Having problem with AMP, need HELP!!

**falconey** · 04-29-2004, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by ryuandwings

When I was test the AMP, I pulled out one of the speaker from the door and connected it to the AMP. I used laptop->sound card->AMP->speaker setup to test.
Does that make sense?

My car is 1997 Subaru Outback Sport, and I don't think there is a factory AMP. But I really don't know.

That makes perfect sense and that's how you should have tested. As far as the factory amp goes it wouldn't matter if you took the speaker completely out and ran it directly to the aftermarket amp. So as long as your confident that you connected the speaker wire correctly, had your rca's in correctly, and the key to the car was at least at ACC then you're problem has to either lie within the amp or the wiring. Now you stated that you tried another amp so that gives me the impression that it's the way the wiring is set up. Now I'm in back-track mode because you've stated the amps are powering up. At this point I'm stumped. The only thing left to suggest is that the amp or in this case amps are blown. Highly unlikely that you'd have two seperate amps that are blown and especially if either or both are new. If there's anything you've left out on purpose or unknowingly let me know and maybe I can come up with something else.

**ryuandwings** · 04-29-2004, 07:53 PM

I am thinking it is wiring somewhere, too. At least that is what I am hoping

.
I am going to check the wiring again.

**MikeHunt79** · 04-29-2004, 08:11 PM

ok, I havent read the whole thread since i'm lazy, but try wiring up a portable CD player or something like that just to see if u can get any sound out your amp at all, then go from there.

**shillier** · 04-29-2004, 09:50 PM

Hummm... had the same problem when I tested my first setup which I also tested with a laptop.

Took me a couple hours to figure out. First thing was that I had the wiring hooked up to the microphone jack. Then the 3.5 stereo wire was not plugged in all the way in the headphone jack. Then I had some tweaking to do in the volume controls and uncheck all the mute settings. Can't remember exactly what I did that fixed it but the problem ended up being related to the settings on the laptop I was using which I think was a Compaq Armada M700. I was testing DVDs at the time.

In my opinion, it's your wiring of the laptop or some specific setting in the software. It sounds to me that the amp is wired properly and the speakers. I would focus on the laptop and the wiring. Try a different source as suggested above.

Good luck!

**ryuandwings** · 04-29-2004, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by shillier

Hummm... had the same problem when I tested my first setup which I also tested with a laptop.

Took me a couple hours to figure out. First thing was that I had the wiring hooked up to the microphone jack. Then the 3.5 stereo wire was not plugged in all the way in the headphone jack. Then I had some tweaking to do in the volume controls and uncheck all the mute settings. Can't remember exactly what I did that fixed it but the problem ended up being related to the settings on the laptop I was using which I think was a Compaq Armada M700. I was testing DVDs at the time.

In my opinion, it's your wiring of the laptop or some specific setting in the software. It sounds to me that the amp is wired properly and the speakers. I would focus on the laptop and the wiring. Try a different source as suggested above.

Good luck!

Thanks guys for the suggestions.

The funny thing is that same laptop->usb sound card setup works when I hook up to home reciever. So I am thinking it is somewhere in the car.

Also, I have tried with portable CD player and MD player with no sound. Which also lead me to think it is not the source.

Well I am going to rewire everything this weekend. I hope I will find something.

**lgbr** · 04-30-2004, 02:40 AM

Grab a AA battery then pull the speaker leads out of the amplifier and connect them to the speaker leads. The speakers should pop. If they dont, then its a problem with the speaker wiring. If they do, then its an input problem. Make sure there's nothing like a crossover on the amplifier set. If you set Low Pass crossover on the speakers, then you're not going to get any sound out.

Make sure a protected light is not turning on on the amp. The power LED may or may not still light up if it's in protected mode. If the protected LED is on, check your ground, make sure its very tight and on an unpainted part of the chassis.

Also check the 3.5 line out on the computer, plug some head phones into it.

If all that seems to work, take the car to a local sound shop (NOT Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.). They may be able to narrow down the problem for you, and wont charge you anything.

**ryuandwings** · 04-30-2004, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by lgbr

Grab a AA battery then pull the speaker leads out of the amplifier and connect them to the speaker leads. The speakers should pop. If they dont, then its a problem with the speaker wiring. If they do, then its an input problem. Make sure there's nothing like a crossover on the amplifier set. If you set Low Pass crossover on the speakers, then you're not going to get any sound out.

Make sure a protected light is not turning on on the amp. The power LED may or may not still light up if it's in protected mode. If the protected LED is on, check your ground, make sure its very tight and on an unpainted part of the chassis.

Also check the 3.5 line out on the computer, plug some head phones into it.

If all that seems to work, take the car to a local sound shop (NOT Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.). They may be able to narrow down the problem for you, and wont charge you anything.

Thanks for more advice.
I am begining to think it is the ground. I am going to sand the contact point even more tonight and try again.

I guess if everything fails, I don't have other option but to take it to pro. I was avoiding that cause of tight budget. But I guess better to have working system

**falconey** · 04-30-2004, 11:08 AM

If you want I'll give you my phone number. If you can take a pic of your connections and I can help over the phone. Let me know and I'll send through a pm. I hate for people to take stuff like this to an installer. You're so close. I don't think you mentioned this, but is the amp new or used?

**SAScooby** · 04-30-2004, 11:43 AM

Hey guys

This sounds like a very very simple problem, easy to fix

Going back in the posts, :" the system works with the headunit in place" but not with the 'puter OK

So what is happening here is the AMP is not getting the REM +12v signal to begin doing its thing, if the headunit is there, then obviously the circuit is complete, the LED on the AMP just shows it has -12 V and +12 V it is missing the turnon signal that the headunit provides, once this is rectified all will be 100% to check my theory run a visual on the back of the amp and aside from the speaker connections there should be a -12 a +12 and REM or similiar, the REM needs +12v at time of ignition to "power" up the amps, if this is the case, run a +12v from the battery to the amp REM to provide turn on power, obviously if this works you need a more elegant solution, ie properly wired to a wire that becomes +12 on vehicle on status

Hope this helps

by the way Subarus RULE

**falconey** · 04-30-2004, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by SAScooby

Hey guys

This sounds like a very very simple problem, easy to fix

Going back in the posts, :" the system works with the headunit in place" but not with the 'puter OK

So what is happening here is the AMP is not getting the REM +12v signal to begin doing its thing, if the headunit is there, then obviously the circuit is complete, the LED on the AMP just shows it has -12 V and +12 V it is missing the turnon signal that the headunit provides, once this is rectified all will be 100% to check my theory run a visual on the back of the amp and aside from the speaker connections there should be a -12 a +12 and REM or similiar, the REM needs +12v at time of ignition to "power" up the amps, if this is the case, run a +12v from the battery to the amp REM to provide turn on power, obviously if this works you need a more elegant solution, ie properly wired to a wire that becomes +12 on vehicle on status

Hope this helps

by the way Subarus RULE

Could be, but I don't think the amp would power up without the remote turn on. Keyword in that is think.