New Sound System Nonfunctional

[tonyroc14 10+ year member]

Sounds like you have the RCA cable comeing from F on the HU but you have the Rear speakers pluged into that channel. You can get another set of RCA's and run from R on the HU to channel 3/4 input, and use channel 3/4 for the rear speaker output. And attach the front speakers to 1/2 output(since you already have the F from the HU attahed to channel 1/2 input)

thats the best setup if you want everything yo work. Otherwise you can get a y splitter, and hook the rca's up that way......

 

[thaster 10+ year member]

so you didnt turn ur gain up at all?

 

[thaster 10+ year member]

OK... Now that you've made all that clear.
Make sure it's all the way to the right ( Clockwise ) * Might have to use a phillip or flathead *

DONT turn it all the way to the right. Just turn it all the way counterclockwise and then turn it clockwise till halfway. If sound isnt heard, its not ur gain.

 

[confuseid 10+ year member]

Sounds like you have the RCA cable comeing from F on the HU but you have the Rear speakers pluged into that channel. You can get another set of RCA's and run from R on the HU to channel 3/4 input, and use channel 3/4 for the rear speaker output. And attach the front speakers to 1/2 output(since you already have the F from the HU attahed to channel 1/2 input)
thats the best setup if you want everything yo work. Otherwise you can get a y splitter, and hook the rca's up that way......

I am not using my amplifier to power my rear deck speakers, as I am keeping them stock. Maybe I am missing something, but is that what you mean?

So what speakers are you trying to run off the amp? The mids and tweets off channel 1 + 2? Are you running anything off of channels 3 + 4? Did you run new speaker wire or are you using factory speaker wire and if so did you tap into in the kick panel or behind the deck?
Do you have any pictures of it installed? Settings, cables, speaker wires.

I am trying to run the front component speakers that I listed off the amplifier. The mids and the tweeters are indeed plugged into channels 1 and 2. I am not running anything off channels 3 and 4.

I did run new speaker wire. I am not using factory speaker wire.

I tapped into the kick panel.

Just for clarity's sake I will write this on a sentence of its own:

I am only using my amplifier to power my front components.

Here are some pictures of the setup, if you need anything specific, let me know and I will be more than happy to go to the car and take pictures:

Crossovers put underneath seats.

Wiring put underneath carpet along sides of car.

Wiring going up from back of rear seats to amplifier in trunk.

Amplifier in trunk (before mounting).

Alpine iDA-x100 Headunit

Crossovers.

Wires used in front doors for speakers and tweeters.

Just to clarify some things and answer some questions:

I haven't touched the gain at all, I left it as the amplifier came. I will try what you said though, turn it all the way counter-clockwise, then turn it clockwise to the halfway position?

I have checked my speakers, and they are all indeed connected in the same ports (Channels 1/2).

Some of the questions asked were expected, and I have already posted the answers in my previous post. I may have repeated a few things in response to the questions, but there's no harm in redundance, so long as we're covering all the points.

I just wonder if people even bother to read my posts before they ask the questions though.

Thanks for the continued help people, I'm hoping we're excluding more and more possibilities, thus coming closer to overcoming this problem.

 

[Redlineaudio 10+ year member]

Do you have a DMM?

Can you use it to check for +12 at the amp? The LED is not always an indicator that the amp is getting power.

On a side note, WTF is up with the Duct Tape?

 

[TurdFergueson2 5,000+ posts]

We're trying to work with you man......But people all have their way I guess. You have a 4 channel amp yet you only want to power the front speakers with it? Why not just wire the rears to the amp, add another RCA cable and you get sound from all the speakers? That's the only problem I have with your setup is not wanting to use the rears on the amp too. It would be much more easier if you did.

He could power the rears by wiring them straight to the deck right? I never did that either.

 

[Redlineaudio 10+ year member]

I am a little confused on the Wiring to the door.

You say you tapped it in the kick.

So Amp > Crossover under seat > Mid connection to kick > new tweet line from crossover to tweet.

 

[confuseid 10+ year member]

Do you have a DMM?
Can you use it to check for +12 at the amp? The LED is not always an indicator that the amp is getting power.

On a side note, WTF is up with the Duct Tape?

What is a DMM? A continuity check? I have a wire with a light in the middle that I use for continuity checks.

The duct tape is just holding the original factory wires together, keeping them away from my new mids.

