Please help Weird problem with Kicker zx700.5

[chpthril]

Well, that kinda does sound like the signal is being clipped, and the amp is trying to work properly. May be a stretch here, but, is there a chance that your head unit has a function to adjust the signal output? Other then that, I'd say you may have a bad H/U.

[vanillamack]

I don't think so. And I've got the signal about as flat as it will get....middle settings on bass and treble...middle fader and balance...Loudness turned off...no bass boost.

I plugged just the Amp1 RCAs this morning so I could listen to something on the drive in. Cranked it a bit and at about 60-70% volume it started to cut out. What concerns me now is that even after lowering to 10% volume it was still cutting in and out. I powered off the headunit at that point to prevent any possible damage.

I'll try the ipod via RCAs tonight and see what gives.

[philwsailz]

I have skimmed at the moment, and want to ask something: What impedance are you loading the 4 full range channels with?

Put another way, how many speakers per channel are you running on the four full range channels?

[philwsailz]

One other thing to ask, and it might sound a little crazy. Is the amplifier attached directly to metal such that that chassis of the amplifier is making contact with metal body parts or chassis parts?

There may be a large voltage potential that is created in the car between the head unit and the amplifier when the system is totally connectged. This would not be the case with the boom box scenario.

The pop you heard with the first amp was more than likely a capacitor; the stuff rattling around was probably the exploded remains... Blown caps can point to voltage problems.

[vanillamack]

The 4 full range are midbass/tweeter components and are 4ohm. Putting a DOVM on each of the 4 leads coming out of the amp (before the components' passive crossovers) reads 3.8ohms...so, right on.

The amp is mounted to a piece of MDF and sitting on the trunk floor. That MDF will be mounted to the rear deck of the vehicle once these issues are worked out. There is not and will not be any metal to metal contact.

Also, when I say the amp is cutting out, it doesn't appear to be entering protection mode. The light stays green, it is not getting hot, etc. It really seems to be the signal coming and going. I will narrow it down tonight with the ipod test.

However, that still doesn't explain the frequency scrambles....the sub getting full range when it should get <200Hz.

[philwsailz]

The 4 full range are midbass/tweeter components and are 4ohm. Putting a DOVM on each of the 4 leads coming out of the amp (before the components' passive crossovers) reads 3.8ohms...so, right on.

The amp is mounted to a piece of MDF and sitting on the trunk floor. That MDF will be mounted to the rear deck of the vehicle once these issues are worked out. There is not and will not be any metal to metal contact.

Also, when I say the amp is cutting out, it doesn't appear to be entering protection mode. The light stays green, it is not getting hot, etc. It really seems to be the signal coming and going. I will narrow it down tonight with the ipod test.

However, that still doesn't explain the frequency scrambles....the sub getting full range when it should get <200Hz.

Okay...

* proper loads on the amplifier outputs
* works fine with alternate source (boombox anyway)
* does not visibly go into protection

I will stick with you and work with you to help with a solution, but it would be easy to conclude from the information so far that the head unit is at fault. The one weird part of this is your assertation that the sub section of the amp is trying to play full range. Digital sub amps just do not do that, (at least not well).

We should not rule out anything, nor should we assume anything.

Forgive me, I am going to type some stuff that might irritate you. I don't do this to offend, just to really rule out any potential problems. Assumption has gotten me in trouble and wasted a lot of my time trouble-shooting things. I have assumed a car had gas. Even with my assumption, the car would not run...

Let's not have you repeat my mistakes!

* Go back and check for kitty hair wire shorting amp channels. You assume based on the jacketing that it is not the case, but please go back and check.

* Try installing a known working amplifier in the system and connect it to your installed head unit. If the problem appears in the new amp, we can then work to figure out what other part of the stereo installation is causing you trouble.

* In the meantime, yeah, go forward with your iPod test; it will assist with diagnosing the total system, and if it works fine with no problems, goes a little ways towards removing the suspicion from the amp, the speaker wire, and/or the speakers.

[philwsailz]

Did a solution ever pop up to this?

How did the iPod test go?