Car Audio Help

gettysburgfreak · 06-19-2009, 10:00 PM

I am hoping there are some guys here with knowledge of car subs/amps. Here is my current set up:

2 12" Kenwood 4-Ohm Single-Voice-Coil Subwoofers in a ported box.

My amp is an American Legend 600 watt that my friend gave me for free and I think this is the root of my issue.

About two and half weeks ago I went to Best Buy bought the subs, box, and wiring and had them install everything. System worked great for a week or so then one day I go to get into my car and the subs didn't work, the amp was not getting any power. I took it back to Best Buy the guy looked at it said the amp was dead, fiddled with it and somehow got the amp to work again. System worked great for another week or so until today. Worked fine this morning, went to leave later in the day, no power to the amp again. Does anyone have any ideas what could be the issue? I checked the fuse on the amp and its not blown.

Wolfgang · 06-19-2009, 10:06 PM

Check all teh connections and if they are good. Chances are there is a short somewhere inside the Amp. It may have been free for a reason.

sikk50 · 06-20-2009, 06:47 AM

I would deffinatky check the connections, but chances are it's the amp. AL, I don't know that they are around anymore, I think they may have been obsolved by Legacy or Pyle but either way chances are the amps a few years old and may very well need replacing.

06-20-2009, 10:16 AM

1. Make sure the turn-on (typically blue wire behind radio) is connected well.
2. Make sure subs are wired to the correct impedance (otherwise will put the amp in protection mode)
3. Check ground

When the system doesn't work, are any lights on on the amp?

Any other help needed, feel free to PM me. I was in the business for 5 years before getting into building emergency vehicles.

gettysburgfreak · 06-20-2009, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dubnick

1. Make sure the turn-on (typically blue wire behind radio) is connected well.
2. Make sure subs are wired to the correct impedance (otherwise will put the amp in protection mode)
3. Check ground

When the system doesn't work, are any lights on on the amp?

Any other help needed, feel free to PM me. I was in the business for 5 years before getting into building emergency vehicles.

No lights on the amp at all when it doesnt work

bigswol2 · 06-20-2009, 12:13 PM

could be a blown fuse inside the amp. My memphis has ones u can replace on the bottom of the amp.

The Poet · 06-20-2009, 12:16 PM

Hope you get it fixed - but please don't drive past my place.

gettysburgfreak · 06-20-2009, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigswol2

could be a blown fuse inside the amp. My memphis has ones u can replace on the bottom of the amp.

i checked the fuse on the outside of the amp and it was good

06-20-2009, 12:26 PM

Do you have a test light or multimeter you can use? If you have power, ground, and turn-on signal at the amp and no lights are on, then you more than likely have a bad amp, or blown internal fuse in the amp.

If it is a blown fuse, it's blowing for a reason. I'd still double check how the subs are wired into the amp.

gettysburgfreak · 06-20-2009, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dubnick

Do you have a test light or multimeter you can use? If you have power, ground, and turn-on signal at the amp and no lights are on, then you more than likely have a bad amp, or blown internal fuse in the amp.

If it is a blown fuse, it's blowing for a reason. I'd still double check how the subs are wired into the amp.

The wiring should be fine, the guy at Best Buy seemed like he knew what he was doing. When I took it back to him the first time the amp went out he said there was power to the amp and somehow got it to work. He said it must have went into some sort of safety mode. I cant figure out how to get it out of that mode.

Thrak · 06-20-2009, 01:02 PM

is it a 2 channel amp? is it parallel bridged?

gettysburgfreak · 06-20-2009, 01:48 PM

yea 2 channel. I think its bridged

XTRazzer · 06-20-2009, 08:03 PM

You could have an impedence issue.

Basically with 4-ohm single voice coil speakers, the amp either sees 2-ohm or 8-ohm on a single channel. If that amp isn't stable at 2-ohm in bridged mode then you can have problems like you describe (overheat or shut-down).

I would still be checking that I didn't have bad power or ground wiring.

Thrak · 06-20-2009, 08:14 PM

I'd wire up a single sub bridged and see how it runs.. if its fine, then the amp cant handle the load...

