Subs not hitting

[navy34]

So I've got a question for all the electronic gurus out there. For a while now, my subs ( 2 12" kicker cvr's) hit intermittently. Sometimes they thump really loud and work, then stop after about 30 minutes. It randomly comes on and off and it pisses me off. I dont think the subs are blown, they hit hard and normal when they do work. The power light on my amp (jackhammer JH600) is on too, so its definitely getting power. Could it be possible that its not sending power to the subs? The fuses on the amp look good, and I checked all the connections and theyre solid. Wtf man?

 

[JKmotorsports]

What type of fuse/fusholder are you using? For high current amps like the Jackhammer, an ANL will work better. Sometimes AGU type fuseholders will have resistance where the fuse slides into the holder. Then with the high current draw, it will heat up and cause even more resistance, causing a big enough voltage drop to keep the amp from operating, but leave just enough to power the amp's LED as if it were on. Next time it happens, measure the voltage at the amp and make sure it's at least 12v.
Another possibility is the amp going into thermal shutdown. What ohm load are you running the amp at?

 

[blueflamed03]

yep, how big is your power wire, what gauge? Subs wired correctly, not out of phase?

 

[navy34]

Its 4guage power wire, the fuse looks fine too. i got the 4 guage amp wiring kit from knu concepts, so its legit. The fuse I used came with the kit, Im prety sure its an AGU type fuse. I did notice today that the amp was making a wierd ticking noise when it was sitting there powered up and the volume turned all the way down. Im thinking maybe the amp is jacked up? The subs are wired correctly, theyve been working perfectly for almost a year now.

 

[blueflamed03]

can you swap the amp for another known working one, to isolate and see if it indeed is the amp?

 

[navy34]

none of my friends have any amps, i might try and hit up a best buy or something and see if they have one laying around that i could try out

 

[blueflamed03]

or pull it out and have them bench test it for ya?

 

[CWgauge]

Mine is doing the exact same thing. I also ordered my wiring kit for knu concepts....hmmm?
I thought I had it narrowed down to the rca's but now I don't think they are the problem.

 

[raptorforme93]

How many amps does your amp draw when its fully powered? How big is your inline fuse? Sounds to me like your amp is over heating or your power wire isnt high enough quality to handle that much power. Use a voltmeter to measure the power when your subs are hitting well and then measure again when they cut out to make sure that you are still getting good power. Did you say that you have had this setup for almost a year now and it has always worked well? If it worked well for almost a year and then started doing it after working fine for months, id guess that something is wrong with your amp

 

[PUNKYOU007]

Check your grounds as well. Might be a loose ground. Even if your ground feels tight, take it off and clean it up a bit. Wont hurt anything.

Also just because your fuse "looks" good does not mean that it is. Try replacing it, they are very inexpensive.

 

[navy34]

Yeah, I guess Ill try to switch the fuse out and see. The power wire was pinched a little bit as well, but I dont think enough to do anything. However, when I mess with the ground wire, theres a varying high pitched sound that comes from the amp. I guess Ill try to clean up the ground, see if that does anything too?

 

[J-dub]

Was having the same problem in my Tahoe. It was running fine then randomly stopped working with no signs of any problems. It ended up being I was running a AGU fuse, changed to 2 gauge with a ANL (80a, and I really need to bump it up a notch soon) fuse, re grounded to bare metal (sanded down) with a run of 2 gauge. Running stable now. Try that, although for a loose ground I don't think it should make a humming noise. But then again mine will go into protect mode. I'm running a JBL GTO1201.1 btw.