I have a 2005 Mazda 3. I recently installed a new audio system and it sounded amazing. I've had some problems with past systems cutting out and dimming my lights, so I decided to add a capacitor to this system. After I added the cap, my lights were dimming out way more than ever before! So I disconnected the cap and now one sub is not hitting as hard as the other and my amp also goes into protection mode whenever it wants. How would you fix this problem? Any ideas at all?? PLEASE HELPPP! =]
Replies (13)
cplkittle on 03/15/2007 11:52:12
Please give us a list of everything you have including model numbers. Also, how is it wired (speakers to amp, how big is the power wire, is the ground wire the same size, is the ground securely attached to a bare metal spot in the car)
queenxsurra on 03/15/2007 12:05:42
I have:
1 JVC Mobile Multimedia DVD/CD Receiver (KDAVX1)
2 12" Kicker CompVC Subs
1 Kicker KX 550.2 amp
1 Kicker KX 250.2 amp
4AWG Power & Groud wire.
Power wire goes from battery to spiltter, from the spiltter to the 2 amps. I have my regular speakers hooked up to my KX250.2 amp and my two subs hooked up to the KX550.2 amp. Everything is grounded to the bolt for the seat.
The amp that is hooked up to the subs is the one that goes into protection mode whenever it wants. Sometimes when i turn my radio on, the subs don't hit at all.
cplkittle on 03/15/2007 12:25:36
ok, first thing to try is disconnect the subs from the amp and turn the stereo on. The amp should come on without going into protect. If the amp goes into protect without the speaker wires connected, it is probably in the amp. If it does go into protect without the speaker wires, disconnect the RCAs and try again.. If not, connect one speaker (just touch the leads to the speaker output on the amp).. then try the other speaker. If the amplifier goes into protect, reset it and keep going. If you find that one speaker sends it into protect each time you try it, the problem is with the speaker. Take it out of the box and inspect the speaker wire connections. If everything is good, it's probably the sub itself. If you have an ohm meter, you can test the voice coils.
The only other thing I can think of is that the cap could have been connected wrong. Did you connect it pos to pos and neg to neg, like you would a second battery? I have seen them wired up only on the positive wire ( this will cause problems ).
jamesp on 03/15/2007 12:26:35
queenxsurra on 03/15/2007 13:16:24
Another thing... I noticed that one sub was hitting hard and the other was barely hitting. I switched the wires on the back of the box, and now the one that was hitting hard is barely hitting and vice versa. I'm not sure if that would help determine anything, but yeahh.
queenxsurra on 03/15/2007 13:17:29
And yes I did connect the + to + and - to - on the capacitor.
cplkittle on 03/15/2007 13:36:13
that makes me think it might be the amplifier. sounds like one channel is bad. I don't know why the cap would cause that problem though.
what are the speaker voice coil ohm ratings?
I was wondering if they could be bridged on the amplifier.
queenxsurra on 03/15/2007 13:46:41
the subs are both 4ohm speakers
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 03/15/2007 14:17:59
Ok I really didn't think it revelant, but now it's brought up.......
I hit the brakes and my amp went into protect for a second and continued to play after I let off the brakes. Thought it was a severe voltage drop. About 30 mins. later, boom, amp fues is gone! Afterwards, it seemed to work ok, but signal was weak to my subs. Tunred the gain up to my normal level, and pop goes the fuse. and pop and pop, and after 7 fuses (I can be stubborn!) started to unhook things and go from there. Voila!
Turns out that crappy dual sub was the culprit. Pulled it out to inspect it, and visibly it looked ok and the voice coil would move, but it was shorting out my house stereo as well. I pulled off the dust cap to find the voice coil former completely melted and and all of the copper wire completely sucked into it. So the sub was promptly ripped to pieces for educational purposes, and discarded.
This sounds so similar, it is a trip.............except for the whole capacitor part. Forgot about that!
cplkittle on 03/16/2007 17:36:42
Just wondering how things were going. Have you tried all of our troubleshooting suggestions? Let us know what happened.
queenxsurra on 03/19/2007 10:15:23
no i haven't gotten to do anything yet bc of the snow, but i think i'm going to work on it tonight or tomorrow. i'll let you know definately.
queenxsurra on 03/22/2007 14:24:06
i think i blew a channel. idk what to do now. i lost the receipt and the store won't take it back. know any good places that fix amps in the jersey area??
cplkittle on 03/23/2007 20:18:30
Don't know who here is from that area.
