amp doesn’t turn on....

.... unless the truck is running.

i have a jl stealthbox and kicker amp. the amp doesn’t fire the subs unless the truck is running. i’m rusty on my audio skills and didn’t wire this myself.

would this be an issue with the remote wire? something with the factory receiver?

 

2 typical options

1) the turn-on wire is hooked up to an Ignition source and not an Accessory source. To check this, click the key to "on" but dont crank it (turn in on enough to get the A/C on)
Do the subs play? If so, it're wired to an Ignition source
If not, proceed to option 2

2) They are using a voltage trigger to create a turn-on source.
What this does is monitors the trucks voltage. Your battery rests in the mid 12's normally. The alternator runs much higher though (high 13's to mid 14's, depending) so this voltage trigger turns on as soon as it see's 13.5v or more.

 

it’s #2. in all the years i’ve tinkered with car audio i’ve never done this. is it to protect the battery from running down? it’s only a 600w mono amp. we’re not talking about thousands of watts that would need a cap. i’d like to find a way to correct this.

 

It's nothing to do with that. It's just a little device that turns on when the alternator is running. In most scenarios, it's used out of laziness (at least that's normally when I use them in my shop) so I don't have to run another wire across the truck to the radio or cig lighter.

Some shops will tell you "it's to keep the battery from running down" but it's to be lazy in my scenarios.

 

Sweeeeet