power supply problem
#1
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Car: 91 Firebird
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 700r4
power supply problem
I dont get it, I have rewired this amp once and I dont know what else could be the problem.
From the battery I have a 4 gauge wire with a 80 amp fuse block (mounted next to the battery) ran to the back seat (where the lever is to lay the back seat down) from there it drops down to a 8 gauge for at least 2 feet to the amp. The ground is also a 8 gauge about 2 feet long. The amp has 2-30amp fuses in it and is supposed to run 200rms per channel (which Im sure is BS) now for my problem: When the volume gets to a point where its just starting to sound good it cuts out like its lost power. You can actually watch the power light on the amp blink with the beat of the music. The gains for both channels are under a 1/3 of the way up, now I could see this if the amp was maxed out but its not. I wouldnt think that a CAP would be required for this small of a amp.
Also my battery is a top post and a side post, now the the car is ran off the side posts but I used the top posts to hook up my fuse block and 4 gauge, could this be a problem? I have wouldnt think it would be but you never know.
I have checked all of the connections and they are good.
So at this point Im lost.
From the battery I have a 4 gauge wire with a 80 amp fuse block (mounted next to the battery) ran to the back seat (where the lever is to lay the back seat down) from there it drops down to a 8 gauge for at least 2 feet to the amp. The ground is also a 8 gauge about 2 feet long. The amp has 2-30amp fuses in it and is supposed to run 200rms per channel (which Im sure is BS) now for my problem: When the volume gets to a point where its just starting to sound good it cuts out like its lost power. You can actually watch the power light on the amp blink with the beat of the music. The gains for both channels are under a 1/3 of the way up, now I could see this if the amp was maxed out but its not. I wouldnt think that a CAP would be required for this small of a amp.
Also my battery is a top post and a side post, now the the car is ran off the side posts but I used the top posts to hook up my fuse block and 4 gauge, could this be a problem? I have wouldnt think it would be but you never know.
I have checked all of the connections and they are good.
So at this point Im lost.
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Car: 91 Firebird
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Yeah the head lights dim with the beat of the music also the amp doesnt have enough time to over heat I dont think because this can happen first thing in the morning after the amp has set all night and runs for 30 sec and shut over to protect. The 80 amp fuse is the one that came with the kit, so I guessed that it was the correct size, but how would a larger fuse pull my power down? Because I always thought that to small of a fuse would rob you of power or just keep burning out.
Now as for the amp itself why would they make it possable to bridge both channels if it makes it over heat and shut off?
This is so confusing.
Oh yeah the subs are Audiobahn 10 inch Dual 4Ù Voice Coils Per Sub 300W RMS Power Handling Per Sub.
One more thing the amp did this when I was only pushing just one sub also.
Now as for the amp itself why would they make it possable to bridge both channels if it makes it over heat and shut off?
This is so confusing.
Oh yeah the subs are Audiobahn 10 inch Dual 4Ù Voice Coils Per Sub 300W RMS Power Handling Per Sub.
One more thing the amp did this when I was only pushing just one sub also.
Last edited by napalmdemos; 11-19-2003 at 06:52 PM.
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Car: '91 Firebird
Run the wire off the side posts. I had one like this, and tried to jump another car using the top posts, with my alt connected to the sides. It was pulling barely anything until I swapped them over to the sides.
Also, try getting a power cap or a second battery for the back. That should take care of the dimming lights.
Also, try getting a power cap or a second battery for the back. That should take care of the dimming lights.
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Car: 91 Firebird
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 700r4
Originally posted by Faded
Run the wire off the side posts. I had one like this, and tried to jump another car using the top posts, with my alt connected to the sides. It was pulling barely anything until I swapped them over to the side
Run the wire off the side posts. I had one like this, and tried to jump another car using the top posts, with my alt connected to the sides. It was pulling barely anything until I swapped them over to the side
I wonder why that works that way?
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Car: 1970 Nova
Engine: 850HP 383
Transmission: TH400 w/ Brake
Axle/Gears: 4.88 12 Bolt
WIRED
HOW DO U HAVE UR SUBS WIRED? IF YOU HAVE THEM ALL PARALLELED, THAT WOULD CREATE A 1 OHM LOAD WHICH MOST AMPS CANT HANDLE, SINCE THEY R DUAL 4 OHM. TRY SERIES EACH SUB THEN PARALLEL THEM. THAT WOULD CREATE A 4 OHM LOAD WHICH WOULD MAKE AMP RUN MORE EFFIECENT. WHAT KIND OF AMP IS IT?
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Car: 85 firebird
Engine: Pos 2.8 pulled and replaced with a 350 tpi motor converted to carb.
