trouble with my jl audio 500/1 amp

[jm25 10+ year member]

I need a lil help ...i just purchased 2 12 inch alpine type r subs and a 500/1 jl audio amp i kno this amp has more than enough power to push em i witnessed the same amp power 3 10 inch alpine type rs but im having a lil trouble everything is hooked upbattery wire remote ground but the rca wirse seem to be acting a bit funny....the amp hase 2 sections a pre amp output section and a amp input section ....the pre amp output section is were you woulr run another pair of RCA wires if you were attatching second amp and the input section is were the RCA from the headunit to the amp would connect but when i do that the amp doesnt turn on now when i connect it to thepre amp out put section it turns on but i get no sound... now if i take the red part of the RCA wire and connect it too the input section and connect the white to the output section i get bass....im trying to figure out is it the RCA wire or the headunit or the amp itself? .....I NEED HELP ASAP IF ANYONE CAN HELP ILL APPRECIATE IT

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[vaiboy 10+ year member]

Is the "Signal Sensing" switch set to off?

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

That amp only makes 500 watts.. Each sub is 500 watts so how is that enough? It will PUSH them but not well.

 

[jm25 10+ year member]

the switch is off....and like i said i seen the amp push 3 10 inch type r`sand it sound real good so why not 2 12`s

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

It can push them like I said but its only going to be at half RMS so be very careful not to clip the signal try to get more power out of it. A 1 watt amp will push them

 

[jm25 10+ year member]

cool but the whole point is the amp doesnt turn on when the RCA wires are suppose to be on the input section were it supposed to be ..not in the pre amp out put

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Go to JLs website they have a ton of info about how to set their amps up. You must have something switched the wrong way, there are a lot of setting on those amps

 

[vaiboy 10+ year member]

Okay first stop plugging the head unit outputs into the amp outputs.

Disconnect the RCAs.

Use an MP3 player with a 3.5mm-RCA adapter on the inputs, instead of the headunit, and be sure the remote is getting 12V If that works then the problem is not the amp.

If the MP3 player works.

Check the RCA connections behind the head unit.

If you have more than one RCA output try a different output.

Use a DMM to check the outputs for AC voltage

 

[Why So Cereal? 5,000+ posts]

That amp only makes 500 watts.. Each sub is 500 watts so how is that enough? It will PUSH them but not well.

not completely true. I had 2 type r 10s on a JL 500/1 that got 141.9

 

[Why So Cereal? 5,000+ posts]

OP I'd say mess around with that "signal sensing" switch. Mine would come on unless it was ....off (i think) ... friend of mine's had to be on.

 

[UMWDawg92 10+ year member]

not completely true. I had 2 type r 10s on a JL 500/1 that got 141.9

and you probably clipped the **** out of it to get that....

 

[jm25 10+ year member]

I tried what you said still doesn't work...now I put a light tester to the power and ground n it works now I tried doing that to tha rca input section n it doesn't ligh up but when I put it on the output section it lights up ...I used it since I don't have a volt meter

 

[vaiboy 10+ year member]

I tried what you said still doesn't work...now I put a light tester to the power and ground n it works now I tried doing that to tha rca input section n it doesn't ligh up but when I put it on the output section it lights up ...I used it since I don't have a volt meter

A test light really isn't going to help, you need a DMM you can get one for less than $20 or borrow one.

You need to ignore the preamp output section on the amp, focusing on that is not going to solve your problem. I may not have been clear before but the outputs that need to be checked are the outputs on the head unit. That was assuming the amp functioned correctly with an MP3 player.

Let's start over.

Disconnect the speaker wires from the amp.

Connect the RCAs from the head unit to the INPUT section on the amp.

Turn off the LPF, Infrasonic Filter, Bass EQ

Turn on the head unit

Does the amp power up? (is the green light on)

Are the yellow or red lights on?

If the green light is not on, is there 12V at the remote?

 

[jm25 10+ year member]

The amp didn't work with my ipod...but I got the dmm and there is 12v from the remote and amp still doesn't turn on

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

This may be a stupid question but did you check the fuse(s)?