dmarciano

I recently installed two new amps and a sub. I'm having trouble with the sound cutting out. If I keep the volume below 25 (max is 60) it happens very rarely and it seems that the louder I set the volume the more often it happens and the longer it last. I doubt this is related to a grounding problem or a wiring issue because of the apparent relation to the volume control. The grounding point I'm using is the same one that I used for my last sub and amp and never had problems with it. It also seems to happen only when I drive because when I was wiring everything and testing out the system it never happened. Could it be that the system is trying to draw too much power and the car can't supply it? I also heard that it could be a gain setting. Maybe a cap? I'm at a lost and any help would be appreciated. My system specs are as follows:

Pioneer AVIC-N3 HU
Polk Component speakers in the front door (60 RMS @ 4 Ohm)
Polk Coaxial speakers in the back (100 RMS @ 4 Ohm)
Pioneer GM-6300F (60 RMS x 4 Ch @ 4 Ohm - 600W Max)
Profile AP1200 (200 RMS x 2 Ch @ 4 Ohm - 1200W Max)
2 MTX Audio Thunder 4500 Subs (225 RMS @ 4 Ohm - 450W Max)

I have a 4GA wire connected to a 100A fuse which then connects to a distribution block. Each amp is connected to the distribution block with 8GA wire and each connection has a 60A fuse. Each amp has its own fuses as well. The ground of each amp is connected to a ground distribution block with 8GA wire and the distribution block is ground to the chassis with 4GA wire.

scionteecee

seems like an amp issue

Ragingbull78

your gain is set too high possibly.. had this happen to me before

dmarciano

Too high? Someone was saying that if it is too low that it could overheat the amp and cause it to cut out. I know that the RCA from the HU are 2.2V; from my understanding the gains on the amp should be 2.2V as well. Correct?

SciontC1136

could be wiring..

I had somewhat of the same issue. At low volumes the speakers would cut out and some times not work, but at high volumes, it works just fine.

Ended up I had about a quarter inch secion of wiring that had been pinched and was only letting me get about 11v at the cap.

Im not a audio pro like some of the guys here but I would check the voltage that your getting at your amp.

fast5

Check your gain, if it is too high your amp will just cut off as soon as a note is played. Start with it all the way down, turn the radio up and adjust in small increments. Also try bridging the amp. WWW.Crutchfield.com

sciontc05123

I am having close to the same problem. When i stop at lights or stopsigns my sub cuts out if i keep the volume high. In my car i know it is a ground problem. Maybe recheck your connections and tighten them up. Otherwise i would agree with everyone else that it is your gain is to high or your amp is possibly blown. hope this helps and good luck tuning.

kidwolf908

Yeaaaaaa pretty sure that's not correct in the least bit. You're supposed to set the HU to the highest volume possible without any distortion, and then set the gain up from 0 to the level of volume that you think will be your maximum listening level.

My HU has 5v pre-outs, but my amp only goes to 2v gain. I'm 99% sure your setting is causing it.

dmarciano

I've done some testing to try and eliminate some of the possible cause of the audio problems and it now seems that there are two different issues.

1) If I keep the volume at 25 (max of the HU is 60) the audio is relatively fine and cuts out very infrequently and only for a few seconds when it does. The audio quality is good. However if I raise the volume to 30 there are periodic popping noise in the speakers.

2) If I turn the sub on then the audio cuts out a lot more frequently and each time it does it last from any where to a few seconds to several minutes. However when the audio does cut out it is only the speakers, the sub keeps playing.

3) I examined the amps when the audio was cut out and the amp that powers the speakers still had power so I doubt that a wire is loose or it is a grounding problem.


It appears that item one is being caused by the gain settings on the amp that is powering the car speakers. However can the gain settings also cause the speakers to cut out when the sub is turned on or is more likely related to a power issue. It should be noted that while driving I haven't noticed the lighting dimming or anything else to indicate that the power in the car is dropping. Opinions? Is it just a gain setting issue or is there probably something else also?

dmarciano

Quick update: Audio and popping noise does occur when the car is not moving. When the audio cuts out the amps are still getting power. I have tried wiggling all the wires and moving things around to see if something was loose but I could not cause the problems to happen at will. I'm at a complete loss of what to try next. Oh and I did turn the gains all the way down on the amp that powers the speakers but nothing improved and the amps were not warm to the touch so they aren't overheating. What now?

