novice installer professional problem
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=114561
Printed Date: May 09, 2024 at 10:41 AM
Topic: novice installer professional problem
Posted By: night fox31
Subject: novice installer professional problem
Date Posted: June 19, 2009 at 11:54 AM
im new to this site and new in the audio business. i just recently installed myself for the first time, a set of subs and an 800 watt xplod' i have the stock HU for a not so flashy and attractive look, when im not near my car ( theifs) so i wired a conversion from the back speakers to go from speaker wires to coaxle for the amp input. since i didnt have enough power wire to run the amp in the trunk, its under the passenger seat, so i have the coaxle wires running from the converter (located in the trunk) running to the amp, then speaker wire running from the amp, back to the trunk. and yes they are all ran through the same place so the speaker wire and coaxle wire are bundled together. and the first 6 days, i had it cranked all the way up (amp) and the stereo was medium volume. and i didnt experience any problems, until a day after i got off work, my subs worked normally, but then they cut out and only the stock rear speakers worked, (front speakers blown before i bought the car) but after turning the ignition off and restarting the car. they worked again, only if i turn the radio off now, i get a loud humming noise from the subs only, and when i turn down the music from the radio, i get a constant deep bass untill i turn up the radio again, and when i turn the igition off, i get the same bass for a split second because the power is cut off from the amp, and the only way i can get it to stop, is to turn the amp rediculously low, and i have two amps. and i switched them out to see if it was damage to the amp. and no, they both do it now, only my 1000 watt makes a different tone. i was hoping it wasnt damage to the radio cause then ill have to buy an aftermarket or go th the junkyard to hopefully find one that works. sorry for all the writing, im just really lost, and wanted to make it elaborate :) thankyou
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novice electrician, professional tinkerer
Replies:
Posted By: ianarian
Date Posted: June 19, 2009 at 1:08 PM
One to grow on.....A adjustable line converter can fit somewhere in most dashes. Attach some short leads to the converter and pickup your signal right off the deck. Leave enough slack on rca so if you ever upgrade source, your already linked to amp. Use converter/gain setting 
------------- This is what I do for FUN!
Posted By: red line auto
Date Posted: June 19, 2009 at 1:19 PM
The last time i had this issue i had the RCA and the speaker wires to close to the power wires... I dont know exactly how yours is wired up but i got similar noises from having them too close. Now it could be that your connections where you spliced stuff together are not sealed enough or and recieveing feedback from soemthing. I would go threw and check all connections and make sure any RCAs ( if you have any) arent near your power cable. Dont knwo if this will help you any but i figured id lend my 2 cents.
Posted By: tommy...
Date Posted: June 19, 2009 at 4:59 PM
First it sounds like you need to read the sticky on "HOW TO SET YOUR GAIN"(this is probably why the subs were cutting out)...! Maybe i missed "it" in there somewhere, but what kind of Subs, Amp(s) , Rear Speakers(model # to please)...? Only the rears speakers are on the amp (you said they are stock)...??? What kind of conversion did you use for your rca input...(is there a part # )? Try just running rca's up and over seats and connect it to the amp, and see if noise remains...Was there a Year, Make, Model in there...? (ive tried to read it twice...!) What is the 2nd amp going to...???
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M.E.C.P & First-Class
Go slow and drink lots of water...Procrastinators' Unite...Tomorrow!
Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: June 19, 2009 at 9:43 PM
Did you use a Line Out converter, or did you just connect the speaker wires to a patch cord. If you connected speaker wires to a patch cord, you REALLY need to look into a Line Out Converter.
Posted By: Steven Kephart
Date Posted: June 20, 2009 at 12:46 AM
The humming sound is called feedback. As you mentioned, you are getting your signal from the rear speakers. Well when the sub plays, it creates pressure in the trunk which moves the cones of the rear speakers making them act as a microphone which produces a signal that is then sent to the amplifier. The solution would be to get the signal from the front speaker wires which apparently aren't running speakers anyway. And as mentioned earlier, you need to set your gain correctly.