06-19-2009, 10:00 PM	#1
gettysburgfreak Patriot Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The Mitten Posts: 1,442 Trading: (2)	Car Audio Help I am hoping there are some guys here with knowledge of car subs/amps. Here is my current set up: 2 12" Kenwood 4-Ohm Single-Voice-Coil Subwoofers in a ported box. My amp is an American Legend 600 watt that my friend gave me for free and I think this is the root of my issue. About two and half weeks ago I went to Best Buy bought the subs, box, and wiring and had them install everything. System worked great for a week or so then one day I go to get into my car and the subs didn't work, the amp was not getting any power. I took it back to Best Buy the guy looked at it said the amp was dead, fiddled with it and somehow got the amp to work again. System worked great for another week or so until today. Worked fine this morning, went to leave later in the day, no power to the amp again. Does anyone have any ideas what could be the issue? I checked the fuse on the amp and its not blown. __________________ Author ofeath, Disease, and Life at War: The Civil War Letters of Surgeon James D. Benton, 111th and 98th New York Infantry Regiments, 1862-1865.

06-19-2009, 10:06 PM	#2
Wolfgang Back from the dead Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tampa, Fl Posts: 2,541 Trading: (14)	Re: Car Audio Help Check all teh connections and if they are good. Chances are there is a short somewhere inside the Amp. It may have been free for a reason. __________________ You probably wont remember that test you failed, but you'll never forget the girl you were with the night before, when you decided not to study.

06-20-2009, 06:47 AM	#3
sikk50 Just Bored Really... Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Andrew Location: The Jefferson State Posts: 2,084 Trading: (13)	Re: Car Audio Help I would deffinatky check the connections, but chances are it's the amp. AL, I don't know that they are around anymore, I think they may have been obsolved by Legacy or Pyle but either way chances are the amps a few years old and may very well need replacing. __________________ "Not a Headache in a Hogshead"

06-20-2009, 10:16 AM	#4
dubnick Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Car Audio Help 1. Make sure the turn-on (typically blue wire behind radio) is connected well. 2. Make sure subs are wired to the correct impedance (otherwise will put the amp in protection mode) 3. Check ground When the system doesn't work, are any lights on on the amp? Any other help needed, feel free to PM me. I was in the business for 5 years before getting into building emergency vehicles.

06-20-2009, 12:13 PM	#6
bigswol2 Feeling at Home Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 534 Trading: (7)	Re: Car Audio Help could be a blown fuse inside the amp. My memphis has ones u can replace on the bottom of the amp.

06-20-2009, 12:16 PM	#7
The Poet Il megglior fabbro Join Date: Jun 2009 First Name: Thomas Location: Hickory, NC Posts: 8,420 Trading: (2)	Re: Car Audio Help Hope you get it fixed - but please don't drive past my place.

06-20-2009, 12:26 PM	#9
dubnick Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Car Audio Help Do you have a test light or multimeter you can use? If you have power, ground, and turn-on signal at the amp and no lights are on, then you more than likely have a bad amp, or blown internal fuse in the amp. If it is a blown fuse, it's blowing for a reason. I'd still double check how the subs are wired into the amp.

06-20-2009, 01:02 PM	#11
Thrak .. the man from Nantucket Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canton, GA Posts: 558 Trading: (2)	Re: Car Audio Help is it a 2 channel amp? is it parallel bridged?

06-20-2009, 01:48 PM	#12
gettysburgfreak Patriot Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The Mitten Posts: 1,442 Trading: (2)	Re: Car Audio Help yea 2 channel. I think its bridged __________________ Author ofeath, Disease, and Life at War: The Civil War Letters of Surgeon James D. Benton, 111th and 98th New York Infantry Regiments, 1862-1865.

06-20-2009, 08:03 PM	#13
XTRazzer Still Watching My Back Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 131 Trading: (1)	Re: Car Audio Help You could have an impedence issue. Basically with 4-ohm single voice coil speakers, the amp either sees 2-ohm or 8-ohm on a single channel. If that amp isn't stable at 2-ohm in bridged mode then you can have problems like you describe (overheat or shut-down). I would still be checking that I didn't have bad power or ground wiring.

06-20-2009, 08:14 PM	#14
Thrak .. the man from Nantucket Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canton, GA Posts: 558 Trading: (2)	Re: Car Audio Help I'd wire up a single sub bridged and see how it runs.. if its fine, then the amp cant handle the load...