Owner's Manual

TROUBLESHOOTING
If
your amplifier does not appear to be working, check the obvious things first such
as
blown fuses, poor or
incorrect wiring connections, incorrect setting of crossover switch and gain controls, etc. There
are
Power
(PWR)
& Protection
(PRT)
LEOs
on the side panel of your Kicker
CX series amplifier. Depending on the state of the
amplifier and the vehicle's charging system, the
LEOs
will
glow either green or red. When the green
LED
is
lit,
this
indicates the amplifier
is
turned
on
and no trouble exists.
Green LED off, no output?
With a Volt
Ohm
Meter
(VOM)
check the following:
0
+ 1 2 volt power terminal
(should read + 12V
to+
16V)
8Remote
turn-on terminal (should read + 12V
to+
16V)
@)Check
for reversed
power and ground connections
0Ground
terminal, for proper conductivity.
Green LED on, no output?
Check the following:
ORCA
connections
8Test
speaker outputs with a
"known"
good speaker.
@)Substitute
source unit with a
"known"
good source unit.
0Check
for a signal
in
the
RCA cable feeding the amplifier with the
VOM
meter set to measure "AC"
voltage.
Red LED flashing with
loud
music?
The
red
LED
indicates low battery voltage. Check
all
the connections
in
your vehicle's charging system.
It
may be necessary to replace or charge your vehicle's battery or replace your
vehicle's alternator.
Red LED on, no output?
0Amplifier
is
very
hot=
thermal protection
is
engaged.
Test
for proper impedance
at
the speaker terminals with a
VOM
meter (see the diagrams
in
this manual for minimum recommended impedance
and multiple speaker wiring suggestions). Also check for adequate airflow around the amplifier.
8Amplifier
shuts down only while vehicle
is
running
=
voltage protection circuitry
is
engaged. Voltage to the amplifier
is
not
within the
10-16
volt operating range. Have the vehicle's charging and electrical system inspected.
@)Amplifier
will
only play
at
low volume levels
=
short circuit protection
is
engaged. Check for speaker wires shorted to
each other or to the vehicle chassis. Check for damaged speakers or speaker(s) operating below the minimum
recommended impedance.
No or
low
output?
0Check
the balance control
on
source unit
8Check
the
RCA
(or
speaker input) and
speaker output connections.
Alternator noise-whining sound with engine's RPM?
0Check
for damaged
RCA
(or
speaker input) cable
8Check
the routing of
RCA
(or
speaker input) cable
@)Check
the source unit for proper grounding
0Check
the gain settings and turn them down
if
they
are
set too high.
Reduced bass response?
Reverse a speaker connection from positive to negative
on
the stereo/subwoofer
channel(s);
if
the bass improves, the speaker was out of phase.
Ground Noise?
KICKER
amplifiers are engineered to be fully compatible with
all
manufacturers' head units.
Some
head
units may require additional grounding to prevent noise from entering the audio signal.
If
you are
experiencing this problem with your head unit,
in
most cases running a ground wire from the
RCA
outputs on the
head unit to the chassis
will
remedy this issue.
CAUTION:
When jump starting the vehicle, be sure that connections made with jumper cables are correct.
Improper connections can result
in
blown amplifier fuses
as
well
as
the failure of other critical systems
in
the
vehicle.
If
you have more questions about the installation or operation of your new
KICKER
product, see the Authorized
KICKER
Dealer where you made your purchase. For more advice on installation, click
on
the SUPPORT tab on
the
KICKER
homepage,
www.kicker.com.
Choose the
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
tab, choose the subject you are
interested
in,
and then download or view the corresponding information. Please E-mail support@kicker.com or
call Technical Services (405)
624-8583 for unanswered or specific questions.
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