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Silver Member Username: JohnnylemoineLaPlace, Louisiana United States Post Number: 332 Registered: Aug-04 | ok guys, got problem here and i hope yall can help me fix it. Me and my friend just installed a Kola Audio 12" sub in a Q-Logic sealed box 1.25 cuft. We are pushing it with a new Punch 2002 which is like 200 rms at 4 ohms i think. we bridged it and ran the VC's in parallel so its running at 2 ohms. the sub is 400 rms and 800 peak. We also put 2 eclipse 3 way 5 1/4's running off of the JVC HU. the problem is the car keeps killing while driving and wont start after. the car is a 1994 honda accord 4 door with power lock and windows and all that stuff. The alt. is stock but i dont know how many amps it is. I told the girls parents that the bat. was prolly bad, but they insist that it is the amp we installed. All wiring is good. The amp is pulling about 30 amps. We put a 30 amp fuse in the power wire and it hasnt blown it so it cant be pulling more. This really sucks because she wants to keep her sub. Dont most car alts. have alittle extra amperage than what the car needs to power everything? Please help if you can, I cant see why it would loose a charge while running if the bat. is bad or maybe the alt. is bad or has a loose connection. Sorry this is so long but i wanted to give yall as much info. as possible so yall could get a good picture of the set up. Thanks. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 6908 Registered: Dec-03 | ok first, if that amp is 2 channels, and it's bridged, it's only stable to a 4 ohm load most likely. if you're running a 2 ohm load on it, it'll be a problem. that aside, take teh fuse out of the power line so the amplifier isn't turning on. that'll essentially remove the entire sub amp and sub from the system, which should tell you if your install is the cause of the problem. see if the car still stalls out. while you're at it, take the car into an auto parts shop like autozone or advance, and get teh starter, alternator, and battery tested (free serviec) and see if one of them is bad. that'll answer both your ideas and ehr parents' |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 2880 Registered: May-04 | "Dont most car alts. have alittle extra amperage than what the car needs to power everything?" Most do, Hondas don't. You can take the car to an auto shop and get the alternator and battery tested. Make sure all connections are solid and there is no corrosion on the battery terminal, if there is, clean it and add a little vasoline to keep the corrosion down. Even if the alternator checks fine, it still may not be able to keep up with the current demands of the amp. If that's a problem, you'll likely damage the stock alternator if it keeps up. |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 2881 Registered: May-04 | Oops, didn't see your post. |
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Silver Member Username: JohnnylemoineLaPlace, Louisiana United States Post Number: 333 Registered: Aug-04 | Thanks Glass. The amp is 2 ch. and that did croos my mine about the 4 ohm stable issue. I have a 2002 punch 150s bridged and running at 2 ohms and it hasnt given me any problems so i dint think it would be a problem. I did take the fuse out but her dad drove it either home or to wal mart before i could see if it stalled or not. i didnt get a call so i assume it didnt. What kind of problems will running that amp at 2 ohms bridged cause? I jumped her car off earlier and let it charge for a little bit on my bat. then we drove down the street and it killed, we had the radio off if that makes a diff. Thanks for the help Glass, ill go and talk to them to see if they will get everything checked out. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 6910 Registered: Dec-03 | with the radio off and the sub amp essentially disconnected from the battery, the stereo system isn't the problem. at least not the immediate problem. the battery or the alternator is the problem here almost assuredly. now, the draw from the audio system may be what killed the batt or alt in the first place. the stock alternator is about 70-90A. you can get an accord alternator on ebay for under $200 last time I looked that's high output, up to 200A. that'd be the best route to go, then just install it yourself if you have any mechanic type abilities, its not too hard to do if you can get to the alternator. running an amp below its rated specs for impedance overstresses the amplifier's internals. the power supply, amplification stage, etc. this causes the amp to run very high distortion, poor SNR, little if any head room, and the amplifier will most propbably spend most of its time clipping which will damage the speakers connected to it as well. there is a reason amplifiers have specs telling you what ohm loads they are stable down to. |
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Silver Member Username: JohnnylemoineLaPlace, Louisiana United States Post Number: 334 Registered: Aug-04 | hey yall i just got a call frome her and, like i had guessed earlier, it was a loose connection from the alt. to the bat. so it wasnt recharging. Which we had nothing to do with. thanks for all the help guys, i really appreciate it. i think ill try and just run the sub on one channel so it will handel the 2 ohm load. Tell me if there will be a problem with that. Thanks. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 6912 Registered: Dec-03 | ehh, you'd be best off either using two 2 ohm subs, or a mono amp for the single sub. there really is no ideal way to get full power from that amp to the sub based on the amp and sub combo. should have gotten a sub with dual 2 ohm coils or a single 4 ohm coil instead. an OEM connection came loose? that's freaky. nice build quality there when the alternator cable comes loose and nobody even messed with it lol |
