Kicker hideaway- final upgrade to the $250(+) 3rd gen premium upgrade (+Kicker Key 180.4 amp)

Ok. It could also be the led lights I installed too

 

The place that did the amp thinks they found it. They found that the amp was back feeding power and staying on about 15 seconds past the time of turning the truck off. they put in a relay to cut it off and the issue went away.

 

Yeah different amps act different ways. Some of them (kicker cx amps, for example) always try to use auto-turn-on even if you dont want it to. When its using the auto, the remote input between the power and ground wires actually becomes an OUTPUT you can use to turn on addition amps. This causes an issue when using the accy wire for the radio to turn on the amp because now it's backfeeding power to that accy wire, thus keeping the radio on. And as long as the radio is on, the amp is on, which keeps the radio on, and it's just an endless loop.

Glad they got it taken care of!

 

Just got it back. that was it. the relay fixed all issues. whew

 

I’m going to try to set my Key amp up next week and wanted opinions on how I should set my dip switches. I’m going to be powering my front and rear speakers and want to use the auto EQ.

I’m going to be using a remote wire, so I want the 12V not DC correct? I know I want the EQ set to EN and bi-amp off. Fader should be on too right?

What about compression? What does that do exactly? And I think I want to leave time delay on too correct?

 

If you’re not running a subwoofer, you want the dip switches all up.

If you do have a sub, you might want to set the last two down.

 

Finally hooked up my Key, everthing sounds great except I get a slight pop from the speakers when I turn on or off the truck. Is this normal?

 

Might try turning down the gain a tiny bit. I believe mine makes a small noise when it first powers up or maybe it’s the Hideaway. Can’t remember.

 

Are you using the 12v or DC offset for turn on?

Either way, try the other option. That’s normally my first try just to see.

And yes, make sure the gains aren’t too high as well. I’ve found the limiter light to be a huge over-exaggeration and I tend to set the gain a good bit lower. As long as you get good volume with the radio at 75%, the gains are good there

 

I'm running DC offset. I tried the 12v, but could not get it to work. I connected the remote turn on wire to the blue wire on the metra harness

$13 71-1761 87 - 94 Toyota Vehicle Harness

71-1761. Measured a constant 5v. When I connected the metra wire to the key my volume controls on the HU would not work and the key did not power up.

 

That’s... odd.

 

Check if it is the right blue wire. Also check if the dc offset is on.

I had an issue like this and it was something silly.

 

I went back and checked a few PM’s between @destin_meeks and I. Make sure you grab the right blue remote turn on wire and from the right end of the harness.

At one point I had the dead volume knob on the head unit. I believe that was from output from the Key making the head unit go into “safe” mode. I believe Destin said the remote turn on goes hot in a certain situation. I’ll let him chime in because I don’t remember the details.

In the end it was my mistake and incorrect wiring. I have been using remote turn on and zero issue once I fixed my wiring mistake.

 

So I disconnected the remote turn on wire and made sure DC offset switch was turned on. Turned the gains to 0 and I still get a pop when I turn the truck off - regardless if the HU is on or off. If the HU is off (and the amp is off because I'm not hearing any white noise), why would I get a pop?

 

I figured it out - connected the ignition power to the key (red harness wire), corrected the mistake by connecting to the constant power source (yellow wire on the metra harness). I can't believe how awesome the key is. My stereo sounds amazing. I'm glad I went with the key first, instead of the hideaway. The key really brings the front 6x9 bass alive. Plenty of bass for me, no need for the hideaway.

 

wait... please clarify what you wired where.
I read that as "I originally wired the Key's blue wire to the metra red wire, but moved it to the metra yellow wire"
but I am hoping you meant you originally contacted the Key red wire to the Metra red wire, but moved it to the metra yellow wire

If the Key's blue wire is on the metra yellow, you'll be in for a dead battery pretty soon!

 

IF you add the Hideaway to it you will have that little bit of extra bass for those tunes that need it. I found I could turn down the bass on the head unit and let the hideaway do more of the bass.

 

Originally was Key red to Metra red, than changed to Metra yellow and Key red. I'm not using the remote turn on (using DC offset) from the key, so nothing is connected to the blue wire from Key and nothing is connected to blue or blue/white from harness. No more pop, just a slight click when the amp turns off. Man am I glad I came across this thread, that little amp rocks!

 

Ok great, just making sure you didn't have the key blue to metra yellow! That would keep the amp on constantly and that would create a problem!

 

I must be getting old because there is a crap load of bass. My side mirrors rattle, my door windows rattle, and I can feel a good thump next to my leg. I only have the gain set at 10 o'clock rear and 9 o'clock front - very little gain with barely any white noise.