strange happenings after redoing grounds
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=77414
Printed Date: April 27, 2024 at 7:36 PM
Topic: strange happenings after redoing grounds
Posted By: mech3
Subject: strange happenings after redoing grounds
Date Posted: May 07, 2006 at 7:39 PM
this weekend I fully dynamatted my trunk, and in the process I decided to redo my grounds on my caps and amp. I substantially shortened and sandpapered the grounding points down to the bare metal. Now after everything has been re-setup, my amplifier gain needs to be set higher, and my head unit volume is louder at a lower setting (before it was loud @ 23, now its loud at 17) I checked the voltage at my amp and it reads about 14.1v, when before it was around 13.4v-13.6. Does this make sense to anyone?
Replies:
Posted By: arrow12
Date Posted: May 07, 2006 at 10:12 PM
My last post didn't work, but I'll try again. Is this causing any problems? Do your amps run hotter? Do you notice any sound quality problems? If not, then don't worry about it. Things always change when you mess around with your system.
-------------
That's my opinion. Take it, leave it, or correct me.
Posted By: forbidden
Date Posted: May 07, 2006 at 10:15 PM
Yes, you made the circuit more efficient. The easier it is for power to get to an amp, the easier it is for the amp to make power. To fully understand what you have done, read the what is a proper ground sticky. ------------- Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.
Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: May 08, 2006 at 5:42 AM
The part that does not make sense is that the head unit itself is louder, but that you also needed to increase the amp gains. Could it be that you are using test tones and setting it correctly now whereas it wasn't set correctly before?
-------------
Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.
Posted By: mech3
Date Posted: May 08, 2006 at 1:18 PM
wouldn't making the system more efficient reult in possibly turning down the gain as the amp can produce more power? I was thinking that the head unit being louder was a result of mor efficiency. The sub seems alot quieter now also, i am wondering if one of the voice coil wires came loose while moving the box, and now it has a higher impedence. I will check with a v/ohm meter. Thanks for the replies
Posted By: mech3
Date Posted: May 08, 2006 at 5:08 PM
I just checked the impedence on my sub and it is still the same 2-ohm load. No im really confused.....
Posted By: mech3
Date Posted: May 09, 2006 at 9:01 AM
I have verified all grounds, wiring, etc. and everything is better then it was before yet my sub hits nowhere near as hard as it used too. Could dynamatting my trunk cause a sub to hit weaker?
Posted By: xtremej
Date Posted: May 09, 2006 at 9:14 AM
Usually sound deadening the trunk makes the sub sound a little louder as you are keeping the bass in and road noise out.
-------------
Posted By: Aruman
Date Posted: May 09, 2006 at 9:51 AM
mech3] wrote:
have verified all grounds, wiring, etc. and everything is better then it was before yet my sub hits nowhere near as hard as it used too. Could dynamatting my trunk cause a sub to hit weaker?
it make the bass weaker, but outside the car, not in the car. ------------- Shaking The Neighborhood
Posted By: mech3
Date Posted: May 09, 2006 at 11:32 AM
Aruman wrote:
it make the bass weaker, but outside the car, not in the car.
If that was the case I would be happy, but it hits around 20-30% weaker then it did before and it has me real confused. All voltages are up, yet the bass is weaker. And as I stated before my head unit is also louder. It just doesent make any sense.
Posted By: xtremej
Date Posted: May 09, 2006 at 11:50 AM
Did you apply sound deadner to the back of your rear seat? Rear deck lid? If you did the back seat this could account for you lost bass.
-------------
Posted By: mech3
Date Posted: May 09, 2006 at 1:18 PM
xtremej wrote:
Did you apply sound deadner to the back of your rear seat? Rear deck lid? If you did the back seat this could account for you lost bass.
I did do the bottom of the rear deck lid, but not the backseat. Do you think this would do it?
Posted By: xtremej
Date Posted: May 09, 2006 at 1:48 PM
You may have lost some by dynamating the deck lid. I would make sure the gains areset properly also.
-------------
Posted By: mech3
Date Posted: May 09, 2006 at 5:11 PM
I am contemplating removing the dyamat from the rear deck , I just dont want to remove it and have the bass be the same and waste the dynamat
Posted By: mech3
Date Posted: May 10, 2006 at 9:27 AM
It looks like it was the dynamat on the rear deck. I pulled my sub box forward so the more air can travel from the trunk to the cab of ther car and it got louder.
Posted By: xtremej
Date Posted: May 10, 2006 at 10:27 AM
Glad to hear you got it fixed. -------------
Posted By: mech3
Date Posted: May 10, 2006 at 9:09 PM
xtremej wrote:
Glad to hear you got it fixed.
Yeah, thanks alot. I wouldn't of thought that dynamatting the rear deck would have made such a difference. Off Topic, could anyone reccomend a good test tone cd with different frequencies for setting an amp up. (whether free or to be purchased) Thanks
Posted By: mech3
Date Posted: May 15, 2006 at 6:51 PM
After dynamatting my trunk and re-doing grounds i have had to turn the gain up on my amp substantially to get the same level of bass. I recently noticed whle driving at night that whenever I turned the volume up, my lights would dim very noticeably every time the bass hit. I re-did my amp ground again and verified that both the ground on my amp and the ground on my caps was optimum, following the procedures from the sticky, and the both tested great. So I am wondering if turning the gain up on my amp is causing more of a draw on my electrical system causing the dimming of the lights, or have my caps gone bad ( as the lights never dimmed until I redid the grounds). I have sufficient voltage at both the caps and the amp (14.1v-14.2v). My system is as follows, i have a stock alternator and battery with 4-gauge ran to the trunk where it connects to 2 fosgate 1/2 farad caps, then goes to my mtx thunder ta7402 amp, which powers my single 12" kicker L7 sub ran in a 2-ohm bridged configuration. I am thinking of either replacing my caps with a 5 or 10 farad cap, or getting an optima battery. Actually I will probably eventually do both, but I was plaaning on starting with the caps unless you think it would be more benefiial to do battery first. Thanks
Posted By: zhalverson
Date Posted: May 15, 2006 at 7:00 PM
Sounds to me like the amp is drawing more current with the gain turned up and is overworking the alternator. I don't think the caps are going to solve your problem. Sounds like a HO alt. might be in order.
Posted By: supradude
Date Posted: May 15, 2006 at 7:22 PM
Forget the caps. Do the "big 3" upgrade to your wiring from battery, alternator and ground. Set the gain the way it should be. you might end up needing a HO alternator, but try these things first.
-------------
'85 Toy
Posted By: darthness
Date Posted: May 15, 2006 at 8:14 PM
a 5 -10 farad cap will create MORE problems. also, its huge overkill considering your probably running under 1500w and 1 farad is good for around 1000w. Why not put the time and money into a useful upgrade, like the alternator, battery, and big 3 instead of jsut putting a band-aid on a stab wound?
|