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Old 06-05-2006, 06:06 PM
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amp acting indifferent

Hey guys.... my setup is: HU: Pioneer 5700DVD, amp: mtx6500D, subs: 2 12" mtx thunder 6000

the problem: out of nowhere, the bass gets quiter for awhile, then it gets louder, then repeats. has been like this for a couple of months.

so far i've tried: better rca's, tightening cables, shorter ground, different ground location, optima redtop battery, 1 farad lightning cap.... i just cant figure it out

help!!
Old 06-05-2006, 06:09 PM
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Originally Posted by sethallen
Hey guys.... my setup is: HU: Pioneer 5700DVD, amp: mtx6500D, subs: 2 12" mtx thunder 6000

the problem: out of nowhere, the bass gets quiter for awhile, then it gets louder, then repeats. has been like this for a couple of months.

so far i've tried: better rca's, tightening cables, shorter ground, different ground location, optima redtop battery, 1 farad lightning cap.... i just cant figure it out

help!!
Is it overheating? I'm not really an expert, but it almost sounds as though it's dumbing down the power to prevent damage.
Old 06-05-2006, 06:14 PM
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auto volume turned on?
Old 06-05-2006, 06:21 PM
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Originally Posted by OniMirage
auto volume turned on?
He's got an aftermarket headunit...not sure it even has auto volume.
Old 06-06-2006, 11:47 PM
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It really sounds like a ground issue, but you said you have checked that. Make sure the ground is tight, and make sure the spot it is grounded at is compleatly stripped of all paint. Even if it looks like it sand it down if you haven't. Also check your head unit ground, you would normaly hear turnsignal noise, or engine noise from your speakers if your unit isn't grounded well.

Do you have a DMM? If you do turn your system on and let it run for a little bit and then check everything out. Check the power line, using your ground wire. Follow this line through out from the battery, from the cap, at the amp terminals. Lighting is not the greatest company, and the cap might be bad. I would pull the cap and go from battery right to amp, to eliminate the middle component and have one less thing for your alternator to try to charge at this point.

Do you have anything else hooked up like alot of lights or something. Maybe you are having charging issues. The DMM should pick this up. IF your battery isn't giving out alteast 12V you have a problem. If any where in your system is not atleast giving out 12V you ahve a problem. It doesn't hurt to check your remote on line either, but I don't think that sounds like the problem.

Your amp might be over heating. Most amps just turn themselves off to cool down, but some do just reduce output levels to cool. You can always get computer fans and hook them up to a 12V sorce and have them blowing across the heatsinks. That can never hurt anything.

Or your amp could be malfunctioning. They have a built in compression circuit to protect your woofers when they are turned up real loud. It could be screwing up or it could be doing just what it is made to do.

There is alot of stuff that could be wrong. Try to eliminate what it is not so you can limit what it might be.
Old 06-13-2006, 05:15 PM
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thanks for the info.... my battery averages about 14v
the amp is ground directly to the battery, with about 2 ft of cable. All of my wires are 4G. I have never heard any engine noises or anything. I think it is the amp malfunctioning. The warranty on it is up, so I may have to just get a whole new system
Old 06-15-2006, 02:05 PM
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Before you buy a new amp, get your hands on a multimeter and make sure the subs are still reading 4 ohms at the terminals on the sub. Sometimes when they start "going out" they can cause the amp to go into protection mode and limit or cut off your output. Just a thought...I've run into it before when I was installing a system in a customer's car.
Old 06-20-2006, 12:34 AM
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That's what it soudns like is happening, the amps going into protection mode. Make sure your running the rated ohmage and not below that.
Old 06-20-2006, 12:37 AM
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My system does that when it goes into Thermal Overload Protection Mode. Usually one amp heats up faster than the other and kicks in the Protection, I need some cooling fans

Opening up my trunk after a good round of beats is like walking into a Foundry
Old 06-21-2006, 12:25 AM
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Yup, and you run 2 ohms right Hack?
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