Posted By: night fox31
Date Posted: June 20, 2009 at 4:58 PM
for the line outlet converter i used, i had located right behind the subs in my trunk. and i had spliced wires for additional speakers already, but i just twisted all the wires that were attached to the converter, to the, already spliced wires. they arent covered or anything, just bare wires twisted together, i sorta was in a hurry :-/ but one other thing, is that one of my two subs cuts in and out, i tinkered with the wires attached to the clip thingies (dont know what they are called) they sit in the hole in a box to hold the wires from the amp to give subs power. i wiggled the wires and the sub cut in and out. so i thought the wires from inside the box attached to the sub were loose, so i switched the L and R wires to the opposite subs, and the other sub started cutting out, so i switched out my amp to the old 1000 watt, and it did the same thing, im so lost with it, but the ONLY thing i could think of is the size wire i had, in my haste, i bought a set of 12 gauge wire for one sub and the 16 gauge wire for the other sub, (came in the install kit with power and ground wires for amp + speaker wire) and i considered getting the same sized anyways since one sub hits before the other now.... :-/ also another problem. my new 800 watt. the whole amp stops sending signals to my subs periodically. and yesterday they stopped completely and kept making this clicking noise, i presumed it was reseting itself for some reason, so i unplugged it, but now today it works, (except for the one sub cutting in and out as usual.) yesterday, i was so frustrated i was going to return the 800 watt and get my 180 dollars back! ------------- novice electrician, professional tinkerer
Posted By: soundnsecurity
Date Posted: June 20, 2009 at 5:47 PM
night fox31 wrote:
for the line outlet converter i used, i had located right behind the subs in my trunk. and i had spliced wires for additional speakers already, but i just twisted all the wires that were attached to the converter, to the, already spliced wires. they arent covered or anything, just bare wires twisted together, i sorta was in a hurry :-/ but one other thing, is that one of my two subs cuts in and out, i tinkered with the wires attached to the clip thingies (dont know what they are called) they sit in the hole in a box to hold the wires from the amp to give subs power. i wiggled the wires and the sub cut in and out. so i thought the wires from inside the box attached to the sub were loose, so i switched the L and R wires to the opposite subs, and the other sub started cutting out, so i switched out my amp to the old 1000 watt, and it did the same thing, im so lost with it, but the ONLY thing i could think of is the size wire i had, in my haste, i bought a set of 12 gauge wire for one sub and the 16 gauge wire for the other sub, (came in the install kit with power and ground wires for amp + speaker wire) and i considered getting the same sized anyways since one sub hits before the other now.... :-/
also another problem. my new 800 watt. the whole amp stops sending signals to my subs periodically. and yesterday they stopped completely and kept making this clicking noise, i presumed it was reseting itself for some reason, so i unplugged it, but now today it works, (except for the one sub cutting in and out as usual.) yesterday, i was so frustrated i was going to return the 800 watt and get my 180 dollars back!
you need to click your heels together 3 times while saying "i wish i had bass".
why dont you start by letting us know what subs you have(make and model number) and whether they are single or dual voice coil.
also we need the model number of your sony xplod amp because they are not all the same.
it sounds like you have everything close to hooked up right but you need to go back and fix your loose ends like the bare wire you mentioned.
move your converter to speaker wires behind the radio.
turn the gain down on your amp. you might not like it but it is for the best.
if you can wiggle the speaker wires at the box and your subs cut out that means there is something loose inside the box. you should take the sub out and fix the problem. if you want to install your own stuff you had better get very familiar with troubleshooting. -------------
Posted By: tommy...
Date Posted: June 20, 2009 at 6:23 PM
tommy... wrote:
First it sounds like you need to read the sticky on "HOW TO SET YOUR GAIN" (this is probably why the subs were cutting out)...! Maybe i missed "it" in there somewhere, but what kind of Subs, Amp(s) , Rear Speakers (model # too please)...? Only the rears speakers are on the amp (you said they are stock)...??? What kind of conversion did you use for your rca input...(is there a part # )? Try just running rca's up and over seats and connect it to the amp, and see if noise remains...Was there a Year, Make, Model in there...? (ive tried to read it twice...!) What is the 2nd amp going to...???
Could you start by answering these questions...??? And DUDE...Please use spaces and some caps...It is kinda hard to read your posts...! (like one big run-on sentence) ------------- M.E.C.P & First-Class
Go slow and drink lots of water...Procrastinators' Unite...Tomorrow!
Posted By: night fox31
Date Posted: June 20, 2009 at 11:19 PM
see the problem with the wire wiggling is that i switched the same wires to the other sub, then that same sub i just switched them too, started cutting out, but the one that cut out before, works fine, so its one or the other. so to speak and the line outlet converter was schonse or whatever, sorry i dont remember lol. same namebrand as the wiring kit, i only wired in the converter kit in the trunk because of existing wires i had before. and to save time without disassembling the dash, i do know how, just a hastle lol :D i know the wiring in the subs through the box is okay, ive had the subs and box for quite some time. they're wore out and im going to replace once i get this amp set up correctly. and as for all the numbers for the installed and existing items. i dont have the number on the subs.. i got them for free. and ive had them for a few years. so.. its anyones guess, theyre duals 12" red colored, but thats all i know, unless they printed it on the magnet inside on the sub., and yes the speakers in the rear are factory. same thing goes for the numbers on them as well. the Stock HU is a delco. sorry for the lack of details on items. but one thing is im sure the gain is the problem with the humming, but the only way to fix it is to turn down the amp rediculously low... is there anyway to get around this without turning it down much at all? ive got the number with the new 800 watt xplod' im sure its somewhere on the box is it not? as for the 1000 watt. it also was a gift from my father. he got it from a friend of his and he wants 30 bucks for it, tested myself. ran fine. but its all surface scratched and i dont know if i could make out the brand name. pretty sure i wouldnt find any numbers on that... all i could do is upload a picture.. :-/ but in one of my earlier messages, i have a 12 gauge wire running to one sub from the amp. and the other sub is running the wires from the kit (16 gauge or 14) smaller wire, the bigger wires (12 gauge) are the wires that are causing my one sub to cut out. the wires are fine. i knew it wasnt smart to do so, but its the only wire i had atm.would that cause the ONE sub to cut out? ------------- novice electrician, professional tinkerer
Posted By: night fox31
Date Posted: June 20, 2009 at 11:20 PM
and sorry soundnsecurity for the PM, i thought i clicked post reply ;-/
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novice electrician, professional tinkerer
Posted By: red line auto
Date Posted: June 21, 2009 at 7:33 AM
it sounds to me like the connection inside the sub box is loost or the wire you have running from you amp to the sub and not connected properly. I would suggest replaceint teh wires that go from you amp to you subs with new wires and properly attach them to the amp and the sub box.
