any car stereo experts?

[comancheman]

so today i was driving along turned on my tunes and as soon as i go above 15 out of 35 for the volume it cuts out. my sub still kind of "thumps" and the speakers play the lows but no highs basically all I'm getting is base above 15. it an alpine HU.

I'm clueless

any help?

o yeah its an alpine hu going to a pioneer 4 channel amp and a pioneer mono to my sub.

[lostissues]

it sounds like an problem with the radio, if you have any way to swap a radio even for just a few seconds just to check if it remedies the situation that would be the easiest route.

[88mjmanche]

yup i have seen this problem befor try to take out the HU for like a minute then put it back in my sisters jetta did this its weird :nuts:

[jteckmann]

Some HU's have a reset button. If it's a detachable faceplate, remove it and look for a small hole usually big enough for a paperclip or small pin, to hold down the reset button. Also pull the radio out and check if there's a fuse on the back that's blown or loose.

 

But more likely it's a problem with the amps, speakers, or shorted/pinched wires.

 

Sounds like you run the speakers from the 4ch, and the sub from a separate amp? Check any fuses on the amps or see if it's getting really hot. Could be overheating and that's what's cutting out the mids & high's. Or you could have faulty ground connections that have vibrated loose. Make sure the grounds are tight & secured. Check the power supply all the way from the battery to the amp, and make sure there isn't a loose or damaged connection. Does the sub run off of RCA wires coming from the HU? Sounds like it's still getting a signal after everything else has cut out, which usually means the HU is still okay.

 

You need to get a multimeter - it will help you track down where the problem is between the HU, amps, and speakers and keep you from throwing money at it or a bunch of trial and error.

 

If you get a multimeter, check each of your speaker wires between the HU and the amp, and then between the amp & speakers. Put the meter on the "continuity" function. Touch the black probe to a ground point, and then the red probe to each wire. There should be no continuity. If you get a reading, that means the wires are pinched/damaged and are the likely cause. If the wires are fine, then use set the multimeter to the "resistance" function and check each speakers - they should not be less than 3ohms - if one is, then it is probably blown and shorting out the system.

 

If the Amp & speakers all check out fine, then move on to the HU. Pull the harness from the back, and use the multimeter to check that all connections are getting power. And with the HU on, make sure that the "remote on" wire to the amps is still working.

 

Somewhere in all of that, you should be able to track down your problem. HU's can definitely burn out & stop working. But in my experience, that's usually the least likely cause. What's far more common are damaged wires or speaker coils, and when they overload it causes the whole system to cut out.

[comancheman]

door open works fine

door closed cuts out

hmmmm I'm on to something

[lostissues]

you said the speakers themselves still play lows but the highs cut out? if they cut out completely then I would say you are definitely on the right track with checking the door boot.

[comancheman]

ok you never woulda guessed. i pulled of the trim removed the speaker from the door no pinches plenty of slack in the cable so I'm like :huh???: i don't get it. then i started thinking about when i installed my head unit. the wire the PO used for constant power was the same color as the interior light wires. . . so everytime i close my door the light switch in the door jam is grounded cutting constant power with the door closed (atleast this is what i figured without totally understanding the internals of a HU)

Temp solution: i cut the little knob off the light switch with a dremel. my lights didnt work anyway.

permanent solution: find a better constant power source.

[FxRacing282]

fuse block power acc.