TV/VCR/Stereo Troubleshooting/car audio amplifier

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Expert: cleggsan - 11/5/2009


Question

my amp
i'm in need of some big help on this one...I have a cruiser 4000wt., single channel, single ohm, mono block amplifier. Today i was riding, and all of a sudden it went out. When i looked back, it had gone into protection mode. I stopped, and unplugged in until i got home 30 min. later. I replugged it in, and saw that it had flashed green for a sec before it again went into protection mode again. I tried again alittle while later, and it came on green, but a sec later, there was a pop, a burning smell, and a white smoke that came out each side of that end. I need any of your words of wisdom as to how i may find what part blew, and if it is a part that i can buy and replace to bring it back to life. Finding another amp of this standing is a hard thing to do around here, so i would like, if possible, to know what i can do to diagnose and repair it.

Answer
It would be either in the power supply or at the output demodulator.  You can open it up and sniff around to find out the location of the burnt part(s).  That may give you the clue as to which end of the amp is in trouble.

The audio output connections will be tied into the output section so you can follow the wiring to help locate that sniff area.

The power supply section will be nearby where the 12v line inputs to the amp.

Identifying the "smoked" components may be the most telling of your diagnosis.

Hope this helps.  

TV/VCR/Stereo Troubleshooting

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cleggsan

Expertise

Consumer Electronics of all kinds. Audio, esoteric audio systems and components, video, tv. Digital equipment for consumer use. Ham radio and automotive electronics. Note: I give advice on tv repair based on general consumer electronics engineering experience but I am not engaged in actual repair of sets. MAKE SURE YOU GIVE THE MAKE AND MODEL NUMBER AND AGE OF THE SET. BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR THE RETURN ANSWER DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS I TRY TO REPLY TO ALL QUESTIONS WITHIN THE SAME DAY IF NOT THE SAME HOUR.

Experience

Electrical Engineering; recording, broadcasting, design, international standards, tv and radio theory and practice.

Organizations
FELLOW of AES (Audio Engineering Society)
Senior Life Member of IEEE (Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers)
International Consulting Organization


Publications
IEEE Spectrum
Various Consumer Electronic publications

Education/Credentials
BSEE
MSCS
MBA

Awards and Honors
Famous Engineer for Digital Audio

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