Clipping Amp, and I'm starting to get pissed.

[Bmwz389]

Ok so for about a few months now my amp keeps clipping and it's really annoying the hell out of me.

Let me start.

My system consists of this:

Duralast 1000CA (800CCA) battery.
Stinger 0/1 AUG kit with a 250A butterfly fuse.
Memphis 1 Farad capacitor.
Kicker KX1200.1 Amplifier
(2) Kicker CVR15

I don't think I forgot anything lol.

The system has run me great for 3 or so years and I've only peaked it once. Shorted the whole truck out lol.

But lately it clips if I even try to touch my remote bass gain. The amp is rated at 1440 on the birth sheet. I have the system ran as so:

Both 15's are DVC at 4 ohms/coil

The coils are bridged and then the subs themself are bridged, bringing the amp to 1 ohm stable at 1440 RMS. The subs push RMS 1000 watts. I've never turned the gain up more than a bit above 1/2 power as I know my limits by the gain.

I know a while back I tapped my power wire against my header, melting the wire but it's powered perfect up until a few months ago. I have a digital voltage meter on the cap so as I turn my gain up, my voltage drops, leading me to believe that I'm not getting enough power.

The battery seems to have no problems as well as the alternator (not checked but nothin is different) Which is leading me to believe that the power wire has finally givin up...

BUT, I called our local best shop, they stand high on their knowledge, and they seem to think it's the amp goin out. I know my Kicker amp is strong so I'm refusing to believe that.

I usually can figure out all my problems on my own which is why I'm getting so pissed with this. And I really don't want to drop $100 bucks into a new wire kit if I'll get the same results.

Any clues guys? I'm grasping at straws here...

Thanks alot!

- Brandon

 

[DMacLennan14]

Ok so for about a few months now my amp keeps clipping and it's really annoying the hell out of me.

Let me start.

My system consists of this:

Duralast 1000CA (800CCA) battery.
Stinger 0/1 AUG kit with a 230A butterfly fuse.
Memphis 1 Farad capacitor.
Kicker KX1200.1 Amplifier
(2) Kicker CVR15

I don't think I forgot anything lol.

The system has run me great for 3 or so years and I've only peaked it once. Shorted the whole truck out lol.

But lately it clips if I even try to touch my remote bass gain. The amp is rated at 1440 on the birth sheet. I have the system ran as so:

Both 15's are DVC at 4 ohms/coil

The coils are bridged and then the subs themself are bridged, bringing the amp to 1 ohm stable at 1440 RMS. The subs push RMS 1000 watts. I've never turned the gain up more than a bit above 1/2 power as I know my limits by the gain.

I know a while back I tapped my power wire against my header, melting the wire but it's powered perfect up until a few months ago. I have a digital voltage meter on the cap so as I turn my gain up, my voltage drops, leading me to believe that I'm not getting enough power.

The battery seems to have no problems as well as the alternator (not checked but nothin is different) Which is leading me to believe that the power wire has finally givin up...

BUT, I called our local best shop, they stand high on their knowledge, and they seem to think it's the amp goin out. I know my Kicker amp is strong so I'm refusing to believe that.

I usually can figure out all my problems on my own which is why I'm getting so pissed with this. And I really don't want to drop $100 bucks into a new wire kit if I'll get the same results.

Any clues guys? I'm grasping at straws here...

Thanks alot!

- Brandon

if you are only having the clipping problem when you are messing with the remote bass knob, you may have a bad remote bass knob/module. try running it without the knob connected(assuming it is connected with a wire that looks like a telephone wire and the knob is not on the actual amp itself). otherwise, i would go get yourself some new wire before getting a new amp.

 

[Bmwz389]

Yeah its a RJ-11 port and cable. But see lately the amp wont even power. Like, it powers but it stays in protect mode. I could always try your theory cause it wouldn't hurt.

Any other ideas?

Thanks guys, really needin some help here..

- Brandon

 

[sjr033]

My first thought is the subs. One of the voice coils could be shot, causing your amp to go into protect mode. I would try un-hooking one sub at a time and see if that fixes the problem. This would just rule out one more thing before you buy anything new.

 

[Bmwz389]

Yeah. I just checked my fuse again and apparently I missed where my fuse holder inlines with the wire, and the wire is starting to corrode. I'll clip that and check it again, I'll get back to you. I also might try the sub option as well.

Thanks guys!

 

[Troma]

Check vc resistance with a dmm, and always set your gains with an oscilloscope or dmm. Just cranking it halfway and calling it a day isn't an accurate measurement.

 

[KPT]

Umm you can't bridge coils or subs. You mean the coils and subs are parallel.

You said the amp stays in protect mode. Most likely it is either getting a short on the output side or it is blown.

It would not surprise me AT ALL if you blew an amp in three years running it at one ohm.

I have had **** luck with car amps, blown several.

Try a different amp with the wiring to the current amp or the subs on a different amp (a house amp preferably, I always bring drivers inside to test in this situation).

 

[Bmwz389]

K guys so here's the down low.

I was at my buddies shop at his house and 4 of us were working on all of our cars, I decided to go for the amp problem.

I had called an amazing audio shop downtown from me and they told me how to bench test my amp so I wouldn't have to pay a fee to get it done.

So I did as so.

I opted to use a spare full charged battery because he had about 8 of them layin there, instead of MY battery because I didn't wanna risk shorting my harness.

I took my amp, hooked the positive (0/1) wire to the amp and to the battery, as well as the negative.

I jumped my remote wire to the positive terminal as well so as to signal the amp for power.

I took the wires to my speakers, hooked them to the amp. Took the RCA's, hooked them to my amp.

The amp still stayed in protect mode.

I was grounding using my ground wire tie down (bolt down flange) to get the ground connection.

Now, here's the kicker (no pun intended). If I completed the circuit using the actual copper, instead of the tie down, the amp powered out of protect more and worked to it's full potential...

What the hell??

Anyways, I figured I'd share this story for future reference for anyone who needs it.

Got the cap back in and it's hittin hard again =)

Thanks again for the tips and advice, I'm bookmarking this thread for later use guys!

- Brandon