Remote wire bringing power to the HU from amps.

[Benyab]

So I just finished installing a second amp for my door speakers, and now the amps aren’t shutting off with the head unit. Before I put the second one in it was working perfect. I grounded the new amp on the same place I grounded the first one, and it seems like the remote wire is bringing the 12V to the head unit. I tried the red wire bypass and it literally turned on the head unit.

Is it possible to overground the amps so now they constantly draw power even with the HU off, and if not what else may be my issue? My HU harness is fine, voltage is coming from the amps down the remote wire.

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[marc2112 10+ year member]

It's recommended to use a relay when using multiple amps. Not sure if that will solve your problem tho.

PAC TR-4 (tr4) Remote Turn-on Module - Sonic Electronix

PAC TR-4 • Remote Turn-on Module • Remote Turn-On Module • Used To Turn On Remote Amplifiers • 2 Second Delay To Prevent Turn-On Noise • Supplies 2 Amps Of Current • Can Drive Multiple Amps Or A Power Antenna • Activated By Low Level Trigger Lead

www.sonicelectronix.com

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

Make sure you don't have any stray strands of copper wire from constant to remote. It happens... even a single strand.

 

[4U2NVagain]

So I just finished installing a second amp for my door speakers, and now the amps aren’t shutting off with the head unit. Before I put the second one in it was working perfect. I grounded the new amp on the same place I grounded the first one, and it seems like the remote wire is bringing the 12V to the head unit. I tried the red wire bypass and it literally turned on the head unit.

Is it possible to overground the amps so now they constantly draw power even with the HU off, and if not what else may be my issue? My HU harness is fine, voltage is coming from the amps down the remote wire.

Your observation sounds accurate. It does sound like you have constant power travelling down the remote wire. Likely, tapped to the wrong connection for the remote of the second amp, OR you have the remote cable at the amp bridging at the positive battery connection at one of the two amps....likely at the new amp, but don't dismiss checking the 1st amp too...just in case.

 

[Lasherž]

So I just finished installing a second amp for my door speakers, and now the amps aren’t shutting off with the head unit. Before I put the second one in it was working perfect. I grounded the new amp on the same place I grounded the first one, and it seems like the remote wire is bringing the 12V to the head unit. I tried the red wire bypass and it literally turned on the head unit.

It sounds like what ThxOne said, probably the positive cable is interacting with it some how and giving it constant beans. You should be able to power two amps off the one signal but if there's any doubt you can check the voltage while the first amp is running, it should still be very close to the voltage of the B+ at the amp.

Is it possible to overground the amps so now they constantly draw power even with the HU off, and if not what else may be my issue? My HU harness is fine, voltage is coming from the amps down the remote wire.

Over grounding isn't a thing, but you mentioned that you grounded them in the same location. This might cause issues later, but the issue you're having now definitely isn't one of them.

Edit: Do you have an old cable that you used to use before you got the head unit? Like maybe one running from a fuse tap that you accidentally swapped when you did the new amp installation? Grasping at straws, but you're getting battery power to those amps' remote-on terminal some how.

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

Over grounding isn't a thing, but you mentioned that you grounded them in the same location. This might cause issues later, but the issue you're having now definitely isn't one of them.

Just so this isn't misinterpreted, not saying you said anything confusing or incorrect but I don't want someone new taking it the wrong way. "Overgrounding" if EVERYTHING is oversized or isolated from another circuits ground is fine.

If you tie a large loads ground in parallel with a small load nearby the large loads ground, AND the small load has it's own path to ground, you can end up forcing a large amount of current through a small ground and cause a fire. Basically feed your low load grounds ONLY to wire's that carry in excess of the small loads current.

I don't want someone thinking they can add grounds willy nilly and say it's "over grounded"

 

[Lasherž]

Just so this isn't misinterpreted, not saying you said anything confusing or incorrect but I don't want someone new taking it the wrong way. "Overgrounding" if EVERYTHING is oversized or isolated from another circuits ground is fine.

If you tie a large loads ground in parallel with a small load nearby the large loads ground, AND the small load has it's own path to ground, you can end up forcing a large amount of current through a small ground and cause a fire. Basically feed your low load grounds ONLY to wire's that carry in excess of the small loads current.

I don't want someone thinking they can add grounds willy nilly and say it's "over grounded"

Yeah fair enough. I was thinking of mentioning the loads and fusing but I didn't want to get too into the weeds. Be careful with all of the power delivery wires and never make a ground of a lesser AWG than the positive cable or longer than the postive cable. Also ground against the frame support piece, not midway down a bolt or against something non-metallic just because the bolt is low resistance to ground. You're relying on that bolt a lot to do something it wasn't designed specifically to do, conduct electricity.

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

Yeah fair enough. I was thinking of mentioning the loads and fusing but I didn't want to get too into the weeds. Be careful with all of the power delivery wires and never make a ground of a lesser AWG than the positive cable or longer than the postive cable. Also ground against the frame support piece, not midway down a bolt or against something non-metallic just because the bolt is low resistance to ground. You're relying on that bolt a lot to do something it wasn't designed specifically to do, conduct electricity.

Spot on, glad you didn't take that the wrong way. I just remember when I was still learning I'd do a google search and find things that I took the wrong way because I didn't know what I was doing lol