First post but all searches sent me to this website....so I'm assuming a lot of knowledge here! 🙂
I have 3 JL Audio amps, 2 in one vehicle, 1 in another vehicle.
All are 300/2 amps and look to be around 2007 era.
They have performed great, for the most part, but in cold weather (like below 20 degrees outside), I get a crackling sound. In the past, I've sent it to JL Audio and they repair some of the solder joints that have separated in cold conditions.
I've done this a few time already. Last time it happened, I sent it to them but forgot to tell them it happens when cold....so they returned it saying it's good (and took $80 or so). Now that it's cold, it's happening again.
If I start the truck up and run the heater for awhile, it goes away and can listen no problem.
Rather then send into JL again, can I do a bit of re-soldering myself? Any known areas of problems?
Compared to new amps, it was cheaper to repair but if I have to do it a few times per amp, that adds up over a few years.
Thanks!
I have 3 JL Audio amps, 2 in one vehicle, 1 in another vehicle.
All are 300/2 amps and look to be around 2007 era.
They have performed great, for the most part, but in cold weather (like below 20 degrees outside), I get a crackling sound. In the past, I've sent it to JL Audio and they repair some of the solder joints that have separated in cold conditions.
I've done this a few time already. Last time it happened, I sent it to them but forgot to tell them it happens when cold....so they returned it saying it's good (and took $80 or so). Now that it's cold, it's happening again.
If I start the truck up and run the heater for awhile, it goes away and can listen no problem.
Rather then send into JL again, can I do a bit of re-soldering myself? Any known areas of problems?
Compared to new amps, it was cheaper to repair but if I have to do it a few times per amp, that adds up over a few years.
Thanks!
Being that JL in their slash series amps (and possibly others) put most of the audio related stuff up on that daughter board, and that I've personally had bad contact issues with the terminal blocks used to connect them to the main board, it makes me think you've got some failing connections on those. Could be that the expansion and contraction caused by changing temps is causing them to degrade, but before replacing them you might try removing the daughter boards and shooting those terminal blocks with contact cleaner. Work the board in and out of place a few times to clean the terminals, then reassemble and try again. If no luck, you might have to do what I did and replace them. A 250/1 I have required terminal block replacement because the tiny pins inside there started breaking off, so it wouldn't make a connection at all anymore.
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Does the crackling stop after a few minutes of operation?
The 47k resistors do have problems with cracked solder joints. There are others but they are more random. You can repair the connections without removing the driver boards if you're careful.
You'll need desoldering braid (and liquid flux helps when using braid).
The 47k resistors do have problems with cracked solder joints. There are others but they are more random. You can repair the connections without removing the driver boards if you're careful.
You'll need desoldering braid (and liquid flux helps when using braid).
