Subwoofer quit working, really lost

gud

CarAudio.com Recruit
58
3
Florida
Hi. I've got a Sundown SA-12 rev3, paired with a Rockford Fosgate Prime 1,200 Watt amp. Been installed in my car for years. Never once had a problem, this thing has been a tank for as long as it's been installed.

Sometime last week it just stopped thumping. I was driving and noticed there was no bass at all, except small little bumps.
I have checked the wiring from the amp to sub, amp to headunit, amp to battery. Nothing seems to be wrong or broken. The amp lights up as normal. The amp fuse is still intact.

The only thing off is my bass knob LED also doesn't light up anymore, even though the amp that it's connected to does.

I'm really lost, not super great at electrical troubleshooting, so any advice would be appreciated. Should I completely disconnect my sub from the box? I tested my battery with a multimeter and it checks out, the alternator as well seems to check out fine.
 
Hi. I've got a Sundown SA-12 rev3, paired with a Rockford Fosgate Prime 1,200 Watt amp. Been installed in my car for years. Never once had a problem, this thing has been a tank for as long as it's been installed.

Sometime last week it just stopped thumping. I was driving and noticed there was no bass at all, except small little bumps.
I have checked the wiring from the amp to sub, amp to headunit, amp to battery. Nothing seems to be wrong or broken. The amp lights up as normal. The amp fuse is still intact.

The only thing off is my bass knob LED also doesn't light up anymore, even though the amp that it's connected to does.

I'm really lost, not super great at electrical troubleshooting, so any advice would be appreciated. Should I completely disconnect my sub from the box? I tested my battery with a multimeter and it checks out, the alternator as well seems to check out fine.
Turn down the bass at the head unit and disconnect the bass knob. Turn on and adjust bass. Sometimes knobs go bad.
 
If none of the above solve your problem, check the sub wiring inside your box. Something may have come loose. The worst-case scenario is that there is a problem with the internals of your amp. Hopefully, this won't be the issue.
Good luck.
 
I should note that sometimes (not always, can't replicate it) the bass works for 5-10 seconds upon the car being turned on before shutting off completely. It then sounds like what I believe to be clipping. (I've never heard a clipping subwoofer, but I'm assuming bc it sounds what I'd expect it to.) But then most times, it's just completely silent. Not a single noise comes from it. No clipping.

Turn down the bass at the head unit and disconnect the bass knob. Turn on and adjust bass. Sometimes knobs go bad.
Attempted that, and what happened was what I explained right above this, the bass was working initially and about 5 seconds into the song the bass goes silent. But aside from that, the LED light refuses to turn on on the bass knob so I think that is an issue in itself. But the problem itself persists when the knob is connected, and when it's not.

If none of the above solve your problem, check the sub wiring inside your box. Something may have come loose. The worst-case scenario is that there is a problem with the internals of your amp. Hopefully, this won't be the issue.
Good luck.

I think this is gonna be that I'll have to do. I already checked the side terminal connections and they seem good. Seems like the problem itself might be with the sub :(
 
If none of the above solve your problem, check the sub wiring inside your box. Something may have come loose. The worst-case scenario is that there is a problem with the internals of your amp. Hopefully, this won't be the issue.
Good luck.

So an update today: I was driving around and the bass started working again, the bass knob lit up and everything. All was fine, until I turned my car on a few hours later. Bass worked for 15 seconds and quit again. I figured it must be a connection issue. I finally got around to unscrewing the sub itself and from inside the box everything is connected as it should be. I readjusted everything just to verify though. The issue persists again, no bass, no light on bass knob. Not sure why it randomly started.

You think this sounds like an issue with the amplifier itself? (despite the amplifier power LED being lit up everytime?)

EDIT: this thing is bipolar. I tested the amp with a multimeter and it is 100% receiving enough power from the battery. Unplugged everything on the amp, plugged it all back in. Sub is currently working...
 
Last edited:
You think this sounds like an issue with the amplifier itself? (despite the amplifier power LED being lit up everytime?)
It seems that your amp is working fine when it does come on. I think you may have a broken solder point inside the amp. I would say it is the relay but the power light only lights when relay is working. Might be time to open it up, wiggle a few components to see if anything is loose. I have seen capacitors do this. If you are unsure about this task, it is best to leave it to a tech.
 