Thus, answering your question: I am NOT using the original factory wires (if that is what you mean connected to kick).

My amplifier is connected to my xovers, which is connected to my mids and tweeters.

Well I guess I could power the rear speakers with my amplifier, but I really don't see a point. Just seems like more work and wiring for no reason.

Out of curiousity what do you mean that seems like the problem with my setup? I don't see how not powering my stock rear deck speakers with my amplifier would affect sound coming out of my components.

 

[thaster 10+ year member]

connect the amp to the front speakers and turn the gain up like i say. is there sound?

 

[tonyroc14 10+ year member]

yea, turn the gain up for the win.

 

[forbidden 10+ year member]

Disconnect all speakers and the rca cables from the amp. Run a new temporary rca cable from the deck to the amp without burying it under the carpet. Buy that second cable so that you have full front / rear fade capability. Take a speaker that is known to work and wire it directly to the amp, again not burying the speaker wire in the car. If there is still no sound, chances are that the amp is dead (which won't surprise me as 1000w amps don't have 50 amps of fusing (your amp is maybe 40w rms x 4)). There is a slight chance that the outputs in the Alpine are toast but this is slim to none as far as that goes. Borrow a friends amp and try with his to see what the results are.

If your amp works hooked up as above, connect the speakers to the amp one at a time and test after each connection. If one speaker wire is grounding out somewhere in the car, you will get no sound at all.

 

[confuseid 10+ year member]

Disconnect all speakers and the rca cables from the amp. Run a new temporary rca cable from the deck to the amp without burying it under the carpet. Buy that second cable so that you have full front / rear fade capability. Take a speaker that is known to work and wire it directly to the amp, again not burying the speaker wire in the car. If there is still no sound, chances are that the amp is dead (which won't surprise me as 1000w amps don't have 50 amps of fusing (your amp is maybe 40w rms x 4)). There is a slight chance that the outputs in the Alpine are toast but this is slim to none as far as that goes. Borrow a friends amp and try with his to see what the results are.
If your amp works hooked up as above, connect the speakers to the amp one at a time and test after each connection. If one speaker wire is grounding out somewhere in the car, you will get no sound at all.

http://www.millionbuy.com/atksm41000.html

My amp is 125w RMS @ 4 Ohms running 4-Channel.

My amp has 25Ax2 = 50 Amps of fusing.

When you say temporary RCA cable from deck to amp what do you mean?

Use a different RCA cable from my "deck" (HU? or rear Deck?) straight to my amplifier?

I wish I had a friend with an amplifier, but I don't, so I don't know any way I can test if its the amplifier...

I tried directly connecting the amplifier to my factory speakers to test if it worked, and no sound came out. I am going to try the gain tonight. Will post results ASAP.

 

[TurdFergueson2 5,000+ posts]

What is a DMM? A continuity check? I have a wire with a light in the middle that I use for continuity checks.
The duct tape is just holding the original factory wires together, keeping them away from my new mids.

Thus, answering your question: I am NOT using the original factory wires (if that is what you mean connected to kick).

My amplifier is connected to my xovers, which is connected to my mids and tweeters.

Well I guess I could power the rear speakers with my amplifier, but I really don't see a point. Just seems like more work and wiring for no reason.

Out of curiousity what do you mean that seems like the problem with my setup? I don't see how not powering my stock rear deck speakers with my amplifier would affect sound coming out of my components.

Dude, you amp is more than likely in the back. How hard would it be to wire those speakers to the amp? As hard as running an extra rca off the back of your HU to the amp.

2 sets of rcas + all speaker wired to the amp, plus making sure your power remote and ground are secure+ adjusting your gains and switching to 4 channel will get you the sound you need. Anything else you are on your own. People are suggesting a tried and true way to do it and you are saying screw that, I want to do it this way even though it is not working for me. Just try it my way one time.

And also the more work/wiring thing.......... dude this is car audio. Do it right the first time. Why do you want to half *** it? I had the 800 watt version of that same amp running fine until I sold it.

 

[Redlineaudio 10+ year member]

He does not want to burn up the Factory rears so there is no reason to connect to them.

A DMM is a Digital Multi Meter. you use it to check for Voltage.

Checking for Voltage is the first step to make sure the amp is even trying to come on.

 

[TurdFergueson2 5,000+ posts]

Bump to see if he got this resolved or took it to BB.