Stereo problems please help

(cyclonesurfer) · (cyclonesurfer) **Join Date: Dec 2006** 06-18-2007, 4:29 PM

I am installing a 12" rockford sub with a mtx 280 amp. I hooked everything up and it worked great in my driveway and everything was fine. I took the boat to the lake and when I turned the key to start the boat everything just shut off. When I turned the key then nothing would happen. I unhooked the amp and put the boat back in the water and it started and worked fine. I have since tried hooking the amp back up and when I do the boat will not crank and the guages flutter and the ignition beeps repeatedly but nothing will happen. Now when I have the amp hooked up the power light on the amp will not come on but a voltmeter showed that 12 amps were getting to the amp. The boat still will not crank with the amp hooked up. Any help would be appreciated I am getting very frusterated.

(mikeski) · (mikeski) **Join Date: Aug 2003** 06-18-2007, 4:53 PM

Take it to somebody and get the wiring fixed before you burn something up.

It sounds to me like the amp is wired to your stock wiring harness and about to burn it up.

(cyclonesurfer) · (cyclonesurfer) **Join Date: Dec 2006** 06-18-2007, 5:05 PM

I have the 2 RCAs going from the deck to the amp. The remote wire going from the deck to the amp. And the power and ground are directly to the positive and negative on the battery. Is there something wrong with that?

(cyclonesurfer) · (cyclonesurfer) **Join Date: Dec 2006** 06-18-2007, 9:19 PM

I really need to get this figured out quickly and Im not a great wiring guy so if anyone has any ideas please feel free to suggest anything. Thank you

(wake1823) · (wake1823) **Join Date: Dec 2005** 06-19-2007, 6:10 AM

"I really need to get this figured out quickly and Im not a great wiring guy "

Mike's advice sounds pretty good to me. IF nto do a search on hwo to wire an amp. Is the power fused at the battery?

(cyclonesurfer) · (cyclonesurfer) **Join Date: Dec 2006** 06-19-2007, 7:59 AM

yes its fused at the battery. I wired everything according to diagrams I found online.

(denverd1)

you should ground your amp to the engine block. but, that wouldn't create the problems you're having. someone needs to look at it

(wake1823) · (wake1823) **Join Date: Dec 2005** 06-19-2007, 8:21 AM

Do not ground to the engine block...ground back to your battery. Something may have come loose on your drive to the lake. If you say you wired everythign acccordign to the diagram...then your amp is broken. My guiess is you wired something wrong. look back at the diagram. If wired correctly your amp should have nothign to do with yrou guages.

(mikeski) · (mikeski) **Join Date: Aug 2003** 06-19-2007, 3:44 PM

What size wiring did you use on the amp's power and ground?

Does everything start working when you unplug the RCA's? If yes, your amp is trying to pull it's ground through the deck which will burn up your stock dash harness.

(cyclonesurfer) · (cyclonesurfer) **Join Date: Dec 2006** 06-19-2007, 4:44 PM

The power wire is 4 gage and the ground wire is 6 gage. I hooked up with amp to a battery separate from the boat while still being hooked up to the remote wire from the deck and it will not turn on. Im guessing the amp is toast. I have no problem getting a new amp I just dont want this to happen to a new amp if I buy one. The amp I was using was probably about 9 years old but obviously did work when I first had it hooked up in the driveway. I just dont see how it could be wired wrong when it isnt a very complicated wiring scheme.

(cyclonesurfer) · (cyclonesurfer) **Join Date: Dec 2006** 06-19-2007, 9:22 PM

Ok scratch that last post. I hooked up the amp to my friends system in his car and it worked fine so Im going to try to go back through it again tomorrow.