I'm getting really fed up with my amp/sub installation attempt on my 2008 Mustang GT with Shaker 500. I'm not pushing any big power, and I realize that using the stock head unit is not optimal for sound quality, etc, but this stuff is all stuff that's been sitting in my closet for a while (came out of another vehicle), and I wanted to add a bit of bump in the trunk.

Here's what I have (and please spare me the "you're putting in crap". I know what it is):
Amp: Bazooka ELA500.1 Mono output 2-ohm stable
Sub: Sony XPlod 4Ohm 200W RMS 800W Peak
Line out converter: AudioLink PowerLink II
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-cm8MAxg...g=721&I=101PL2

I have pulled out the head unit and tapped into the remote wire, and multimeter gives me about 5V when radio is on. I have run this remote wire to a 12VDC 20Amp lighted rocker switch installed on the center console for additional control over whether or not the amp is on.

I have tapped into the rear speaker wires right before they plug into the speakers and connected the outputs to the LOC. The RCA outputs of the LOC are plugged into the RCA inputs of the amp.

I have two problems I cannot get past...

The first is that the 12V rocker switch, which was working for about a week, has now suddenly stopped working. I even got a replacement switch and even that one does not work. The voltmeter says the remote wire coming into the switch is fine, but when I flip the switch, I get no voltages on EITHER the source or destination terminals. I can get the amp to work by bypassing the switch. My only thoughts at this point are that I need to use a 5V switch instead of a 12V switch, or that the lighted part of the switch is drawing too much and killing the switch. For the first week, the light would come on, but I wasn't using it a lot because the rest of the system wasn't working.

The second is that the line out converter doesn't seem to be giving me nearly enough singal strength. I've run this amp/sub config with low level inputs straight from a headunit before and the amp can really push the sub at 60% gain. With this setup, if I turn the gain on the LOC to max, the gain on the amp to max, and the volume on the head unit to a sizeable amount, the sub will just BARELY vibrate. As a test, I was able to borrow a low-level signal from my buddy's car and the amp/sub perks right up, as it should. I guess I'm very curious to hear about anyone that's actually used a LOC before; which one did you use? Does it sound like I am doing things correctly? Do you think I just got a bad LOC?

Sorry for the ridiculously long post, but I wanted to provide as many details as possible. I am so frustrated ATM. I have done these kinds of installs before and know it shouldn't be this difficult, but I am running out of patience. Any help would be fantastic.

TIA,
Hyproman

 

Well...I managed to figure it out in the end. Here's what I had to do; anyone using the factory head unit remote wire and a line out converter take note! It may save you a load of trouble, depending on on equipment you are using.

1. It turns out that the power signal problem was not just in the rocker switch. The problem was that both the rocker switch and amp was looking for a 12VDC source, and the remote wire from the stock HU is putting out a 5VDC source. The amp would "turn on" but would not output any signal. What I ended up doing was installing an additional relay that was able to be switched by the 5V remote wire signal, but uses 12VDC from the power point in the center console as it's source. Basically I converted the 5VDC switched signal into a 12VDC switched signal. I then fed the output of the relay to my rocker switch, and the output of the switch to the amp remote terminal. Works like a charm now.

2. Less than a day after getting everything working, the sub stopped producing sound, even though the amp was on. It turns out that the line out converter I am using has a metal casing, which was grounding out the RCAs if they were positioned just right. Once I removed the metal panel facing the RCAs, everything started working again. Stupid design, really, making the case metal. It was one of the first things I looked for, since when I went into to Circuit City to A) talk to the install guys about my problem, and B) buy another LOC, the guy mentioned how some of the LOCs were shorting because of the metal case. Apparently it took them forever to figure it out.

Anyway, it all seems to be working fine now. It thumps decently enough for my needs now, and I'm happy to have the install behind me.

 

Why didnt you just tap on to the switched power soucre on the radio instead of going throught all the trouble of having to install a relay?

But anyways glad you got it working.

 

Well, I did... plug J2, #2 wire on the back of the HU (I think that's the one...I followed a wiring diagram that someone had posted on this site). As near as I can tell, the amp wasn't liking the fact that it was a 5V signal instead of 12V. Yeah, I wanted an extra rocker switch between HU and amp as a personal preference, but even if I bypassed the switch and ran the signal wire direct from HU to amp, it still wouldn't fully energize the amp. I can't explain it, other than either my amp is not like most (ie: only accepts 12V signal wire voltage, not 5V), or possibly I tapped into the wrong remote wire in the HU? I definitely get 5V when HU is on, and nothing when I turn the radio off. Beats me...

 

Great job troubleshooting the issues! Sorry that you had to take such an esoteric solution to a supposedly simple install!

And by the way, your external audio gear is just fine! Unless you buy audio equipment at your local pharmacy, you really can't go wrong!

 

just a standard 12v relay will work.

 

WTH?? This thread is nearly 2 1/2 years old!?