ posts]

Could be a loose wire in the distro or corrosion somewhere. If you stop getting 12v after the distro, the remote line from the HU has nothing to do with the problem.

Look at other possibilities besides the HU. Is your distro fused? Check the fuses with the DMM to see if they still flow current.

 

[altyboy 10+ year member]

Well, the thing is, the amps are still hooked up to the distro block and get over 12v at the amps when the remote wires are removed from each amp. It's only when the remote wires are attached to the amps that they won't operate and only get 4v....

So I don't think it could be the distro block (which is inside the cabin and in perfect shape).

Everything has at least 12v including the amps, except when the HU remote wires are attached.

Another symptom: I noticed when I first turn the key on 'acc', the USAcoustics blue light strip lights but immediately goes out so that's why I'm thinking it's something w/the HU...

Jeremy

 

[Jason Sybert 10+ year member]

So when the remote wire is removed did you take a wire and cross from the positive in to the remote in so the amp switches on?

 

[altyboy 10+ year member]

No, all I'm saying is that when the remote leads are attached to the amps, my DMM only shows the amps are receiving 4.xx volts.

When only the remote leads are removed, the DMM shows 12.xx volts at the amps. I don't try to turn them on.

They get the proper voltage without the HU remote wires attached to the amps and with them, they get 4v only....

Jeremy

 

[altyboy 10+ year member]

Only other thing I'm wondering is that I have a single run of 4g from the battery to the dist block and then 2 8g power wires. The dist block has 2 30A fuses (which are good and have almost no resistance).

I didn't really consider that when I swapped amps (600w Profile for 1100w DEI) but perhaps the 8g and 30A fuse is hurting the amp. Then again, the smaller 300w USAcoustics has the same problem.

Inline fuse at the battery seems in good shape but I may try a straight run bypassing the fuse to the dist block and go from there....

I hate this.....enjoyed the new setup for one day.....

 

[KaeZoo 10+ year member]

I think the only thing the remote leads are doing to cause the problem is to turn the amps on. Ohm's Law with regard to voltage drops means that when there's no current flow, there's no drop. No remote lead = amps shut off = no current draw. Remote lead on = amps turn on and draw current = voltage drop. Somewhere in your power line there's a resistance built in.

What kind of fuse / fuse holder do you have at the battery?

 

[altyboy 10+ year member]

You and others are correct. I haven't found the problem yet but I realize now that the HU isn't the problem (one good thing I guess). I was just trying to rush to get an answer w/o thinking through the situation logically.

The inline fuse at the battery seems in good shape. Measured same low resistance that the other dist block fuses showed, 0.3ohms.....

It's obviously a wiring issue, and I'm just going to check everything out tomorrow hopefully. I think I'll run the power wire straight from the battery to each amp (one at a time) and see if they power up.

If that works (hopefully!!), then I'll run it to the dist block and/or then try it after the inline battery fuse and bypass the dist block....I'll find the culprit somehow...

Honestly, it's just a waiting game but as long as my amps are ok, I'm not really worried...But it HAD to sound so good for a day!!!//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crying.gif.ec0ebefe590df0251476573bc49e46d8.gif

Jeremy

 

[Jason Sybert 10+ year member]

I would Get 0 guage to the trunk then distribute it into 4 guage to go to the amps. When you hook up whatever you hookup to the batt makesure there is no crap on the batt pos terminal.

 

[altyboy 10+ year member]

Yeah, I was considering that...but it was hard enough trying to run 4g through the Grand Voyager's firewall!!!//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Jason Sybert 10+ year member]

Did you make your own hole in the fire wall or did you use a previous hole?

 

[altyboy 10+ year member]

Previous....I know, I know, get the drill out right???//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Jason Sybert 10+ year member]

Yep

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

I would check for a loose connection at the input/ouput of the inline underhood fuse and at the input to the distro block. It is also possible that the extra current drawn by the D1100 has caused some new hotspot that has messed up a connection.

 

[Jason Sybert 10+ year member]

so did you check anything yet.