Hey all...Everything has been going great for quite a few months now, I have had no issues with my system, until today when I was coming home. I usually have my volume on my radio at 27 and all of a sudden when I was going down the road, I had no sound from my subs. I had fronts and rears but no subs. I turned off the radio and turned it back on again and the subs were playing again and they would play fine until you got to about 17-18 on the volume and they would stop playing again. I could then turn the power off and back on and they would do the same thing....play until about 17-18 on the volume. I didn't have anything touching anything to cut it out so I'm thinking it might be the subs or maybe the connections on the subs themselves in the box. Maybe something is touching behind the radio? I don't think that would be though as the whole system wouldn't play. The last time I had this issue, I had a 10" Kicker a few years ago and one of the channel coils under it was almost completely broken off, so if you turned up the power, from it moving, it wouldn't play. I'm hoping this is not the case here but it could be 
Just when I'm trying to save money and all something happens Go figure. Any possible suggestions? Amps are still working as they are on and the fuses aren't blown. Connections are tight and the speaker wire goes directly from the amp on the back of the box right to the terminals on the back of the box. It's only about 2 feet distance.
Just when I'm trying to save money and all something happens Go figure. Any possible suggestions? Amps are still working as they are on and the fuses aren't blown. Connections are tight and the speaker wire goes directly from the amp on the back of the box right to the terminals on the back of the box. It's only about 2 feet distance.
If you have a separate fuse on the battery to the sub amp I would check it first. I have seen many fuses look ok but the connection under the metal ends can break and cause the amp to shut down because it can’t handle the current. Also a loose connection or corroded terminals at the primary fuse will also cause this.
Also check to see if the ground cable is comming loose at the connection.
Also check to see if the ground cable is comming loose at the connection.
Yeah, I checked out the ground wire for the amp this morning and noticed it was almost out of the ring crimp. When I pulled on it a little bit, it came completely out. So, I went up to the audio place and bought a crimp ring and got them to crimp it for me. I put the wire back on and went down the road but the same thing, it cut out at 18 or over on the volume. Oh well, atleast now I have a good ground crimped wire on the amp. Did some other tests as well:
I checked the voltage on the battery and it is good...putting out 14volts while running. 13V while off.
I checked the capacitor and it's getting power
I checked the fuses on the amp and under the hood, and no issues. The wire under the hood is good and tight.
I took a old Kicker 10" sub I had at home, and hooked up the speaker wires from the amp to the speaker after it had cut out and the speaker didn't move. So, I went ahead and turned the power off on the radio and back on again and the speaker was playing. Turned the volume up to 27 and it was playing no issues. Waited a while and it was still going. I then unhooked the wires from the 10" speaker and hooked them back to the box, and once it goes over 18 on the volume, it would cut out. So, I believe something happened to my speakers.
One of the audio guys at their shop said to use a voltage meter to check to see if the speakers weren't blown. To check the ohmage of the voice coils. If they were blown though, wouldn't they not work at all? I don't know how to use a voltage meter to read what ohms the speakers are. Any ideas how to do this? I can do this tomorrow morning.
A pretty big relief as I can deal with maybe getting more subs but a new amp or radio, is a bit more difficult on me right now. I would rather not have to get anything and save my money, but what can you do. Hopefully it's the speakers though.
I checked the voltage on the battery and it is good...putting out 14volts while running. 13V while off.
I checked the capacitor and it's getting power
I checked the fuses on the amp and under the hood, and no issues. The wire under the hood is good and tight.
I took a old Kicker 10" sub I had at home, and hooked up the speaker wires from the amp to the speaker after it had cut out and the speaker didn't move. So, I went ahead and turned the power off on the radio and back on again and the speaker was playing. Turned the volume up to 27 and it was playing no issues. Waited a while and it was still going. I then unhooked the wires from the 10" speaker and hooked them back to the box, and once it goes over 18 on the volume, it would cut out. So, I believe something happened to my speakers.
One of the audio guys at their shop said to use a voltage meter to check to see if the speakers weren't blown. To check the ohmage of the voice coils. If they were blown though, wouldn't they not work at all? I don't know how to use a voltage meter to read what ohms the speakers are. Any ideas how to do this? I can do this tomorrow morning.
A pretty big relief as I can deal with maybe getting more subs but a new amp or radio, is a bit more difficult on me right now. I would rather not have to get anything and save my money, but what can you do. Hopefully it's the speakers though.
What brand of subs are they? Some brands suffer from premature tinsel lead breakage where the center stays connected but the tiny foil windings crack one by one. They can look relatively normal but stop playing randomly. Sometimes you can just push the speaker a little and they will start playing again.
Another problem it could be is that the sub's impedance is too low for the amp and may be sending it into protection temporarily. The fact that your kicker didn't cause a problem leads to this conclusion.
Also, what Tsmith says happens as well. There are several things it could be.
Can you read the impedance of the sub that is causing issues? Also, what is the impedance of the kicker that works ok?
Another problem it could be is that the sub's impedance is too low for the amp and may be sending it into protection temporarily. The fact that your kicker didn't cause a problem leads to this conclusion.
