HELP crescendo c1100.4 goes into protect when car is on

[Nextiii 9]

OK long story short. I bought a crescendo c1100.4 everything runs fine when the car is off, I can turn it up loud as ever it sounds clean. When I start the car after a while the amp goes into protect. I sent it back to crescendo they tell me nothing is wrong. When I got the amp back I did step by step problem testing, I changed the RCA's hooked them up one by one, changed speaker wires, changed to soldered grounds and power tips, and I even changed my head unit. The same problem happens, I did a test to see how long it would play when the car is off and it STAYS on and plays loud and nice for a loooooong time. When I turn the car on same volume etc it goes into protect after a short period. I called back crescendo and I told them my problem the guy told me when the car is on the cars acessories might be using most of the power and sending it into protect. I didn't get this statement at all because I thought the car gets more power from the alternator when its on? any suggestions what might be wrong.

[Kanaworm$ 292]

What size of power wire are you using? Make sure your ground is secure and at a clean solid point. Make sure the speaker wire and speakers are secure. Loose speaker wire grounding out can cause the amp to go into protect, especially when the car is on and the car is vibrating causing the wire to ground out.

[An-i-no 86]

Disconnect the speaker wires (but leave the RCA's in) and see if it protects with the car on.

If it does, disconnect the RCA's and see if it protects with the car on.

If both then you may be having voltage spikes (where the voltage shoots up for a split second) which makes the amp protect. Voltage spikes won't happen on just battery power so that would make sense. The reason I want you to disconnect the speaker wires and RCA's is to eliminate those from the equation.

Another user on here had issues with his BC series amp not liking high voltage.

[Nextiii 9]

Im using 4 gauge wire, and im not driving the vehicle when I turn it off and play it loud it's just sitting there. @ An-i-no. Yea i just tried what you said and with no speakers connected it went into protect with the car running.

[ricksi30 923]

Im using 4 gauge wire, and im not driving the vehicle when I turn it off and play it loud it's just sitting there. @ An-i-no. Yea i just tried what you said and with no speakers connected it went into protect with the car running.

Did you try with the rcas disconnected? Have you checked your remote wire? A loose remote wire caused a similar problem in my car.

[An-i-no 86]

Im using 4 gauge wire, and im not driving the vehicle when I turn it off and play it loud it's just sitting there. @ An-i-no. Yea i just tried what you said and with no speakers connected it went into protect with the car running.

Find a way to monitor the voltage at the amp's power/ground terminals. I bet my bottom dollar the voltage is doing something funky and the amp doesn't like it.

[Nextiii 9]

Ok I tested it while the car was running, rcas in speaker wires disconnected at low volume 20 (1-40) and it didn't go into protect. When i turned the radio up to 30+ it went into protect. Doing the test with no rcas and disconnected speakers now

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

Do you drive a newer GM vehicle?

[Nextiii 9]

Dodge charger 2007

[fearlessgangsta 12]

You need a way to moniter voltage. My 2k didn't like above 15v at all and would go into protect after about 20-45secs after starting the car with nothing connected except power and ground, but if I let the car warm up it was fine because my voltage goes down to 14v. Then I could play the amp all day. I contacted Nendo about the problem with the amp and told Navid what my voltage was and he knew right away what the problem was.

Also those newer dodge vehicles do have voltage spikes when you get on them. My dad has a newer Ram and when he stomps it the radar detector goes crazy from the voltage jumping up, it is nice when charging a phone though

Edited May 30, 2012 by Fearz