car audio help

[spyder33]

i have a 1997 gs spyder and i was running a 12" infinity with a 1000 ### Sony explode i did not have it turned up all the way. anyway the system would sound good but when i started driving it would work for awhile then it would start to cut out and just stop and three or four days later it would start back up again first i thought it was my amp ### i know its not that good of one so i replaced it with a 750w pioneer and the same thing kept happening is it because my alternator is going bad or my battery because when the car is not started up and i turn up the music it will start to cut out. everyone says its because its a small car but i know a lot of people with smaller cars that listen to their systems for hours with there car off and its fine... SO CAN ANYONE PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM??? i would like it alot if i could listen to my subs with out them shutting off

 

[Kastigir]

What size wire are you using for power and ground to the amp?

 

[Pekkle]

A capacitor may help.

 

[spyder33]

i am using prob 3 or 4 gauge wire...
and capacitors are expensive are they not?

 

[1992GSX]

watch your amp when it happends. If the red protect led is coming on and off when your subs are cutting out then you have a bad ground. If the green light is blinking on and off then you have a bad power hook up.

I'd guess a bad ground.

 

[spyder33]

how do i have a bad ground of a bad power hook up and how do i fix it?

 

[spawn87]

i am using prob 3 or 4 gauge wire...
and capacitors are expensive are they not?

how do i have a bad ground of a bad power hook up and how do i fix it?

fist of all it being a small car doesnt matter... second a capacitor will run you 75$ tops and that's a 1.5 farad cap which is more than you need...third if your ground is bad you run it to a different source as for power if your wire is a 3-4 gauge then its your RCA's or deck that need checking cause if it was you alt or battery you would have trouble starting the car.

im running a 6oo watt amp with one ten n i slap it everyday and i got no problem with it and im only using a 8guage wire.

hope it helps

 

[Kastigir]

Honestly, 4 gauge might not be large enough for 1000 watts. Try a 2 gauge.

 

[spyder33]

if it is my RCA or my deck how do i fix that problem??

 

[crimsonGST]

Sounds like a bad ground. Get some new ground wire with a new connection. Your ground should not be longer than 1.5-2' and make sure to clean the surface the connection is on.

 

[spyder33]

what if that does not help me?

 

[jking29]

How did you set the gains on the amp? It sounds like you are sending it into thermal protect from overheating because your gains are set too high.

 

[spyder33]

im not sure i just tuned the amp to half way. that sounds like a good reason why it was turning off though how do i fix that?

 

[1992GSX]

Go out and follow your groud cable, pull it off and check underneath to make sure its getting a good connection. You may have to sand it or clean it, but make sure its touching bare metal, not paint, or oil, etc.

As for your gains, there should be a dial on your amp labeled gain. Turn it down.

Rca's: follow your rca cable from your amp into the back of the deck, check for cracks or pinches. If it is in "not so good" shape or it is a cheap set of wires, replace them.

Make sure you have a solid power hook up at your amp,and at your source. Go through, check every one of your wires and make sure you have a good connection. This includes your remote wire.

The best way to find this problem is to get out in your car and start digging. You can only get so much advice on the forum, and the best way to learn is to just get out there and do it.

 

[spawn87]

Go out and follow your groud cable, pull it off and check underneath to make sure its getting a good connection. You may have to sand it or clean it, but make sure its touching bare metal, not paint, or oil, etc.

As for your gains, there should be a dial on your amp labeled gain. Turn it down.

Rca's: follow your rca cable from your amp into the back of the deck, check for cracks or pinches. If it is in "not so good" shape or it is a cheap set of wires, replace them.

Make sure you have a solid power hook up at your amp,and at your source. Go through, check every one of your wires and make sure you have a good connection. This includes your remote wire.

The best way to find this problem is to get out in your car and start digging. You can only get so much advice on the forum, and the best way to learn is to just get out there and do it.

i agree 100%

if it is my RCA or my deck how do i fix that problem??

if its your deck or RCA only thing you can do is change it for another one. but check the amp and wires first like "GSX" said.

 

[97dark_angel]

Amazon.com: 2.0 Farad Digital Power Capacitor: Electronics


not the best but it helps

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

sounds like you are having issues due to installation error.

check the power and ground cables.

the gauge of your wire is fine, i highly doubt you are actually running continuous RMS watts

and its normal for it to cut out if the car is not running and you have it turned up, and you start fiddling with other things in the car that may use the battery power.

 

[spyder33]

how does a cap work and how do you hook it up

 

[Zack Huffman]

I think your issue is an RCA connection. I had issues like this before when I used to have a stereo installed, and it was always an RCA connection to blame. Check the rear of your deck, if everything's good there, you might want to try running another known good set of RCA cables out in the open interior straight back to the amp to see if the RCA cable is bad. I'm ~95% sure this is the problem.

A capacitor stores charge. It makes high current bursts more managable for the power source by supplying an additional reserve. It also can act as a filter to reduce interference noise.

To install a capacitor in your audio system;
1) Pull the power cable's fuse or disconnect it from the battery
2) Run your amp's power cable to the positive terminal of the capacitor
3) Install another short cable (which has continuity to the cap's positive terminal) to the amp's power terminal
4) Use a section of the same gauge cable to ground the opposite (negative) terminal of the capacitor to the chassis
5) Ground the amp's ground (negative) terminal in another location not near the capacitor's grounding point
6) Re-install the fuse

 

[spyder33]

ok thank man ill let you know if that works or not

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

this guy's setup just seems average and not extraordinary. i dont think a cap is necessary. some actually call it a bandage for the main problems you have with your electrical system.

myself and many others here prob have equal or better setups than you and don't have the problem you discuss and we don't run caps. this should tell you something. I would investigate your electrical system first before investing more time in a cap. but hey it does look cool.

i highly doubt the problem are the rca cables, i would be shocked if it was. the symptoms you describe all point to electrical system problems, but i guess it could still be a slight possibility, but definitey not 95% possibility.

 

[Zack Huffman]

My reasoning:
It cuts out when driving because something is loose or grounding out when jarred. It likely cuts out when turned up because of that same poor connection.
If it was a power cable grounding your car would stall out, deep fry the battery, start a fire or the cable would weld itself to something.
If it was the sub speaker wires, you'd hear lots of noise feedback through the other speakers when the subs cut out.
It could be the amp's grounding point, but I doubt it would stop working altogether with a poor ground as long as the ground was still secured. How hard would it be for a ring terminal to stay not touching the screw in the middle of it?
What does that leave? Bad signal connection.

 

[spyder33]

well the infinity was the setup i use to have and i was wondering what the problem might be because i am putting 2 12" kenwoods with 1200w sony xplod amp