Noob Installer, PLZ Help

[SteveKB 10+ year member]

PLZ Help!

This is maybe my 3rd install of an audio system, no probs with the first 2, but this one has me stumped.

Here's the deal, I got a new head unit about 6 months back and its been flawless no problems there. I decided to go ahead and get an amp and some subs to go with it but something is not right. I get all the wires ran, hooked up, turn on the headunit, I get nothing, well almost nothing, I get random sparatic low volume bursts of sound, so I'm thinking I have my subs/amp wired wrong.

My Amp: http://sm.crutchfield.com/S-k3tAfF7JpML/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=120&I=158XM2002

My Subs: http://www.infinitysystems.com/caraudio/product.aspx?ProdId='REF1252W'&Ser=REF&Cat=SUB

My Install Kit: http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/products/product_details.asp?cat_id=5&series_id=41&family_id=84&item_id=83077&locale=en_US

This is how I have my Subs/Amp Wired using OPTION 2: http://images.cardomain.net/sites/sounddomain/shop/woofer_wizard/2_4ohm_dvc.gif

Ok Pro's am I missing something obvious? Is 4 Gauge +/- not enough, 16 Gauge on the speaker wire not right? Or am I just a dumbass and have it totally wrong? Feel free to be blunt... LOL. Please reply and let me know what other info you need. Thanks

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[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

4Ga is plenty up to about 1000w RMS so your're fine...

my guess is a bad ground or loose cabling, specifically the power and/or remote turn-on wire...

is the amps power light always on?

ohh and prepare to get flamed for having sony equipment

 

[SteveKB 10+ year member]

I have solid grounds on the Headunit, and Amp, ive doubled checked my connections and all seems well. The light on the Amp is steady on all the time. I just tried different RCA's to test, same result though.

Flame away about the amp hehe, It was in my pricer ange, had good reviews, and my buddy has the same one and his works well, I even had him come by and look at my wiring and he couldnt figure it out either, I mean even if the amp is shit, I should get some kinda sound. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[FoxPro5 5,000+ posts]

Wire guide

 

[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

Also option 2 is the correct wiring, just make sure you got it right b/c if you are wired up at 2-ohms the amp will either blow fuses, blow up entirely, or go into protect mode.

 

[nVRuckus 5,000+ posts]

well when you turned it on you didnt have your gains turned all the way up did you? If so you might have fried your first amp. make sure your gains are all the way down and make sure your wiring is solid on both ends positive and negative in the amp and on the battery or chassis.

 

[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

also get out the DMM (multi meter)...

+12v should be ~13.8v

the remote wire should have some power (I think mine was ~9.8v)

double check the ground.....

but beyond that you may have fried something... when you FIRST turned it on did you get any music at all, a loud popping sound?

hmmmm that's a strange one... try to give us a better description...

 

[SteveKB 10+ year member]

Wow, thanks for the quick replies guys.

"well when you turned it on you didnt have your gains turned all the way up did you? If so you might have fried your first amp. make sure your gains are all the way down and make sure your wiring is solid on both ends positive and negative in the amp and on the battery or chassis."

Gains were all the way down, tried them there and at the 12oclock positions no luck. I have the + of the powerwire on the + or the battery nice and snug. I'm grounded to the chassis nice and snug as well.

"also get out the DMM (multi meter)...

 

+12v should be ~13.8v

the remote wire should have some power (I think mine was ~9.8v)

double check the ground.....

 

but beyond that you may have fried something... when you FIRST turned it on did you get any music at all, a loud popping sound?

 

hmmmm that's a strange one... try to give us a better description..."

I have a meter somewhere I'll have to find it. When I first turned it on I heard nothing at all, power light on the amp was steady on, no popping no music, except the random short, extremely low volume sputters of music.

And sorry about my description hehe, still new at this.

 

[nVRuckus 5,000+ posts]

try to slightly push in the center of the cone while it is playing and see if the cones start to flutter. If they do you blew the subs, if not might be the amp.

BTW are you using RCA cables or the standard speaker wires? might weant to check for a defective cale there too.

 

[dleccord 5,000+ posts]

are all these stuff "new" ??

 

[SteveKB 10+ year member]

try to slightly push in the center of the cone while it is playing and see if the cones start to flutter. If they do you blew the subs, if not might be the amp.
BTW are you using RCA cables or the standard speaker wires? might weant to check for a defective cale there too.

No fluttering from the subs, I am using RCA's from the head unit to the amp, and standard speaker wire from the amp to the subs.

 

[wilzyx 5,000+ posts]

did u check all of the fuses?

 

[SteveKB 10+ year member]

did u check all of the fuses?

All fuses unblown, all new equipment except the 6 mo old headunit.

 

[ravendarat 10+ year member]

We might be dealing with an out of phase issue. Try unhooking one sub and see if it gets loud. If it does than reverse the positive and negative on the one you unhooked and try again.

 

[SteveKB 10+ year member]

We might be dealing with an out of phase issue. Try unhooking one sub and see if it gets loud. If it does than reverse the positive and negative on the one you unhooked and try again.

Tried that as well, I either get nothing or the random low volume sound again. I'm going to eat then take some readings from the DMM and reply my findings.