Car Stereos: amp on protection, protection mode, power amp

Question
hey i have a nt power amp (nt 1842)i had it hooked up b4 and it was wrking fines but it would go out once in a while so i made my power wires bigger so i get more power tpo the amp but the amp goes str8 2 protection mode now..i didnt change was my ground u think it caan be that....and should i add an capicitor or is it ok  with str8 to the battery all i have is 2 pionner premier 12's thank u for ur time


Answer
Hi Ray,

An amp going into protection mode is almost certainly not due to too high of a gauge power wire.  It means either the speakers it's hooked up to are busted, or the amp is shot.  Get a multimeter, and test the the resistance across the wires you're hooking up to the amp going to the subwoofers (WITH THE POWER OFF!)  Ensure that the resistance across that circuit isn't lower than the amp is rated for.  If you have 2 Pioneer 12" subs in parallel, you're running at 2ohm (assuming single coil, 4ohm subwoofters), which some amps cannot handle.

You could also just try disconnecting ALL speakers from the amplifier, and see if it still goes into protection mode.  If it does, it's probably gone bad itself.  If not, look into the speakers.

Also, as for the capacitor, there is no bullet answer to that question.  It depends on the car, its load, and its electronic system.  Get in your car, turn it on, turn on the wipers, some lights, and run your stereo at the volume you'd normally like to listen to it at..  Do the lights dim when the subwoofers hit?  If so, you should probably get a cap.  If not, you're fine.

Justin