Need Advice. My Clarion amp won't turn on.

lancer480 · 03-08-2007, 03:17 AM

Whats up guys? If you can give me some advice on my little dilemna it would be much appreciated. I have a Clarion APX2180 amplifier powering two 10 inch P2 Punch subs by Rockford. Sometimes I have to take out my sub and amp to push the rear seats down in my jeep Grand Cherokee to put some stuff in the back. Soon after, I just reconnect all the wires and the subs are good to go. However, about a month and a half ago I took out the subs and amp and left them in my garage for about a month. When I put it back in last week I found that the amp will not turn on (I can tell because the LED loght doesnt come on even fr a sec and the subs arent hitting). I checked the in line fuse under the hood and the fuse in the amp and they are both fine. I also checked the wiring and I know they have power because both the 12V and ground sparks. I don't think that its possible for the amp or sub to be damaged by just sitting in a garage unused for a month does it? I don't have the little connecters on the end of the wires but does that really make the current flow better? Everything worked perfectly fine before and now just stopped. Any advice?

gospeed.racer · 03-08-2007, 03:23 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by lancer480

I also checked the wiring and I know they have power because both the 12V and ground sparks.

Oh wow

If you dont have a test light, GET ONE...DO NOT do what you did!!!

Anyway, grab a test light, and check for both constant power and remote power (with the deck on of course) at the wires going into the amp. If you have power, your amp is the problem. If you do not have power, find out why.

lancer480 · 03-08-2007, 03:27 AM

Alright I'll pick one up but if it is my amp, how do you think it happened? It just sat in my garage working perfevtly fine the day I took it out. Oh and I know i shouldnt make the wires spark but it was on accident. Isnt that an indicator that the wires are getting power?

gospeed.racer · 03-08-2007, 03:34 AM

it is an indicator that you could have blown the amp turn on circuit on the deck....

But you wont know until you test it

As far as what could have happened, hard to say. I would say condensation could be possible, and after it sits with moisture in it corrosion occurs, and components can die. But its really just a guess.

J187 · 03-08-2007, 08:43 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by lancer480

I know they have power because both the 12V and ground sparks.

WTF? YOur ground sparks? Was that a misstatement or did your ground wire really produce a spark? IF so, you've got other problems. IF not, what did you do to produce the sparks?

Amp not turning on could be a multitude of problems. The idea here, is simple to eliminate the most common problems early on. Get the test light as suggested. They're cheap, much less than the cost of a new Jeep

Do as suggested testing the power leads. But also, test the ground to the amp as well.

lancer480 · 03-08-2007, 11:54 AM

Alright thanks. The ground and 12v spark when they touch firstly. I did that a couple of times on accident wheni out them under the seat. When the wires make contact they spark and blow my inline fuse every time. I replace the fuse and it always works afterwards. This time however it randomly sparked when I touched the wires to their appropriate connecter heads on the amp. I think my amp could be blown but I just really hope its not so Im trying to find every other possiblity.

J187 · 03-08-2007, 01:30 PM

next time you go to move the wires, pull the fuse out first or something to cut power before moving them around. Use a test light to test all of those wires, including the ground we mentioned. Make sure you establish power on one of the hot wires using a piece of metal as the ground, then, to test the ground wire, use the ground wire as a groung and check the hot source again. It should light the tester if the ground is proper.

its also very possible that your amp enter protection mode and after disconecting it for a couple hours it may be ready to go again.

mikeym · 03-08-2007, 07:02 PM

you touched your ground wire to the positive wire? no wonder you have problems. you probably shorted something out.

hence:

"This time however it randomly sparked when I touched the wires to their appropriate connecter heads on the amp. I think my amp could be blown but I just really hope its not so Im trying to find every other possiblity."

which wire did you put in first? you are always supposed to connect the positive first and then the negative. But first off you are supposed to disconnect it from your battery so you don't have this problem in the first place.

do you have a fuse on the amp?

lancer480 · 03-11-2007, 05:19 AM

Hey guys I figured out what the problem was. I feel really stupid for not thinking of this earlier but it was my remote wire. When I reconnected it, it just wasn't screwed on right so I just restripped the wire and connected it again. Thanks anyways