Also, what Tsmith says happens as well. There are several things it could be.
Can you read the impedance of the sub that is causing issues? Also, what is the impedance of the kicker that works ok?
I did some more testing this morning. I took out the subs from the box and everything looked fine...All wires intact and the voice coils were still clean with no breaks or anything. I tested each one by themselves. I took one and it worked over 18 volume, no issues. Next sub, it stopped over 16-18 volume. Even popped one time before stopping. Hooked back up the other one by itself again, and no issues. Appears that something happened to one of the subs so I kept the bad one out and put the good one back on. So, now I have to get 1 new sub which isn't bad as it's a lot cheaper than a new amp or radio. Atleast it had nothing to do with impedance. I'm just surprised...I thought JL Audio subs were more durable than this 
but I guess I got a bit of a defective one. Atleast it lasted almost a year and I figured out what the issue was
The 2 JL Audio 12W1V2 subs are 4 ohms and I have them wired in parallel at 2ohms.
The Kicker I tested is a 05C10 4ohm sub.
but I guess I got a bit of a defective one. Atleast it lasted almost a year and I figured out what the issue was The 2 JL Audio 12W1V2 subs are 4 ohms and I have them wired in parallel at 2ohms.
The Kicker I tested is a 05C10 4ohm sub.
If one of the sub stopped working at that volume level then the sub is screwed up...So, it's not the amp
The amp is a Alpine MRP-M650...It only has mono outputs...
The subs are wired in parallel...+ from one terminal to the positive of the other one on the other sub, same for the -, and then it's connected to the terminals on the outside of the box.
Ordered a new sub today so I should be good to go later this week....
The amp is a Alpine MRP-M650...It only has mono outputs...
The subs are wired in parallel...+ from one terminal to the positive of the other one on the other sub, same for the -, and then it's connected to the terminals on the outside of the box.
Ordered a new sub today so I should be good to go later this week....
I thought it was over with but the other is now doing the same thing. It stopped working totally when I was going down the road so I pulled into a parking lot and pulled down the seat to see if the amp had power and the light was very very dim and flickering. I looked at the fuse dist block I have and saw a small black spec. Looked closely and the dern thing blew a 30amp fuse!! Don't know what brought that on. I turned the radio back on after putting in another fuse and the power light was bright again and the sub began to play. Then, you get over 18, and it stops. I did a test with the 10" again and no issues. I guess it was finally time for this one to mess up as well. I'm beginning to question the power handling of them maybe?? Wondering if I should cancel my order and try and buy some new subs with a little more power handling??
12w1v2 stats per crutchfield:
12" 4-ohm subwoofer
metallic-finish polypropylene cone with nitrile-butylene rubber surround
power range: 50-300 watts RMS
peak power handling: 600 watts
frequency response: 22-200 Hz
sensitivity: 86.81 dB
top-mount depth: 5-1/8"
sealed box volume: 1.25 cubic feet
ported box volume: 1.75 cubic feet
Originally, JL Audio had said 150W RMS and 300W max. I called and talked to one of the Crutchfield tech guys and he said that JL Audio seriously underrated the subs and that they had gotten a notice that they were going to be changing the specs soon. Well, they did but I'm beginning to wonder I thought it was a perfect fit...600W RMS for 2 speakers...maybe not....
MRP-M650 specs:
mono subwoofer car amplifier
400 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms (600 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms)
variable low-pass filter (50-200 Hz, 24 dB/octave)
tuned Bass EQ (0-12 dB bass boost at 50 Hz)
subsonic filter (24 dB at 15 Hz)
MOSFET power supply
CEA-2006 compliant
STAR Topology (minimizes internal noise and prevents ground interference)
speaker- and preamp-level inputs
gold-plated screw terminals
fuse rating: 30A x 2
8-gauge amp wiring kit with 60-amp fuse recommended — wiring and hardware not included with amplifier
12-13/16"W x 2-3/8"H x 9-9/16"D
Also have a 1 farad Rockford Fosgate Capacitor...
12w1v2 stats per crutchfield:
12" 4-ohm subwoofer
metallic-finish polypropylene cone with nitrile-butylene rubber surround
power range: 50-300 watts RMS
peak power handling: 600 watts
frequency response: 22-200 Hz
sensitivity: 86.81 dB
top-mount depth: 5-1/8"
sealed box volume: 1.25 cubic feet
ported box volume: 1.75 cubic feet
Originally, JL Audio had said 150W RMS and 300W max. I called and talked to one of the Crutchfield tech guys and he said that JL Audio seriously underrated the subs and that they had gotten a notice that they were going to be changing the specs soon. Well, they did but I'm beginning to wonder
I thought it was a perfect fit...600W RMS for 2 speakers...maybe not....MRP-M650 specs:
mono subwoofer car amplifier
400 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms (600 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms)
variable low-pass filter (50-200 Hz, 24 dB/octave)
tuned Bass EQ (0-12 dB bass boost at 50 Hz)
subsonic filter (24 dB at 15 Hz)
MOSFET power supply
CEA-2006 compliant
STAR Topology (minimizes internal noise and prevents ground interference)
speaker- and preamp-level inputs
gold-plated screw terminals
fuse rating: 30A x 2
8-gauge amp wiring kit with 60-amp fuse recommended — wiring and hardware not included with amplifier
12-13/16"W x 2-3/8"H x 9-9/16"D
Also have a 1 farad Rockford Fosgate Capacitor...
