Over current
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Silver Member Username: Alias747MN Post Number: 636 Registered: Apr-05 | My amp was working perfectly today but then I turned on my car later and noticed my subs wernt playing. I opened my trunk and saw a yellow light on the amp. According to the manual, this means it is an over current protection. I guess from having to low of an impedance. But I know I dont have to low of an impedance. I have an Xtant A6001T and I have 3 DVC 4-ohm subs hooked up in series/parallel for 2.67 ohms. I just need a litlle troubleshooting help here. Thanks for the help guys, i know you will come through for me! Sorry I am in a hurry so I hope you can understand this!  |
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Silver Member Username: SouthernrebelMonroe, Louisiana USA Post Number: 927 Registered: Mar-04 | Take a DMM and make sure you have a 2.67ohm load to the amp. One of your subs may have burned out and shorted a VC. Or maybe you have naked wires touching somewheres. |
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Silver Member Username: Alias747MN Post Number: 637 Registered: Apr-05 | Unfortunately i think that my alternator is going. But I don't know for sure. I had to go somewhere tonight and I have been noticing lately that my head lights will flicker while I am driving and sometimes get brighter and then dimmer. Seems like an alternator problem to me. I heard that the over current light can also mean that the amp is pulling more current than what the PSU can give it aka the alternator is malfunctioning. Is that a possibility? Thanks for the help. |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 4610 Registered: May-04 | "I had to go somewhere tonight and I have been noticing lately that my head lights will flicker while I am driving and sometimes get brighter and then dimmer." Sounds more like the voltage regulator than the alternator. Of course, external voltage regulators are a thing of the past, so you'll be replacing the whole shebang anyway. |
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Silver Member Username: Alias747MN Post Number: 638 Registered: Apr-05 | Thanks for responding Jonathan. So do you think that is the whole problem with my amp then too? Can I damage my amp that way? Thanks man. |
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Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 4179 Registered: Nov-04 | Yea, that is a sign of dying alternator. Had that happen to my Mustang 4 years ago. It was a drag. Just don't let them stiff you with labour charges and other bs. Do it yourself and save. Heck if I can change my alternator in my Acura without anyone's help, I'm positive other cars are much easier. Mine was like solving a puzzle. Damn Japanese engineers. They try and make it as hard as possible to take things out. Oh my Mustang, it was a snap. I also didn't had to scrape my knuckles too. |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 4611 Registered: May-04 | He has a Toyota, he isn't much better off, if at all. I hated working on my Camry, whoever invented the horizontally opposed V6 should be shot. At point blank range. |
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Silver Member Username: Alias747MN Post Number: 639 Registered: Apr-05 | All I need now is a cheap place to buy an alt. I don't want a big one, something just like 100A or something. All the places that I know of only sell like 200A like excessive amperage and places like that. I have a '90 Camry if you know where I can get one for a decent price that is just a little beefier than a stock one. BTW, should I unhook my sub amp then. Like can my amp be getting damaged by this? Thanks a ton guys. |
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Silver Member Username: SouthernrebelMonroe, Louisiana USA Post Number: 933 Registered: Mar-04 | i'm w/ you guys...imports have some really sh!tty engineering. I'm not sure what car it is, but there is a import that you have to take the passenger side front tire off...just to get to the battery! |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 4614 Registered: May-04 | "I'm not sure what car it is, but there is a import that you have to take the passenger side front tire off...just to get to the battery!" Actually, I think you're talking about a Dodge Intrepid, I think the PT Cruiser is like that too. Isaac W, look at www.mralternator.com I think they have some in the 120A-150A range for that car, not sure though. Depends on your engine size, too. |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 4615 Registered: May-04 | Prices aren't that bad, most are around $200, some closer to $250. |
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Silver Member Username: SouthernrebelMonroe, Louisiana USA Post Number: 935 Registered: Mar-04 | Come to think of it...it may be an Intrepid. |
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Silver Member Username: Alias747MN Post Number: 640 Registered: Apr-05 | Ok this is really a strange problem, if I could get the help from some of the experts it would be great. So today I used a DMM to see what the voltage was. With the amp connected the voltage at the amp was around 8.5 to 9v! But at my other amp, at the same time was around 12.5v. So when I disconnect the remote lead so the amp doesn't power on, the voltage is the same as the other amp. Which is about 13.5v. Which leads me to believe that the alternator is ok, becasue I don't think that the battery will give off that kind of voltage. But the amp will usually always be in over current protection mode and it seems like both the power light (red) and the over current light (yellow) are blinking really fast. I am not sure what that means but I thought I would include that. Thanks a ton for the help that you guys have already given, I very much appreciate it! |
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Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 4184 Registered: Nov-04 | Did you measure the voltage at the battery post with the engine off? What was it with the engine on? Now measure the voltage at the amps. If they're not the same, then you have a ground problem. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 9803 Registered: Dec-03 | amp is bad. internal short probably. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 9804 Registered: Dec-03 | "overcurrent" in the case of several amplifier brands, Sony being the most known for this, is also the "this amp is f*&$ed" LED |
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Silver Member Username: Alias747MN Post Number: 641 Registered: Apr-05 | At the battery when car is off ~12.4v At battery when car is on ~13.8v At questionable amp when car is off and amp is off ~11.3v At questionable amp when car is on and amp is off ~12.5v Thanks for the fast reply Isaac. I can see that there is a 1v difference between the amp and the battery, thats probably just from the voltage drop, right? Let me know if you need anymore info. Thanks bro. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 9808 Registered: Dec-03 | take the car to auto zone. get the alternator tested under load with their machine. get the battery and starter tested while you're there. it's all free. |
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Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 4185 Registered: Nov-04 | Trace the ground cable. Over time, it may come loose from the bass pounding. There shouldn't be any loss in voltage. Since pos wire is connected directly to the battery via fuse, the only part that can drop voltage is the neg wire. Try this, measure the volts between the pos wire and the car's chassis. Touch anything that is exposed. If you get exact reading as the battery posts, then you know the problem is the neg wire. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 9812 Registered: Dec-03 | he'll drop voltage across the power wire if he's got a long run of wire, or losing energy in the form of heat. There will be a voltage drop on power wire, but it's usually not very significant. |
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Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 4186 Registered: Nov-04 | On my car, the voltage drop was like .1 or less. The reason why I'm suspecting the problem is with your ground wire is, I've diagnosed similar problems before. I traced it back to a loose/worn out ground wire. It caused voltage to drop anywhere from 1v - 6v randomly. Faulty alternator/battery will render the test useless. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 9826 Registered: Dec-03 | oh sure. I'm just offering alternatives. like I said, he can get the starter/alt/batt tested for free. the ground should be made to sanded bare chassis metal, within 24" of the amplifier with the same size wire as is used from D-block to amp. |
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Silver Member Username: Alias747MN Post Number: 642 Registered: Apr-05 | Thanks a lot guys, I will try all those things. I really hope that it is not the amp going already. I bought it new like 5 monthes ago and Xtant is a very reputable company, but you never know I could have just gotten a bad one, plus it comes with a 4-year warranty, so I feel good about that at least! :D |
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