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Silver Member Username: JohnnylemoineLaPlace, Louisiana United States Post Number: 335 Registered: Aug-04 | well i had the sub just sitting in my room collecting dust so i figured, hey why not. now she doesnt listen to the radio at full vol. will the amp still run too hot for its own liking?(being bridged and running @ 2ohms) Im just tryin to find any alternative to buying a new sub. But im sure i can find a cheap one somewhere. She isnt really looking for groung shaking bass, just a little umph in her system. Well thanks again Glass and Jon. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 6916 Registered: Dec-03 | you can pick up a 12" sub for about $40. a kicker comp, low end alpine like the type S, or even RE's "RE" line of subs aren't much more at around $60. it wouldn't be too much of an investment for her. you can leave the amp running at 2 ohms bridged if ya want, just be aware of the issues that causes. |
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Silver Member Username: JohnnylemoineLaPlace, Louisiana United States Post Number: 336 Registered: Aug-04 | yeah, i hear ya Glass, ill proly just get a single 4 ohm sub like a JL W0 or one of the subs you listed so we dont have any problems down the road. Thanks again. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 6920 Registered: Dec-03 | a 12W0 is like $125. for that much you could throw a Shiva in there or a Type R. the subs I listed are in the general range of about 50 bucks. some a bit more, some less. |
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Silver Member Username: JohnnylemoineLaPlace, Louisiana United States Post Number: 337 Registered: Aug-04 | well i wasnt planning on getting a brand new JL W0. Those subs you listed are brand new? will they have the rite amount of rms rating that i need? could you list that for me if its not too much? and where to get them. Thanks a million Glass. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 6933 Registered: Dec-03 | a 12W0 can only take about 125wRMS. same for the Kicker Comp the RE may be a good choice. www.reaudio.com you can buy directly from them look at specs on the RE and SE lines of subs you need something rated for 400wRMS |
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Silver Member Username: JohnnylemoineLaPlace, Louisiana United States Post Number: 339 Registered: Aug-04 | the specs say 200 rms @ 4 ohms so i would need a sub with that rating, rite? i figured since she doesnt turn i the radio up too loud a W0 or something like that would be good, just turn the gain down. Isnt it better to have an amp that COULD over power the sub rahter than under power it? Its cool though ill check out the RE. Im glad you answered my post Glass, Thanks. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 6935 Registered: Dec-03 | a: yes 200wRMS is what you'll need the sub to be rated for. b: gain has no effect on power output of an amplifier. all gain does is vary the input stage impedance to match the line voltage. turning the gain down too far only under-drives the input stage of teh amp, so you're amplifying a weaker input signal from the head unit, with the same amount of amplifier power. same power, less volume. c: power handling of a speaker is a *thermal* rating. it tells you how much heat (in watts) the voice coils can handle without frying. if you overpower a sub, you'll melt the coils. if you underpower a sub, with the amp gain set properly, all you'll do at worst is have a sub that isn't very loud. now if you try to compensate for a weak sub/amp setup by cranking the gain on the amp, you then make the amp clip, and that damages the subs. d: are you just sitting there, waiting for me to respond each time? its like you answer within 5 seconds of me posting! haha |
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Silver Member Username: JohnnylemoineLaPlace, Louisiana United States Post Number: 340 Registered: Aug-04 | hahaha yeah, i figured id ask some quest. and learn a thing or two from ya til my potna's get back from hunting, then we'll discuss the amp sub situation. yes thats rite i said potna's, kinda like partners but we're from Louisiana, lol. |
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Silver Member Username: JohnnylemoineLaPlace, Louisiana United States Post Number: 341 Registered: Aug-04 | so what sub would you recommend and where should i set the gain for proper output/input. i think ill stick with the sealed Q-Logic, 1.25 cuft. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 6945 Registered: Dec-03 | a kicker compVR would do the trick. its rated for 400wRMS and its pretty cheap. gains need to be set according to the amp and line voltages. www.bcae1.com had guies. check the right pane menu |
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Silver Member Username: JohnnylemoineLaPlace, Louisiana United States Post Number: 342 Registered: Aug-04 | killa, thanks Glass |