Which dummy resistors do I need?

  • 2
    Participant count
  • Participants list

King Mustard

Car Audio Beginner
I am new to electronics/audio.

The previous owner of my Peugeot 308 (2012) installed the Focal IFP 207 audio kit.

I have tried three separate head units (different makes and models) but could never figure out why the sound kept dropping out.

Turns out it was the resistance of the speakers in the audio kit (2.6Ω), whereas general head units aim for 4-8Ω.

I got help from a guy on Facebook, who suggested buying 4x 2.2Ω 2W resistors to act as dummy loads.

I installed them and, to stop them touching each other, covered each one in insulating tape.

This worked a treat with my Pumpkin ND0286B for a few weeks, until one day, there was smoke coming from behind the head unit!

Turns out one of the resistors overheated and started to burn through the insulating tape.

I wasn't aware resistors got hot and covering them in insulating tape certainly wasn't helping!

He suggested I got higher wattage resistors and find a way to stop them touching without using insulating tape but there has been a bit of radio silence from him since this advice, so I am hoping you guys could pick things back up?

Any suggestions to what I would need?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
The 2.6ohm load wont be an issue unless you run full volume all the time. Adding resistors to lower the resistance isnt going to work in the case, itll just create heat. What you should do is get an amp and use that to power your speakers.

The last place to get advice from, is FB...

 
Well, you pretty much answered your own question then. That amp says itll do 2ohm loads, so why did you think you needed to add resistors to change the load? Is the unit getting hot and then shutting off, or is something else unrelated causing it?

 
Well, you pretty much answered your own question then. That amp says itll do 2ohm loads, so why did you think you needed to add resistors to change the load? Is the unit getting hot and then shutting off, or is something else unrelated causing it?
I've tried three head units, different makes and models (including a Pioneer MVH-A200VBT), and I get the same issue on all. In fact, all three, including the one above, show 4-8Ω, so the speakers mismatch.

Do you live in the UK, by any chance?

 
I dont know where youre getting 4-8ohm, when the data sheet clearly says:

Features
■ Multipower BCD technology
■ High output power capability:
– 4 x 48 W/4 ohm Max.
– 4 x 28 W/4 ohm @ 14.4 V, 1 kHz, 10 %
– 4 x 72 W/2 ohm Max.
■ MOSFET output power stage
■ Excellent 2 ohm driving capability


So, 2.6ohm is less of a load than 2ohm, so something else is causing the cutout. Are you using factory wiring? Is there a ANC maybe? How long do you listen to music before it cuts out. ANd is it cutting out due to HEAT <seriously, this part needs to be answered.

No im not in the UK.

 
I dont know where youre getting 4-8ohm, when the data sheet clearly says:

Features
■ Multipower BCD technology
■ High output power capability:
– 4 x 48 W/4 ohm Max.
– 4 x 28 W/4 ohm @ 14.4 V, 1 kHz, 10 %
– 4 x 72 W/2 ohm Max.
■ MOSFET output power stage
■ Excellent 2 ohm driving capability


So, 2.6ohm is less of a load than 2ohm, so something else is causing the cutout. Are you using factory wiring? Is there a ANC maybe? How long do you listen to music before it cuts out. ANd is it cutting out due to HEAT <seriously, this part needs to be answered.

No im not in the UK.
No idea to any of those as it was the previous owner who installed the speakers.

I don't want to open the door paneling in case I can't get them back on and garages cost a fortune.

I don't know what an ANC is.

Often, it'll work once (for the journey) then when I next turn the car on, it won't work. When it's not working, the subwoofer is still playing.

No idea about the heat but the head unit has a large heatsink on it and it's 0-10C in the UK at the moment.

 
No offense, but this is why troubleshooting over the internet or phone is so bad, you never get all the needed info up front.

So now, theres a sub involved and it still plays.... and it seems its fine till you shut the car off.

Factory or aftermarket amp/sub?

If you turn the car back off and on does the sound come back immediately, or not at all for an extended period of time?

Does it ever cut out while driving?

Does it come back on while driving?

Unless you have active cooling ambient cooling can fail to be enough to keep an amp from going into thermal protection (which is usually a cutting in and out once it cools enough).

ANC, Active Noise Canceling




 
No offense, but this is why troubleshooting over the internet or phone is so bad, you never get all the needed info up front.

So now, theres a sub involved and it still plays.... and it seems its fine till you shut the car off.

