Troubleshooting my system need some help

[JProff]

Hi my names Jeff and ive been having a few problems with my stereo system lately so ill start by telling you what i got. I drive a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 4.7L V8 in it and I have a JL Audio 13w7 powered by a JL Audio 1000/1 with a 5 farad tsunami capacitor. I also have an XS Power D6500 for my battery and 0/1 guage wire running to a splitter to 4 guage wire to my capacitor and then to my amp in the back. there's a 100 amp fuse under the hood by the battery and i also put a 100 amp fuse in after the splitter on the 4 guage wire.

I recently purchased the d6500 from mechman.com because I was having low voltage problems and I had an optima yellow top for over 4 years and i've heard they've had their share of problems so when i talked to the guy there he said that changing the battery and doing the big 3 upgrade should solve my voltage drop problems and that my stock 160 amp alternator should power the system fine. So i changed my battery (end of october) and replaced my factory grounds and power wire from the alternator with 0/1 gauge wire and that seemed to fix my problem until about a month ago when everything started going crazy. I would be driving around and when i would go to crank my system it would cut off completly (by completly i mean my head unit would shut right off and my gauges would start acting funny and all my lights in the cluster would flash on and shut back off) but when i would keep the rpms up it would seem to still play so i figured it was my alternator. So i went and bought a new alternator from the local parts store and put that in to see if it would help.

Now whenever I had problems before it would always come up on the amp as low voltage but now it wants to shut my head unit off right away and the amp seems to be working fine. So after i changed my alternator out the problem didnt get any better but i could play it somewhat loud just not where i usually have it and certain songs it would just want to shut my head unit right off. So my next thought was maybe my head unit could be bad. It was an alpine i got about 4 years ago when i originally bought my system, so i went out and bought a new alpine head unit only to have the same problems. So now it got to the point where i couldnt play my radio at all without it going crazy even my air bag light would stay on but i found out it was my clock spring that was messed up and causing my radio to shut right off.

So after i fixed that i figured i had it made and everything would be fine but i went to crank it it still cut off the head unit when i did so now i was really disappointed and decided to completly cut the power to my system in the trunk. So i removed the fuse and shut off all subwoofer controls on my head unit so my system was not getting any signal at all and i cranked it with just the speakers in my jeep and it plays fine no problems the head unit stays on and everything. Ive checked my grounds and cant see anything wrong with them I also adjusted the input sensitivity on my amp because i think that may have been what started it all. I had this system in a 99 Jeep Cherokee first and thats what it was set to but i have the 05 GC now and I have the kicker speaker and amplifier upgrade so that changes the input sensitivity and it was way to high. Whenever i had problems before only my sub would cut off but my speakers would still play and the sub would eventually kick back on now it just cuts everything off radio, speakers and sub and it still makes my rpms go crazy and the air bag light will flash on and go off so i really dont want it to mess up another clock spring.

So my next thought is maybe there is something wrong in the radios wiring harness. I have the PAC C2R-CHY4 harness and ive had it for about 2 years now. I think its this because I have the steering wheel controls but theyre not hooked up because you need another adapter and this radio harness must tie into it somehow and the steering wheel controls are tied into the clock spring as well as the cruise control. So at the moment i have the system disconnected and everything else works fine but id really like to get the sub working again like it should so im hoping maybe one of you guys have had this problem or have heard of anything like it. I really think its a relay or something stupid but i really appreciate it if you read all of this and can give me any input

Thanks,

Jeff

[Ray]

Sounds like ground.

Or something on the "can" circuit.

Unplug the data module behind the radio.

U dont need it really, at this point its just for chimes, so lets wire in the deck without it.

Then try it again

[Baydestrian]

Only tip I have is, ditch the cap. Not needed.

[Team808]

Ok 1st get a multimeter, then measure the voltage at the amp and radio ,also measure the ground ( make sure you do this with the radio turned up to the level where everything shuts off).I bet you will find a bad connection( most likely a ground).With the truck running you should have over 13v at the battery. If you are not sure how to check for voltage, take it to a shop that can do it for you.Stop wasting money on what you THINK might be wrong, and fix what is wrong. One more thing,just because a ground wire it tight doesnt make it a good ground. You need 12v or more on power as well as on ground.

