Help Please...

[fotodan]

Been reading this forum since before Christmas, GREAT FORUM and GREAT Members. 1st post and heres my problem. Has system in my car for couple years with no problems. Did a Pro Street on car and then sold car. Decided to put system into my F-150, got everthing installed and wired. Tried it out for couple of days, sounded great. Did notice when setting gains on amps, when I touched the gain dial, would get very LOUD static noise from either subs or components (happens on both amps). Today was driving to work and everyonce in a while would get LOUD static noise or a pop from speakers. It got so bad I ended up pulling fuses from both amps. Any help would be appreciated....... Thanks....

[vawakemonster]

what kind of amps?

[MacLeod]

Sounds like a bad ground issue.

Id run a new ground and make sure its a solid connection. Sand off the paint where the ground will mount.

[fotodan]

Sounds like a bad ground issue.

Id run a new ground and make sure its a solid connection. Sand off the paint where the ground will mount.

Had grounds wired thru distrubution box going directly to ground off battery. Will rerun grounds going off body instead to see if it will take care of problem. I know its some kind of wiring problem to effect both amps with the same problem..... Thanks, and will let you know results....

[fotodan]

Okay, rewired grounds to both amps with good contacts. I still have the crackle and loud static when turning or touching the gain controls on each amp. Also, now at low volumes the mid in the pass door sounds like blown speaker, but when volume is turned up, it clears up and sounds clear and crisp. This is driving me crazy. Any ideas out there????

[Greg Peters]

Okay, rewired grounds to both amps with good contacts. I still have the crackle and loud static when turning or touching the gain controls on each amp. Also, now at low volumes the mid in the pass door sounds like blown speaker, but when volume is turned up, it clears up and sounds clear and crisp. This is driving me crazy. Any ideas out there????

Curious- what kind of amp?

I would think there is an internal problem in the amplifier if you get noise when touching it's external controls.

I've had sound drop out of a speaker before that would magically return with sufficient volume on the head unit. In that particular case, it was poor connection at the speaker terminal. When the volume was turned up I guess there was sufficient voltage to jump the gap in the connection possibly.

I would think the amp would be the first suspect, but it may be helpful to troubleshoot speaker connections as well- both at speakers and at amplifier connections. You could also try grounding everything in the signal chain to a common grounding point. If you have another amplifier it may be easier to try swapping out the amp with a different one.

[Jstas]

The gain controls are potentiometers and they are probably loaded with crud. Best thing to do short of replacing them is go to Radio Shack and get yourself some anti-static "canned air" cleaner and grab an anti-static cleaning brush. Pull the covers off the amps and give them a good cleaning. Please, please, please make sure that you get stuff that is anti-static and use a ground strap on your wrist if you can. You can build up a large amount of current in a static charge that can and will fry a low-voltage, low-current singal processing circuit like gain controls.

You might also want to get an electrical connection deoxidizer and use it on any connections that might be corroded. Corroded or oxidized connections can also cause the crackling/popping you are speaking of.

If it still doesn't get better, you may have bad grounds on the amps themselves. However, older electronics will pick up dust and grime. Especially things with constant, low-voltage currents running through them, like potentiometers. Those low currents act like static electricity and will sttract anything and hold on to it for dear life. Because of the dirt constantly getting sucked in, it is not uncommon for there to be crackling noises as you move the dials. What happens is the dials turn a coil inside the pot (short for potentiometer) and as the coil passes a point with a good deal of crud on it, the voltage and current spike or drop and cause the crackling and popping. Cleaning will eliminate that. If cleaning doesn't then you might have a loose connection in the pot or a broken lead. Either way, it's repair work that any repair facility worth thier salt should be able to complete without issue.

[fotodan]

Okay, today swapped out the HU, thinking maybe that being both amps are having the problem it might be my HU causing the problem (older Sony 5470 model). Installed a loaner HU from freind who owns Radio Shack, installed Clarion DB365USB, and still had same problem. He also loaned me a Clarion APX4240 amp. Temp hook up and tried it out with my Sony HU. Seems to take care of the problem no popping at louder volumes and no noise when adjusting the gain controls. I guess I will need to figure out whether to have my amps looked at (Profile AL4000's) or maybe keep the Clarion. Just hope I didn't damage my component speakers (older Polk MM3300). Any advice on the Clarions???? Any feedback would help...

[MacLeod]

I didnt think it would be the amps since they were both doing it but since replacing the amps fixed the problem, I guess you have your answer.

I figure its either like John said and your gains are crudded up but again, both at the same time seems unlikely. So my guess is that while either installing or uninstalling the amps, you have shorted them out somehow and didnt know it and possibly fried the amps. The good thing about Profile amps is that they are good amps for really cheap prices. The bad thing about Profile amps is that they have really cheap prices which means theyre not going to be as sturdy as say a RF or MTX.

