C3 JBL Amp Car Stereo Help
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 7,032
Likes: 2
From: Newburgh NY
C3 JBL Amp Car Stereo Help
An issue popped up today in running some tests on my new toy. The 3 blue lights on the sub-amp (smaller of two in pic) just blink and no sound from the subs. They were working.
Either the amp took a hit or I did something installing the carpet. I've checked the wires from head unit to speakers though and can't find anything wrong. Obviously the ground and power are good and I dboule checked them.
Any suggestions? Thanks...
Either the amp took a hit or I did something installing the carpet. I've checked the wires from head unit to speakers though and can't find anything wrong. Obviously the ground and power are good and I dboule checked them.
Any suggestions? Thanks...
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
I believe the three blinking lights would mean it's in protect mode. An amp can do this for a lot of reasons and a short is probably the biggest. Pull the amp's fuse and actually replace it with another fuse. If that doesn't change the result run a test 12V wire from the battery to the remote wire terminal and see if it powers up. If not then check the phase of the subs attached to it. Make sure both are POS to POS and NEG to NEG.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
you need to clear whatever short the amp thinks it sees, disconnect everything on the amp and check it out 1 circuit at a time, use a test light for power and ground, check with ignition switch for on and off. Use ohm meter to verify the speakers. You might have an open on one speaker line so verify it thru the wire coming from the amp and check the speaker wire to ground, it shouls be open
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 7,032
Likes: 2
From: Newburgh NY
Had already run a test light from battery pos to amp neg and vs-a-versa. No problems.
Disconnected speaker wires and attached a double "A" battery to the end. Each speaker is working correctly.
Pos to Pos and Neg to Neg are correct
Set all levels to lowest setting and set mode to Flat
Will opo fuse and disconnect everything and start over.
Keep em coming... Thanks...
Disconnected speaker wires and attached a double "A" battery to the end. Each speaker is working correctly.
Pos to Pos and Neg to Neg are correct
Set all levels to lowest setting and set mode to Flat
Will opo fuse and disconnect everything and start over.
Keep em coming... Thanks...
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
It's very likely, as I have done this myself, that when hooking up the amp the smallest of shorts is made when connecting the power and ground wires to their terminals. Even the smallest single strand of wire can cause a short and may have fried something.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,938
Likes: 2
From: Arkansas
What are the impedance of the subs and how were the wired to the amp? Are they within the manufacturer minimum ratings? ie; 4 ohms bridged?
Unhook the subs and see if the light on the amp goes from "protection mode" to the how it's supposed to be under normal operation..
Unhook the RCA cable and see if anything changes....
Swap the Rca from the other amp to this one, unhook the subs and use an old junk speaker to see if you can get sound to come out of it....
Unhook everything from the sub amp, run only the power, ground, and remote from the other amp (that's working) to this amp.....if the protection light still flashes with the speakers and RCA's unhooked then your amp is most likely a big paperweight at this point.
Unhook the subs and see if the light on the amp goes from "protection mode" to the how it's supposed to be under normal operation..
Unhook the RCA cable and see if anything changes....
Swap the Rca from the other amp to this one, unhook the subs and use an old junk speaker to see if you can get sound to come out of it....
Unhook everything from the sub amp, run only the power, ground, and remote from the other amp (that's working) to this amp.....if the protection light still flashes with the speakers and RCA's unhooked then your amp is most likely a big paperweight at this point.
