Sub install
 

I put in my Eclipse head unit in my car yesterday(this is the 5th car I have put in into) I added a 10' sub and a small 250W Sony amp. So the problem is that the sub produces bass for the first 1-3 minutes and then it stops? all of the wiring is tight... If I turn the head unit off and then right back on, the bass returns for another 1-3 minutes. Any ideas what is wrong?

I would guess that it is your amp, i have had that problem before, or it could be a bad ground connection, what amp are you running??

Its a Sony X-plode (brand new) 250W, and I'll check my ground as well. Thanks.

sounds like its getting hot and tripping a circuit breaker somewhere

Ok, but hot after 1 or 2 minutes?? that doesnt seem right. I check it after it stops working and it is warm...not any warmer than any other amp I have had. I probably shoulda not gotten this cheapo amp maybe. It was $70. get what you pay for?

u need to make sure that the amp is supplying enough watts to the sub...if the sub requires more watts than the amp can give...the amp will overheat....

and sony amps are well made for non show cars..i have 2 12" subs w/ a 1200 watt amp conected to all of my speakers...

yeah its probably the amp, i payed 90 for a sony 600w, see if you can take it back, tell em its not working properly

check to make sure you have all the wiring correct on the INSIDE of the box for the subs. if it is wrong you can have problems like you are experiencing. happended to me before.

Yeah its all correct...only one 10'' sub and only the + and - hook up...the connectors make it impossible to plug it in wrong as they are different sizes...I really think my ground connection sucks. Thanks for the reply.

if ur ground sucked...the there would not be any current going thru the amp..if theres not current going thru the amp...no overheating....make sure the amp can supply enuf current to the amp...

Do you mean the amp doesnt have enough power to drive the subwoofer, so it is overheating?

EDIT: after some research--
I think because I pirated this 10inch sub from the mtx thunderform I had in my Ranger, the ohm rating of the speaker may be weird and require a certain type of amp. The run of the mill Sony amp I am using may not match the speaker specs well enough to work without overheating.

Does the amp have a safe mode, if so, it sounds like thats coming on after a few minutes. A loose ground would just go out at random times, or just not work at all.

Yes, its got safe mode. And it turns on after a few minutes...faster if I turn up the gain. I learned from a guy at Crutchfield that the speakers used in the Thunderform enclosures has a specific ohm rating and requires a certain spec amp.

It works now...note: per MTX...all subs that come inside any amplified thunderform enclosure require an amp capable of .75 ohms. Most normal amps are good for 4-8 ohms. I got a Rockford Fosgate Punch rated at 4 ohms and the thing works like a charm...cheap too.

It's your amp....something is overheating @ one of the connections.

I guess you didnt read the posts in this thread...I already have the system working...it was not the amp that was the problem it was the fact that the sub I was trying to use required an amp that could power a .75 OHM speaker. Most amps dont go this low.