#1474131 - 18/08/08 01:13 PM
I just don't get it
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schinner16
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Registered: 22/02/08
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i have a 92 explorer w/ 199,000 miles...its on its second alt and just got a new battery but the amp just doesn't get nearly enough power.
when i try to play music anywhere near 65% percent of max volume the amp makes a clicking noise, the lights dim horridly, the (untrustworthy) stock battery voltage meter drops off completely, and the bass doesn't even play.
even went and did the "big 3" with no improvement whatsoever (friend had little patience in helping me and we did things a little different *he was donating the 0 gauge wire)...we did alt + to batt + and alternator body to batt - that we figured would improve the alternators efficiency to the battery. tested with no improvement so we tried with a jumper from amp - to battery -....no improvement
gains have been set properly and its a kicker 750.1 powering two small 10 cvrs. wiring is 4 gauge for the amp power and ground.
sorry for the book of a post but recently things got a little worse.
now when i start the car (volume starts low) and quickly ramp up the volume the amp light will go from green to red and slowly die off like it just got unplugged. even more aggravating is that even after i shut off the car, unless it sits for a 5 mins or so the amp wont even power up when the car is started back up. grrrrr...
so last night i took a volt meter to the amp...showing (with the car not started but accessorys on) 11.3 volts at the remote wire and 12.4 to the power wire.
guys this car has really ticked me off....never been able to see what the subs are even capable of. any help is appreciated but just as a note, i don't plan on putting any more money to this vehicle as its got a 199,000 miles and im in college...ugh...no money
Edited by schinner16 (18/08/08 01:14 PM)
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#1474134 - 18/08/08 01:17 PM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: schinner16]
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SQLAltima
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Registered: 25/05/08
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I'd bet you have a ground issue.
Where did you ground the amp? take a picture and post the ground location, and a picture of the amp showing the wiring going into it.
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#1474143 - 18/08/08 01:27 PM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: SQLAltima]
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schinner16
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Registered: 22/02/08
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sorry i just went out and got all the pics but i dont have time to upload them as i have to go to work...ill get all the pics up by the end of night in prolly about 7 hours...
thx for the super quick response!
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#1474367 - 18/08/08 07:12 PM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: schinner16]
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schinner16
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Registered: 22/02/08
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Update: well i cant find the usb cable for the camera...which really sucks cause the problem just got even worse.
today for the first time ever, on a loub bass note with the volume around 60% when the note came and the slight click noise i would hear happened, the light on the amp went from green to red and slowly faded to nothing...i tried turning the hu off then back on and of course...nothing.
okay then when i went to start the car for the ride home, volume started at like 25% and the amp light started red as usual but instead of changing to green the amp light stayed red but faded away and the amp was off.!.! and as with the trend of late wouldn't turn back on even after turning the car completely off...
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#1474400 - 18/08/08 08:15 PM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: schinner16]
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schinner16
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Registered: 22/02/08
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finally found the cable and lets see if i can get these pics to show up.
[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]
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#1474446 - 18/08/08 10:18 PM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: schinner16]
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schinner16
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Registered: 22/02/08
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well ive been reading around...more and more...and i was looking at the amplifier answers forum. in their they list causes for an amp to go into protection mode, one of the causes it states could be the amp touching or mounted to metal....well mine is bolted ontop of a piece of carpet, but the bolts definately touch metal and the metal of the amp.
dont know how legit that is...doesnt make much sense to me.
anyways the amp has been mounted there since the beginning and its problems were much smaller when it was first installed over a year ago.
any feedback on anything is appreciated.
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#1474502 - 19/08/08 06:28 AM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: schinner16]
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SQLAltima
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Registered: 25/05/08
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First, go to autozone, and buy a new battery terminal. Clean the ring terminals at the battery and put the new battery terminal on. You have way to much rust and corrison that battery terminal. Do the positive and the negative.
Those kickers are DVC 4 ohm--correct? If so, do you have that amp at 1 ohm mono?
