Amp problem

[wellsy87]

A few days ago my car cut out about 5 seconds after start up - puff of smoke came from the steering column. The next day I started looking for why this happened, obvious point of call - the fuses. My ignition fuse had blown so I decided to take apart the steering column and found that the culprit was the REM wire going to my amp that I had wired into the ignition switch (my HU doesn't send a signal down the REM).

Annoyed by no music I tried to get the amp running by connecting the REM to different power sources used for the HU, each time blowing a fuse. So I thought I would see if the amp would turn on if I connected the REM directly to the battery. This cause the REM wire to get VERY hot, glow and begin to melt the plastic insulation, so I quickly took it off (didn't connect it originally, just touched it on the + battery terminal).

Next I had the idea of looping the REM wire from the +12V on the amp to the REM. Again, this caused the wire to glow, get very hot and start melting the insulation.

So my question is this - Is my amp shot?

Any help greatly appreciated!

 

[Eklipze3k]

The remote wire only normally receives a very low current so the reason it's melting is due to the current being a lot higher than that piddly little wire can handle.

Every headunit has a remote connection though. What HU do you have, can you take a pic of the wiring coming from the back of it or do you have a copy of the pin outs from the manual?

 

[wellsy87]

It has a remote wire connection but when the REM wire is connected to it the amp doesn't turn on, it used to but one day it just stopped doing so. That's why I connected it to my ignition, but as I say this didn't last long.

It shouldn't glow and get hot like that when it's connected directly to the battery though, or when it's looped onto the +12V on the amp. I wonder if the amp is sending 12V rather than receiving it?

 

[Eklipze3k]

Ok, have you tested the REM at the HU to see if it is sending a voltage? And to test your theory, check the REM connection on the amp with nothing wired into it and see if there is a voltage coming through.

 

[tunerbuckster04]

you havent linked a second amp using the same REM terminal as the first amp?