AMP HELP???

[explorer93xlt]

Big Problem
ok i was coming out of work and i noticed my amp was still on DAM well i luckely put a fuse switch under the hood so i fliped it and it went off, the problem is that when ever i turn my radio on the amp come on first makes like a pop noise(never noticed this before) then it seems ok, but i can't turn it off once its on it stays on.. whats the problem?? so what i did was i checked all the wires and they are all perfect, now when i turn the radio on and then the amp nothing happens?? did the Fin thing blow all the fuses are good?? is their anything I should check or should i go take out the old warrenty card, the amp is a Power Acustik 600w 4 channel Please help this is a link if you not sure on the amp http://home.att.net/~riccardis/Explorer1.html its only about 4 months old DAM

 

[JTang]

Hey Chuck,

Technically, the amp shouldn't really be burnt out or anything. Even if it DID stay on for all these months, it should have thermal protection so if it was hot enough, it would shut down for a while. Furthermore if it's on and at idle, since you weren't really playing it, it shouldn't have gotten too hot.

If the amp was still on, then it's just doing what the remote line lead was telling it to do. Sorry, I totally forgot if you had a factory head unit or if you bought a new one, and it wasn't specified on your page. I would instead, check your remote line lead, the small blue wire to see if anything is up. For some reason, it was sending the on signal. It's important to find out how you wired it. If it's just connected to the factory head unit, that might be the problem. Ford puts out 5 volts to power stuff on the remote line lead, but most stuff is 12. To remedy this you'll need an LVT or Low Voltage Trigger, it's about $5. If it's an aftermarket head unit, you'll have to somehow test the line. If you did something else, like tapping it from the fusebox or something, check there.

The turn on pop thing is sort of common in different amps. It all depends. It is an easy fix. There are tons of Turn-on pop eliminators on the market and they are all basically the same. They'll go on the remote line lead and will delay the amp's turn on. One such is the DEI remote line adapter. The only place I think you can get it anymore is at mmxpress.com in their install accessories area. It's only like $11, but there are cheaper ones as well. You should be able to find them anywhere online that's worth anything.

Do you have more than just the single amp on the remote line right now? Is the radio able to play without the key in, or without turning the key to "Accessory"? Personally, I don't think the amp's the problem, I think it was the remote line. Bit if it's not working anymore, I think that the remote line in the head unit could be blown. From what I saw on your page, your amp was connected to the subs and coaxials - was the stock amp still playing the speakers in the stock location, or did that stop too?

Jon

 

[BIG-B]

help?

hey whats up my name is ben, i have recently i had trouble putting in a head unit. i put the headunit in and was testing it turning it up and suddenly it turns off and the light goes out. do u think i may have blew the amp?

 

[explorer93xlt]

JTang thanks for the quick reply,
I have a Pioneer Premier Head unit its about a year old i have the remote and rca's pluged into it, what i did was cut into the wiring harness for the new head unit, and since my truck has a amp from ford the remote blue wire was their so i just cut into it and left the ford one, so i do still have the ford amp hooked up, i was so suprised because this just happend today i never had any problems before. Should i tapp into my electric antena blue wire instead of my remote wire thats going to my ford amp???and could this just happen over time i mean my head unit seems fine and their was no fuse on the remote wire because the head unit hasa 30amp fuse. I only have the (broke)amp hooked up to my subs, the 2 coaxels i have tapped into my back seat speakers. thanks
Should i tapp into my electric antena blue wire instead of my remote wire thats going to my ford amp???

 

[explorer93xlt]

(oh yea your right it does have therimal protection and mosfet circit)

 

[jgriffin]

An easy test would be to turn everything on then turn off the key. Then go back and if your amp is still on then disconnect the remote wire from it. If the amp then shuts off you have power all the time to the remote wire. If it doesn't shut off then there is something wrong with the amp. If it did shut off then go ahead and run a wire to the power ant wire coming from the head unit and you should be fine.

 

[JTang]

Hi Chuck,

In addition to jgriffin's good idea, go to Radio Shack and buy one of those mini-headphone-jack to RCA converters for like $2. Hook a discman/walkman up to it and plug the RCAs into the RCA amp inputs, and use that as your source. That way you can still test if your amp is on, while the head unit is off, but the amp is still receiving signal. Make sure to start the discman volume at "0" so you're not giving it too much signal!

