Whats wrong with my HU and amp?

 

Bronze Member
Username: Theceo

Post Number: 56
Registered: Apr-05
this morning i pulled out of my driveway and i started on my way to work, when all of a sudden my headunit shut off. it turned completely off, it even made this little beep that reminds you to take the face off when you turn the car off. and then i noticed that not only did my headunit turn off, but im not getting any power going to my amp. i checked all the connections and wires, and they're all fine. does anyone know what could be the problem. the amp is new, i just got it in april or may, and the headunit is maybe a year old.
 

Silver Member
Username: Scubasteve

College Park, MD

Post Number: 667
Registered: May-05
well if your remote turn on lead is connected to your HU, the HU shutting off would explain it all. Do you have any other way to test it other than the stock wiring in your car? Did you do the install yourself?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Theceo

Post Number: 57
Registered: Apr-05
i had the HU installed at circuit city, but i did the amp and subs install my self. you think maybe i blew a fuse or something? and how would i check to see if the fuse is blown?
 

Silver Member
Username: Scubasteve

College Park, MD

Post Number: 668
Registered: May-05
hmm, I doubt thats it. Question: if they installed the HU, how did you connect the remote wire and RCAs? Anyway, the reason I doubt its a fuse is because after it shut off, it went into the ordinary shutdown routine. Since head units do get their power from 2 different sources, it is possible that the fuse on the power wire thats only active when the car is turned on is blown. Since CC did the work on it, have them look at it. They'll have the ability to test HU if you don't want to pull it out and check the voltage of the power wires with a voltmeter. How soon after you installed your subs and amp did everything stop working?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Theceo

Post Number: 58
Registered: Apr-05
well i had the HU installed at CC, but when i put in the amp and subs, i pulled out he HU to connect the remote wire and rcas. im wondering if this voids my warranty on the HU. the HU stopped working yesterday morning, but ive had my amp and subs installed since late march.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Theceo

Post Number: 59
Registered: Apr-05
or do you guys think that my head unit might of just given out? i mean it is a sony HU, so i guess it could be a possibility right?
 

Silver Member
Username: Scubasteve

College Park, MD

Post Number: 677
Registered: May-05
sounds like its the install, but i wouldn't be able to tell until I saw it, maybe someone else would have a better idea just from what you said
 

Bronze Member
Username: Theceo

Post Number: 60
Registered: Apr-05
if it is stock wiring in my car, how would i fix that?
 

Silver Member
Username: Scubasteve

College Park, MD

Post Number: 690
Registered: May-05
Stock wiring is the devil. In my car, the only thing any stock wiring does is act as the turn on lead for my relay (tells the relay when to engage the power to the HU.) All power wires, grounds, and speaker wires were run anew, totally independent of the stock wiring. This was a pretty major overhaul, and should only be done by someone who knows what they're doing. Its probably not the stock wiring thats causing your trouble.

When you take it back to CC, remove your system, just in case.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Theceo

Post Number: 61
Registered: Apr-05
but dont you think that me tampering with the HU (hooking up my system) voided any warranty i had on the HU and installation?
 

Silver Member
Username: Scubasteve

College Park, MD

Post Number: 705
Registered: May-05
i really wouldn't know, I wouldn't trust those guys with my car.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Theceo

Post Number: 62
Registered: Apr-05
i think i just figured out the problem, the radio fuse is blown(not the HU fuse, the actual in the car). i can buy fuses at like auto zone or sumthing right?
 

Silver Member
Username: Scubasteve

College Park, MD

Post Number: 706
Registered: May-05
ahh alright, yea, thats what I meant when I said "it is possible that the fuse on the power wire thats only active when the car is turned on is blown." So its good that you found the problem. Instead of just buying a replacement, take this as a sign that the stock wiring can't handle the power requirements of the HU. This means that you need run a wire from the battery to power your HU. It really wouldn't be that difficult since you've already done this for the amp.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Theceo

Post Number: 63
Registered: Apr-05
and to do that, could i just connect the power wire from the HU to another power wire? say like the wire for my fog lights or something?
 

Silver Member
Username: Scubasteve

College Park, MD

Post Number: 708
Registered: May-05
not if you like your fog lights. Here's what I'd do. Run another power wire from your battery. Use crimp connectors to split this wire into 2 wires once you pass the firewall. Send one of them to the yellow wire for HU (mem. wire-always receivers power) Send the other wire to a a relay. Replace the fuse and put a 1 amp fuse on that stock wire, and also send it to the relay. Send the powered output of the relay to the red wire for your HU (only receives power when car is on). This can all be done for like $30.
 

New member
Username: Lukewarm12

Bedford, PA USA

Post Number: 7
Registered: Oct-05
I had this problem once....
Make sure on EVERY wire in your system, including all of the speaker wires from your deck, that none are freyed or pinched to the point that any wire is touching metal or each other. If it is, your are completing the circuit. Whenever this happens, many HU's have a build in shutdown to protect itself. (that is why I believe it made the beaping sound, it was telling you it was shutting itself down.
Once I had 1 (ONE) strand of wire from my remote wire touching the terminal for my power wire, and it completly shut everything down, until I found it and moved it. the Amp itself had a shutdown built in that protected it.
It is deffinitly an electrical problem though. Something may have just rattled loose.
 

Silver Member
Username: Scubasteve

College Park, MD

Post Number: 709
Registered: May-05
the HU didn't just go into protect mode, the fuse is blown. This could be caused by a bad short, but the fact that it took a long time to present itself leads me to believe its because his HU was simply drawing too much power.
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