Urgent Help with sub and amp

[mavrick]

The lad got a Mutant MTPK12-A package for xmas to go in his Clio Dynamique 03 car. The packaged included sub amp and wiring kit. He also got a Pioneer DEH-50UB HU.

I've installed the HU and attached the Sub but it don't work. To make sure all the kit works ok, I transfered it over to my Megane and everything just worked fine.

On the meg the power indicator on the amp glowed blue but on the Clio it's not lit until I plug the phono's in from the HU and then it glows red. I've checked the inline fuse on the power cable to the sub and it's fine.

I don't know if this is related but the hazard lights don't work either.

Any idea's as i'm pulling my hair out, and they ain't much to pull out!

 

[wallop]

Blue light indicates alls well, Red light indicates Amp is in 'protect'....

So, going on your description I would assume;

No RCA leads fitted, no power/status indication = Poor connection....

RCA leads fitted, Amp status is 'protection' = Bad amp earth, (when RCA leads fitted amp is partially earthing through the headunit via the RCA leads)....

Unfortunately your using a Pioneer head unit, these units can suffer internal damage rather easily in the above scenario....

Select another amp earth site, clean area back to bare metal, secure amp earth good & tight, test amp once again with NO RCA leads connected to it.....

Once its working as it should, any background whine/hiss could be a sign the Pioneer earth track has been blown....

 

[mavrick]

Thanks, thats good advice. I have drilled a hole near to the ISOfix bar and I have scratched away the paint. I have tightened the nut and bolt as tight as I can. Do you know where a good earthing point is likely to be.

I have installed the HU on my Meg and that plays fine with my sub. I'm thinking it possibly a wiring issue as I moved my amp and sub to the Clio and that to didn't work. My only other thought is my be there is a problem with the inline fuse holder. This is a moulded plastic case and although the fuse is seated ok I'm wondering if it my be damaged elsewhere.

 

[wallop]

RCA leads can only provide a possible earth track, not an added power source....So wiring issue must be with the earth....

Your problem is 99% the amplifier earth site....

 

[mavrick]

Great advice so far, but still in the sh*t. I've had the amp with the blue light on, but by the time i'd connected the speaker wires to the sub it had gone out.

I've looked at it this morning and spotted that the fuse had blown. I put the spare 25amp fuse in that came with the sub and that popped straight away. The radio wasn't on at the time. Any ideas?

 

[Amy]

Your power cable has got to be shorting somewhere, or the earth isnt grounding out well.
Put the earth on the back seat bolt, check the power cable. Or buy another power cable run it outside the car just to see if it works without feeding it under carpet etc

 

[danjacko25]

Mav, start from scratch mate like amy mentioned. I do a lot of installs and my best friend is a multimeter - this avoids damaging anything. On clio's I always earth in the boot to the rear seat bolt - it has a hex head and large torx head. I've never had a problem earthing there. Obviously your 12v + is coming straight off the + terminal on your battery to the + terminal on your amp. At this point check you have 12v down there with a multimeter. Then, run in your remote cable from your HU - put your multimeter on the remote cable and the other probe on an earth and switch your HU on and off to ensure you're getting the 12v switched signal. Once that's sorted, hook it up to your amp, make sure you have 12v over your amps + and - terminals then switch on your HU and make sure the LED is popping on and off as it should. If that's all good, only then can you should start hooking up RCA (phono) cables - last thing you want is to damage anything. I usually get a phono to 3.5mm jack lead and plug that into my amp then get an ipod to test before I hook it all up to my HU. Hope you get it sorted mate! Good luck!

 

[mavrick]

Thanks for that I will attempt to tackle it today. I've also found out that the Hazard lights arn't working but I can't find a where the fuse is for this. Any ideas.

 

[AlexG]

it might not be the fuse for the hazard lights. The whole panel it sits on isnt very good and on my mates car it turned out that the plug on the back of the hazard light switch had come loose. Maybe whip your stereo out and have a look.

 

[mavrick]

I've done that and all looks and feels ok. Do you know if there is a fuse for this, and if so where is it?

 

[danjacko25]

Don't think there's a fuse for this, never come across one to be honest. If they're not reacting at all it could be the actual switch/button. I'd pop to a local scrappy and pick one up and try that for the sake of a few notes and 5 mins easy labor?

 

[mavrick]

:drunk:Happy New Year everyone :drunk:

Whippeeeee, I've crack it. Thanks for your help, the 2 problems I had were first of all a poor Earth connection and secondly my stalk adapter needed the red and yellow power connectors swapping over.

I've still got an issue with my Hazards. I pulled it out and checked the connection, which appears to be ok. Will see if I can get one from a scrap yard.

Thanks again, and now I can have a Happy New Year