Transmission: 700r4, vette servo,shift kit, hayden 15"x8" trans cooler.
It seems 90 % of these " my amp cuts off " posts are people running amps to unstable ohms.
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Car: 91 Firebird
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Re: WIRED
Originally posted by FASTERTHANUMARK
HOW DO U HAVE UR SUBS WIRED? IF YOU HAVE THEM ALL PARALLELED, THAT WOULD CREATE A 1 OHM LOAD WHICH MOST AMPS CANT HANDLE, SINCE THEY R DUAL 4 OHM. TRY SERIES EACH SUB THEN PARALLEL THEM. THAT WOULD CREATE A 4 OHM LOAD WHICH WOULD MAKE AMP RUN MORE EFFIECENT. WHAT KIND OF AMP IS IT?
HOW DO U HAVE UR SUBS WIRED? IF YOU HAVE THEM ALL PARALLELED, THAT WOULD CREATE A 1 OHM LOAD WHICH MOST AMPS CANT HANDLE, SINCE THEY R DUAL 4 OHM. TRY SERIES EACH SUB THEN PARALLEL THEM. THAT WOULD CREATE A 4 OHM LOAD WHICH WOULD MAKE AMP RUN MORE EFFIECENT. WHAT KIND OF AMP IS IT?
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Car: 1970 Nova
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WIRING
Parallel is when you loop all pos. together then run that to amp. Negative is the same way. Series is when you loop 1 pos to 1 neg and you use the other pos and neg as your input. Any other ?
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Car: 91 Firebird
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Well they are not wired parallel so any more ideas to what would solve this problem would be awesome.
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Car: 89 Formula Firebird
Engine: 305 - Demon 525
Transmission: 700R4
few questions...
>What does your battery commonly read at on your gauges in the dash when your system is on and 1 your car is not running, 2 when your car is running, 3 when your car is driving. If it dips down to the bass, where does it start and when the bass hits, how far down does it go?
>Whats the rms and max power to your amp and each sub and other speakers that arnt factory?
>are you using the same alternator under your hood that was put on at the factory over a decade ago? Those things do go bad after awhile. I killed my factory one. It wasnt charging my batery the best that it could and I had a cheap setup that would cause the battery needle to go down and up and the headlights dim to the bass. Wasnt long before it killed the alternator and I was driving down the street whatching my battery level sink low. You dont want this, dont want to get stuck out in bfe. Get the aleternator tested at Autozone or pepboys. If you ask me, its worth replacing. Was something cheap like 40 bucks I belive, maybe.
*Tip! Get a voltage tester!!! Dont get the digital waste of money one, get the 14.00 one at your parts store that works just fine with the needle reading. Set that thing on 50, Turn your system on to where its causing the problem, touch the black test needle of the voltage tester to the ground of your amp, the red to the power of your amp and look at the voltage scale. There is a scale from 0-50 that you want to make sure it goes up to 12 and doesnt dip down to low. I'm not sure it should even move, but if its way below 12 then you have a problem from that wire back and if you do, test the middle of the power wire and see if there is still a problem there to, then move your way back to and keep checking. Last thing you want is a pinched power wire grounding to the frame or somewhere. Dont want to fry your computer system to your car.
Let us know any new info
>What does your battery commonly read at on your gauges in the dash when your system is on and 1 your car is not running, 2 when your car is running, 3 when your car is driving. If it dips down to the bass, where does it start and when the bass hits, how far down does it go?
>Whats the rms and max power to your amp and each sub and other speakers that arnt factory?
>are you using the same alternator under your hood that was put on at the factory over a decade ago? Those things do go bad after awhile. I killed my factory one. It wasnt charging my batery the best that it could and I had a cheap setup that would cause the battery needle to go down and up and the headlights dim to the bass. Wasnt long before it killed the alternator and I was driving down the street whatching my battery level sink low. You dont want this, dont want to get stuck out in bfe. Get the aleternator tested at Autozone or pepboys. If you ask me, its worth replacing. Was something cheap like 40 bucks I belive, maybe.
*Tip! Get a voltage tester!!! Dont get the digital waste of money one, get the 14.00 one at your parts store that works just fine with the needle reading. Set that thing on 50, Turn your system on to where its causing the problem, touch the black test needle of the voltage tester to the ground of your amp, the red to the power of your amp and look at the voltage scale. There is a scale from 0-50 that you want to make sure it goes up to 12 and doesnt dip down to low. I'm not sure it should even move, but if its way below 12 then you have a problem from that wire back and if you do, test the middle of the power wire and see if there is still a problem there to, then move your way back to and keep checking. Last thing you want is a pinched power wire grounding to the frame or somewhere. Dont want to fry your computer system to your car.
Let us know any new info
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