It seems that your amp is working fine when it does come on. I think you may have a broken solder point inside the amp. I would say it is the relay but the power light only lights when relay is working. Might be time to open it up, wiggle a few components to see if anything is loose. I have seen capacitors do this. If you are unsure about this task, it is best to leave it to a tech.
Thank you. This will be my next step
 
For anyone curious on another update: I took it to an audio shop, which helped me determine my subwoofer is fine, and it's probably an issue with the amp but they didn't help much more bc it wasn't their install. I took apart my amplifier and couldn't figure anything out lol, took a look at everything I could but I'm no pro with this stuff. Last thing I have to check is the stereo connections, which is a good few hours work with my car. thanks yall for your help. think my amp is gonna have to be replaced though
 
Update: I bought a brand new amp and I'm still having issues. The amp powers on yet goes directly to protect mode. The manual claims protect mode means one of three things: the amplifier overheated (this is not the case), it short circuited (which doesn't seem likely because the fuse is in tact), or the speaker impedance is too low.

I'm lost here because I purchased the same amplifier, just an upgraded model. Same specs and whatnot. The RF R2-1200x1 to be exact. My amp is wired to my sub at 2 ohms pushing 800W which it can handle with ease, and I have been running for the past four years without issue. So I am confused how the impedance would be too low.

I haven't touched anything regarding the speaker wiring itself as in I haven't replaced any wiring, though I have tested with a digital multimeter the connection from battery to amp (check), connection from amp to sub (check), connection from head unit to amp (check). All seem to work fine, though I'm not sure what readings I should be getting, but they all do give off power. No wires are hanging out, squished between anything, etc. All ground connections are in tact.

I am still lost, and out the money I just spent on this amp LOL... :( Any other ideas before I take it to a second shop?
 
I should note that sometimes (not always, can't replicate it) the bass works for 5-10 seconds upon the car being turned on before shutting off completely. It then sounds like what I believe to be clipping. (I've never heard a clipping subwoofer, but I'm assuming bc it sounds what I'd expect it to.) But then most times, it's just completely silent. Not a single noise comes from it. No clipping.


Attempted that, and what happened was what I explained right above this, the bass was working initially and about 5 seconds into the song the bass goes silent. But aside from that, the LED light refuses to turn on on the bass knob so I think that is an issue in itself. But the problem itself persists when the knob is connected, and when it's not.



I think this is gonna be that I'll have to do. I already checked the side terminal connections and they seem good. Seems like the problem itself might be with the sub :(
To me I would check your ground on the amp had same problem couldn’t figure it out forever but ended up bad ground amp would work then cut off that’s where I would start
 
I am still lost, and out the money I just spent on this amp LOL... :( Any other ideas before I take it to a second shop?
I second what Cadillac02Deville suggested. It has to be a power supply issue. If you can get the battery out and mount it next to the amp for testing, it should tell you if the wiring is the culprit.
 
Also get a multimeter and set it to ohms and put a lead to your positive speaker wire and your negative speaker wire you’ll be able to see if you have a blown sub and also what your impedance ....
I just did this and one end tests 3.9, the other end tests 6.6. Why is this ? It's a dual 4 ohm speaker, what does reading higher than 4 mean?
 
Activity
No one is currently typing a reply...
Old Thread: Please note, there have been no replies in this thread for over 3 years!
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.

Similar threads

To do this magic, should the microphone always be kept in the driver's seat or on the dashboard?...since that is where it must go in phase with...
0
47
I placed it in my cart and it came out to $179.99 with the 31HTZ and 0.75 double baffle for an american bass xfl1022. Considering where you are ...
16
307
Open screw holes sound like a little muffler, loose box panels sound like a massager on a wooden table.
20
437
You can add a passive x-over between the HK harness and Logic sub. Just know that an inline passive will also affect the HK sub's frequency curve...
5
514

About this thread

gud

CarAudio.com Recruit
Thread starter
gud
Joined
Location
Florida
Start date
Participants
Who Replied
Replies
15
Views
2,403
Last reply date
Last reply from
Buck
Screenshot 2024-03-07 184329.png

Doxquzme

    Mar 27, 2024
  • 0
  • 0
IMG_3075.jpeg

Daniel Lee

    Mar 27, 2024
  • 0
  • 0

Latest topics

Top