Troubleshooting Tips for Car Amplifiers

Ever wished you didn’t have to take your car amp in for repairs every time a fault occurs? You wish you knew just what to do? Viola! Here are a few troubleshooting tips that can help you…

What to do when your amp goes into protect…
The amp goes into protect whenever the volume is turned up most likely because the measure of resistance to vibration is too low. Another reason may be that the charging system is poor. A transistor problem may also cause an amp to go into protect.

To check out these faults, switch off the power supply to the amp. Using a multimeter that has been set to ohms, measure the resistance between the output transistor terminals. If there is any one that reads -0 ohms between any of the terminals, it needs to be removed from the circuit and checked. Once a transistor has failed it means that the whole group in the circuit is shorted and needs to be changed.

Also check the wiring of the speaker to see the resistance to vibration.

What to do when amp gets very hot/shuts down…
This problem occurs when the input sensitivity(or gain) is set too high. If the impedance (resistance to vibration) is lower than the amp is rated for, it can also cause this problem or even permanent damage. The solution to this is to ensure that the gain is not tuned all the way up. Be sure to leave a bit of dial space between the maximum and where it is set. Also ensure that the speakers are connected to an impedance (resistance to vibration) that fits the amp.

What to do when your car amp does not turn on…
This is a situation that often occurs when amps are set up. This could happen for the following reasons:-

A. The surface where the amp is set on.

B. The hook up of the remote wire.

First ensure that the amp is secured on a smooth metal that is clean and rust-free. The amp must also be snuggly fitted. Next, check and ensure that the remote wire is connected to the blue wire with the white stripe that is hooked up to the head unit and not the solid blue wire.

If the problem persists, it most likely would be that there are parts that are blown or shorted. I advised that you take it in to be tested to ascertain the problem.

What to do when your amp Volume goes down…
Most new amps have protective devices that would keep the volume down when the amp begins to get very hot. If this occurs it means that the impedance and gain (input sensitivity) are not commensurate. Ensure that the gain is set correctly. (Refer to “What to do when amp gets very hot/shuts down”).

What to when your alternator whines or there is noise through the speakers…

This is usually because the amp is not set on a smooth, clean and rust-free surface and that it is not snuggly fitted. If you check these and the noise persists you may need to get a noise suppressor.

If all or any of these doesn’t work in your case, let an expert take a look at it.