• The site migration is complete! Hopefully everything transferred properly from the multiple decades old software we were using before. If you notice any issues please let me know, thanks! Also, I'm still working on things like chatbox, etc so hopefully those will be working in the next week or two.

Need some help with amp and sub troubles

Thunderturd

Thunderturd

I troll naked
I have a stock HU, Alpine mono block amp, 2 Kenwood subs and a converter thing you splice into your rear speakers for the aux for the amp. Everything is wired up like normal 12v to the battery, remote is spliced into my non-existent sun roof.

Everything worked fine for a while but now it is weird because the subs will work for like 10 seconds when I first start up my car then they will quit but the amp light will stay on. I felt the amp after this once and it is warm but not hot by any means. The subs will work fine if I leave my car with the key turned back.

Normally I can figure out sound system problems cause they are straight forward but this is really pissing me off.

Edit: I also checked the voltages on everything. I am getting a good ground and the fuse is fine.
 


What kind of amp? Does it have fans? Are they running? Do you see where I'm going with this? Why am I asking so many questions?

-Swash
 
Ill tell you what may be the problem, as i had the same one. Your factory stereo also probably has an amp for the deck speakers. Usually under the dash, under the glove box. So whats happening is your actually amplifying your amp, which is making it shut down. Just run rca's to the trunk. Im almost positive it will fix it. Because i already tried those splicers with no success. Or, if you have the stock stereo figure out which two, left and right speaker wires are for the back speakers but do this right were it comes out of the radio(headunit) itself,run speaker wire right off of that to the back and then use your splicers. So your basicly bypassing the factory amp. Either way one of those should fix the problem.
 
When your key is turned back not as much power is continuasly going to the factory amp (14.4 volts) Because the alternator isnt running..so its probably below the max volts on the amps speaker inputs.
 


get a head unit and this will fix everything...but if not i have 2 questions

1.) y is ur remote spliced into something thats not there? (sunroof)
2.) is it a converter that u splice the pos and neg of 2 diff speakers for left and right on one end then RCA's are the output on the other end? if so the stock amp should not affect that
 
But it does...i had the same problem.first i bypased the factory amp.that worked..then i bought a new headunit.did the same thing. so i quit being cheap and bought some rca's and it fixed it.

The factory radio doesnt have a remote hook up..In a gt that doesnt have a sunroof the power wires are still there. Easier to use that as a remote wire than try to find another one. Or use one off of another accessory.(takes power from it).
 
right i understand the sunroof thing now that u explained... i would put a switch in but thats besides the point bc the amp is on...wut kind of adapter r u using that doesnt have RCAs?
 
CTKGP09 said:
right i understand the sunroof thing now that u explained... i would put a switch in but thats besides the point bc the amp is on...wut kind of adapter r u using that doesnt have RCAs?
Click to expand...

You shouldnt need a switch. Because the sunroof only works when the key is on anyways. Even if its not there...lol

I believe Stunt0rider is talking about the only ones i know they sell. You use one per side left and right and its so you can hook up an amp wit the factory radio.As we all know it dont have rca hookups on it. You splice the pos and neg on each speaker the wire goes to a little square box which then allows you to hook up rca's. The factory amp either does 1 of 2 things puts to much power to the little Square box (S),or to the amps inputs. It then either shorts out (sends to safe mode)the amp or the cars factory amp. disconnect the rca's and see if the deck speakers still work if they do then thats the problem. If not, and you have both speakers spliced in its a posability you have the pos and neg's crossed at the splices and its shuting down the factory amp (sending to safe mode). And again it dont do it when the key is off because the factory amp or any other amp dont run full till without the alternator spinning.which is around 14.4 volts. with the key off it could be 12 volts or lower see what im sayin ?
 
well i mean a switch in ur remote wire between ur amp and a 12V source but anyway if u are using a line output converter (which is wut u described) it is supposed to be spliced into the harness in the rear of the headunit...however if the car's speakers are amplified, the proper wires will not be there to splice into...so if u splice in to the wires goin into the speaker with reguard to left and right there should be no problem. u are only taking the audio signal from the head unit and converting it and sending it thru RCAs to ur amp...ive installed line output converters in to an amplified speakers before with no problem...
 


unless im missing ur point or u have a POS converter in which case u will get engine noise and improper amplifier operation...a good line output converter should run at least $20
 
CTKGP09 said:
well i mean a switch in ur remote wire between ur amp and a 12V source but anyway if u are using a line output converter (which is wut u described) it is supposed to be spliced into the harness in the rear of the headunit...however if the car's speakers are amplified, the proper wires will not be there to splice into...so if u splice in to the wires goin into the speaker with reguard to left and right there should be no problem. u are only taking the audio signal from the head unit and converting it and sending it thru RCAs to ur amp...ive installed line output converters in to an amplified speakers before with no problem...
Click to expand...

(its soposed to be spliced into the harness in the rear of the head unit.)I already said this.
It must be spliced in after the headunit but before the factory amp.or it will not work,as they cancel each other out for some reason.Only when the car is running.Its not engine noise.It strait out turns off.The factory systems amp is not in the headunit its under the dash.
So the correct wires are there he just has to find out which ones they are..(meaning rear,right,and left)and it has to be inbetween the headunit and factory amp.He didnt hook it up that way i dont believe. I know were its suposed to be hooked up, and tried all of which i told him to do on my grand prix gt. Plus the converters i used were 20+$ and in the grand prix gt of mine and obviously his too it wouldnt work.Hooked up either way.Because of the factory amp. So i took mine back bought a headunit and rca's.But if he dont have the money for that i was just telling him what to try. which was hooking it up straight out of the head unit.Besides that there are wires in the back to splice into,and it will Not work that way. If your meaning amplified speakers as being amplified by the head unit only that is not the same as having it coming from the factory amp .Maybe im not explaining myself verywell i dont know......
 
yes i do understand the problem and wut u are saying...wut im saying is there might not be a left and right before the amp (but im not 100%) bc i have done this with other cars besides GP's and there were only 2 inputs between the amp and factory head unit so those might not work either.i was just warning him that if splicing either before or after the amp doesnt work, he has to buy a head unit...he can buy an $80 jvc and be fine so maybe just save up?
 


Ok I have now narrowed it down to it will continue to play till I turn my volume up past quiet. I am thinking my RCA adapter fried out.
 
Stunt0Rider said:
Ok I have now narrowed it down to it will continue to play till I turn my volume up past quiet. I am thinking my RCA adapter fried out.
Click to expand...

Is the key off when its doing that? If so mine does that to with my new head unit. Reason is the amp is drawing to much power btw im talking bout the factory amp again. Once you turn it up past a certain point the amp shuts down.it again has to do wit the volts. My addapters looked just like yours and did the same thing worked good for a while then just all of a sudden stopped.The max input wattage on those are 44watts peak.the factory amp may be around that and it weakend a connection inside of it.Thats the only thing i can come up with as to why it just all of a sudden stops working.in the back of your radio the wires are thereif its between a 97-2002 i know for sure they are. search the internet as to which colors the ones u need to splice are and splice it in,and run the rcas to the back.The site you find should also tell you how to get the factory radio out to.which isnt that hard really.and your problem will be solved,and you wont be running your addapter at its max input range either. Trust me man ..try it and you'll be bumppin in no time wit no cut outs.
 
What I did for my system hook up is just get an RCA converter and follow instructions to splice it to the wiring harness behind your stock radio (with a factory amp or not) and run RCA wires and you'll be fine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top