ASHRAF

I'm not an audio expert by any means

but this happened to me in my last car

if it's cutting for couple of seconds... check the circuit breaker

everybody was giving me different possibilities, but none suggested that it might be the circuit breaker, and it was

kidwolf908

Has this always happened ever since you installed the system? I wonder if you've permanently damaged the amp somehow because of those gain settings...just a slim possiblity. But yea, as others have said, check your cables and fuses, but also check for a ground loop by pulling the RCA's out on your amp just far enough to where the outer shield isn't making contact, but the prongs are. If the sounds and popping stop, you have a ground loop.

dmarciano

I know the manual for the Pioneer amps states that the audio will cut out when an abnormal condition is detected. An improper ground would be an abnormal condition but wouldn't the power light on the amp dim or go out if there was a problem with the ground (which the light doesn't do, I've checked). What other conditions could the amp itself detect as an abnormal condition? As I've previously stated the other amp (for the sub) has no problems...

SePaTc

when u say "cut out", does the music stop completely or does the volume/output just get cut in half?

my alpine 9851 "cuts out"/clips when I go over 22 volume. no clue what the max is. so i just tuned the amp for that volume range.

idk. you've got quite a perplexing issue there.

dmarciano

When I say "cuts out" I mean the music stops completely. How the subwoofer keeps playing. I rechecked all the connections, tightened them, re-checked the grounding points, tightened them, checked the groundings with a DMM, any connection I thought could potentially be a problem I changed, etc...and still the same problem. I played music for 15-20min while in my garage with no problem. As soon as I start driving that's when the problems crop up (although the popping noise when I go above 30 volume still happened while in the garage). Lights don't dim and the sub keeps playing so I doubt it is a power issue. There is no whine when I accelerate so I doubt it is some interference from the alternator. Even though the lights don't dim and the sub keeps playing should I tried installing a cap? What is the likelihood that this might help?

SciontC1136

cap wont help. Thats just a waste of money. Every thing your saying points to a wiring issue but if you have checked all of it then I have no idea man.

Trouble shooting with car audio is always a pain. Hope you get it figured out man..

dmarciano

I check all the wiring. I used a DMM and when the audio cut out the amp was still receiving power and the RCA inputs still had a signal. I thought at this point that the amp had an internal short and was going into protection mode. I took it back and got a brand new one and immediately hooked it up. Same exact problem. What is bugging me the is that although the audio cutting out happens regardless of the settings it seems to happen more often if I have all speakers on, and even more when the sub is on also...What problems could the amp detect (besides a power/ground issue) that would cause it to go into protection mode?

sciontc_mich

The amp could detect a shorted speaker and go into protection mode. Have you checked the speakers for faulty speaker wire to the speakers? also check the speaker itself for a short, you do this by checking the resistance of the wire, OHM's on your DMM.

also unplug your rca cables one at a time to see when it stops going into protection mode. could be shorting out at the rca cables., even though i understand you checked them. It still could be shorting out.

also--
what voltage are you getting at the amp for the speakers?
what voltage are you getting from the amp for the subs?
check this level for no audio, then turn the volume up and watch the voltage to the amps.
you could be causing transient power loss when the subs are on and the amp driving the speakers didn't like the voltage drop, the louder you turn in, more current (juice) it needs. Then the amp driving the speakers shuts down because of a power loss.

dmarciano

I appreciate everyones help but on December 31st my car was stolen. I got it back today but the whole stereo system is gone....lucky I had LoJack and they caught the guys driving it and they have been arrested. I'm going to sue for damages but I guess I don't have to worry about the system not working anymore....

SciontC1136

haha that sucks dude

at least you got it back..and now you get to buy new stuff! haha