Who knows lots about Car Audio?

Zascar

Hey Guys,

I've just put a new install in my car, but I've run into problems.

Car: 2002 Civic Type R
Head Unit: Pioneer DEH-P8600MP
Front Speakers: Alpine Type-R 16cm
Sub: JL Audio W6 12"
Sub Amp: Phoenix Gold 400x1
Speakers Amp: Phoenix Gold 200x2

When I connected it all up, the sub worked perfectly, but nothing from the front speakers. When playing around with it, like clicking the buttons on the amp for high and low pass filters on and off, the speakers do pop and crackle. Sometimes I get get a tiny tiny bit of noise from them, but its a mild echo at best. Really not sure what it could be.

Also, after driving for half an hour, the sub stopped working, and when I got put of the car, the light on the sub amp was no longer on - so either no power, or possibly a bad earth? I earthed both amps on the bolts of the rear strut brace.

This is a pic of what it looks like, but this was taken a whole ago before earth and power were connected etc.

So, can anyone suggest what might be wrong or how I can test it? Better still, is there anyone here who knows car audio well, that would help me out? I'm in South Dublin but I'll happily drive to you and give you a few quid if you can get it working for me - as I really really want to get this sorted some time this week, I really want it done before the weekend.

Can anyone please help me out???

Cheers
Z

GTE

Zascar wrote: »

Hey Guys,

I've just put a new install in my car, but I've run into problems.

Car: 2002 Civic Type R
Head Unit: Pioneer DEH-P8600MP
Front Speakers: Alpine Type-R 16cm
Sub: JL Audio W6 12"
Sub Amp: Phoenix Gold 400x1
Speakers Amp: Phoenix Gold 200x2

When I connected it all up, the sub worked perfectly, but nothing from the front speakers. When playing around with it, like clicking the buttons on the amp for high and low pass filters on and off, the speakers do pop and crackle. Sometimes I get get a tiny tiny bit of noise from them, but its a mild echo at best. Really not sure what it could be.

Also, after driving for half an hour, the sub stopped working, and when I got put of the car, the light on the sub amp was no longer on - so either no power, or possibly a bad earth? I earthed both amps on the bolts of the rear strut brace.

This is a pic of what it looks like, but this was taken a whole ago before earth and power were connected etc.

So, can anyone suggest what might be wrong or how I can test it? Better still, is there anyone here who knows car audio well, that would help me out? I'm in South Dublin but I'll happily drive to you and give you a few quid if you can get it working for me - as I really really want to get this sorted some time this week, I really want it done before the weekend.

Can anyone please help me out???

Cheers
Z

Well first off, do not press or click buttons when the system is on, that click is getting amplified to the speakers. Its a general rule of thumb never to press buttons like that with
a) Master volume to speakers up
or if you dont have a master volume control
b) Switch the system off as you make the adjustments.
Especially when you switch the amps on and off, make sure the master volume is down fully.

Hi pass and low pass will do nothing to help with getting the signal from the amp to the speakers. These just regard to the frequencies that the amp is sending to the speakers, for front speakers I would imagine both would be left off so you have an even bass all around the car.
Also, for the sub amp a low pass filter should be on so only the low freq signals go through into the speaker so it only has to work on the freq it was designed to handle.

As for the rest of your problems the first think that springs to mind since you have power and audio signal problems is bad wiring in general or maybe just one or two fiddly bits that have un done themselves over time.
Thats the simplest and probably easiest problem to trouble shoot.

With my radio I know there are separate volume settings for the outputs to the amps.
I have a master volume
Once I go into the menu I have a front, rear and sub volume options so maybe something there is messed up.

From looking at the spec of your head unit you have 3 pairs of RCA pre outs.

Those yokes.
My question there is, did you have to lengthen the cable at all to get from the radio to your amps? if you did you may have rewired it wrong by accident.

Oh and, the fact that you are getting pops and cracks when you fiddle with switches (although not advisable but it may have helped you here) is that the wiring from amp to speaker is ok, but its from the radio is where the problem lies. 50 50 though.

Thats as much as I can think of that may be wrong as side from everything being a faulty unit in some way.

Zascar

Thanks.

The Sub amp is a mono amp so no problem there. Yes I would leave the filters off I was just pressing them to see if I could get anything, but I won't do this again unless they are off.

There are two sets of RCA's from the head unit to the amps, neither were lengthened.

I'm concerned the earths could be bad. This is a pic from a site on where smeone says the earths should be. I put them on the strut brace bolt, maybe this is not good enough. I'll try the bolt.

I'll try taking the headunit out and swapping the RCA's around and I might also see if the other amp will power the sub just to make sure it is now fried as you say.

Thanks, any other suggestions please let me know.