Causes of Amplifier Protection Mode
Some common causes of an amp going into protect mode include:
Improper installation of the amp.The amp has overheated for some reason.One or more wires have come loose.The amp has failed internally.
Troubleshooting Amplifier Protect Mode
Fully troubleshooting a problem like this might be over your head if you’re a novice, so it might be worth getting help from an expert or experienced friend. If that isn’t an option, or you want to get a head start, here are some easy questions you can ask yourself to get on the right track.
Did the amplifier malfunction when it was turned on the first time? The failure is probably due to an installation problem. If you paid someone to install the amp, check with them before you do any diagnostic work on your own. Start your diagnostic by checking the power and ground cables and making sure that the amp is physically isolated from any bare metal contact with the vehicle.Did the amplifier malfunction after a long listening session? Your amplifier might have simply overheated.Did the amplifier malfunction while driving on a rough road? The wires may not have been properly secured to the system, causing them to come loose when the vehicle hit a rough road.
Easy Fixes
If any of the above situations apply, you have a great place to start the troubleshooting process. In the case of a problem that manifested immediately after installing and wiring an amp, start by checking the power and ground wires in addition to the patch cables.
Overheating
Some amps go into protect mode if they get too hot, which can prevent a permanent failure. The common cause of overheating is a lack of airflow. If the amp is located underneath the seats, or in another confined space, that may cause it to overheat. One way to test this is to set up a 12v fan so that it blows air over the amp. If the amp no longer goes into protect mode, relocating it to a less confined space, or changing the way it’s mounted, may fix the problem. Driving around with a fan blowing on your amp isn’t a long-term solution. Still, if using a fan stops the amp from shutting down and entering protect mode, that’s a clue that remounting or relocating the amp will fix the problem. Increasing the air gap between the top, bottom, and sides of the amp can help increase airflow, or you may need to move it to a different location.
Ground Problems
In some cases, a loose or shorted wire causes an amp to go into protect mode to prevent a more serious problem from occurring. Diagnosing and fixing this requires checking each individual power and ground wire. Ground problems can often be fixed by cleaning and tightening the ground connection or relocating it if necessary. Power issues may be related to a loose or burnt wire, but a blown amp fuse is also possible. Amps typically include built-in fuses in addition to in-line fuses, so check both of these.
Internal Amp Problem
If you notice that the contacts your amp fuse clips into have gotten hot, or melted, it’s likely that the fuse won’t make good electrical contact, and it may overheat and blow again. In this case, there may be an internal problem with the amp.
Other Issues
An overheating amp can also be the result of a mismatch between speaker impedance and the range the amp is designed to work with, or speakers or wires that are shorted out. Before you dig in any further, check a few easy points of failure like fuses. Although amps usually don’t go into protect mode due to a blown onboard fuse, it’s easy to check and might save you from a headache down the line.
Break It Down
Troubleshooting an amp in protect mode—beyond asking the questions listed above—starts off by breaking it down to basics. You’ll typically disconnect the amp from the head unit and the speakers to see if the problem still exists. If the amp remains in protect mode at that point, there may be a power or ground problem, or a problem with the installation where the body of the amp makes contact with bare metal. Since metal components of a vehicle’s frame, body, and unibody act as a ground, allowing an amplifier to touch bare metal can cause all sorts of problems.
Hook It Up
If your amplifier remains in protect mode with everything disconnected, and you’re sure that there aren’t any power or ground issues, the amp might be defective. However, the problem lies elsewhere if the amp is no longer in protect mode at that point, and you can look for the issue by connecting the speaker wires and patch cables one by one. If you connect a component back up, and the amp goes into protect mode, the problem has to do with that component or related wiring or cables. For instance, a speaker with a shorted-out or damaged coil can cause problems. In the event that everything has power, nothing is shorted out, and the amp isn’t overheating, then the amp may have some type of internal fault. That typically means professional repairs or replacing the amp.
