hobbes

My mids and highs amp keeps overheating and shutting off after only 20-30 min of continuous play.
I took it to a reputable shop and they said that the HU was pushing the amp too hard and that why it was overheating... It's a rockford fosgate Punch HE 12.
So they suggested a new amp...a MTX 2150x, about twice as much $ as the fosgate. After 20 mins continuous play... same thing... it overheated and shut off...
My HU is a Pioneer Premier DEHP630 HU with hi volt 4W preouts...

so...when they install everything,they flatline the EQ on the HU and set the gains on the amps to max volume level of the HU.
that's the way it was originally when the system was installed back in may. I noticed the amps would cut out then... so I messed with the EQ on the HU and boosted the output of the bass and treble so that it would put out at about the same level with the volume only about 65% of the max volume... the way it was set up originally you had to almost max the volume to get it fairly loud. That solved the amp shutting off problem... until...

Then I had the sub problem, so I took it to the shop and it turned out the sub was busted (cone coming apart on the inside?-they said)
They saw I had changed the EQ settings, so they said it wasn't good to do that... and flat lined everything... so I had to turn the volume on the HU back up to almost max to get the same level as when I had the EQ set (volume at 60%)

sure enough...the highs amp overheated after 20 mins...
mohawkboom, WhiteRabbit, or anyone else... what should I do? Should I ask for my money back and just use the fosgate amp, and disregard their "advice" about flatlining the EQ, or is something else wrong???

specs
rockford fosgate Punch HE 12---> now a MTX 2150x
Pioneer Premier DEHP630 HU
Pair Pioneer Premier 5.25's
Pair Pioneer Premier 6.5's
Rockford Fosgate Punch 200S (car speakers)
Eclipse 3322 amp (400W) (sub)
4 guage stinger wiring

mohawkboom

iTrader: (1)

What a dishonest shop.. your ground wire for the amp is the problem..the amps trying to work off too low a voltage and it's overheating..check your power and ground wires..

hobbes

umm.. what about them (power and ground) do I need to check? sorry...don't know too much about ice (why I check here)The gains on both amps are both at less than a quarter now... the shop guy came out after hours because the amp cut off on the way home from the shop, and they closed... he said he fixed it by turning the gain down a little... but I still have to turn it up almost all the way to get a good volume... and now I can't fix it by upping the EQ, because the gain on the amp is even lower and I would have to max out EQ settings which I can here distortion in... Even though the new mids amp is 3x as powerful...I do not here any sound difference.

sigh... one of my friends bought their system online and installed himself... all low power amps, speakers, bass (only a 10 with a 50x2 amp for a total of 220.... and their sound is louder crisper, more bass at 50% volume... my amp cost 300 and it doesn't compare even when maxed out according to dealer set-up... And I know what good sound quality is (I use studio headphones all the time when mixing cds...I'm very picky about my sound)and I know then when I pay twice as much for something... it should at least sound the same if not better, but not worse! sorry for the rant...I'm just getting frustrated... I'm PCS's to California tomorrow, so this is really the last thing I need.
Thanks for your input.

mohawkboom

iTrader: (1)

Are you still playing on the "broken" sub?..if so some of the resin on the voice coil might have rubbed off and is causing a short which is drastically lowering the subs resistance.. or if you replaced the sub..what configuration is the sub.. VVC 4ohm..or SVC 4ohm?.. To check the power and ground..just make sure the power wire on your batt is still secure..and check your ground wire to be sure it's secured..

CHeers
Mohawk

hobbes

I have the new sub in now... no more vibrating...
the power wire is secured to the battery...don't know where the ground wire is grounded...
both amps are bridged... the mids amp is bridged so each pair gets 2 Ohms...specs have 12.5v setup... don't know about the sub... it's the mids and highs amp that keeps cutting out... it did it with the old amp (with the HU flatlined) and so does the new amp... It seems that if I turn the HU up to about 60% volume or less, the amp won't overheat... but the way the gain is set now, the mids highs volume level is relatively quiet as is the subs....

hobbes

what about the volume issue... is what they said true? should be able to turn up the HU volume all the way? The way they have it set... listening volume is almost maxed... 58 out of 62.... If the HU isn't turned up that much, then the treble sounds flat and the bass doesn't kick...basically it's not loud...
most people, and I thought I read here that volume levels should almost never go above 60-75% on the HU...

mohawkboom

iTrader: (1)

it's not and cannot be the HU...

Do you have your speakers wired in paralell..or do you have them actually bridged to the amp???

hobbes

the speakers are wired in parallel on the 2 channel MTX 2150x
1 channel is running the left front and back in parallel
1 channel is running the rights in parallel

hobbes

my friend thinks it's the ohm load... 2 ohms by 2

but the d@mn sales person at the shop said to not get a 4 channel amp

azn2k1civic

what are the specs of your subs and woofers?


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nm, i'll look them up, i didn't see ur first post

Regularjoe

Personally I would never get a 2 channel amp and run front & back speakers. You lost all your fade conrtol front to back. Try running the fronts of the amp and the rears off the deck. At least then you can balance them front to back better.

Another thing, both those amps you listed should be fine at 2 ohms and are quality pieces of equipment.

Lets sum up the facts.

Sound is fine ..... so that almost 100% eliminates the HU.

Check all speakers for sound. Mids and tweats both. Thats a total of 8 speakers. Make sure each one plays. If not that could be a possible short.

Now for the AMPS. 2 different amps, same symptoms. So I would say there are 2 things. One thing we do know is it isn't the amps itself.
- Just like m-h-boom said, bad ground, amp overheats. Thats a cable problem. Swapping the amps would do nothing.
- Speaker is cooked and drawing more current from the amp, amp overheats and shuts down. If this is the case it should have been found already.

As for the ground, follow the black wire off the amp. It shouldn't be longer than like 5 ft or so at the most. Take it off and sand the hell out of the metal of the car where it attatches.

Might cost you $50 but go to a different shop, explain it all to them and have them take a look.

hobbes

I'll let you guys know when I figure it out. I have to put it hold for a week because I'm driving to california...[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/IMG]
thanks for the help
it sounds like it's the ground

JohnDoe

everything that shop did was so wrong.. totally dishonest.. what's the name of the shop and where is it? so i can make sure and avoid it at all costs. I say it's time to call the lawyer.. they F U C K E D you.

hobbes

A lawyer and court fees will cost more than what I would get out of it (plus I'm out of state... all I really have is a hassle, b/c the other amp is still good)... The orig amp is in good condition still, so I can sell it.
Anyone know of a good honest shop in the Lompoc/Santa Maria/SLU/Pismo area? I'd really like to find a shop that just isn't in it for making a sale.

Bad
The shops I've had problems with: Smokin Customs, Audio Worx- did a good job on the alarm though (both in Gainesville)

Good
The shops I've never had a problem with: Circuit City (maybe I'll try them again)[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]