2011 F150 SCREW FX4 - HU Blown
09-03-2012, 01:52 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
2011 F150 SCREW FX4 - HU Blown
Here's the story. In an attempt to save a few bucks I had a friend of a friend install my aftermarket Alpine amp and 4 - Rockford Fosgate 6X8s yesterday since electronics are really not my thing.
After all was done I turned on the truck to have a listen. The HU smoked through the dash and will not turn on anymore. He took the head unit out and the portion of the circuit board where the radio harness plugs into the HU is fried.
Question....he insists this is not the problem but could it be the "Line-Out" adapter to bring RCAs to the aftermarket amp? The adapter has 2 pairs of RCAs and 5 sets of speaker wires on the harness.
As for the speaker connections...he tapped the speaker wires from the aftermarket amp into the speaker wires of the Line-Out with clamp style connectors. The type that have knife-like blades that cut through the wire jackets of two wires to essentially splice them together. What I didn't understand is that he didn't cut the speaker wires leading BACK to the head unit. Sorry if I'm not exactly clear in my description.
Doesn't this equate to the aftermarket amp AND the HU amp trying to power the speakers at the same time? Shouldn't the aftermarket amp speaker leads be the ONLY wires connected to the speakers?
Did the aftermarket amp over power the HU amp and fry it?
I need to confirm the problem before I go buy a new/used HU and this happens again.
All other wiring looks fine...not dead shorts, all fuses in place and not blown, and the RCA Line-Out box did not heat up during the short out. The only part that heated up was the HU assembly.
Part #: BL3T-19C157-BA
Help
After all was done I turned on the truck to have a listen. The HU smoked through the dash and will not turn on anymore. He took the head unit out and the portion of the circuit board where the radio harness plugs into the HU is fried.
Question....he insists this is not the problem but could it be the "Line-Out" adapter to bring RCAs to the aftermarket amp? The adapter has 2 pairs of RCAs and 5 sets of speaker wires on the harness.
As for the speaker connections...he tapped the speaker wires from the aftermarket amp into the speaker wires of the Line-Out with clamp style connectors. The type that have knife-like blades that cut through the wire jackets of two wires to essentially splice them together. What I didn't understand is that he didn't cut the speaker wires leading BACK to the head unit. Sorry if I'm not exactly clear in my description.
Doesn't this equate to the aftermarket amp AND the HU amp trying to power the speakers at the same time? Shouldn't the aftermarket amp speaker leads be the ONLY wires connected to the speakers?
Did the aftermarket amp over power the HU amp and fry it?
I need to confirm the problem before I go buy a new/used HU and this happens again.
All other wiring looks fine...not dead shorts, all fuses in place and not blown, and the RCA Line-Out box did not heat up during the short out. The only part that heated up was the HU assembly.
Part #: BL3T-19C157-BA
Help
09-03-2012, 04:23 PM
#3
"As for the speaker connections...he tapped the speaker wires from the aftermarket amp into the speaker wires of the Line-Out with clamp style connectors. The type that have knife-like blades that cut through the wire jackets of two wires to essentially splice them together. What I didn't understand is that he didn't cut the speaker wires leading BACK to the head unit. Sorry if I'm not exactly clear in my description."
Sounds like he sent the speakers from the amp back into the factory HU harness. *** backwards.
If he wanted to use the factory wire to the speakers he should have cut the speaker wires at the HU and put the line out adapter on the wires coming from the HU and then then wires going to the speakers to the aftermarket amp.
Your friend owes you a new HU
Sounds like he sent the speakers from the amp back into the factory HU harness. *** backwards.
If he wanted to use the factory wire to the speakers he should have cut the speaker wires at the HU and put the line out adapter on the wires coming from the HU and then then wires going to the speakers to the aftermarket amp.
Your friend owes you a new HU
09-05-2012, 09:37 AM
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
"As for the speaker connections...he tapped the speaker wires from the aftermarket amp into the speaker wires of the Line-Out with clamp style connectors. The type that have knife-like blades that cut through the wire jackets of two wires to essentially splice them together. What I didn't understand is that he didn't cut the speaker wires leading BACK to the head unit. Sorry if I'm not exactly clear in my description."
Sounds like he sent the speakers from the amp back into the factory HU harness. *** backwards.
If he wanted to use the factory wire to the speakers he should have cut the speaker wires at the HU and put the line out adapter on the wires coming from the HU and then then wires going to the speakers to the aftermarket amp.
Your friend owes you a new HU
Sounds like he sent the speakers from the amp back into the factory HU harness. *** backwards.
If he wanted to use the factory wire to the speakers he should have cut the speaker wires at the HU and put the line out adapter on the wires coming from the HU and then then wires going to the speakers to the aftermarket amp.
Your friend owes you a new HU
Thanks Wyo11Scab. After re-tracing all of the wires and connections, that is pretty much what he did. The wires leading back to the HU weren't cut.
I guess that's why they say 'hindsight is 20/20"... Next time I'll stick with my gut instinct instead of taking advice from someone who claims 'thats a no brainer'.
