Problems with active subwoofer install

[suj786]

Hi All,

please help.

I have just installed a new Vibe CBR12 active subwoofer in my car. the wiring is all complete HOWEVER I'm having major problems with the sub not working. The fuse on the amplifier keeps blowing for some reason and I mean literally nearly exploding every time I try and put it in. I've given up because I don't want to damage the amp.

I've checked and double checked the following;

power cable is properly bolted to the battery and inline fuse is fully connected

ground wire is bolted onto the boot floor and paint has been removed with sandpaper and wire brush to ensure good contact.

yes, the power and ground cables are properly connected to the right places on the amp

I have tried removing RCA and remote cables, still no luck. I've blown 3 fuses already. the last one also melted a bit.

The only thing I can think of is the inline fuse that came with the vibe wiring kit. it had a directional arrow on it, is that supposed to go in a particular direction ??? i.e from battery to amp, or amp to battery.

the inline fuse is less than 12" from the battery connection.

I tried checking the voltage between battery and ground using a multimeter but I think it fried the multimeter.

I don't know what else to check for, any suggestions

[Das]

So its blowing the fuse without it actually running, I mean when your not playing music?

[suj786]

So its blowing the fuse without it actually running, I mean when your not playing music?

yup,

ignition off, HU off, put the fuse in and bang/sparks/flash

[Das]

Sounds like there is a short inside the amp then bud. Is it a new amp? The directional fuse should go with the flow of power ie arrow towards the amp.

[hoochydady]

yip sounds as if u have shorted the amp disconect the amp from the car then use a long bit of sheilded wire for the live and 1 for the earth make sure the live has a inline fuse and wire it strait to the batt mind join the remote wire to the live wire that u connect to the batt before the fuse if it pops the fuse agian its shorted if not u have done sumthing wrong when u have wired it in to the car

[suj786]

yip sounds as if u have shorted the amp disconect the amp from the car then use a long bit of sheilded wire for the live and 1 for the earth make sure the live has a inline fuse and wire it strait to the batt mind join the remote wire to the live wire that u connect to the batt before the fuse if it pops the fuse agian its shorted if not u have done sumthing wrong when u have wired it in to the car

I've tried putting this into my brothers car, who's been running a similar set-up for a while. as soon as the battery is connect the fuse blows again.

one thing though, there is a light inside the enclosure which lights up the port holes, this is coming on fine without the fuse in.

So I'm guessing the amps gone. that's a bummer, because it was brand new. I bought it on ebay and the seller doesn't have original receipts and wont take it back saying I prob fried it myself.

is there any way I can diagnose the amp myself, I've been told they're not hard to repair

[paul.sessions]

i have the same setup, and yeah sounds like your amp is gone dead easy to remove from the sub box and there is not much to it. i had the repair the rca connectors recently and the state of the soldering on the board inside the amp, is shocking.. one of the wirers at work even commented saying he's surprised it even works eh cheap labour lol.. but it looks straight forward. sounds like the guy you bought it off had the same prob but didnt want to admit it..

[paul.sessions]

just re-read it doh i cant read lol... i have juice active sub but it should be the same principle..

[suj786]

Took the amp off the enclosure to have a closer look from inside. The amp looks fine to me. Couldn't see anything obviously wrong. Although the part where the fuse goes looked a bit White and powdery. Anybody know of any places I can have it bench tested ? Preferably around central Scotland

[hoochydady]

if u look inside the amp somtimes there is a little black diode looks like a resistor its in the power side solder track it may just be that thats blown used to get that a lot with cb radios that + and - where conected the wrong way round it looks like a resistor and usualy has a wee small silver band on it we used to just snip the old 1 and solder a new 1 across