Dodgy Amp?

[Carps]

Hey guys,

not a T question, but my brother and I are trying to install a sub in his *gasp* corolla. So far, the audio system is working fine, but we've gone to throw an amp and sub in and it's just not workin for us!

The sub seems fine, all the wiring looks good and it "thumps" when you connect the wires to a AA battery, so I've put that out of the equation.

We've tried two different head units, both of which normally work fine with another setup we've got in the boat, so that's catered for. Which leaves me with either the amp or the wiring.

The amp powers up, green light on and fan buzzing, but it just won't power anything. I've tried all combinations of the RCA cable in every hole, but nothing. There's one set of holes on the back of the head unit and two sets on the back of the amp.

It's a 2 channel amp, so I've bridged the sub (the two outer connections).

Sorry about the long post, but this has me stumped. It's probably something stupid (because the amp and sub setup works in the car we pulled it out of).

Thanks in advance :D:D

[PURVIE]

Hey mate,

Has the amp been grounded properly? And have you connected the remote power control from the headunit to the amp?

[RAP1D]

Sounds like something basic... are the rca leads ok? gain turned up?

[Carps]

PURVIE - Amp is grounded to the chassis with about a foot of wire (supplied in wiring kit). Remote is connected too. The amp turns on fine, it just doesn't power anything.

RAP1D - I'm hoping it's something basic... We've tried 4 sets of RCA leads now, no luck. Gain has been adjusted up and down with no result.

[Superdan]

hey carps, can you pop some pics up mate? might help decifer the riddle

[Carps]

hey carps, can you pop some pics up mate? might help decifer the riddle

Surely!

I'll probably cop it for the wiring, but I welcome the flame.

[RAP1D]

Looks to be wired up right.

Maybe theres some switching on the head unit?

Do you have another amp to test the rest of the system on?

A quik test is to plug an iPod directly into the amp and see if it makes some music.

Ususlly when amps are dead they dont power up, no lights on, the lights come on right?

[Superdan]

ok Carps, two questions to get the ball rolling;

a) where's the remote cable wired into?, and

b) what terminals are the speaker cabling connected to on the amp? is it +L and +R, or -L and -R, or +L and - right etc???

Dan

EDIT: errrr, I did also notice a lack of input cabling in the pics... (maybe it's just me and my mate Hahn Super Dry, but yeh...)

Edited 19/01/08 10:42 AM by Superdan

[bjc]

Is the amp bridgeable for starters? Try just hooking it up to the L+,- first then the if still nothing the R+,-

Try just one rca and switching them, Has the head unit got a LP or sub on/off in its menu? Just basic fault finding.

Otherwise if still nothing take it to a car audio shop.

The wire off the rca's can be used for an earth for ground loop problems and also as a remote turn on for the amp.

Hope you get it sorted.

Brett