The power antennae thing will at least work for checking the remote line condition, but it may not work to use that forever if the actual remote line lead is dead. It'll depend on your radio. Some radios will power up an antennae whenever the head unit is on. However, some, will turn off the antennae lead if you're not listening to the radio part, though the head unit itself is still on (maybe you're playing a tape or CD instead). You'll have to check. If it turns the antennae lead on the whole time, then you're in business. But if it only turns it on when the RADIO portion is on (not just the head unit), you'll be able to test, and you'll most likely have to get the head unit replaced, because fixing the line lead is pretty expensive.

If NOTHING is coming on right now, then try the antennae lead just to test. When you meant NOTHING comes on, did you mean just the PA amp, or both amps, or everything, including the head unit?

Also, the 30 amp fuse will protect your radio itself, but isn't really protecting the remote line lead. While not many people do it, because it is rare, hard core people will put a tiny .5 - 3 amp fuse on the remote line lead as well.

Jon

[Edited by JTang on 11-08-2000 at 09:26 PM]

 

[explorer93xlt]

JTang & jgriffin

Thanks a lot for the help i'm going to try that tonight, first i will just try what 'jgriffin'said about disconnecting the remote and see if the amp stays on, Then i will try tapping into my antena wire, Jtang my ford amp seems to be working because i here the door speakers working just the PA amp is not. What i was wondering is since i never by-passed my stock amp when i put in new door speakers . Could the problem be that my piooner cd head units, remote wire is not sending a strong enought singnal to turn on bolth amps(ford and PA)? Thats all i could think of because i never had any problems at all till yesterday is their a chance that it was working to hard to give them signals and just blew, the head units outher features seem to be fine but i did notice when i was removing the head unit, to check the connections that it was very hot near the back. thanks again
(oh yea that poping noice that i was talking about, the only reason i mentioned that was because that was very wierd it never happend before yesterday, that why i fighured it was the amp)

did you mean just the PA amp, or both amps, or everything, including the head unit?

 

[explorer93xlt]

JTang one more thing the amp has soft delayed remote turn-on feature i think that means it shouldent pop at all, that why i origionaly thought i blew the amp or parts just broke.,

It also has "floating ground inputs, and full thermal/short/over load protection with power and distress indicators.
MOSFET power supply for awesome power delivery, variable 18 dB sub boost for bone-rattling bass, and variable high (150-1,500 Hz) and low (40-120 Hz) pass crossovers for complete flexibility. Other goodies include The FI4X-600 is stable into 2 ohm loads (stereo) and comes complete with silver plated terminal strips and RCA jacks. "

 

[jgriffin]

Hey Chuck,
You really should just disconnect the factory amp because the factory head unit only sent signal to the amp and the amp provided power. Now you are sending power to the amp then the amp is sending power. Most of the time that doesn't sound very good. Powering the speakers from the head unit alone would work better.
Also it doesn't take much power for the remote turn on and you should have no trouble turning on more than one amp with one wire.
The pioneer I used to have would get very hot even on the front face, so I wouldn't worry about the heat from the back of the unit.

 

[explorer93xlt]

jgriffin
I cant just unpug it i have to buy a amp by=-pass harness right?

 

[jgriffin]

There is one plug with eight wires going in and one about the same coming out of the amp. You have to unplug them and then get the bypass to plug them together or you have to splice all the wires and connect them seperatly. It is much easier to get the bypass to plug them together.
After doing this you will have power straight from your head unit to your speakers which will be much better than what you have now.

 

[explorer93xlt]

ok thanks first i'm going to try to fix this amp problem thought.

 

[explorer93xlt]

Oh yea JTang the way i know the amp just started staying on was because it has a blue neon light in it so if its stuck on with out the engin running for any more then a hour it drains the battery. thats my problem

 

[explorer93xlt]

Well jgriffin i tryed "An easy test would be to turn everything on then turn off the key. Then go back and if your amp is still on then disconnect the remote wire from it" and what happend was the amp stayed on then i went and un screwed the remote wire from the amp and it went off, i guess this means my head unit is fryed ?

 

[jgriffin]

Where is the remote wire coming from?

 

[explorer93xlt]

the remote wire comes from the back of the head unit . i have the stock amp and the PA amp tapped into it. then it runs down the passenger side with the rcas then to the amp in the back

 

[jgriffin]

If everything else on the head unit works, just run the remote wire to fuse block to a wire that is switched with the key or even to the switched wire going to your head unit. That way your amp will shut off when you shut off the key.
I don't know why there would be power to the remote lead all the time, but this will get rid of your dead battery problem.