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#1474679 - 19/08/08 09:42 AM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: SQLAltima]
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schinner16
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Registered: 22/02/08
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they are dvc 2 ohm wired to a 2 ohm load.
to be honest how would a new battery terminal help, idk but the problem seems a little to severe to point fingers at a slightly rusted juncture...noting that the amp has a perfectly rust clean connection to the power from the alt cable?
idk as i said i really dont want to spend much if i dont have to but...if you really think it will help, i suppose they prolly arent too expensive lol
seriously, thanks for the comments
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#1474883 - 19/08/08 02:09 PM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: schinner16]
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SQLAltima
Team SoundDomain
Registered: 25/05/08
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Is the amp connected to the alternator?
That rusted connection is causing resistence. That is likely where your voltage drop is coming from. That could be causing your amp to cut off.
terminals from autozone will cost you less than $5.00
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#1474884 - 19/08/08 02:10 PM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: schinner16]
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SQLAltima
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Registered: 25/05/08
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I would also double check the wiring on the speakers and make sure you have series/parrelled those speakers correctly. Otherwise you would have a 1/2 ohm load on that amp,and it would cause the amp to cut off when you turned the volume up.
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#1475033 - 19/08/08 06:04 PM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: SQLAltima]
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schinner16
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Registered: 22/02/08
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wow thank you very much! some new possibilities to look into, im going to go and check the ohms on the ground for the amp to make certain that the ground is not in any way the issue.
Im excited, maybe its just that simple!
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#1475140 - 19/08/08 09:18 PM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: schinner16]
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schinner16
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Registered: 22/02/08
Posts: 17
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okay, so tonight i went out and checked the wiring of the subs...the wiring corresponds with this
http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/ca/learningcenter/car/subwoofer_wiring/2DVC_2-ohm_mono.jpg
then i went on to check the ground connection with a volt meter and the ohms of resistance registered zero...so i guess the ground is not the issue.
tomorrow on my way to work i will stop by autozone and pick up a new battery terminal...im also going to look for a new endpiece (solder type terminal) for the amp power wire.
on a side note today when driving to and from work the amp and subs worked fine...didnt shut off but still couldnt get past 65% volume
by the way the amp wire is on the left next to the fat 0 gauge wire on the battery terminal.
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#1475922 - 20/08/08 07:52 PM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: schinner16]
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schinner16
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Registered: 22/02/08
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ok went and got the terminal...then found out that the battery cable thats on the one now is permenantly fixed to it, thats fine i guess i get it all cleaned up and move the wires to a more secure spot on the terminal.
also found out that my dad is planning on trading this car in soon and i shouldnt break anything...thus why im sticking with the stock terminal.
so im still going to continue on and i plan on digging up some of the 4 gauge wire i still have and adding a new engine to chassis ground. first i go through the battery terminal and let you guys know how that works.
(also considering making a video to show the problem, if you guys think that will help...let me know)
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#1475931 - 20/08/08 08:10 PM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: schinner16]
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schinner16
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Registered: 22/02/08
Posts: 17
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[img] [/img]
This is exactly how i have it wired...i think its the same as the one from crutchfield...slightly different but essentialy the same right?
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#1475939 - 20/08/08 08:28 PM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: schinner16]
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schinner16
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Registered: 22/02/08
Posts: 17
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Yet another update: just went out and tested with the subs unplugged from the amp, the amp never faults even turning the volume up into the 90-100% range....does this mean that the subs have been wired incorrectly the whole time???
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#1475960 - 20/08/08 09:17 PM
Re: I just don't get it
[Re: schinner16]
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schinner16
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Registered: 22/02/08
Posts: 17
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WHoo Hooo....its fixed, lol the subs were wired incorrectly from the beginning.
i dont know if you've ever dealt with these cvrs but the voice coils have one solid red, one solid black, then the other two are red with white dot, and black with white dot. i had the red solid bridged to black solid....wrong after looking at the kicker website, the wiring diagram it shows the red with white dot to solid black and bingo i remembered from a year ago, how i had it set.
Bingo even with the car off the bass is WAY more than it used to be with the car on rpms raised.
[censored] i almost wish i had a video to show how it was before and then i could show the MASSIVE improvement.
Special thanks goes out to SQLAltima for going through this, taking the time and helping a guy out!
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