[JProff]

Ok 1st get a multimeter, then measure the voltage at the amp and radio ,also measure the ground ( make sure you do this with the radio turned up to the level where everything shuts off).I bet you will find a bad connection( most likely a ground).With the truck running you should have over 13v at the battery. If you are not sure how to check for voltage, take it to a shop that can do it for you.Stop wasting money on what you THINK might be wrong, and fix what is wrong. One more thing,just because a ground wire it tight doesnt make it a good ground. You need 12v or more on power as well as on ground.

I do have a multimeter, how would i check the voltage at my grounds? I have the battery grounded to the chassis right next to the battery and on the engine block. In the back the ground goes from my amp through the cap to under my rear seat where one of the big bolts goes through the body and I have it sanded to bare metal.

[JProff]

Only tip I have is, ditch the cap. Not needed.

The guy from XS Power said the same thing but i think ill have a problem with my headlights dimming if i take it out. I dont really like it and it is kind of more than i need but it seems like its works. Ill have to try it without it

[Team808]

Ok 1st get a multimeter, then measure the voltage at the amp and radio ,also measure the ground ( make sure you do this with the radio turned up to the level where everything shuts off).I bet you will find a bad connection( most likely a ground).With the truck running you should have over 13v at the battery. If you are not sure how to check for voltage, take it to a shop that can do it for you.Stop wasting money on what you THINK might be wrong, and fix what is wrong. One more thing,just because a ground wire it tight doesnt make it a good ground. You need 12v or more on power as well as on ground.

I do have a multimeter, how would i check the voltage at my grounds? I have the battery grounded to the chassis right next to the battery and on the engine block. In the back the ground goes from my amp through the cap to under my rear seat where one of the big bolts goes through the body and I have it sanded to bare metal.

put the red lead on a good know 12v source and the black on the ground. I would scrap the cap also.You said you upgraded grounds under the hood? if so i would start there.Put the red on the battery pos. and use the black to check all the grounds, you should have close to the same number at each ground( lets say 12.8v - with car off) If all say the same and you get one that is way off like 10v then there is a problem.

[Team808]

Ok 1st get a multimeter, then measure the voltage at the amp and radio ,also measure the ground ( make sure you do this with the radio turned up to the level where everything shuts off).I bet you will find a bad connection( most likely a ground).With the truck running you should have over 13v at the battery. If you are not sure how to check for voltage, take it to a shop that can do it for you.Stop wasting money on what you THINK might be wrong, and fix what is wrong. One more thing,just because a ground wire it tight doesnt make it a good ground. You need 12v or more on power as well as on ground.

I do have a multimeter, how would i check the voltage at my grounds? I have the battery grounded to the chassis right next to the battery and on the engine block. In the back the ground goes from my amp through the cap to under my rear seat where one of the big bolts goes through the body and I have it sanded to bare metal.

put the red lead on a good know 12v source and the black on the ground. I would scrap the cap also.You said you upgraded grounds under the hood? if so i would start there.Put the red on the battery pos. and use the black to check all the grounds, you should have close to the same number at each ground( lets say 12.8v - with car off) If all say the same and you get one that is way off like 10v then there is a problem.

Also the more connections you have one 1 run of wire the greater chance you have of losing voltage.If you have 13v at one end of the wire and lets say 10v at the other end,you probably have bad connections along the way( like butt connectors).

[JProff]

Thanks for all the help guys i really appreciate it. im gonna take a look at all my grounds when i get a minute and defienetly take out the capacitor. I wouldn't be surprised if its something to do with the ground going through the capacitor. But ill let you know how it goes. Sucks not having bass when you've had it for so long.

[n8ball2013]

I cnat stress this enough if you want help put your location. You might have someone right down the road that can help you you never know.