Just got this nice new amp, hooked everything up right, and here's what happens:
1. green light on amp will turn on
2. it's drawing power, voltage gauge needle bounces and everything...
3. but nothing comes out of the speaker for awhile
4. it might turn on after a few seconds, or maybe not at all.

It only seems to do this through one channel. The other one seems fine so far. But, when it is working (through either channel), there is a loud turn-on pop, I can hear noise from my HU (it's kind of a low hum that matches the RPM of the cd player in the deck), and all of my speakers will pop and crackle changing tracks (a problem I've never had before). wtf is going on?

Post up more info on the amp(s), cd player, speakers and subs inc. how they are wired. We need a little more info to work with here. What year is the vehicle, where were the grounds attached etc. The more info we have the easier it is to try and diagnose an issue like alternator noise. Look at the ground as the first suspect. Any chance that you have a Pioneer cd player?

Kenwood KDC-MPV619
Alpine V12 Expert MRV-1001 (the two ch 600 watt)
All four speakers are Pioneers, components up front coaxials in back, running off deck power
The sub is just a Polk EX2 12"

The ground worked fine with my last amp, I never had any problems with it, and it was a 1,000 watt Sony monoblock (XM-1000GXD I think). If the ground wasn't working then wouldn't the green light on the amp not turn on/?

Go over all wiring... then try a different source.. ie walkman with different RCAs.. if it goes away its either your HU or your RCA cables... ect..

Run a new rca cable from the head unit to the amplifier. Run this cable temporarily over the top of the seats for now. Post up the results. Haunz had the other good suggestion for you to try, this eliminates the head unit and the cable as a problem. If the problem still exists, look closer at the speaker wires and the speakers. Swap the rca cables on the amp right to left, left to right. If the problem now moves from one side to the other it is a cable or source issue. If it stays on the same side it is a amp, speaker wire or speaker issue.

I am pretty sure it is an RCA issue somewhere by my HU. the amp does work fine though, nothing is broken on it.

Sounds like it could be an output short.
Get a multi-meter, set it test for resistance (ohms). First check it across the speaker terminals. If it reads lower than 3 volts you've found the problem. If that is wired right it should read from 3 - 5 ohms for that sub.
Then move on to all of the other leads. You should get No reading from the other terminals. If you do get a reading, there is a short. Either at the terminals or in the amp.

I think it is the RCAs. It is shorted somewhere between the deck & the amp, because the sub is fine - the amp is definitely fine - the deck is fine too, as far as I can tell, so I just need to run some new RCAs tomorrow or check the ones I have already to make sure.

not the RCAs. I put in a new set today and took the old ones out, ran them above the carpet in different spots and everything and no luck yet.
i think it is the deck.
here's what happens now:
1. the amp will never get a signal when the car is running
2. the amp will get a signal after awhile when the car is not running (key turned to ACC or ON, doesn't matter), it will pop once or twice, then another louder pop and they will start playing
3. when the amp is not getting a signal, the speakers will pop every time I change a song. didn't matter where the RCAs were, the speakers will still pop. They are being run off deck power. The speakers will play no matter what, the RCAs seem to be the only thing that won't work.
4. when the amp is getting a signal, the speakers will not pop at all.
5. when the amp is getting a signal, a hum from the deck can be heard thru the subwoofer. it is a really bassy hum, probably 90-100Hz and it will change pitch as the deck's CD player revs up and down. this doesn't get louder or softer with the volume.

so what's up? is my deck broken, or could it still be a wiring thing? I double checked everything and there are no crossed wires or anything anywhere.

[ November 12, 2004, 10:32 PM: Message edited by: BumpinTalon ]

Get a DMM and start doing tests on all the power wires.
But my guess is your deck is pooched