SAX-1200D randomly turning on and off, completely frustrated

[hatrix 2]

I am just completely stumped with this problem. I'll try not to make it long but I want to make sure I explain everything right.

 

I have two amps in my car. A Rockford P500.2 and the SAX-1200D. Both have their own runs of power wire and grounds. The Rockford has 8 gauge going to it, as nothing bigger is necessary, and the 1200D has 4 gauge running to it.

 

Yesterday I completely redid everything at my battery. I had to get new battery terminals, as mine were meant for a top post battery, and rewired the factory ground and such to the new terminals. That went smoothly, car starts without any problems now (had some bad issues). My battery tested good at autozone.

 

I also redid the ring terminals for my runs of power and ground wire at the battery. Much more solid, screwed onto the terminals where the nut is on the bolt to tighten the terminals themselves. I changed my grounding place, it now runs to the engine block were all the factory grounds are and I'm using 4 gauge wire.

 

So here is where I'm stumped. Turn my car on, Rockford turns on no problem but the Sundown doesn't. The remote wire from my headunit goes to the sundown FIRST, then has another wire running off that to the Rockford, so..... that can't be the problem ? I even ran the remote wire only to the Sundown and it still didn't turn on upon starting my car.

 

The amp IS NOT in protect. It never goes into protect, UNLESS I ran the power wire to the remote turn on. Then the amp turns on, but immediately goes into protect ? It has however been completely randomly turning on and off when wired as it should be. All of a sudden I'll have bass for 20 seconds then bam, nothing, it turns off completely, no power on light OR protect light. I redid the ground for the amp itself, i know it's solid now. It WAS sparking when I went to screw down the ground meaning there was power going to the amp (car was off). My other grounding position wasn't good enough and I know that because it never sparked until fiddling with it and would make the amp turn off and on.

 

I truly don't think it's the power wire... but I don't have a multimeter or anything to test. I'd have to run to the store to get one. I could run the 4 gauge to the rockford to make sure, probably going to be hard to fit the wire though...

 

My only theory is the remote wire just somehow isn't supplying enough current to the amp and something is faulty with my headunit. But why does the rockford turn on no problem then ? And why does the amp randomly turn off and on ?

 

Yesterday when messing with the HPF settings on my amp, I cycled through a couple options and BAM my Sundown turns on. It stayed on for a while as I played a bunch of songs and it stayed on the whole time, I thought it was finally back to normal. This morning I get in my car, start it and the remote knob shows power, everything seemed great. Start going down my driveway and all of a sudden it just turns off. No bass (which seriously ruins listening to music when I only have 5.25"s in the door).

 

I can take pictures of anything anyone needs. Insides, my grounds, etc.

 

Also, to add, my headunit has two RCA outs, and I'm using both. I don't think RCA issues would cause the amp to lose power though, so I don't see it as a possible problem even if there was something wrong there.

 

The amp ran fine for months. I never had a problem until a week or two ago when it started randomly shutting on and off.

Edited April 16, 2013 by hatrix

[kirill007 52]

Where are the Sundown and Rockford amp grounded to?

Did you change this?

[pmureika 31]

Try going from the positive at the amp right to the rem and see if that turns it on. And stays on then you might have low voltage. Buy a dmm to test your voltages.

[Jason Witt 65]

You can also try a relay on your remote wire if you are worried about sufficient signal voltage.

[codester 48]

I had an issue somewhat like that this weekend and it stumped me for hours. In my case it was a fuse,(the amp would turn on and light would come on then it would shut off and lights would go out after about a second) The fuse looks perfect but under load voltage would drop across fuse to around 5 volts but only when amp was on.

[hatrix 2]

Oh my god I figured it out. I used to run a shitty amp for the sub, low power something like 200 watts and it was pulling maybe 15 amps or something. I forgot that my inline fuse was switched out for a 60 amp fuse. I just took the inline fuse out and connected the wires with a terminal. Completely unplugged the amp before I did this as I was going to open it up. Didn't even have to, rewired everything to the amp and it's working perfectly fine now.

 

I just don't understand why I never had problems before ? Cause this inline fuse should have at least blown. I'm running at 1ohm and the 1200D has 3x 40 amp fuses. Nothing is any louder or anything. Same as before, just without an inline fuse.

 

Might have just gone bad though at the terminals for the inline fuse, because I wasn't getting any power. Touching the positive to the ground didn't spark at all. Once I got rid of the fuse and holders on each end, connected the wires unfused (I know, not recommended but I need a new inline fuse setup) there was power.

 

I'm not worried about a fire or anything right now. I'll get a new inline fuse, in the mean time it will run as is.

Edited April 16, 2013 by hatrix

[pmureika 31]

Oh my god I figured it out. I used to run a shitty amp for the sub, low power something like 200 watts and it was pulling maybe 15 amps or something. I forgot that my inline fuse was switched out for a 60 amp fuse. I just took the inline fuse out and connected the wires with a terminal. Completely unplugged the amp before I did this as I was going to open it up. Didn't even have to, rewired everything to the amp and it's working perfectly fine now.

 

I just don't understand why I never had problems before ? Cause this inline fuse should have at least blown. I'm running at 1ohm and the 1200D has 3x 40 amp fuses. Nothing is any louder or anything. Same as before, just without an inline fuse.

 

Might have just gone bad though at the terminals for the inline fuse, because I wasn't getting any power. Touching the positive to the ground didn't spark at all. Once I got rid of the fuse and holders on each end, connected the wires unfused (I know, not recommended but I need a new inline fuse setup) there was power.

 

I'm not worried about a fire or anything right now. I'll get a new inline fuse, in the mean time it will run as is.

Get a bigger fuse back buy the battery because it something shorts out that wiring could catch on fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hatrix 2]

Oh my god I figured it out. I used to run a shitty amp for the sub, low power something like 200 watts and it was pulling maybe 15 amps or something. I forgot that my inline fuse was switched out for a 60 amp fuse. I just took the inline fuse out and connected the wires with a terminal. Completely unplugged the amp before I did this as I was going to open it up. Didn't even have to, rewired everything to the amp and it's working perfectly fine now.

 

I just don't understand why I never had problems before ? Cause this inline fuse should have at least blown. I'm running at 1ohm and the 1200D has 3x 40 amp fuses. Nothing is any louder or anything. Same as before, just without an inline fuse.

 

Might have just gone bad though at the terminals for the inline fuse, because I wasn't getting any power. Touching the positive to the ground didn't spark at all. Once I got rid of the fuse and holders on each end, connected the wires unfused (I know, not recommended but I need a new inline fuse setup) there was power.

 

I'm not worried about a fire or anything right now. I'll get a new inline fuse, in the mean time it will run as is.

Get a bigger fuse back buy the battery because it something shorts out that wiring could catch on fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I know I know man. Gonna be a couple days before I get it proper because I need the fuse holder on each on itself. Pretty sure somethings wrong with mine as there wasn't power at the other end at all.

 

Shit, my car has a small gas leak. I'm more worried about that fire starting than my damn wiring

 

Thanks for all the suggestions though guys. Appreciate the replies. Really glad I figured it out though, thought the amp might have gone bad but was so doubtful since it's from db-r and hasn't ever been abused really. Gains were always set properly.

Edited April 17, 2013 by hatrix