awolsniper
10-02-2003, 06:45 PM
Ok guys...I have spent too much money on this system over the last several years, and I don't have the resources to allow anything to happen to my new amps...so I hope someone can help me out :ermm: So please, if you think you can help, bear with me on this post (it's long, but I'm trying to be as detailed as possible) MUCH APPRECIATED! :)
The system as it stood a week ago:
Stock amp, standard heavy duty Interstate batt. I have a capacitor, but it was not installed.
Alpine CDA-7893 source.
Alpine MRP-F200 giving 80 watts to a front component set of Crystal CSC60S 7" speakers/silk dome tweets. No rearfill.
JBL 1200.1 powering two JL W6 12" sbwoofers - soon to be replaced by three Alpine Type Rs.
However...both the JBL and Alpine seem dead. JBL's support kicks ass, and they are sending me a new amp free of charge. I ordered an Arc Audio amp to replace the Alpine.
Here's the deal:
After having the JBL amp installed for only about 10 days...it blew up. Literally. The day before, the three 40 amp ATC fuses slowly died. The bass faded in and out a few times, then ceased. At the time I was playing the system very loudly. The next day, after getting ripped off at my local stereo shop buying the fuses (RadioShack doesn't cary blade fuses that large), I disconnected the negative battery terminal- proceeded to replace blade fuses- reconnected neg batt term...a few seconds later, a loud POP, and there is smoke coming out of my trunk. Amp is smoking, top is slightly charred. It's clearly dead. Speakers don't work either (alpine amp not working). I will admit that, for temporary purposes until I got the Type Rs in, the install was ghetto. The alpine grnd was touching the JBL grnd (on the actual amp)...in case it matters, which I'm pretty sure it doesn't. After regrounding the Alpine correctly, it appears to work, but mysteriously stops working again after I attempted to disconnect the batt again and recheck all fuses. It still doesn't work but it didn't blow up. I know everyone by now is thinking "geeze, how stupid is this kid, it was a surge..." but that's the STRANGEST part. When the amp(s) blew, NONE of the fuses did. I had an ANL 125amp on the JBL near the batt: good. The 40 amp blades I had just replaced: all good. All Alpine and inline fuses were GOOD.
Breakdown of amp wiring to subs: both JLs were DVC 6 ohm, each VC wired in series-parallel. The subs were wired SEPERATELY to the amp (the 1200.1 is a mono class D but has dual outputs for simplified hookup). I am pretty sure that the amp was outputting two 3 ohm loads...either that, or a single 1.5 ohm load (depending on the internals of the amp)...either one was safely within the 1 ohm minimum impedance of the amp.
After the amps blew, checked voltages at the end of the wires (car off)...at each wire, it was a good 12+ volts. However, at the very tip of the wire, with the mulitmeter lead touching the amp, not the wire...was reading around 2.5 volts (each amp). Remote turn-ons reading 12 volts.
I am thinking the JBL was just a bad amp (it was purchased lightly used in near perfect condition off ebay, everything looked solid). Something inside wasn't soldered correctly, and something shorted, or whatever. Or, it was pushed too hard (this is more unlikely because I believe it was within impedance limitations and also has a reputation for being a rock solid amp). However...still does not explain the other amp? Is this some sort of freaky, unrelated coincidence? CAN I DEFINITELY RULE OUT A SURGE SINCE NO FUSES BLEW? Should I be afraid to install my new amps...aka is this the car's fault? Was it my ghetto install (can Grnds short???? even tho it was being run like this the whole time?)?
One more thing: awhile back, I had a $#itty Profile amp die in my car after only a few months. Send it back to be refurbished under warranty, turns out it blew a few tiny resistors. It was completely unused since I got it back..but when I put it in the JBLs place, to see if it would work...it didn't. Maybe they didn't repair it right, maybe I was missing a connection, or maybe it's related....and btw, that would make every amp I've put into this car die.
I don't want my new JBL and Arc Audio amp to die either!!!!
