MRMDFY

My stereo is as follows:

Headunit: Eclipse CD8445
Mid/High Amp: HiFonics ?????? 75X4 @ 4 ohm (gains at minimum)
Component Set: Focal K61 6.5"
Sub Amp: Alpine MRD-M1000 1000X1 @ 2ohm (gain matched to Eclipse 8volt)
Sub: Image Dynamics IDMAX10 (dual 4ohm voicecoil wired in parallel for 2 ohm load)

Each amp is powered via its own fused/circuit-breaker(ed) 4 guage wire from an Exide Orbital Deep Cycle battery. Matching 4 guage grounds are less than 10" from the amps. RCAs are higher-end Monster Cable.

The problem is my sub amp goes into protection mode (displays "E3", which correlates to "excessive current") when the volume is turned up. Sometimes this is instant, sometimes it takes a few minutes. Sometimes it happens after a while even at lower volumes. I've tried several things to troubleshoot this problem. I replaced the Alpine sub amp with a spare Eclipse 75X2 amp I have lying around. Its not as sophisticated as the Alpine, and rather than a protection mode, it just blows fuses instead. I ran a new power wire with a new 100amp Rockford Fosgate circuit breaker at the battery. I shortened the ground wire from 15 inches down to under 10 inches. No change. I checked the 12-guage speaker wire from the amp to the sub. All good there. Wired in phase and no physical damage or anything. I replaced the MTX 8510 sub I previously had installed with the Image Dynamics IDMAX10. No change. I swapped RCAs and even tried swapping RCA-outs at the headunit just to make sure the problem wasn't at the head unit. No change.

I've pretty much tried removing each suspect component from the equation to eliminate it as the culprit without success. Any suggestions?

MRMDFY

I should have titled this thread with something more exciting I guess.

Nazar

iTrader: (18)

Grab a better ground.

MRMDFY

I also tried relocating the ground. First it was behind the center console under the plastic trim. I scraped the paint/primer down to bare metal and mounted it to one of the 10mm bolts. When I shortened the grounds, I moved them to one of the 10mm bolts in front of my amp rack under the false panel where a factory bose sub-plate would mount.

NisAznMonk

iTrader: (1)

If you can get your hands on another amp then try that. Sounds like you may either have a bad ground or a faulty amp.

MRMDFY

As stated, tried a different amp. No effect. Also as stated, I've tried two seemingly solid ground points with appropriate guage wiring and short wire runs. I'd be open to suggestions of a specific alternative ground location if there is reason to believe the two I've used thus far are in any way insufficient. It'd be swell if it was that simple.

Nazar

iTrader: (18)

One morething you may want to try is to get the RF circuit breaker out of the loop and maybe try a 150 AMP Fuse in place. I have seen circuit brekaers go bad sometimes.

When you mensioned you kept blowing fuses in th efirst set up did you mean fuses on th eamp or next to the battery?

Also it doesn't heart tomeasure the impedence (Ohms) at the sub woofer box terminal cup.. Make sure it is all wired right and measuring 2 ohms...

MRMDFY

Also good suggestions. The circuit breaker was purchased and installed to replace an inline 100amp fuse previously installed when I ran the new power wire just to eliminate the power delivery as the culprit.

The fuses blowing were on the Eclipse amp I installed temporarily to replace the Alpine to remove that amp from suspicion. So again, the Alpine doesn't have onboard fuses, but rather a protection shutdown mode (internal circuit breaker?). When I tried another completely different amp (the Eclipse) it blew its onboard fuse at the same point the Alpine would have gone into protection mode.

Last, the subwoofer is installed into a custom fiberglass corner box similar to the one you build except it replaces the foam block and extends down into the spare tire well. There is no terminal cup, but rather one continuous speaker wire run from the amplifier to the first voicecoil. From there another short length runs the first voicecoil in parallel to the second. The hole where the speaker wire passes through the fiberglass into the enclosure is sealed with epoxy. I checked the impedence when I confirmed the first time that the subwoofer was wired correctly. Then I checked it again when I replaced the sub with an Image Dynamics sub to take the previous subwoofer out of the lineup.

Good suggestions, but it seems like none of them are the solution.

JonBaker99

iTrader: (1)

Could be an issue with the preouts on your h/u. If it were putting out a signal that was distorted it could cause yours amps to clip and put them into protect. Try hooking your sub amp up to your front channel outputs and letting the crossover on the amp do the work. See if that pops your fuses.

JonBaker99

iTrader: (1)

Ahhh wait never mind, just saw that you tried that already. I still suspect this is a signal issue possibly having to do with your 8 volt preouts. Try one more thing. Bring a home audio reciever out to the garage and hook that up using RCAs to your amp. Home audio reciever will have much lower preout voltage.

MRMDFY

Keep in mind this system runs two amps off that same Eclipse headunit. The amp running the front channels has had no problems at all. Its a lower quality amp than the Alpine for sure and if there was a problem caused by excessive preamp voltage, I would expect the problem to occur with this amp long before the Alpine. The alpine amp even states specifically in its manual that it will accept an 8-volt preamp. The sub amp, whether its the Alpine or the Eclipse I temporarily installed in its place, is having some mystery issue. I suppose I could try further removing the Eclipse headunit from the chain; certainly shouldn't hurt.

MRMDFY

The 8-volt preouts from my Eclipse 8445, despite what Alpine claims about being able to accept them, are too much for my Alpine amps. I've confirmed this with another brand new Eclipse 8445 as well as with another Alpine amp (MRV-F450). Any clever solutions that don't involve replacing either the amps or head units?

momo 350z

iTrader: (11)

just a thought,hook up a digi voltmeter to your amp terminals,power ground and speaker imped.have a buddy turn the volume up on your deck and measure the output signals on your amp and see what your meter is reading.this could be a good way of narrowing down your problem

03zsmith25

iTrader: (5)

I used to blow fuses all the time, and I discovered it was just that my power wire to my amp had been rubbed such that the wiring was actually exposed and was grounding out. Make sure you havent torn your insulation off your wire at some point.

james840a

iTrader: (7)

The fuses blowing were on the Eclipse amp I installed temporarily to replace the Alpine to remove that amp from suspicion. So again, the Alpine doesn't have onboard fuses, but rather a protection shutdown mode (internal circuit breaker?).Umm Alpines MRD-M1005 Alpines DO have fuses onboard, the M1005 has four 20amp fuses and the M605 has 2 30amp fuses please check you manual again page 6

MRMDFY

The wires are all in great shape.

The sub amp is a MRD-M1000, not a MRD-M1005. Totally different amp.

james840a

iTrader: (7)

sorry my bad, i read thru these post to fast sometime. Yeah your right that one doesnt have fuses.

rolling

iTrader: (2)

umm dont touch the pos to the Neg..?