Amp not getting power?

Ok Im alittle stumped and so are the two others I was with when putting my new system in. I just purchased a deck, amp n subs. Had wires already in for the amp hook up (used to have a system in it). Ok so heres the problem, I have everything hookup in right order and am getting like 11.44V of power touching the amp ground n 12v. So there is power getting to the amp and the ground is in good spot, but the amp is not powering on? Idk what the deal is, basically everything is new and it doesnt work....its terrible, anyone have any ideas on what could be the problem.


((fuses are good))

did you check your remote turn on wire.

Thank you for that. My minds been all around lately, didnt even think about the remote:rolleyes:

Ok good news and bad. Got the amp powered. Cords snaked and hidden well...Had it bumbin for like 5mins and then it quick on me. Now all the subs do is give a small pacing thump?

why are your volts so low ? should be like 12.5V

New Update....I disconnected the left sub and the right one works fine (other way too) and one works. But connect the other speaker and they cut out? Could it be that the ground wire isnt big enough? I have a smaller guage wire in the amp connected to a ground box that is running off a later gauge. Should I cut the wire from the ground box and just put it directly in the amp?

::edit2:: ok so now the one sub is going in n out...

::edit::
Paul, idk why it read so low but I havent check it recently, I will soon n post what its at now

how old is your battery.
i have the the exact opposite readings, mine read higher then what my battery says.

then you're problem is an easy one (to diagnose), the way you have the amp and speakers connected together is presenting the amp with too low of an impedance (load).

Play- I heard from an electrician I know and he said the battery or alternator may be the problem, I might just install 2 new batteries to power the system..but thats what he recommended.

Paul- Sorry Im still new to these terms...would the wire gauge from the amp to speakers matter? Im just unsure what you said it might be.

not really to much on the guage as long as it is atleast 16 guage or larger if it is speakers, atleast 12 or so for subs depending on the length. you really don't need a second battery untill you start maxing out the biggest alternator you can fit and/or you do compation/ listen to your music with the car off.

what I mean is, you have 2 subs wired in parallel, that halves the impedance (which is effectively doubling the load on the amp) ..... when you remove one sub, you decrease the load.

Shouldnt the amp be big enough to power both though? It was a package deal at a store...


Its got to be the amp though. Yesterday I hookup one of my LA Sound amps n vuala! they both worked perfectly fine...I think Im just going to return the amp n subs I bought, buy some better subs and use the 2 amps I have

if you want to return them your good to go...
if you still want to troubleshoot i'll help if you give up some more info...

it's NOT about amp size (watts) ..... orion used to make a 25 watt/ch amp that could play 400 watts/ch in .25 ohms, it was designed from the drawing board as a 400 watt/ch amp. Some amps are not designed to play low amp loads, irregardless of their power rating.

if you want to return them your good to go...
if you still want to troubleshoot i'll help if you give up some more info...

Thanks for the help. Its just that I want bigger! I really love the sound they pump but I feen more. Plus I have 2 amps in my posession and ive had for 2yrs and thought didnt work (dont ask why I thought they didnt). But they do and Ima just get the money from the amp n sub combo and buy some bigger, louder, and more pain in the @ss things for my car.

sounds like we have a new addict :D

A friend of mine suggested buying a capacitor if Im planning on using both amps for each sub...? Any thoughts. My battery meter is moving with the bass high. So Im thinking, 1amp is ok but my battery and/or alternator can barely handle it, so 2amps Im thinkin, Im really gonna need it

did you check your remote turn on wire.


Is it okay if your amp is on at all time???

I connected the romote wire the the amp battery cable...:uhoh:

it will drain your battery. but you can wire in a switch then you will be good to go. just remeber to turn it off.

and to aphaze all what caps do is speed up the electrical current. but if you feel you need anything to buy, buy a high output alternator.

and to aphaze all what caps do is speed up the electrical current. but if you feel you need anything to buy, buy a high output alternator.

I knew I would need a better alternator. I just under the impression a cap would be the fix but my "sure knowing" friends arent right.. I talked to one of my dad electrician buddies, and he was telling about cars hes setup with systems big enough for 2 high output alternators. Not as big as Im lookin to do but got the advice from him to just buy a bigger alternator.

How much would a high output alternator run around for a 96 mustang gt 4.6 v8 engine

try here http://www.excessiveamperage.com/

and to aphaze all what caps do is speed up the electrical current. but if you feel you need anything to buy, buy a high output alternator.

wow, a cap will give me high speed current ?

not high speed but i read that it will increase because of the lower resistence.

depending on all kinds of factors, it may be possible for a cap to fix your problem.
music is so dynamic that you're not constantly drawing a very large load.
what a cap can do for you is store energy during the luls in your music, and when your music demands a large amount of juice to push a big beat your voltages will not drop, (caps opposes changes in voltage by rapidly charging and discharging), as far as the current you'll need, your inductors inside your amp will do the same thing for current that your external caps do for the voltage. different configurations can work if you know what your working with and you know what you're trying to get, the rest is just bridging the links...

IF the cap has a low enough internal resistance (like .002 ohms or less), it can help with transients - caps will NOT increase your bass output.

To answer the question at hand, if you listen a lot with the car off then a second battery may help. If you listen to it mostly with the engine on then only a bigger alt is really gonna help you.

IF the cap has a low enough internal resistance (like .002 ohms or less), it can help with transients - caps will NOT increase your bass output.

To answer the question at hand, if you listen a lot with the car off then a second battery may help. If you listen to it mostly with the engine on then only a bigger alt is really gonna help you.

to add to that. if you add a second battery it will be another load on the alternator so a bigger alt still should be considered