Remote wire + Battery wire = ?

joeyc123 · 01-19-2016, 05:50 PM

Hey guys,

Apparently the connection of my remote wire to the amp was not secure and the remote wire somehow came disconnected from the amp. It touched the + battery wire inserted into the amp right next to it. The amp wont receive any power now.

Tried hooking them up to another amp and that amp did not receive any power as well.

What could have happened and how bad could this have been? I'm using technic's harness, and the remote wire is coming from this small black cube (sorry, I wish I was more proficient with these items).

What are some scenarios that could have happened? Could the remote wire have "shorted"? The power wire? Or is this much worse?

tdgesq · 01-19-2016, 06:27 PM

The remote wire probably grounded out on the amp somewhere and blew a fuse. Need to see if there is an inline fuse on the remote. If none, need to look at the fuse diagram on your vehicle and check to see if that fuse is blown.

It's easy to hook up a multimeter to the remote wire to determine if it still draws power or not.

joeyc123 · 01-19-2016, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdgesq

The remote wire probably grounded out on the amp somewhere and blew a fuse. Need to see if there is an inline fuse on the remote. If none, need to look at the fuse diagram on your vehicle and check to see if that fuse is blown.

It's easy to hook up a multimeter to the remote wire to determine if it still draws power or not.

Thanks for the response!

I do not know much about the composition of the harness technic made, but I know the remote wire is coming from this maybe 2 cubic inch black block. Maybe a fuse is in there?

I'll begin trying to find a fuse diagram for my vehicle.

tdgesq · 01-19-2016, 07:50 PM

My recollection is that my harness did not come with an inline fuse. I think I installed my own as a result. What you are describing sounds like the harness block itself, not a fuse holder.

I believe the fuses in your vehicle are located in a panel behind your glove box. There should be a paper diagram in there as well.

kaigoss69 · 01-19-2016, 10:16 PM

Assuming you have the HiFi harness, here is what it looks like:

The black cube is a 12V relay. I believe it takes the remote signal coming from the HU to close the connection between the main power supply (of the OEM amp) and the "new" remote signal coming off of the relay. Essentially it uses a low current 12V+ remote signal to turn on a higher current 12V+ remote signal for use with multiple amps.

I would check both the blue/white and the yellow wire going into the relay (ground is probably black) to see if both are reading 12V when the HU is turned on. If they both read 12V, the relay is blown. If one or both of them are dead, this means there is a fuse blown behind the glove box.

joeyc123 · 01-20-2016, 08:33 PM

Thanks Kai and tdgesq, I dont have a voltmeter handy so I went ahead and checked the fuses in the glovebox. I assume one of the fuses for the remote signal is indicated by one of the numbers next to the radio looking icon. There are three numbers there, 2, 23 and 31. I checked all three of them and neither of the fuses were blown although one looked "scuffed" but the fuse was still intact.

Or was I wrong in assuming the correct fuse was listed next to the radio looking icon?

tdgesq · 01-21-2016, 08:42 PM

If none of the radio indicated fuses are blown, then Kai is probably right that the relay (assuming that's what you have) is damaged. Please understand though that we are dealing in probabilities here based upon the facts you've described. The only way to know for certain is to buy a multimeter and do some testing yourself. Even a basic model for less than $10 from Home Depot like this multimeter will do the job. Better yet, get a more functional digital MM for a little bit more money. It's a critical tool to have if you are going to be doing diy car stereo installs.

01-19-2016, 05:50 PM	#1
joeyc123 Private 7 Rep 95 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Los Angeles, California iTrader: (0)	Remote wire + Battery wire = ? Hey guys, Apparently the connection of my remote wire to the amp was not secure and the remote wire somehow came disconnected from the amp. It touched the + battery wire inserted into the amp right next to it. The amp wont receive any power now. Tried hooking them up to another amp and that amp did not receive any power as well. What could have happened and how bad could this have been? I'm using technic's harness, and the remote wire is coming from this small black cube (sorry, I wish I was more proficient with these items). What are some scenarios that could have happened? Could the remote wire have "shorted"? The power wire? Or is this much worse? Last edited by joeyc123; 01-19-2016 at 06:00 PM..
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01-19-2016, 06:27 PM	#2
tdgesq Private First Class 5 Rep 145 Posts Drives: 335xi Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Pacific N.W. iTrader: (0)	The remote wire probably grounded out on the amp somewhere and blew a fuse. Need to see if there is an inline fuse on the remote. If none, need to look at the fuse diagram on your vehicle and check to see if that fuse is blown. It's easy to hook up a multimeter to the remote wire to determine if it still draws power or not.
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01-19-2016, 07:50 PM	#4
tdgesq Private First Class 5 Rep 145 Posts Drives: 335xi Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Pacific N.W. iTrader: (0)	My recollection is that my harness did not come with an inline fuse. I think I installed my own as a result. What you are describing sounds like the harness block itself, not a fuse holder. I believe the fuses in your vehicle are located in a panel behind your glove box. There should be a paper diagram in there as well.
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01-19-2016, 10:16 PM	#5
kaigoss69 Brigadier General 300 Rep 3,969 Posts Drives: '08 335i Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: JAX iTrader: (6)	Assuming you have the HiFi harness, here is what it looks like: The black cube is a 12V relay. I believe it takes the remote signal coming from the HU to close the connection between the main power supply (of the OEM amp) and the "new" remote signal coming off of the relay. Essentially it uses a low current 12V+ remote signal to turn on a higher current 12V+ remote signal for use with multiple amps. I would check both the blue/white and the yellow wire going into the relay (ground is probably black) to see if both are reading 12V when the HU is turned on. If they both read 12V, the relay is blown. If one or both of them are dead, this means there is a fuse blown behind the glove box. __________________ Mobridge DA2 > JBL MS-8 > ARC XDi 600/4 > JBL Gti 408 Mids & Vifa OT19 Tweeters; PG Ti2 1600.5 > Morel HCW-10 & IDMax 15
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01-20-2016, 08:33 PM	#6
joeyc123 Private 7 Rep 95 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Los Angeles, California iTrader: (0)	Thanks Kai and tdgesq, I dont have a voltmeter handy so I went ahead and checked the fuses in the glovebox. I assume one of the fuses for the remote signal is indicated by one of the numbers next to the radio looking icon. There are three numbers there, 2, 23 and 31. I checked all three of them and neither of the fuses were blown although one looked "scuffed" but the fuse was still intact. Or was I wrong in assuming the correct fuse was listed next to the radio looking icon?
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01-21-2016, 08:42 PM	#7
tdgesq Private First Class 5 Rep 145 Posts Drives: 335xi Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Pacific N.W. iTrader: (0)	If none of the radio indicated fuses are blown, then Kai is probably right that the relay (assuming that's what you have) is damaged. Please understand though that we are dealing in probabilities here based upon the facts you've described. The only way to know for certain is to buy a multimeter and do some testing yourself. Even a basic model for less than $10 from Home Depot like this multimeter will do the job. Better yet, get a more functional digital MM for a little bit more money. It's a critical tool to have if you are going to be doing diy car stereo installs.
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