You can call Kicker and ask them what they charge to refurbish an amp.
Replies (13)
cplkittle on 03/15/2007 11:52:12
Please give us a list of everything you have including model numbers. Also, how is it wired (speakers to amp, how big is the power wire, is the ground wire the same size, is the ground securely attached to a bare metal spot in the car)
queenxsurra on 03/15/2007 12:05:42
I have:
1 JVC Mobile Multimedia DVD/CD Receiver (KDAVX1)
2 12" Kicker CompVC Subs
1 Kicker KX 550.2 amp
1 Kicker KX 250.2 amp
4AWG Power & Groud wire.
Power wire goes from battery to spiltter, from the spiltter to the 2 amps. I have my regular speakers hooked up to my KX250.2 amp and my two subs hooked up to the KX550.2 amp. Everything is grounded to the bolt for the seat.
The amp that is hooked up to the subs is the one that goes into protection mode whenever it wants. Sometimes when i turn my radio on, the subs don't hit at all.
cplkittle on 03/15/2007 12:25:36
ok, first thing to try is disconnect the subs from the amp and turn the stereo on. The amp should come on without going into protect. If the amp goes into protect without the speaker wires connected, it is probably in the amp. If it does go into protect without the speaker wires, disconnect the RCAs and try again.. If not, connect one speaker (just touch the leads to the speaker output on the amp).. then try the other speaker. If the amplifier goes into protect, reset it and keep going. If you find that one speaker sends it into protect each time you try it, the problem is with the speaker. Take it out of the box and inspect the speaker wire connections. If everything is good, it's probably the sub itself. If you have an ohm meter, you can test the voice coils.
The only other thing I can think of is that the cap could have been connected wrong. Did you connect it pos to pos and neg to neg, like you would a second battery? I have seen them wired up only on the positive wire ( this will cause problems ).
jamesp on 03/15/2007 12:26:35
queenxsurra on 03/15/2007 13:16:24
Another thing... I noticed that one sub was hitting hard and the other was barely hitting. I switched the wires on the back of the box, and now the one that was hitting hard is barely hitting and vice versa. I'm not sure if that would help determine anything, but yeahh.
queenxsurra on 03/15/2007 13:17:29
And yes I did connect the + to + and - to - on the capacitor.
cplkittle on 03/15/2007 13:36:13
that makes me think it might be the amplifier. sounds like one channel is bad. I don't know why the cap would cause that problem though.
what are the speaker voice coil ohm ratings?
I was wondering if they could be bridged on the amplifier.
queenxsurra on 03/15/2007 13:46:41
the subs are both 4ohm speakers
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 03/15/2007 14:17:59
Ok I really didn't think it revelant, but now it's brought up.......
I hit the brakes and my amp went into protect for a second and continued to play after I let off the brakes. Thought it was a severe voltage drop. About 30 mins. later, boom, amp fues is gone! Afterwards, it seemed to work ok, but signal was weak to my subs. Tunred the gain up to my normal level, and pop goes the fuse. and pop and pop, and after 7 fuses (I can be stubborn!) started to unhook things and go from there. Voila!
Turns out that crappy dual sub was the culprit. Pulled it out to inspect it, and visibly it looked ok and the voice coil would move, but it was shorting out my house stereo as well. I pulled off the dust cap to find the voice coil former completely melted and and all of the copper wire completely sucked into it. So the sub was promptly ripped to pieces for educational purposes, and discarded.
This sounds so similar, it is a trip.............except for the whole capacitor part. Forgot about that!
cplkittle on 03/16/2007 17:36:42
Just wondering how things were going. Have you tried all of our troubleshooting suggestions? Let us know what happened.
queenxsurra on 03/19/2007 10:15:23
no i haven't gotten to do anything yet bc of the snow, but i think i'm going to work on it tonight or tomorrow. i'll let you know definately.
queenxsurra on 03/22/2007 14:24:06
i think i blew a channel. idk what to do now. i lost the receipt and the store won't take it back. know any good places that fix amps in the jersey area??
cplkittle on 03/23/2007 20:18:30
Don't know who here is from that area.
You can call Kicker and ask them what they charge to refurbish an amp.
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