QuestionI recently installed an amp and 2 10's in a 2007 pontiac g5. There was a stock radio installed so i bought an line out converter. My question is there being it was a stock radio thre was no designated turn on wire which wire should i tapped off of for the tunr on? i tapped off one of the wires comming out of the radio. There were two plugs of wires coming out of the radio one contained all the speaker wires and the second had some other ones. i used a test light and tapped off one that went on and off with the key. after about an hour or so drive the amp no longer turned on could it be the amp or the wire i used as a turn on? i know for fact its not a grounding issue because i grounded it directly to the negative battery terminal?
My other question is on a 1997 ford escort zx2 i installed a system and it worked for a few weeks and now when i drive for awhile and play the music loud the bass fades in and out what can cause this. they are 2 12 inch polk audio subs running on a 400 watt amp is it they are not getting enough power?
AnswerHi Travis,
Sorry about the delay in answering your questions.
You won't find a wire in the factory radio harness that will work as a remote wire for your amplifier. The stock radio is controlled through the vehicle's computer data bus system, rather than a key-switched power wire. I haven't looked for a remote connection in a G5, but there's a good chance you'll find something at the vehicle's fuse box. Use a voltmeter, and test for a fuse that shows power with the key on, but no power with the key off. You may be able to tap your remote wire into an existing fuse or unused fuse position, like in this example:
http://kzcarfi.blogspot.com/2008/08/retained-accessory-power-source-in-2005.html
Another option is a line output converter with a built-in amp turn-on circuit, like this one:
http://www.pac-audio.com/productDetails.aspx?ProductId=175&CategoryID=28
This line output converter will automatically turn on the amplifier when it senses an audio signal on the factory speaker wires. You can get the trigger module alone, without the line output converter; look for a PAC TR-4.
As for the Escort, there are a number of different things that could be causing your problem. The first thing I'd check is the ground wire connection. Make sure it's securely fastened directly to body or chassis metal, preferably to a clean ground point that's been stripped of paint. Make sure the connection isn't loose, corroded or charred.
You might also want to watch the amplifier and see if it's shutting down, or going into "protect" mode. If it's shutting off, it might be caused by a voltage drop; this can result from a ground wire problem, a loose battery connection or a problem at the fuse holder. If it's triggering a protect circuit, then there may be a wiring problem with the subs, or a defective subwoofer.
Hope this helps!
Brian
