Car Audio experts, step inside....

[68keyblr]

I have an Eclipse 4 channel amp with 2 6 x 9's on the package shelf and 6-1/4" round speakers in the kick panels.


I was driving down the road and I smell that unpleasent aroma of an electrical part burning up and suddenly my stereo freaks out and starts popping very loud and fast. So shut everything down, disconnect the power to the amp and finish driving home.

The next day, I hook power back up and turn the stereo on and everything works great. BUT - when I start the car, I now have a hum to the RPM of the engine through the stereo.

Is the amp blown, or is there a filter somewhere that could be blown? Where would the filter be located? I didn't install this audio system Plus, I don't know much about audio in general

 

[iskwezm]

The popping noise sounds like a short but it sounds like one of the transformers/powersupplies in the amp took a dump in the amp

try bypassing the amp and see if the stereo does it by itself.

 

[calpolymustang]

i have a similar eclipse amp. you might check to make sure there arent any loose wires.

after you try iskwezm's idea, this this: try plugging in an ipod or discman with headphone jack into the preamp in. this requires a cord with head phone jack for the ipod on ine side, and red/white rca jacks on the other side for the amp input. you should be able to play your ipod through the amp. this allows you to see if the hum is from problems in the amp vs problems in the head unit

http://edifier.ca/eshop/images/L221MM-2.jpg

 

[Psydwaze]

try bypassing the amp and see if the stereo does it by itself.

Before doing that, unplug the signal cables from the deck to the amp. If the noise goes away its more than likely the deck and not the amp.

 

[68keyblr]

Thanks for the advice, I'm going to try all of these suggestions tonight to see if I can narrow it down

 

[geostang351]

Update?

 

[68keyblr]

Sorry I got sidetracked working on my '88....I'll try it tonight and report back!

 

[iskwezm]

Just so you guys know, the headunit rarely gives off any type of interference type noise(unless something went bad internally).Usually the RCA cables getting interference are the main source of "a buzz" that gets amplified by the amp or a ground is bad.

 

[RUSTYNUT]

I would first look for what caused the burning smell. The rest won't matter if your car catches on fire. You should have blown a fuse before the smell got that strong. Sounds like an unprotected wire shorting out. I think the last time I used a noise filter it was installed in the power supply for the head unit. They are installed to take out alternater and ignition noise. If the stereo was installed by a place offering free install with purchase, I would look over the wires very carefully.

 

[68keyblr]

Bad Head Unit

I finally got around to driving the amp from my ipod and it was crystal clear with the engine running! Looks like the head unit must have blown something, which would explain that ozone smell.

My dad was a EE for Motorola for 30 years and he thinks that a capacitor took a dump. He said that nowadays manufacturers make electronic components barely above the expected power threshold, instead of double or triple above like they used to.

Anyhow, I'm going to try to make a warrantee claim on my pioneer head unit.

Thanks for all of the advice - you guys rock! :SNSign:

 

[calpolymustang]

He said that nowadays manufacturers make electronic components barely above the expected power threshold, instead of double or triple above like they used to.

but I wouldn't say that the amps of today are built worse than the ones made way-back-when. Today, stereos use better power transistors, DSP (digital signal processing), and control systems in various parts of the device. Some of today's stereos can do more than what personal computers did ten years ago.

Hopefully the problem occured from a bad head unit and not from a bad connection in the wiring. If it failed inside the unit, its more likely it was from a manufacturing defect than from being under-engineered.

 

[68keyblr]

but I wouldn't say that the amps of today are built worse than the ones made way-back-when. Today, stereos use better power transistors, DSP (digital signal processing), and control systems in various parts of the device. Some of today's stereos can do more than what personal computers did ten years ago.

Hopefully the problem occured from a bad head unit and not from a bad connection in the wiring. If it failed inside the unit, its more likely it was from a manufacturing defect than from being under-engineered.

I got a good two years of use out of it so I'm guessing the failure is internal to the head unit. I'd think a wiring problem would have manifested sooner.

 

[Z06killinSBF]

my pioneer head unit.

There is your first problem. I think Pioneer and Sony both are very poorly made. JMHO

 

[68keyblr]

It's out of warranty so I need to get a new one. Any suggestions? I think it would be cool to get a 7" LCD flip out LCD screen DVD head unit

 

[iskwezm]

There is your first problem. I think Pioneer and Sony both are very poorly made. JMHO

We deal with a lot of Pioneer and have very good luck with them,Sony on the other hand, i wouldnt touch, along with Alpine

 

[calpolymustang]

I ditched my head unit and just run the amp straight off my iPod. The audio isnt as good, since the analog output on the iPod is designed for head phones, but it still sounds good.

If you buy a deck with and iPod interface, then you will benefit from a digital signal and better audio quality.

 

[iskwezm]

I ditched my head unit and just run the amp straight off my iPod. The audio isnt as good, since the analog output on the iPod is designed for head phones, but it still sounds good.

If you run buy a deck with and iPod interface, then you will benefit from a digital signal and better audio quality.

Why dont you buy a iPod cable with RCA ends(yes we make them).It will also charge your iPod too.

its the iC-RCA
http://www.pac-audio.com/products/productsCatagory.asp?mmSearch=iPod Integration

 

[calpolymustang]

Looks like only some of those wiring kits will transfer a digital signal to the deck. I believe some of the others are just sending analog signals to a CD-changer or AUX input

But if youre like me and have loud mufflers, you wont notice the difference when the cars racing a Camaro.

 

[68keyblr]

Why dont you buy a iPod cable with RCA ends(yes we make them).It will also charge your iPod too.

its the iC-RCA
http://www.pac-audio.com/products/productsCatagory.asp?mmSearch=iPod Integration

This is exactly how I had the old deck set up. The sound was really good. For now, I've used the RCA cables to drive the amp directly so I can still listen to music until I get this sorted out. We're leaving at 6:00 am tomorrow for a car show a few hundred miles away

 

[68keyblr]

Looks like only some of those wiring kits will transfer a digital signal to the deck. I believe some of the others are just sending analog signals to a CD-changer or AUX input

But if youre like me and have loud mufflers, you wont notice the difference when the cars racing a Camaro.

very true...Flowmaster 40's can be LOUD! My ipod died a while back so I use my XV-6700 Pocket PC for my MP3 player now - I don't think anyone makes a digital interface in a head unit for a PocketPC device yet. So I guess I'm stuck with analog RCA input