Owner's Manual

6
TROUBLESHOOTING
If your amplifi er does not appear to be working, check the obvious things fi rst such as blown fuses, poor or
incorrect wiring connections, incorrect setting of crossover switch and gain controls, etc. There is a Power
Protection LED on the side power panel of your Kicker DX series amplifi er. Depending on the state of the amplifi er
and the vehicle’s charging system, the LED will glow either Red or Green. When the green LED is lit this indicates
the amplifi er is turned on and no trouble exists.
Green LED off, no output? With a Volt Ohm Meter (VOM) check the following:

+12 volt power terminal
(should read +12V to +16V)

Remote turn-on terminal (should read +12V to +16V)

Check for reversed
power and ground connections

Ground terminal, for proper conductivity.
Green LED on, no output? Check the following:

RCA connections

Test speaker outputs with a
“known” good speaker.

Substitute source unit with a “known” good source unit.

Check for a signal in the
RCA cable feeding the amplifi er with the VOM meter set to measure “AC” voltage.
Protection LED fl ashing 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.
Protection LED on, no output?

Amplifi er 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 airfl ow around
the amplifi er.

Amplifi er shuts down only while vehicle is running = voltage protection circuitry is engaged.
Voltage to the amplifi er is not within the 10–16 volt operating range. Have the vehicle’s charging and electrical
system inspected.

Amplifi er 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?

Check the balance control on source unit

Check the RCA (or speaker input) and
speaker output connections.
Alternator noise-whining sound with engine’s RPM?

Check for damaged RCA (or speaker input) cable

Check the routing of RCA (or speaker input) cable

Check the source unit for proper grounding

Check
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 amplifi ers 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.
Please Note: Modern high performance speakers have a lower DC Resistance than what used to be available.
The KICKER Coaxial and Component speakers are rated at four ohms (some DC Resistances may be as low
as 3 ohms) and work with any amplifi er designed to operate at a four ohm load. If you want to use two KICKER
Coaxial or Component speakers on a single channel of your amplifi er, wire the speakers in series. This will
improve the sound quality, lower the total harmonic distortion and lessen the thermal load at the amplifi er. This
may prevent an amplifi er from shutting down due to over-current protection circuitry.
CAUTION: When jump starting the vehicle, be sure that connections made with jumper cables are correct.
Improper connections can result in blown amplifi er 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 [e-mail] or
call Technical Services [phone] for unanswered or specifi c questions.
2011 DX 4-Channel Amps RevF.indd 62011 DX 4-Channel Amps RevF.indd 6 11/3/2010 12:19:54 PM11/3/2010 12:19:54 PM