(solved)for unknown reason orion sub putting amp into protect mode.

[Raptorman]

Bad grounds.

[Terry Lee]

Also. You can't wire a dual 2 ohm sub to 2 ohms, only 1 or 4.

i could do that, but i didnt know if that would be good or bad. its a 2 ohm sub, if i get this working would making it 4 ohm be better in any way?

sounds like an electrical issue, perhaps. If the power wires are connected poorly, i.e. loose or dirty, as well as too small to supply the needed amperage the voltage will drop to supply the amperage to the load. voltage drop = protect mode on some amps. as well as input and output overload. i suggest running a test tone and observing voltage at the amp POWER connections while raising the volume..... you first may want to match the gain of the amp to the output of your head unit. or have someone more experienced (with a dd-1 perhaps) assist you with that.

i just have one question to test the voltage.i dont know what im looking for with this crappy multimeter i have. this is a picture of it, can you please tell me what to set it for and what im looking for as a reading. i think it is the voltage system in my car, but my lil cop scanner thing has a voltage detector on it and says my car is fine, i dont wanna trust that, so this is an image of my crappy multimeter https://img2.activant-inet.com/coop/truserv/image/g585034.jpg

[775Tundra]

I meant that Isn't a possibility to wire it down to two ohms. 4 ohms might be your only option depending on the amp that you are using.

[Terry Lee]

I meant that Isn't a possibility to wire it down to two ohms. 4 ohms might be your only option depending on the amp that you are using.

i have 2 different amps. the one it came with, which was professionally hooked up as a 1 ohm, and the power acoustik gothic series, i have both of there info in my first post. its the one it came with, wired up as 1 ohm atm. i drilled a new ground, sanded it down, same problems, dont think its ground, but i dont know what to look for as a reading on this voltimeter, i know 12v is usually good, but i dont know how to check for 12v with all these diff knob settings

[Terry Lee]

sounds like an electrical issue, perhaps. If the power wires are connected poorly, i.e. loose or dirty, as well as too small to supply the needed amperage the voltage will drop to supply the amperage to the load. voltage drop = protect mode on some amps. as well as input and output overload. i suggest running a test tone and observing voltage at the amp POWER connections while raising the volume..... you first may want to match the gain of the amp to the output of your head unit. or have someone more experienced (with a dd-1 perhaps) assist you with that.

my head unit has a sub setting to make sub output from -15 to +15, i would put it up to 10 highest sometimes, i can even turn the sub output on/off through the headunit. the sub used to slam hard. and then it just started doing this out of nowhere

[Terry Lee]

so, i just bought a new multimeter, digital auto type. everything reads right around 13.5 all around, but on the alternator, its like..... way to high, when i touch it it starts at 170 ish, and keeps going up and up and up, like its to high to detect, i pull off the altimeter around 280v. so alternator putting out to much juice would cause this problem right? just checking. i need to get a new one anyways if this one is doing some crazy stuff like that.

[CleanSierra]

I meant that Isn't a possibility to wire it down to two ohms. 4 ohms might be your only option depending on the amp that you are using.

i have 2 different amps. the one it came with, which was professionally hooked up as a 1 ohm, and the power acoustik gothic series, i have both of there info in my first post. its the one it came with, wired up as 1 ohm atm. i drilled a new ground, sanded it down, same problems, dont think its ground, but i dont know what to look for as a reading on this voltimeter, i know 12v is usually good, but i dont know how to check for 12v with all these diff knob settings

Quit saying,"professionally hooked up". Was it "professionally" hooked up in your car?!?!? Or your buddies car?

My spidey sense is telling me you have piss poor grounds, as previously stated by Raptorman. You do NOT have a super alternator getting UN godly amounts of voltage. You have chosen a shit location for the ground, just as the factory did. The reason it worked for the factory is because it was likely a 100-150W amp..

Just re read one of your posts that says you relocated the ground. I believe you've picked just as poor of a location. Ground to a seat bolt or the rear strut tower.

[Terry Lee]

I meant that Isn't a possibility to wire it down to two ohms. 4 ohms might be your only option depending on the amp that you are using.

i have 2 different amps. the one it came with, which was professionally hooked up as a 1 ohm, and the power acoustik gothic series, i have both of there info in my first post. its the one it came with, wired up as 1 ohm atm. i drilled a new ground, sanded it down, same problems, dont think its ground, but i dont know what to look for as a reading on this voltimeter, i know 12v is usually good, but i dont know how to check for 12v with all these diff knob settings

Quit saying,"professionally hooked up". Was it "professionally" hooked up in your car?!?!? Or your buddies car?

My spidey sense is telling me you have piss poor grounds, as previously stated by Raptorman. You do NOT have a super alternator getting UN godly amounts of voltage. You have chosen a shit location for the ground, just as the factory did. The reason it worked for the factory is because it was likely a 100-150W amp..

Just re read one of your posts that says you relocated the ground. I believe you've picked just as poor of a location. Ground to a seat bolt or the rear strut tower.

'it was set up professionally in my friends car, but i was more off reffering to the amp, sub, and sub box. he bought all 3 through whatever place. box was custom made and whatnot.

idk what a rear strut tower is, i know what the struts are, but ill try to figure it out, and try a new ground, maybe look for a seat bolt i guess or something.

[CleanSierra]

Well you can't say it was professionally installed since you're referring to all of the equipment in a different car, different environment. They chose their grounding spot in your buddy's car, you chose the one in yours. Your install was done by you, not them.

So I can't tell you HOW to find the strut tower, it's where your strut is nestled into.

And with this whole 1 ohm, 2 ohm business. Your sub only has the option to be wired at 1 or 4 ohms when it's the only sub, which yours is. you are running a 1 sub system. So your amp is trying to send 1 ohm when it isn't 1 ohm stable? Is that TNA 1 ohm stable according to their website.

[Terry Lee]

Well you can't say it was professionally installed since you're referring to all of the equipment in a different car, different environment. They chose their grounding spot in your buddy's car, you chose the one in yours. Your install was done by you, not them.

So I can't tell you HOW to find the strut tower, it's where your strut is nestled into.

And with this whole 1 ohm, 2 ohm business. Your sub only has the option to be wired at 1 or 4 ohms when it's the only sub, which yours is. you are running a 1 sub system. So your amp is trying to send 1 ohm when it isn't 1 ohm stable? Is that TNA 1 ohm stable according to their website.

yes it is 1 ohm stable. if i get this working though, would switching it to 4 ohm on my other amp sound better? im curious to that.

other than that, im not messing around with switching the ground anymore tonight, my last test was running my old 4 ga power wire from my amps ground to the negative battery terminal, the exact same thing kept happening. its alot of distance and to small gauge of wire. so im not 100 pct sure what to do, i looked up my car and the strut tower, and thats what the factory ground is in. i took a wire brush took off all the paint near it, put it back together, that did nothing either. so im at a loss, i have another vehicle here that has a smaller amp in it, im not sure the wattage of that amp,but im going to hook up my sub to that amp tomorow and see if the same thing happens. untill then ill take anymore advice you all have. and thank you very much.

oh and for some reason i was getting a weird reading off my alternator, everything is good, 13.7 all around.