Amp Help
06-03-2003, 07:35 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Amp Help
After having this amp working for 2+ years w/ no problem I noticed my bass tube was not hitting. A glance at the amp showed me it was not on, so I looked at the fuse and it was blown. When I tried to replace it, it sparked. I ended up disconnecting the battery and checking the voltages connecting to the amp. The "ground" and the "power" wires seemed to be OK, and the "remote on" wire had power until the radio was turned on and then it had close to none which I assume is normal? I opened up my amp to see if there was any visible burned evidence, but there was nothing so I put it back together. Next, I put a new fuse in and hooked everything back up, connected the battery and it started smoking until I disconnected the battery, or when the fuse burned, both probably happened at the same time.
Questions:
Could this be because the amp is old and it's had it or do I have a short somewhere? If so, where is it likely?
Also, since the fuse burned twice and the amp was smoking twice, will I be able to reuse this amp or is it dead? I don't feel like reopening it, it was a pain.
It is a small, Alpine Flex2 amp.
Thanks.
Questions:
Could this be because the amp is old and it's had it or do I have a short somewhere? If so, where is it likely?
Also, since the fuse burned twice and the amp was smoking twice, will I be able to reuse this amp or is it dead? I don't feel like reopening it, it was a pain.
It is a small, Alpine Flex2 amp.
Thanks.
06-04-2003, 10:10 AM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Ok. Well, how about testing the amp? How can I test to see if my amp is working on it's own, to see if it's my wiring or my amp? It only has three power inputs, "Remote On", the "battery", and "Ground". I don't want to go out and buy a replacement and burn that one too because of bad wiring, if in fact I got a short in my wires. Also, why buy a new one if the old one is working. Thanks.
06-04-2003, 11:40 AM
#3
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Boston
Posts: 514
Car Info: 2002 Alpine White WRX
If you check all the wires going in to the amp and they produce the voltage required then chances are you don't have a short, I think your amp is done, maybe something came loose and it's shorting inside the amp. That's just my 2 cents.
06-04-2003, 02:47 PM
#4
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iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: dover, NH
Posts: 1,162
Car Info: 2001 sub. imp.
1)The "ground" and the "power" wires seemed to be OK, and the "remote on" wire had power until the radio was turned on and then it had close to none which I assume is normal?
it should be opposite on the remote lead. power(red, +, to battery) has 12v(or 14.4v if car is running) when tested across that and any metal part on the chassis(ground, -, blah blah) the ground should have 0 volts across it and the chassis, the remote should have 0v across it and the chassis when power to the radio is off. when power to the radio is on it should have 12v.
2)opened up my amp to see if there was any visible burned evidence, but there was nothing so I put it back together.
look closely, sometimes it will be hard to see, chances are it was a resistor or a capacitor. may look slightly disclored on the circuit board from underneath. chances are if it smoked at all, the amp is done, it will not work again.
3)How can I test to see if my amp is working on it's own, to see if it's my wiring or my amp?
put a wire from the positive terminal on your battery to the power and remote on terminals on your amp, then touch/hold(youll know which one to do when you do it
) the amp should light up and not smoke. if it smokes, it is no good.
4)so I looked at the fuse and it was blown.
which fuse? the one near the battery or the one built into the amp
hope i helped a little
it should be opposite on the remote lead. power(red, +, to battery) has 12v(or 14.4v if car is running) when tested across that and any metal part on the chassis(ground, -, blah blah) the ground should have 0 volts across it and the chassis, the remote should have 0v across it and the chassis when power to the radio is off. when power to the radio is on it should have 12v.
2)opened up my amp to see if there was any visible burned evidence, but there was nothing so I put it back together.
look closely, sometimes it will be hard to see, chances are it was a resistor or a capacitor. may look slightly disclored on the circuit board from underneath. chances are if it smoked at all, the amp is done, it will not work again.
3)How can I test to see if my amp is working on it's own, to see if it's my wiring or my amp?
put a wire from the positive terminal on your battery to the power and remote on terminals on your amp, then touch/hold(youll know which one to do when you do it
) the amp should light up and not smoke. if it smokes, it is no good.4)so I looked at the fuse and it was blown.
which fuse? the one near the battery or the one built into the amp
hope i helped a little
06-06-2003, 11:24 AM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
YEah, that actually helps a lot. My problem now is figuring out why my remote on has power when the head unit if off, and when turned on it has none. I checked this wire directly out of the head unit to see if that wire was shorting somewhere and the same is true. I am going to have to check the wire coming into the head unit now. Does anyone know by chance what color the remote on wire is? I have a 99 Forester, should be the same on anything Subaru for this year.
06-06-2003, 05:30 PM
#6
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: dover, NH
Posts: 1,162
Car Info: 2001 sub. imp.
remote coming out of the heaq unit should be blue. it is the same lead that goes to a power antenna if you have one. it should go out of the head unit, then straight to your amp remote on lead, it connects to no other points
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