If you are wanting to connect an external car amplifier to your car stereo it will need to have a working pair of RCA outputs. This is because using leads will allow the music to be sent to the amp for it to be amplified into a bigger sound. Now if the car stereo RCA outputs are not working, there will be no music coming from the external speaker connected to any amps. If you have accurately checked everything including the power, along with the wires going to the sub then you will need to start troubleshooting the RCA connections. Its recommend that you use a digital multimeter to test if there is signal coming out from them. This can be easily done by connecting a probe into the middle and the other onto the outer metal shield to check the voltage. These steps will help you resolve this car audio problem as they are applied all the time at the shop for our customers.
1) Check that sub level is not muted from the car stereo. Most aftermarket ones have an option or setting that allows you to adjust the amount of output going to it. Sometimes when messing around with it can mute the sound stopping the bass playing. Check that its not turned all the way down and it is at least more than half way so that it can provide a strong signal that can be easily picked up. This in fact is a very common mistake that most people make that dont even realise it at all.
2) Check that you have connected them into the 'Input' Socket. Sometimes what unexperienced people do is mistakenly plug them into the wrong end. This is because a car amp has two sets of RCA sockets, one for a direct connection from the radio and the other one is used to create a jumper to add a second amplifier. Also check that they are in the right 'Sub Out' on the back of the wiring harness on the stereo. In fact a customer had there RCA leads for their amp going to the video AV output that is used for monitors in the back head rests.
3) The cables could be bad. Now this happens vary rarely but in some cases it can be true. If the solder inside the connectors is broken off from pulling and tugging during the installation of the wire, which can happen when you are fitting it into the side panels, there is chances that you could have damaged it. So just to make sure what it is, purchase a brand new high quality set of RCA leads from sonicelectronix.com and plug them in as part of them test.
4) The RCA could be damaged internally on either the stereo or the amp. Now this can happen if you are connecting them while there is power going to both at the same time. What you are supposed to do is turn everything off so there is no voltage going down them. This is why you hear a thump sound when you connect them while the equipment is on, which can damage the diodes and resistors inside. So try out the other remaining ones such as the front and rear outputs to see if you get the same no sound problem. Also try a different cheap car amp for testing on the same car stereo that you assume has faulty RCA outputs. If there is sound coming from it, then you can distinguish that there is a fault with the current one previously before the switch.
3) The cables could be bad. Now this happens vary rarely but in some cases it can be true. If the solder inside the connectors is broken off from pulling and tugging during the installation of the wire, which can happen when you are fitting it into the side panels, there is chances that you could have damaged it. So just to make sure what it is, purchase a brand new high quality set of RCA leads from sonicelectronix.com and plug them in as part of them test.
4) The RCA could be damaged internally on either the stereo or the amp. Now this can happen if you are connecting them while there is power going to both at the same time. What you are supposed to do is turn everything off so there is no voltage going down them. This is why you hear a thump sound when you connect them while the equipment is on, which can damage the diodes and resistors inside. So try out the other remaining ones such as the front and rear outputs to see if you get the same no sound problem. Also try a different cheap car amp for testing on the same car stereo that you assume has faulty RCA outputs. If there is sound coming from it, then you can distinguish that there is a fault with the current one previously before the switch.
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