17 replies to this topic

[Steveee]

Hey,

I got into my car on Friday and as i turned the key i heard a 'psssft' noise, it came from my 4 channel amp, its a clarion XR2410, I suppose something fried.
A bunch of smoke came out the little air vent on the Amplifier. So ive pulled it out, Both the fuses are fine but it came from inside.

Its been working great for the last 6 months or so and Im quite sure i have warranty for it though i wont be surprised if they try pull shit on me saying its not covered.
Does it sound like a manfacturing fault to you guys? Cause if it is then Im pretty sure they are legally obliged to replace it whether its covered or not, correct?

This is the model, you can see the vent stretched along the bottom below the red RCA input. The smoke came out the same hole on the opposite side to in this pic. I can put up picks though this is really all it is.


Appreciate any advice on how to go about this.

Cheers,
Steve

[Alex]

Depends on how it was wired up, and to what it was wired up to.

You'll need to tell us the specs of everything:

Speakers used and ohm rating.
Settings on the amp.
Settings on the HU.
Gauges of wiring.
How the thing it was wired up,

etc.

May also help to do some research on car audio specific forums, using your model number as part of a search, to see if other people have had similar issues.

I somehow doubt you'll find the answers here, although there are a couple here who do dabble in car audio at an expert level.

Regardless, we need more info!

[FR34KO]

^ This.

I'd also try saying you got it professionally installed somewhere, that way they cant lay blame on inexperienced and incorrect setup. ?

[Steveee]

O jeez lol, im not much good with this, as far as i know it was working fine for a long time. As soon as i turned the key it just went.

Speakers are all Clarion. I can dig out the model numbers if need be, they where all part of the package.

So the HU is Clarion CZ501ER, looks like this. The only thing I change on it is occasionally changing the sub volume. usually i just leave it on 0.

This is the Amp as the settings were. Lines pointing to settings, phone quality :s


It has, the power coming off the battery using the purple cable, going through a spliter with fuses one power runs to the 4 channel and one to the mono in the rear(mono amp and sub still works fine)
RCAs purple and white as below out of the HU into the 4 channel then each speaker coming out of the amp.

Scuse the dodgy tape and cable ties. Keeping them labeled and off each other

These are the wires. Purple = power. Red = Ground. Blue = Remote. Grey = The four speakers


RCAs that were going into the amp.


H.TH the diagnosis :s

Thanks

^ This.

I'd also try saying you got it professionally installed somewhere, that way they cant lay blame on inexperienced and incorrect setup. ?

They will probs want receipt, my mates dad is an electronics pro so i could just say he did it for a case of beer sort of thing



Perhaps it was a dodgy ground connection??

[Adam]

If a pro installed they will prob try bet the pro to cover it. If that makes sense.

I'd try write more but im far too relaxed laying in a hammock to think

Also. You let the smoke out of the amp! It won't work anymore

[Steveee]

If a pro installed they will prob try bet the pro to cover it. If that makes sense.

I'd try write more but im far too relaxed laying in a hammock to think

Also. You let the smoke out of the amp! It won't work anymore

That made me laugh xD, I didn't bother trying it after just to watch it not work, i just turned her off and pulled it out within the minute =/

[Adam]

Pretty much with electrical, once smoke comes out. Something is dead. In my experience anyway!

[Steveee]

Yeah i kinda got an impression that something isnt right here. Worked that out myself i just dont understand that there hasnt been any problems with it, then boom. Which is why i think maybe ground came loose

[Adam]

Yeah pretty weird problem. I know nothing about electrical stuff just the smoke bit

/spamming in your thread

[bobbyjimmy]

Pull the back cover off and see if you can see a burn mark on a cap/resistor/something - it'll look like a white powder (not coke...) on the board.
You might have to take the board out as it might be on the underside too.

If you can see a burn mark, take it to your dad's mate and get him to fix it.
If you can't see anything, put it back together and take it to the place you brought it from - hope it wasn't eBay.

[Adam]

Wont opening it void the warranty?

[Steveee]

Yeh i wont open it yet cause i think it does make it void, got it from lifestyle store in parra :S

[ADZY7]

U will probably find that an internal capacitor has blown and fried if it has one. I've seen this happen b4 in a uninterupterball power supply at work. If not a capacitor it would be an internal electronic device has blown. Eg relay or something.

[Steveee]

k quick question:

I ran the speakers straight to HU and the mono amp now under left seat. I spose its an RCA going into the mono amp thats running the sub, its going down the right side next to FR and BR speaker wires. When i turn it up its fuzzy and drops out a little bit, this is because-

RCA next to speaker wires
or
because i haven't soldered the wires to the HU ( shush i didnt have much time ;p )

havent put my ear near it to see if its coming only from right side...therefore being RCA

Any educated diagnosis's?
Cheers,
Steve

[ADZY7]

It could be because u are running the speaker wires next to the larger sub cables. when u turn it up the amp/sub will be drawing more current which could distort the signal. In normal electrical you aren't allowed to run 24VDC cables next to 240VAC cables. But it could also be your connections. to verify the problem re do your connections and make sure they are ok .

[Adam]

SOLDER THAT SHIT! Or I'll call you strathfield car radios!

[Steveee]

Yeah ill try solder first when i find the time,
Btw Adam my mate had his sound system installed by them and then his car came home and the odo went from 130,000 to 6xx,xxx. i believe morgan has a picture.
Though I get the impression of sarcasm, hard to tell through writing but enough said at the word strathfield.

[Joe]

Just out of curiosity...who installed and tuned your car audio system???
Because looking at your amp settings pic and reading what you wrote...someone is not very skilled at what they do...