Smoked amp

[Zrock2010]

Had a kenwood excelion x500-1 has been working good for years. Transfered over to this truck a 2003 silverado no issues for weeks. Today I had to pilot a wide load. I have power for the pilot sign, amp, and my vhf radio direct from top posts on battery. After a few blocks I could smell something burning was not a strong smell just faint. The radio was turned down or off cant remember so I could use the vhf so I did not notice the sub quit working. When I got back I poked around to see what happened. No fuses blown for anything including the ones in the amp itself and the amp would power on but no output. See attached pic for inside amp. Plugged in my old mtx amp and drove to stereo shop where I purchased. They said it was the incoming power possibly a dead short or over powered. Tested all my connections and ohms on the sub and everything was good. Plugged in pilot sign and ran truck for 10 min or so testing and all was good. All wiring is brand new and if it shorted I should have burns elsewhere or blown fuse. Probably would have blown the fuse in the vhf for sure... so was it just luck the amp died or should I keep investigating? I also contacted Kenwood via email and sent them pick as well just as a fyi as im not expecting any warranty and i have already replaced it with alpine. They were trying to tell me it was a under voltage situation and wanted me to ship it back on my dime so they could investigate and quote me on repairs.. Im 99% sure their was no under voltage issue as i have a gauge setup on the dash that gives me real time info and my voltage was always over 14v. Also if it was a under voltage my VHf would have went down and it was as strong as normal i can rx/tx farther than the other drivers in my group

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[Zrock2010]

Here is the pic

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[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

Had a kenwood excelion x500-1 has been working good for years. Transfered over to this truck a 2003 silverado no issues for weeks. Today I had to pilot a wide load. I have power for the pilot sign, amp, and my vhf radio direct from top posts on battery. After a few blocks I could smell something burning was not a strong smell just faint. The radio was turned down or off cant remember so I could use the vhf so I did not notice the sub quit working. When I got back I poked around to see what happened. No fuses blown for anything including the ones in the amp itself and the amp would power on but no output. See attached pic for inside amp. Plugged in my old mtx amp and drove to stereo shop where I purchased. They said it was the incoming power possibly a dead short or over powered. Tested all my connections and ohms on the sub and everything was good. Plugged in pilot sign and ran truck for 10 min or so testing and all was good. All wiring is brand new and if it shorted I should have burns elsewhere or blown fuse. Probably would have blown the fuse in the vhf for sure... so was it just luck the amp died or should I keep investigating? I also contacted Kenwood via email and sent them pick as well just as a fyi as im not expecting any warranty and i have already replaced it with alpine. They were trying to tell me it was a under voltage situation and wanted me to ship it back on my dime so they could investigate and quote me on repairs.. Im 99% sure their was no under voltage issue as i have a gauge setup on the dash that gives me real time info and my voltage was always over 14v. Also if it was a under voltage my VHf would have went down and it was as strong as normal i can rx/tx farther than the other drivers in my group

i wouldn't pay to fix it regardless of y it messed up (coulda just over heated), u can get amp like mine precision power phantom 1000 $169 Tested at 725 @4ohm 930 @2ohm 1162@1 ohm or a pioneer 8601 pretty cheap., if it cost $100 to get that fixed and shipped u could just got new amp for few $ more..

 

[Zrock2010]

I purchased a alpine m500 tested at 571.. I'm well beyond loud I just like somewhat balanced with a little more bottom end... did not think a amp would overheat if muted or off.. if kenwood would have covered shipping I would have sent back just for curiosity but where I live shipping would have been 50plus each way

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[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

May have been a short inside the amp w/o you realizing it. Bad solder job or so. Might have been a bad connection, something was lose, wasn't tight.

 

[Zrock2010]

On the off chance that it was a temp low voltage maby when I kicked the pilot sign on. Would adding a cap have enough to it to protect the amp? Starting to wonder if the beacons initial charge could have possibly done something?

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[hispls 5,000+ posts]

On the off chance that it was a temp low voltage maby when I kicked the pilot sign on. Would adding a cap have enough to it to protect the amp? Starting to wonder if the beacons initial charge could have possibly done something?
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If you weren't playing it hard it should not have failed from low voltage, also it should not idle hot (though some amps do). The power supply failed catastrophically though and it looks like that board may be burnt to the point where it cannot be repaired anyway.

Do double check all the wires and their connections to your speakers to make doubly sure there are no shorts, otherwise, chalk it up to bad luck or the amp just reached the end of its life expectancy. I've never been a fan of Kenwood amps since they made their first ones way back when. Alpine is a far more reliable brand for amps.

 

[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

Yeah cheap amp...amp repair would cost ya as much as buying a new one. Or another used one. Some are really cheap. Some people out there are hard up for $$ and you might find a good deal out there.

 

[Zrock2010]

Ya i guess ill just chalk it up to kenwoods quality has stayed the same the whole reason i stopped buying it years ago.. During the install i triple checked everything and after the amp when up in smoke i rechecked everything. Lets just say this install has costed me allot more than i care to have spent some due to my stupidity.. Starting off with the $300 adapter harness and interface kit. Found out later they have switched brands to scosche and could have gotten it at Walmart or Canadian tire for 1/2 price. I actually went back to the audio shop and told them i shop their because they sell quality products not the crap you can get at a big box store.. Then when putting in my touch screen i was not playing close enough attention and pinched the rear speaker wires shorting out the internal amp.. Or so i though went out and got new one and installed. Figured i would give the old one to the GF so she could have blue tooth and i thought she only had 2 speakers anyway. Started installing and realized she had 4 speakers so i figured i would test the rear leads.. Hooked up the rears and realized that the radio was stuck in sub mode for the rear. After some messing around i found the reset button and unfroze the setting screen and got it out of sub mode...Duhhh... Then a few weeks later the amp blows..LOL 30 years of doing my own installs and having some seriously over worked equipment when i was young first time iv had any issues..