Amp burned up?

[masonvonritchie]

Hello all! Here's my issue:

I have a JL Audio 250/1 amp powering an Elemental Designs sub. My entire setup is aftermarket. I started my car earlier today and found that my sub was not working at all. I went back and looked at it and it seemed to be working but very weakly but it might have been the vibrations from the other speakers. I checked the fuse and it is good. The amp's power light was illuminated but I noticed that the amp smelled like it had some wires burned up. I know this is a sure sign that the amp has probably burned up but the power light is still illuminated. To be safe I unplugged the wires so it doesn't catch on fire if there is some electrical problem. Before I go and replace it, I want to get some insight from someone that knows car audio because I know nothing about it. Can I take the amp somewhere and have it repaired or am I better off just getting a new one? Thanks!

[1997Canadian3.8]

Re: Amp burned up?

You're better off getting a new one. How old is it? Call JL and see if they'll replace it. It's worth a try....

[Docta]

Re: Amp burned up?

Amp has power, but no sound? Maybe the sub? And if not, I say get a new one. I've got 400 in a single Sony 12, (I know...) and I want more. 250 has to be pretty meager unless you have like an 8"...

[whitdog54]

Re: Amp burned up?

if you burned up an amp, most of the time that means you have ****ty wiring, or have a crappy wiring job. The fact the amp power light is illuminated, makes me seem your problem is just a bad RCA wire or something.

[g9m1c]

Re: Amp burned up?

Are the RCA outputs on the back of the radio bad? Or the amp RCA inputs bad? Is the speaker wired correctly to the amp? Jl has pretty dependable audio.

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Amp burned up?

Amp has power, but no sound? Maybe the sub? And if not, I say get a new one. I've got 400 in a single Sony 12, (I know...) and I want more. 250 has to be pretty meager unless you have like an 8"...

Quality is better than quantity. A good amp with less power is a better bet than a cheap one with a high alleged rating.


If you smell burnt electronics, chances are you burned something. JL does have nice stuff, so you may want to check a few things. First, make sure the fuse installed is the correct size as recommended by the owners manual. Second, reseat your ground, make sure it's a good one. The chance that the sub suddenly stopped working is slim, but you may try another if you have access. If you don't get anywhere with those steps, try sticking the amp in a buddy's car that is wired for an amp, to completely eliminate any chance that the problem was the RCAs or wiring.

I'd call JL to see if it's still under warranty, but from the sound of it, you'll probably need to look for a new amp.