[Jstas]

I didnt think it would be the amps since they were both doing it but since replacing the amps fixed the problem, I guess you have your answer.

I figure its either like John said and your gains are crudded up but again, both at the same time seems unlikely. So my guess is that while either installing or uninstalling the amps, you have shorted them out somehow and didnt know it and possibly fried the amps. The good thing about Profile amps is that they are good amps for really cheap prices. The bad thing about Profile amps is that they have really cheap prices which means theyre not going to be as sturdy as say a RF or MTX.

Not really. If the amps are mounted near each other and say, behind a pickup seat, it is entirely possible that they could both have the same problem. All kinds of crap falls behind a seat from dust and bits of foam deterioating from the seat to hair, dandruff and even dust mites. If both amps had thier gain controls in a position to be able to collect such things, they could both be going bad at relativly the same time. I've had it happen to me.

As far as profile not being sturdy, that's baloney. My Profile amps are still working and they are over 10 years old now. I did an all Profile amp stereo in a Jeep a loooong while ago...at least 8 years now... and that's still working too. Just because they are low in price doesn't mean they are junk, not sturdy or don't sound good. The biggest problem with thier price point is that they are so cheap that fixing them can cost more than just buying a new one.

[PoweredByDodge]

If the amps are mounted near each other and say, behind a pickup seat, it is entirely possible that they could both have the same problem. -- If both amps had thier gain controls in a position to be able to collect such things, they could both be going bad at relativly the same time.

.... and chances are they're the same age as well. watch the magic math:

amount of **** in your equipment = years in vehicle * your inability to clean * propensity of your vehicle to get full of dust bunnies

.... anywho, i vote for John's reccomendation -- clean them out. PROPERLY. if the rails are bolted to the case, which they most assuredly are, then you'll have to re-apply thermal paste when you close it back up. your Rat-Shack buddy should be able to help you with that, it's nothing mind blowing. Pay somebody to clean them out? Not worth it, you could get new ones for less money if you stick with Profile. California amps still look pretty too (silver + red light stripe).

same 'snap crackle pop' is going on with the radio in the cadillac -- but its 30+ years old, so i am not going to be angry at it. just needs to be cleaned. i was so anxious to get it in and working that i neglected to notice the grossly aggravating SCRRRRAAAATCH when turning the volume knob up or down. once i stop turning it though, it shuts up.

[fotodan]

Actually, the system was in service in my 55 Bel Air Pro Street, for about 7 years with only use was at major car shows, and a few audio competitions. The car never seen rain or snow and always in garage. Sold the car and pulled system out from car. Had them wrapped in plastic in closet, then last week decided to install into my F150. I am trying out a Clarion APX4240 amp while I decide what to do. with the loaner amp, I do not have the problems as with the profiles. Only problem I notice now, is that at low volumes, my Polk mids rattle like they are blown, but you increase the volume and they clear up and sound fantastic!!!!! Could use some help on why mids would do what they are doing... would it be a setting problem on the amp, or mids going bad???? If so is there a replacement for them. I really hate to give up my polk mm component setup, I was at a Kicker comp back in 96 in Ne., and one of the big shots for Kicker pulled my over away from the kicker people to tell me that my mids and tweets were the BEST he had ever heard. But then told me if I repeated what he had said that he would deny his statement.. Oh Well................

[MacLeod]

Not really. If the amps are mounted near each other and say, behind a pickup seat, it is entirely possible that they could both have the same problem. All kinds of crap falls behind a seat from dust and bits of foam deterioating from the seat to hair, dandruff and even dust mites. If both amps had thier gain controls in a position to be able to collect such things, they could both be going bad at relativly the same time. I've had it happen to me.

Good point. As big a slob as I am, you would think I wouldve thought of that.

As far as profile not being sturdy, that's baloney. My Profile amps are still working and they are over 10 years old now. I did an all Profile amp stereo in a Jeep a loooong while ago...at least 8 years now... and that's still working too. Just because they are low in price doesn't mean they are junk, not sturdy or don't sound good. The biggest problem with thier price point is that they are so cheap that fixing them can cost more than just buying a new one.

Dont get me wrong bro, Im not knocking Profile amps at all. I recommend them on here all the time. And while Im sure theyll hold up for a while, I just dont see them having the "bulletproof" build quality of my Crossfires or MTX.

I wouldnt blame Profile either. Theyre a budget amp manufacturer and a damn good one. You cant put top notch components into an amp and then sell it for $110 and still make money. ;)

[MIwrestler]

I can back mac up on the recommending part. And i have 2 friends with profile amps and you wouldnt even know they were inexpensive unless they told you.

[Eiderlon]

Sounds like ignition bleed over - perhaps plug wire noise.