Factory or aftermarket amp/sub?

If you turn the car back off and on does the sound come back immediately, or not at all for an extended period of time?

Does it ever cut out while driving?

Does it come back on while driving?

Unless you have active cooling ambient cooling can fail to be enough to keep an amp from going into thermal protection (which is usually a cutting in and out once it cools enough).

ANC, Active Noise Canceling

<video snipped>
The local places around here charge £40-45 per hour to assess (and they tell me it'll take a few hours to do that) so I'm already paying £150 just for them to look at it. I'm quite simply not paying that because I don't like to be actively ripped off.

My memory is abysmal and this audio issue has been going on for two years now (hence why I forgot what to put in the first post), so I don't know how often they go off. I think it's sometimes after a drive, sometimes after a few weeks.

I think they may turn off sometimes during driving but I don't ever remember. Probably not.

The subwoofer never stops working, even when the speakers drop out. It works any time the head unit is playing audio.

The speakers and subwoofer work perfectly with the stock Peugeot (rubbish) stereo so I doubt it's the speakers but I've also tried three brand of head units with the same issue each time.

The subwoofer has it's own built-in amplifier.

When the speakers stop working, it's often for a few days/week but they can sometimes come back on randomly (when turning the car on, so it's always a surprise that they're working again).

The guy on Facebook was very knowledgeable (we were private messaging) but there has been radio silence for a while, unfortunately. His solution of the resistors worked for a month, which is longer than it's ever worked before, so I thought it was solved. However, the burning then occurred, so I don't know.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sounds like a wiring problem in the dash then, gotta wire shorting out or something. Do some research, pull your radio and door panels to make sure something isnt shorting out.

 
Sounds like a wiring problem in the dash then, gotta wire shorting out or something. Do some research, pull your radio and door panels to make sure something isnt shorting out.
I wouldn't have a clue.

I've tried to see if anyone lives nearby (within a 100-mile radius) of myself (I'm in South Staffordshire/West Midlands) on caraudio.com, talkaudio.co.uk, diymobileaudio.com and caraudioforumz.com but I'm having no luck :(

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Watch some vids on YT, the guys in the above video always do tutorials in their vids. Nothing is beyond doing it yourself, save for some physical limitations like being in a wheelchair or something.

 
Watch some vids on YT, the guys in the above video always do tutorials in their vids. Nothing is beyond doing it yourself, save for some physical limitations like being in a wheelchair or something.
Things are always more complicated than shown in YouTube videos when it comes to cars. Tried things in the past.

I know for a fact watching a video on 'removing the door panels on a Peugeot 308' video would not work out as I'd have an issue that is not covered in the video (e.g. screws not coming out as easily as shown, all screws removed but door not budging, can't get it refitted etc.).

Plus, getting behind the dashboard, to the front speakers, I imagine will be a right ball ache.

Plus, I don't have the tools.

I'd rather pay someone to help me out but not those robbing companies I mentioned above. Most of their staff are on minimum wage and don't know jack compared to you guys on the forums mentioned above.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well, then dunno what else to tell you, but id bet theres a loose wire somewhere. Does the display cutout or the speakers just stop playing sound?

 
Well, then dunno what else to tell you, but id bet theres a loose wire somewhere. Does the display cutout or the speakers just stop playing sound?
The head units continue to work perfectly, and continue producing sound to the subwoofer.

For the record, I've really appreciated your help. I was hoping that, as the resistor thing seemed to work for a month or so, that different resistors would fix it (as this was something I could install myself). Oh well :(

 
Last edited by a moderator:
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

I'm thinking I'm gonna need one set for edm and a different one for rock. In my experience they're very different. And time alignment matters...
63
9K
Honestly, beyond what you need. It will do the trick for sure, but it is excessive. Not a bad thing, just more than you will ever need. No need...
1
47
Also use the Orange wire. It will be constant 12v. Yes, you can bi-amp your co-axials. You just separate the tweeter wires ftom the terminals and...
1
97
I would try a pair of Bass Blockers on the rear speakers. I always place them on Coax. speakers generally, Should help quite a bit I like PAC ones...
3
316
Thanks for the suggestions I will look at all this when I get home from work!
4
287

About this thread

King Mustard

Car Audio Beginner
Thread starter
King Mustard
Joined
Location
United Kingdom
Start date
Participants
Who Replied
Replies
19
Views
1,531
Last reply date
Last reply from
Talontsi90
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