Well, I got 1 sub yesterday and the other should be arriving today so I will put them both in at the same time tonight to test out and see what happens. If it does the same thing with new subs, then I will just have to take the car up to one of the audio places up the road here and pay them $65.00 to hook my system up to a diagnostics machine for a hour so they can then tell me exactly what the problem is. They told me that that is what they could do for me...one of their services. Judging from all the symptoms, it's the subs but we'll find out tonight.
Wondering if the capictor could have anything to do with it? If you have a capictor that is drained, wouldn't you get no power at all to the amp though? Just wondering if it might be cutting out because there is not enough juice from the cap to give to the amp to play the subs...? Also, how would you test a capacitor to see if it's still fully charged?
Wondering if the capictor could have anything to do with it? If you have a capictor that is drained, wouldn't you get no power at all to the amp though? Just wondering if it might be cutting out because there is not enough juice from the cap to give to the amp to play the subs...? Also, how would you test a capacitor to see if it's still fully charged?
Well, it was defiantly the subs...I put in the 2 new ones and they have been hitting harder than my old ones and they are the exact same brand and everything. Just happy to have everything is playing again Thanks for everyone's help that did try and help out
I'll defiantly keep in mind about some newer subs but I'm not interested in anything else nor can I afford anything else more expensive right now. I might look into that next year with tax return money. I'm just trying to save money where I can right now with the economy and credit crisis the way it is here in the states. I'm also not sure on my job situation here at my work come the beginning of next year so I just wanted to get this fixed without spending a ton of money. Plus, I love how these subs sound and I already have everything set up with my settings and gain controls perfectly for me for these subs so I didn't want to change anything as I was perfectly satisfied with my system. I have checked EBay for W3's but I don't want to take any chances on used subs as I have no idea how hard they have been pushed or how much life would be left in them. Plus, the prices are never low enough for me to consider getting a pair on there. The cost of one is usually equal to the price of 2 for me.
I think a lot of the issues came from maybe the groceries I would put in the trunk of the car. I had a cargo net strrtched across the front of the box and the 2 subs, holding a black towel in place so people wouldn't see those subs there when I open the trunk, and I think a lot of the times they might have been pushing on the subs while playing. That could restrict movement and damge them as well. It could have also been from a lot of stress on them from changing through 3 different boxes and the test tones I uses to dial in the amp. One of the old old ported boxes might not have had enough air space and it could have done some damage to them. Who knows, I;m just taking more precautions now with what I put in my trunk and I'm gonna try and make sure there is nothing hendering the speakers from moving in and out.
Thanks for everyone's help that did try and help out I'll defiantly keep in mind about some newer subs but I'm not interested in anything else nor can I afford anything else more expensive right now. I might look into that next year with tax return money. I'm just trying to save money where I can right now with the economy and credit crisis the way it is here in the states. I'm also not sure on my job situation here at my work come the beginning of next year so I just wanted to get this fixed without spending a ton of money. Plus, I love how these subs sound and I already have everything set up with my settings and gain controls perfectly for me for these subs so I didn't want to change anything as I was perfectly satisfied with my system. I have checked EBay for W3's but I don't want to take any chances on used subs as I have no idea how hard they have been pushed or how much life would be left in them. Plus, the prices are never low enough for me to consider getting a pair on there. The cost of one is usually equal to the price of 2 for me.
I think a lot of the issues came from maybe the groceries I would put in the trunk of the car. I had a cargo net strrtched across the front of the box and the 2 subs, holding a black towel in place so people wouldn't see those subs there when I open the trunk, and I think a lot of the times they might have been pushing on the subs while playing. That could restrict movement and damge them as well. It could have also been from a lot of stress on them from changing through 3 different boxes and the test tones I uses to dial in the amp. One of the old old ported boxes might not have had enough air space and it could have done some damage to them. Who knows, I;m just taking more precautions now with what I put in my trunk and I'm gonna try and make sure there is nothing hendering the speakers from moving in and out.
I don't know man. Sometimes my amp does this when the chip gets too hot. After blowing on it hard for a couple of seconds it starts working again. Putting a fan on it helped it and a bigger heatsink along with it. I forget what kind of chip it was and I'm not going to tear off the sinks so yea. I'm not sure.
that sounds like a thermal protection kicking in. this shouldn't happen during normal operation unless the impedance of your speakers are too low (ie. if the amp is 4ohm stable and you parallel 2 4ohm speakers onto it, giving a 2 ohm load on the amp).
but if you have 2 subs that both die at the same time (after only a year) then you are definately driving them way too hard.
but if you have 2 subs that both die at the same time (after only a year) then you are definately driving them way too hard.
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