Noob Installer, PLZ Help

[jeeper07 5,000+ posts]

just double checking your sure that your remote wire is hooked up securley to the back of the radio ? and your subwoofer option is turned on at the radio>

 

[SteveKB 10+ year member]

just double checking your sure that your remote wire is hooked up securley to the back of the radio ? and your subwoofer option is turned on at the radio>

Remote wire secure, no sub options on headunit.

 

[SteveKB 10+ year member]

I guess im going to try another amp, I took somemore readings today and everything is reading right on the voltages until the REM wire on the amp is hooked up. The amp light is real bright for a second when its hooked up then dims as the voltage drops from 13ish to 7.6v

New amp sound like the way to go?

 

[SteveKB 10+ year member]

I'm thinkin a Alpine V-Power MRP M650

Or

a Kenwood KAC-9102D

Thoughts?

 

[bikinpunk 10+ year member]

I'm thinkin a Alpine V-Power MRP M650
Or

a Kenwood KAC-9102D

Thoughts?

Well, before you buy one, try to find a friend who wouldn't mind letting you test it out on your system to make sure it's an installation issue rather than a product issue. Or, if you got it from a shop take your car up there and have them look it over. They should be willing to do so since there's a strong possibility you have a faulty amp.

 

[SteveKB 10+ year member]

Well, before you buy one, try to find a friend who wouldn't mind letting you test it out on your system to make sure it's an installation issue rather than a product issue. Or, if you got it from a shop take your car up there and have them look it over. They should be willing to do so since there's a strong possibility you have a faulty amp.

Funny you mention that, I had the same idea, there is a car audio shop not far from my work and I took it by there at lunch and had them test the Amp and it works fine, so the problem lies in my wiring somewhere.

 

[bikinpunk 10+ year member]

It may have been covered already, but I don't feel like re-reading this all again, lol.

Are you wires running anywhere they could possibly be pinched? ie: seat backs, door jams? If you know your amp works fine, what about your headunit?

When you say they tested your amp, did they do so with your sub still intact? In other words, did your sub get tested with the amp, or was the amp removed and they checked for voltage, etc on the amp alone? Could you give a few more specifics on what they did, or what they checked?

I'm thinking it's either your wiring is getting pinched somewhere, your rca's are not connected fully and causing your signal to come in and out, or your subwoofer speaker connection is bad at the amp or subwoofer's terminal cup, or subwoofer itself.

 

[bikinpunk 10+ year member]

OH, one other thing I didn't think to mention. I had a problem with my sub not cutting on. My amp was sending out power fine, but my sub just wouldn't play. I took a 9v battery and hooked the speaker wire from the sub box to the corresponding + & - terminals (per advice of another forum member) and got my sub to "pop" if you will. That told me that the connections inside the box was fine and the sub was alright. Then, I rechecked signal off the amp and got nothing. I gave up and hooked my speaker wires up to the box and all of a sudden it worked. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think that the 9v battery gave it a "jump". Haven't had a problem since. Give that a go and get back to us.

9v (or 12v) battery (+) & (-) to the subwoofer speaker wire (+) & (-)

touch them on the battery a couple times and see if the speaker "pops"

 

[SteveKB 10+ year member]

WOOT! I got it working. I re-grounded everything to different locations for the 2nd time, and this time it worked. Now I only have 1 more issue, anyone have any tips for keeping the amp a little cooler, because I cant have it bumpin to long because it gets to hot, I mean like to hot to touch, then it cuts out.

And I lied I have another issue, I'm not getting enough juice, I can watch my voltage gauge on the dash on see it dive on the bass hits to below 10. Will a cap solve this, altenator, or new battery, or the big 3, or a combo? hehe.

Thanks

 

[wilzyx 5,000+ posts]

WOOT! I got it working. I re-grounded everything to different locations for the 2nd time, and this time it worked. Now I only have 1 more issue, anyone have any tips for keeping the amp a little cooler, because I cant have it bumpin to long because it gets to hot, I mean like to hot to touch, then it cuts out.
And I lied I have another issue, I'm not getting enough juice, I can watch my voltage gauge on the dash on see it dive on the bass hits to below 10. Will a cap solve this, altenator, or new battery, or the big 3, or a combo? hehe.

Thanks

first do the big 3, then if that doesnt solve it a new alt, and a new battery wouldnt hurt either.

 

[wilzyx 5,000+ posts]

I was just reading over this. I'm not sure if this will actually work, but to test to see if it's a bad battery you *might* be able to just pull another car up next to your vehicle and connect the power wire from your battery to the positive terminal on the other car's battery. You shouldn't need to change anything else theoretically to try this, since your grounds are already in place in your car.

im pretty sure that wouldnt work becuase with the grounds in your car and the batter in his you could not complete a circuit and the amps wouldnt turn on.

 

[SteveKB 10+ year member]

first do the big 3, then if that doesnt solve it a new alt, and a new battery wouldnt hurt either.

Would this help with the heat problem at all?

I mean im only getting like 5 minutes of playtime before it cuts out, and I don't even have it loud.

Gain is at 12'Oclock, Bass Boost is 0, LPF is on.

 

[SteveKB 10+ year member]

:/