Car Stereos: Problems Installing Amp and subs, digital multimeter, dc volts

Question
Hi, I'm in the middle of installing 2 subs and an amp, but I'm testing with one sub first cause other box is still in the works. I have a 2004 Dodge ram with the infinity sound system in it. And all I'm trying to do is add some subs and an amp. but when i tested it the amp wouldn't even turn on. I have the remote line hooked up too. I decided to test with my old amp cause i know it works, and i could see the light pulsing on and off. I'm guessing its not getting enough power. Is this something wrong with my trucks charging system or something i forgot to do with the amp?

Answer
Hi Jason,

Amplifier power is pretty simple; if you have 12 volts on the power and remote terminals, and a good ground connection on the ground terminal, the amp should turn on.  The best way to verify the power connections is to use a digital multimeter, and test the voltage directly at the amplifier terminals.  Set the meter for DC volts, and connect the black probe to the ground terminal.  With the system turned on, check the voltage at the main power terminal and the remote terminal.  If you have low voltage on one or the other (below 10 volts), then you'll know where to start your troubleshooting; if you have low voltage on both, then you'll want to double-check your ground connection.  There's no good way to troubleshoot a power problem without a meter, though, so if you don't have one, you'll want to borrow or buy one.  The cheapest digital multimeter you can find will do perfectly well for this type of work.

If you truck starts and runs, then I doubt that it has a charging system problem that would affect an amplifier.  The most common trouble spots are a poor ground connection, a poor power wire connection at the battery, or a defective fuse or fuse holder (especially common with AGU--glass tube--type fuses).  Also, if you're connecting to a factory radio, you might not have connected your amp's remote wire to the right power source.

Hope this helps!

Brian