Maintaining Enough Current
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=69941
Printed Date: May 02, 2024 at 7:24 AM
Topic: Maintaining Enough Current
Posted By: Craigl28
Subject: Maintaining Enough Current
Date Posted: January 03, 2006 at 2:23 PM
My VW Vanagon has two batteries as a standard/stock power system. I think I reached some threshhole on power current so that know the stereo system cut's-out when the volume is raised higher than 8 or 9. I think the head unit is programmed to do this if the current drops below some voltage. Therefore, it's alternating turning on, off as the voltage regains quickly and then shuts-off after dropping again. Do you have any advice on solutions? Thanks a lot! Craig
Replies:
Posted By: menace2sobriety
Date Posted: January 03, 2006 at 2:38 PM
do you have amplifiers, subs? if so are you using proper guage wire? up grade your alternator and do the big-3 as well, doing that will do good all around.
Posted By: sparkie
Date Posted: January 03, 2006 at 3:18 PM
Your volume reached 8 or 9? On a scale of what? On a scale of 10 you are causing the amp to clip. Turn it down before serious speaker damage occurs. If you are using a diiferent scale then use a digital volt meter to measure the voltage at the audio component when the problem occurs. Use your meter probes on both the power and ground of the component to see if there is a problem on either the power or ground side of the circuit. If there is it usually shows up as a voltage drop below 12 volts with the engine running.
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sparky
Posted By: Craigl28
Date Posted: January 03, 2006 at 5:15 PM
The 8 or 9 is a medium volume setting for my Alpine head unit. There was no problem prior to getting the new head unit, my Pioneer went bad but never did these symptoms dispite having two amps and one sub installed. I think the Pioneer didn't have this saftey feature of shutiing down below 12 volts. The problem occurs even with the 2nd amp and sub's disconnected. That's why I'm asking for real expert advice from you guys. Thanks!
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: January 03, 2006 at 5:37 PM
If all y0ou did was replace a HU then you may have a bad battery or a faulty charging system. Take it in and get the electrical system checked. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: ssnds
Date Posted: January 03, 2006 at 7:32 PM
should an alpine HU shut off like craig described? then on the other aspect i see it doing it. i'd go with DYohn on that one. Go to say advanced auto,napa, autozone and put a meter on it while everything is turned off, meter it when the vehicle is running but the stereo is off then again with the vehicle running but with the radio on at a low level. then start increasing the volume and see what happens. 
------------- SSounds
Posted By: xtremca2003
Date Posted: January 03, 2006 at 9:54 PM
Is it one of the high output alpines that require the main batt feed to be drawn from the battery? If so, do not hook the main yellow line to behind the radio.
Chris
Posted By: xtremca2003
Date Posted: January 03, 2006 at 9:57 PM
One more thing. Does your VW have have the Monsoon system or similar. If so you may be driving the factory speaks and amps nuts, causing your alpine to see odd impedance on the speaker outs and in turn causing it to shut down. Get a DMM and ohm out the factoty speaker wires behind the deck and see if they are 4ohms or higher.
Chris
Posted By: Craigl28
Date Posted: January 04, 2006 at 11:05 AM
xtremca2003 wrote:
One more thing. Does your VW have have the Monsoon system or similar. If so you may be driving the factory speaks and amps nuts, causing your alpine to see odd impedance on the speaker outs and in turn causing it to shut down. Get a DMM and ohm out the factoty speaker wires behind the deck and see if they are 4ohms or higher.
Chris
All of the factory system is gone and the upgrade worked fine for many years with the Pioneer head unit. I agree with everyone's advice to meter system off, low, and watch increase to medium volume real closely! Thanks much!!!
Posted By: mmmbarbato
Date Posted: January 18, 2006 at 5:19 PM
you might be at the wrong ohms on your amp
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mike
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