As of right now...I don't have the $$ necessary for a professional inspection of the electrical system. If someone could point me in the right direction..thanks a MILLION in advance.
TJ
PS if you made it to this point WOW lol.
The system as it stood a week ago:
Stock amp, standard heavy duty Interstate batt. I have a capacitor, but it was not installed.
Alpine CDA-7893 source.
Alpine MRP-F200 giving 80 watts to a front component set of Crystal CSC60S 7" speakers/silk dome tweets. No rearfill.
JBL 1200.1 powering two JL W6 12" sbwoofers - soon to be replaced by three Alpine Type Rs.
However...both the JBL and Alpine seem dead. JBL's support kicks ass, and they are sending me a new amp free of charge. I ordered an Arc Audio amp to replace the Alpine.
Here's the deal:
After having the JBL amp installed for only about 10 days...it blew up. Literally. The day before, the three 40 amp ATC fuses slowly died. The bass faded in and out a few times, then ceased. At the time I was playing the system very loudly. The next day, after getting ripped off at my local stereo shop buying the fuses (RadioShack doesn't cary blade fuses that large), I disconnected the negative battery terminal- proceeded to replace blade fuses- reconnected neg batt term...a few seconds later, a loud POP, and there is smoke coming out of my trunk. Amp is smoking, top is slightly charred. It's clearly dead. Speakers don't work either (alpine amp not working). I will admit that, for temporary purposes until I got the Type Rs in, the install was ghetto. The alpine grnd was touching the JBL grnd (on the actual amp)...in case it matters, which I'm pretty sure it doesn't. After regrounding the Alpine correctly, it appears to work, but mysteriously stops working again after I attempted to disconnect the batt again and recheck all fuses. It still doesn't work but it didn't blow up. I know everyone by now is thinking "geeze, how stupid is this kid, it was a surge..." but that's the STRANGEST part. When the amp(s) blew, NONE of the fuses did. I had an ANL 125amp on the JBL near the batt: good. The 40 amp blades I had just replaced: all good. All Alpine and inline fuses were GOOD.
Breakdown of amp wiring to subs: both JLs were DVC 6 ohm, each VC wired in series-parallel. The subs were wired SEPERATELY to the amp (the 1200.1 is a mono class D but has dual outputs for simplified hookup). I am pretty sure that the amp was outputting two 3 ohm loads...either that, or a single 1.5 ohm load (depending on the internals of the amp)...either one was safely within the 1 ohm minimum impedance of the amp.
After the amps blew, checked voltages at the end of the wires (car off)...at each wire, it was a good 12+ volts. However, at the very tip of the wire, with the mulitmeter lead touching the amp, not the wire...was reading around 2.5 volts (each amp). Remote turn-ons reading 12 volts.
I am thinking the JBL was just a bad amp (it was purchased lightly used in near perfect condition off ebay, everything looked solid). Something inside wasn't soldered correctly, and something shorted, or whatever. Or, it was pushed too hard (this is more unlikely because I believe it was within impedance limitations and also has a reputation for being a rock solid amp). However...still does not explain the other amp? Is this some sort of freaky, unrelated coincidence? CAN I DEFINITELY RULE OUT A SURGE SINCE NO FUSES BLEW? Should I be afraid to install my new amps...aka is this the car's fault? Was it my ghetto install (can Grnds short???? even tho it was being run like this the whole time?)?
One more thing: awhile back, I had a $#itty Profile amp die in my car after only a few months. Send it back to be refurbished under warranty, turns out it blew a few tiny resistors. It was completely unused since I got it back..but when I put it in the JBLs place, to see if it would work...it didn't. Maybe they didn't repair it right, maybe I was missing a connection, or maybe it's related....and btw, that would make every amp I've put into this car die.
I don't want my new JBL and Arc Audio amp to die either!!!!
As of right now...I don't have the $$ necessary for a professional inspection of the electrical system. If someone could point me in the right direction..thanks a MILLION in advance.
TJ
PS if you made it to this point WOW lol.