# amp only powers off when I remove RCA



## jazzpassine (Dec 12, 2017)

So I bought an Alpine MRV-M500 for my sub. I have the postive, ground, and remote wire hooked up. I tested the remote wire with my other amp and it functions properly. I also checked the remote wire with my DMM.

The amp won't turn off unless I unplug the RCAs from it (coming from a Helix DSP). It functions perfectly otherwise. What is causing this? Bad ground? All it takes is 1 RCA and the amp turns on and stays on even if the car is off.


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

U must have signal sense activated on the amp. If it sense signal it will turn on or off via signal sense. U need to turn it off and only use the remote it wire.


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## jazzpassine (Dec 12, 2017)

gumbeelee said:


> U must have signal sense activated on the amp. If it sense signal it will turn on or off via signal sense. U need to turn it off and only use the remote it wire.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


How do I do this? The amp doesn't have any switches and said nothing about it in the manual that I could find.

I think you are right though. Found this on their website "Remote Sensing Function (for RCA Input & Speaker Input)"


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

jazzpassine said:


> How do I do this? The amp doesn't have any switches and said nothing about it in the manual that I could find.




Honestly I thought signal sense only came thru hi-level inputs and not via rca are u using any hi-level (speaker inputs)


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## jazzpassine (Dec 12, 2017)

gumbeelee said:


> Honestly I thought signal sense only came thru hi-level inputs and not via rca are u using any hi-level (speaker inputs)
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



No, but I was just on their website and it says "Remote Sensing Function (for RCA Input & Speaker Input)"


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

jazzpassine said:


> No, but I was just on their website and it says "Remote Sensing Function (for RCA Input & Speaker Input)"




Its definatly turning off because of signal sensing. It wont turn off any othee way


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## jazzpassine (Dec 12, 2017)

ughh, first amp I bought on here came damaged from poor shipping. second amp I'm going to have to take back because of this. lol my luck! Bought an Alpine from Best Buy because I wanted the opportunity to return it if something like this happened. Hopefully the return process goes smoothly.

Good news is the rest of my system is awesome and I'm very thankful to everyone on here who has offered their time helping me and sold me some good deals. I'd post pics but its a beater car so I didn't hide my wires or anything good looking ha.


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## jazzpassine (Dec 12, 2017)

gumbeelee said:


> Its definatly turning off because of signal sensing. It wont turn off any othee way
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I'm just going to return it but I have a question. If my helix is off, wouldn't that mean the Alpine isn't receiving a signal and would turn off? How does anyone use these amps, if having RCAs plugged in means it won't turn off... ever?


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

jazzpassine said:


> I'm just going to return it but I have a question. If my helix is off, wouldn't that mean the Alpine isn't receiving a signal and would turn off? How does anyone use these amps, if having RCAs plugged in means it won't turn off... ever?



U r running from the helix remote out to the alpine correct. So u should have the remote in from your deck to helix and and remote out from helix to alpine


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## minbari (Mar 3, 2011)

Does it maybe take a few minutes to turn off? Wouldn't want it to turn off instantly when music stopped.

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## jazzpassine (Dec 12, 2017)

gumbeelee said:


> U r running from the helix remote out to the alpine correct. So u should have the remote in from your deck to helix and and remote out from helix to alpine
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



yes, basically.

I'm not running a deck, I'm running my pixel 2 -> DAC -> helix optical in. So I wired the helix in remote from the fuse box (turns on with headlights). And the Helix remote out to my 2 amps. The Zapco has no problems and functions perfectly. The Alpine won't turn off. 

I switched the remote wire from the Alpine to the Zapco just to test the wire and it worked fine for the Zapco. I then took out my DMM and check to make sure the Alpine was getting 0 DC when the car was off and proper DC from the remote when on. Everything checked out.

On a whim, I decided to unplug the RCAs and the amp shut off. Plug them back in and it turns on. Car doesn't have to be on.


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## jazzpassine (Dec 12, 2017)

minbari said:


> Does it maybe take a few minutes to turn off? Wouldn't want it to turn off instantly when music stopped.
> 
> Sent from my LGLS992 using Tapatalk


I gave it like 10 minutes. I'll try again and give it longer. Just don't want to burn out my battery.


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

Sounds like u got it set up correctly. I have never used signal sense so maybe someone else can chime and let u know more how it works


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

minbari said:


> Does it maybe take a few minutes to turn off? Wouldn't want it to turn off instantly when music stopped.
> 
> Sent from my LGLS992 using Tapatalk



Its not turning off at all, its signal sense for sure, but i thought if u were using a remote in wire it automatically eliminated signal sense but i have never used it so i am unfamilar


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

I just ask another member for some help, he might know more about signa sensing than me


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

jazzpassine said:


> I gave it like 10 minutes. I'll try again and give it longer. Just don't want to burn out my battery.




It should not take 10 minutes, max of like 1 or 2 minutes maximium!!!


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## jazzpassine (Dec 12, 2017)

Ok it gets even weirder. I removed the remote wire from the Alpine and it turned off with no audio signal. BUT then when I turned the car off and the Alpine turned back on.


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

jazzpassine said:


> Ok it gets even weirder. I removed the remote wire from the Alpine and it turned off with no audio signal. BUT then when I turned the car off and the Alpine turned back on.




I dont know what is going on. Is your phone still connected?


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

Good Luck hitting the hay for work tomorrow


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## jazzpassine (Dec 12, 2017)

gumbeelee said:


> Good Luck hitting the hay for work tomorrow
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks for your help. Someone on reddit was talking about this 

"I just had this problem, and I spent a week tapping fuses, getting sent new equipment, and scratching my head trying to figure it out.. Try disconnecting the remote wire completely, and see if the amp turns off and on with the key appropriately. My amp auto detects the turn on from the rca input"

I'm going to test tomorrow if when it turns on when I turn the car off, if it will eventually turn off. Orrrrrr I'm going to return it and buy something else aha.

