Weird Stereo Problem (aftermarket amp for sub)

[Nuddy989]

Hey All

I purchased my VE about 2 months ago and found while the stock unit is okay... it lacks bass and even with the premium (2 6") "subs" it really lacks bass.. Since I had my alpine type R sitting around and my amp just wasting space in my shed I figured i'd fit it. I cut the wires joining the 2 rear subs in the parcel shelf (left enough to rejoin them should I ever want to sell the car) hooked up a LOC to the cables and ran the RCA's into my amp. I earthed the amp to the battery and ran a switch for the remote turn on which I have a question about but will get to that later.. When the sub is on, the stereo is bareable so I think ill just end up going with a 2 type R setup in the boot with matching amp and change out the speakers but first I need to sort out the problem I'm having.

Basically the problem I have is.. I flick the switch for my AMP to turn on.. it powers on (can see the lights) but no sound... I find I have to open my boot and then reclose the boot in order to get any sound out of my sub... wtf is this? why is it doing this. If i turn the car off and on again I have to again open the boot and close it in order to get any sound out of the sub... I thought it might have something to do with my amp so I got a headphone to rca jack and plugged it into my phone.. it works fine. has anyone else experienced this problem at all?

The other question is I see hundreds of threads on this forum about people installing aftermarket speakers amps and subs to the factory head unit. everyone fails to explain one simple thing though. the remote turn on lead for the amps. HOW THE HECK DO YOU GET YOUR AMPS TO TURN ON, OFF THE FACTORY HEAD UNIT????????? sorry for the caps lol but ive searched and searched and searched but no answer..

Thanks for your time

[Nuddy989]

any ideas guys??? I'm really stuck with this

[dmacey]

In regards to opening and closing your boot lid to get sound, that's a complete mystery to me.

I have all my amps running off the accessories switch on my ignition.

[UFO]

...I earthed the amp to the battery and ran a switch for the remote turn on...

you mean you earthed the amp and ALSO made a connection to the battery right? (as in separate connections?)
because if you've done what you've said you've done, that's incorrect.

where did u earth the amp? you sure it's a good earth? did you sand back to bare metal?

[Nuddy989]

I hooked the amp up to the negative on the battery.... for the earth.. is that incorrect ?

There is no problem with the amp turning off and on, it just doesn't play any sound unless I open and close the boot after turning the amp on.. it's the weirdest thing ever lol

I think I'm just going to go to autobarn and have them install alpine type R's all round with an amp and an amp for my Type r sub

[StoneX]

Yes, you can hook up the amp ground and power directly to the battery in the boot in a VE. No point grounding to the chassis if the battery is so close.

How'd you wire up the LOC? It requires power, yeah? Where'd you get power from? Where'd you earth to? Haven't connected to anything to do with the boot light, have you?

[UFO]

i agree with what stonex said. nothing wrong with going direct to battery for earth, but i still think its hell of a lot easier and neater to get earth near the amp itself (depending on where you put it). it also eliminates any issues with how/where you've connected ground on the battery. a LOT neater/simpler to just go direct to body properly. that way, your only question mark is the power side of things.

but we need more detail on how you've connected things up. the way you've written your question leaves too many loop holes.

got a multimeter by any chance?

[Nuddy989]

hey thanks for the replies...

i hooked up a cheap shitty converter i bought form jaycar to the rear 6" bass speakers in the boot (not really sure what they are but just know they play only bass) as in i cut the cables and soldered them to the factory cables for those speakers.

the needing to open the boot to get the sound to kick in was fixed because I found one of the cables inside of the converter i bought from jaycar had a dry solder and had come out so the earth for it was bad.. still not to sure how opening and closing the boot effected this but after fixing that cable i now have a working sub haha.

the next question is where to get an accessory switch for the amps remote turn on without destroying the interior of the car? is there one in the boot?

[bigdaddycool]

Yeh definately all wrong. You like never hook an amp earth to a battery earth.

The remote amp on is simple, link it to your lighter socket which is 12volt. I run twin amps (one for door speakers, one for subs in boot). I've more had more issues with static and electrical sound through my loc's which I am still sorting out myself.

But I've actually bought a delay device off ebay to rig my lighter socket to as well so that it delays the amps coming on for a second or two (to help improve the electrical system) as I found sometimes I think it's messing with the TCU(shifting gears etc) every now and again when you start it.

It is annoying the headunit doesn't have a 12v on and off wire. I have a VZ before where you could change the headunit which was very helpful. But yeh VE's = lighter socket.

[Nuddy989]

my car doesn't have a lighter socket?

my understanding is the earth from the chasis just runs back to the battery anyway? I could be wrong lol. I should think there would be an actual accessory switch in the boot since that is where the battery is located lol