Posted By: tommy...
Date Posted: June 21, 2009 at 8:07 AM
Or the terminal cup on the back of the box is bad... ------------- M.E.C.P & First-Class
Go slow and drink lots of water...Procrastinators' Unite...Tomorrow!
Posted By: soundnsecurity
Date Posted: June 21, 2009 at 8:55 AM
night fox31 wrote:
and sorry soundnsecurity for the PM, i thought i clicked post reply ;-/
you got mail -------------
Posted By: tommy...
Date Posted: June 21, 2009 at 4:15 PM
I guess if you switched the wires and the other sub was doing IT ! It has nothing to do w/ the cups...So you just switched the wires going into the cups on sub box, and the other sub started cutting out...?? Try that w/ the RCA's and see if the problem switches sides...Flip/switch the red and white rca's going into amp and see if IT happens...!
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M.E.C.P & First-Class
Go slow and drink lots of water...Procrastinators' Unite...Tomorrow!
Posted By: night fox31
Date Posted: June 22, 2009 at 12:28 AM
i tried that as well. and it gets a better signal now. but the cutting out part still occurs, and it doesnt occur when i switche the nob on the HU to the Right or Left speaker. so only one sub is playing at a time. or when i turn the bass all the way down on the HU then it stops too... the wires are fine, i replaced them today with equal sized wires and they still do it. which is annoyying personally. im going to move my LOC from in the trunk where its located now. to somewhere in my glove box. (removable interior. fuse box is inside) its easier access and WAY less possibility for interferance. but also i wont have a mile long set of wires running from the HU to the trunk for speakers, then BACK to the amp in the front of the car... thats like 14 feet of wiring and coaxle put together. talk about lengthy... and one last question, anyone know where to get longer power cable without a kit?? mine is too short to get anywhere but under the passenger seat. and my 1000 watt cant fit under it :-/ ------------- novice electrician, professional tinkerer
Posted By: tommy...
Date Posted: June 22, 2009 at 3:59 PM
Most shops will sell it by the foot...So when you turn down the settings , the sub stops cutting out...?? I think you are trying to get too much out of these subs...! These are the all red duals...? Next time the sub cuts out, push on the sub and see if it comes back on...You said THEY still do it...Both subs are cutting out...?
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M.E.C.P & First-Class
Go slow and drink lots of water...Procrastinators' Unite...Tomorrow!
Posted By: KarTuneMan
Date Posted: June 22, 2009 at 8:43 PM
I am going nuts reading this.... I tried, but got myself a BIG headache tryin to keep up..... Im sorry, I just had too!
Posted By: i_want_the_boom
Date Posted: June 23, 2009 at 8:04 AM
I would take everything out and start over when you have time to do it right without hurry. Take your time and check all connections. Dont leave any connection with just bare wire. Have you read the sticky about setting your gain if so then you would know if thats all the bass you can get from the amp/speaker combo. I see that you cut alot of corners with your install. If you set it up right then you will know its not the install its the equipment. ------------- If the trunk dont rattle then its not loud.
If it's to loud then you're to old.
Posted By: night fox31
Date Posted: June 23, 2009 at 12:21 PM
yes 12" red duals... before. just one sub would cut out, but i tested the wires attached to the LOC in my trunk. i believe i had them backwards so i switched it, and now they work fine, but now they both cut out for a different reason, i think my amp is getting starved from "juice" because when it hits. the lighting on my amp dims ALOT, another replier on this post suggested my ground was bad, and i havent checked it twice but when i first installed it, the bolt had surface rust, and so did the bar it ran through (seat mount) so im going to grind down the bar and get a new bolt. and if that isnt it, then its either the bare wires from the LOC conversion. (which im going to move to behind the radio soon for less interferance.) or its my stock HU.. but i doubt its my HU. ------------- novice electrician, professional tinkerer
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