Any way to test a remote wire (for an amp)

NYSpeed Automotive
1

K - here is the deal, basically had have a relatively small 2 channel amp running in my car for a while powering the internal speakers because the head unit was not that great. When I replaced my head unit I decided to use this amp for two 10" subs, ran fine for a while, and now for the last two weeks I started having issues with the amp not powering on. The first time I corrected the issue when I went back and reconnected everything to make sure there were no loose connections and it fixed the problem. So a week or so later again I have no power - sooo again i recheck my connections and I find that the easy disconnect is not very tight on the power wire, so I get a new connector and re-crimp it. Hook everything back up and nadda…

I checked the inline fuse, and there appears to be no fuse on my amp. I am going to try and grab a multimeter on lunch to make sure infact I do have solid power and ground. However I was wondering if there is a way to test the remote wire to make sure I don’t have an issue there. Does it send a small amount of power when the headunit turns on to tell the amp to turn on ?

2

bump goin for lunch soon wanna know if there is a way to testttttt

3

I didnt read all of that, but if you’re concerned that the remote turn on isn’t sending juice / signal to the amp, break out a DMM and check the DC between the turn on & chassis ground.

Or, use any bulb / test light.

4

Remote wire goes hot to turn on the amp. If you don’t read battery voltage when the radio/car/whatever is on, the amp won’t turn on.

5

turn car on
turn radio on
go in trunk
is amp on if no keep reading
jump a wire from rem to+
amp will turn on
if not check your grd

6

Jim, do you seriously not know how to use a basic multimeter? lol. I would Check your grounds, make sure there is metal touching metal!

7

tom go fuck yourself - we both know you’re the slow one of this lovely duo we got here.

I know how to check for power, what I was asking is I didn’t know what exactly the remote wire did to signal that the amp needs to turn on. didn’t know if it was constant power or just a quick signal.

Thanks for the tip, i will try jumping a cable from +batt to the remote terminal

8

Remote just supply’s a 12V signal to the amp; when the amp is supossed to be on; you should have 12V there.

9

yeah jim, see, fuck you, I know more then you. But seriously, I have done a lot of system installs. If you need help, just stop by my crib. I need something to tinker with now that my car is gone!

10

lol ok, didn’t know it was constant power, thx - guess thats all i really needed to know

11

did it work?..most of the time its the grd… its to long or just not good

12

Actually you are incorrect. The remote turn on does NOT give you 12 volts at all. It is more like 1 volt, it is a low voltage remote turn on, that is why you do not have to fuse it. It is used for amps, power antennas and the like as just a signal to kick the relay and switch it on to 12 volts.
:wiggle:
MECP Installer since 93’

13

correct also if your getto you can run a 12v off a switch and it will work just fine

14

uhhh… you can check it that way to trip it, but it is not a permanent solution.

Here is how I would troubleshoot this…

  1. get a multimeter and check the 12V constant before and after the fuse and at the amp.
  2. Check the ground connection, make sure it is cleanly grounded and is not correded, if so, clean it with a wire brush or wheel on a dremal.
  3. Check the remote connection at the amp, if no juice then at the head unit or see it if became pinched or is grounding out anywhere on it’s path from HU to amp.
  4. Make sure the amp is not in protect mode or is clipping when playing.

This is just a start, it could be more or less work depending on the issue.

15

temporarily maybe, but it will burn out the switch and wiring over time, and if you are gHetto, you probably would run a lamp cord for power wire, no fuses, improper gauge wire, a hanger for an antenna, etc.

trust me, you should see some of the shit I have had to fix for 'do it yourself’er, ghetto hack installers over the years. I had a big ass black dude come into the shop once with a blinged out Mustang Gt that had A LAMP CORD run from the battery to the amp in the hatch with no fuse and it burned his carpet from the firewall to the hatch and melted the underside of his back seat! :carnut