Blown Amp?

[kjkalas]

what can be done about a bad amp??

[alphalanos]

make sure it actually doesnt work, get a new one.

[PaulD]

how old is it, and where did you get it from ?

[bjboertje]

sold to some kid who doesn't know any better.


jk

[NAVY IC]

no warranty...??
go for it...pop it open...
find somebody who can help you replace parts...
whatchu going to do, break it more...??

[Kjka]

the amp is a MTX 342 thunder, it came with the suburban I bought, it worked before, I unhooked the amp then hooked back and now won't come on.
I checked power getting to the unit and the remote wire(blue), all is good.

[Kjka]

If I do open it up what am I looking for and where do I go to fix it??????????

[NAVY IC]

did you check the fuses
are you electrically inclined, or know someone who is

[Kjka]

I read about parcially blown fuses, visually, these look good. If I open the amp is there a resistor or something I can swap out?

[NAVY IC]

if it's too hard to tell visually, you can;
a. check it with a multi-meters or some type of test equipment like a scope
b. you can alway swap it out with a "known good" fuse of the same value,
( they only cost like .10 cents each )

also if you decide to open it, your only possible faults are open, shorts and grounds

OPENS - is when a wire breaks apart, or from it's connection. an open is also when a component is damaged (usually burned)
to the point that current can no longer pass. - you will have to inspect visually and/or with test equipment, (ie. a meter or Oscope),
each component and parts of the signal paths until you find the fault...In my experience, when an energized circut opens there's usually burn marks around the area...

SHORTS - is when one part of the circuit path comes in contact with another part of the circuit path and makes a bypass route for the current to travel back to the source. For example, if someone droped a tire iron onto both leads of a car battery, the current which usually flows from the battery thru the electrcal system, the chassis and then back to the source, will not take that route. The current will bypass its normal route through the electrical system, (hence the name shortened or short) and go out of one post, thru the tire iron, and back into the source thru the other post...In electrical equipment, shorts are commonly caused by dropping a conductive material onto the circuit board, terminal board or any area where the signal path is uninsulated or exposed...

GROUNDS - are kind of like short circuits. the difference is instead of the path being shorted to another part of the circuit, (short circuit)
its shorted to ground, (grounded). sometimes if a circuit path was going to terminate at a grounding point anyway after it passed thru a
few more components, the grounded equipment my still work but abnormally and/or with reduced capabilities. A grounded piece of equipment can also effect other gear in line with the faulty piece...

maybe this can help you, (and anyone else who's interested), figure out what you should be looking for...
If you decide to take a stab at the guts, let us know what you find...