Thanks again, I really appreciate your help.


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

jazzpassine said:


> Thanks for your help. Someone on reddit was talking about this
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I thought u said in an above post that u removed the remote wire but the amp turned on when u turned the car off. If the auto sense function is working correctly it should turn on with music and turn off when no music is playing when not using the remote it. Last post for me keep me updated....goodnte


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## jazzpassine (Dec 12, 2017)

gumbeelee said:


> I thought u said in an above post that u removed the remote wire but the amp turned on when u turned the car off. If the auto sense function is working correctly it should turn on with music and turn off when no music is playing when not using the remote it. Last post for me keep me updated....goodnte
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yes, you are right. I just edited my post to correct that. 

With the remote wire removed and the RCAs plugged in, the amp turns on when I turn the car off.


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## minbari (Mar 3, 2011)

gumbeelee said:


> It should not take 10 minutes, max of like 1 or 2 minutes maximium!!!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I agree. The signal sense on my LC2i is 1 minute

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## What? (Jun 5, 2008)

Is there audio input signal coming from the Helix to the Alpine when everything is "off"? I have used electronic LOCs (like the Powerbass ALC-2) and even though the ALC-2 was not turned on, it still passed audio signal (or factory BS signals they like to run on the audio wiring) from the factory deck and would turn on an Alpine amp installed after the ALC-2. I like Alpine but not having a switch to defeat signal sense turn on is an oversite for sure.


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## jazzpassine (Dec 12, 2017)

What? said:


> Is there audio input signal coming from the Helix to the Alpine when everything is "off"? I have used electronic LOCs (like the Powerbass ALC-2) and even though the ALC-2 was not turned on, it still passed audio signal (or factory BS signals they like to run on the audio wiring) from the factory deck and would turn on an Alpine amp installed after the ALC-2. I like Alpine but not having a switch to defeat signal sense turn on is an oversite for sure.



I unplug my phone (source) and turn off the dac and it stays on.


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## jazzpassine (Dec 12, 2017)

Thanks for everyone's help but I just returned the amp. Back to the drawing board.


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## jazzpassine (Dec 12, 2017)

Too bad we didn't figure this out, just saw the same model amp at a pawn shop for $50


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## Rainstar (May 22, 2017)

i wish i could find my amps at a pawn shop, give them ever dollar i got


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## Daniel75 (Apr 16, 2021)

jazzpassine said:


> So I bought an Alpine MRV-M500 for my sub. I have the postive, ground, and remote wire hooked up. I tested the remote wire with my other amp and it functions properly. I also checked the remote wire with my DMM.
> 
> The amp won't turn off unless I unplug the RCAs from it (coming from a Helix DSP). It functions perfectly otherwise. What is causing this? Bad ground? All it takes is 1 RCA and the amp turns on and stays on even if the car is off.





jazzpassine said:


> So I bought an Alpine MRV-M500 for my sub. I have the postive, ground, and remote wire hooked up. I tested the remote wire with my other amp and it functions properly. I also checked the remote wire with my DMM.
> 
> The amp won't turn off unless I unplug the RCAs from it (coming from a Helix DSP). It functions perfectly otherwise. What is causing this? Bad ground? All it takes is 1 RCA and the amp turns on and stays on even if the car is off.


I know it's an old forum but I just experienced the same situation but, in my case I have an extra amp I'm going to use on another vechicle. I hooked up my spare amp to find the remote wire wasn't making contact at the head unit. Re-did the connection now my turns off without having to pull RCA off. Just thought I share this for someone else having same issue.


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## dumdum (Feb 27, 2007)

gumbeelee said:


> Its definatly turning off because of signal sensing. It wont turn off any othee way
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It will... a very bad way!! If the earth on the amp is crap the rcas will provide the earth! That or the amp is majorly screwed!

I would suggest not plugging the rcas in until you have done some major surgery and testing as there is every chance that if it’s the obvious the amp or ground or both are majorly screwed and may damage the dsp...

You’ve been warned OP! Don’t plug the rcas in until you can get the amp to turn on normally with a remote! It doesn’t have signal sense...



https://support.alpine-usa.com/products/documents/OM_MRV-M500_F300.pdf


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## dumdum (Feb 27, 2007)

jazzpassine said:


> Thanks for your help. Someone on reddit was talking about this
> 
> "I just had this problem, and I spent a week tapping fuses, getting sent new equipment, and scratching my head trying to figure it out.. Try disconnecting the remote wire completely, and see if the amp turns off and on with the key appropriately. My amp auto detects the turn on from the rca input"
> 
> ...


Nooooo! See my answer above!


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

dumdum said:


> It will... a very bad way!! If the earth on the amp is crap the rcas will provide the earth! That or the amp is majorly screwed!


Yep, 100% agree with this. Had a faulty amp once, and thank my lucky stars it did not burn my car to the ground. I can't remember now how I discovered there was a problem, might have been a speaker cutting out or something, anyway, got home lifted the cover to check on things and found the RCA's completely melted and even started to burn through some plastic in the trunk due to the heat.


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

dumdum said:


> It will... a very bad way!! If the earth on the amp is crap the rcas will provide the earth! That or the amp is majorly screwed!
> 
> I would suggest not plugging the rcas in until you have done some major surgery and testing as there is every chance that if it’s the obvious the amp or ground or both are majorly screwed and may damage the dsp...
> 
> ...


This was in 2018...but u r correct


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## dumdum (Feb 27, 2007)

gumbeelee said:


> This was in 2018...but u r correct
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Very true, someone bumped it and it came up in new posts 🙈 doh!


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