# JL audio HD900/5 burning hot



## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

I just installed a new JL Audio HD900/5 5 channel amp and everything seems to be working fine in terms of sound, but the amp is always burning hot. The amp light turns on with the car so I figure the remote wire is working because it also goes off when the car is turned off, yet the amp is burning hot even after I left the car off over night. 

Could it be related to a bad ground or something? What would cause the amp to produce heat even when the indicator light is off? Bad amp? JL Audio tech support is closed this week so if anyone can give me any recommendations on things to check I would appreciate it...


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## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

disconnect the power wire and see if that solves the problem...if so you will have to troubleshoot the install.

Do you have a volt meter?


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

I have tried disconnecting the positive and this does cause it to cool down. Unfortunately I don't have a multimeter but any suggestions are still appreciated.


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## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

thegr8brian said:


> I have tried disconnecting the positive and this does cause it to cool down. Unfortunately I don't have a multimeter but any suggestions are still appreciated.


OK..then now disconnect the remote wire....

where did the remote wire come from?


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## 60ndown (Feb 8, 2007)

i believe another member here (chad) had a similar if not exact same jl amp that stayed burning hot for hours after he took it out of the car.he took it out because it wasnt working after a loud session of listening.tiny amp and big power = weird ass heat sinks is my guess?

use fans.


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

miniSQ said:


> OK..then now disconnect the remote wire....
> 
> where did the remote wire come from?


If I disconnect the remote wire the amp just wont turn on. It seems like the remote wire is doing the right thing because the indicator light on the amp only turns on and off with the ignition. The remote source I am using is from my Pioneer AVIC F90BT, it has a wire labeled remote switched power.


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

60ndown said:


> i believe another member here (chad) had a similar if not exact same jl amp that stayed burning hot for hours after he took it out of the car.he took it out because it wasnt working after a loud session of listening.tiny amp and big power = weird ass heat sinks is my guess?
> 
> use fans.


I dunno because it seems like the amp is just generating heat unrelated to usage. Like I finished the install last night and played music for no more than a few minutes and by no means anywhere near maxing out the power and when I checked it this morning it was the same temp as when I was playing if not hotter which will burn my hand if I leave it for more than a few seconds.


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

Does anyone know how JL handles repairs or replacements for units not under warranty? 

Unfortunately I was trying to save some money and picked this amp up on ebay so obviously not an authorized JL dealer. Hope that doesn't come around to screw me....


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## Torquem (Jun 27, 2009)

The HD series amps have a pilot light. That's probably what you are feeling.


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

Torquem said:


> The HD series amps have a pilot light. That's probably what you are feeling.


lol how nice of them, seriously though need more pro tips!


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

Ok, something is not right...The amp hasn't been used for the past 3 hours and I just went to check on it and now when it starts up it goes straight to the overheated mode which is indicated by a red power light indicator instead of green. The only things I can imagine is that it is either some how related to my ground, which may not be 100% perfect but it sounded fine while I was testing everything out or it's just a dud amp...Opinions? 

I've never heard of a bad ground causing overheating so I can't imagine it's that...


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## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

might be time to shut it down and return it to the place you bought it...JL is not really going to be under any obligation to help you out...i would return it.


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

Well do you know if JL does repairs? Depending on the cost I would rather go that route because I don't think I am going to be able to return due to the sellers weird return policy.


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## 60ndown (Feb 8, 2007)

take it out let it cool down, put it back in with a good ground, try it again, if its still waaaaay to hot all the time return it. some amps are built in a way that makes em run hot even at low volumes (class A) maybe its part of the design?

protection light is bad tho


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

60ndown said:


> i believe another member here (chad) had a similar if not exact same jl amp that stayed burning hot for hours after he took it out of the car.he took it out because it wasnt working after a loud session of listening.tiny amp and big power = weird ass heat sinks is my guess?
> 
> use fans.


Mine was a 500/5, the big one (only one channel of class D.) It's shot and getting repaired 

If it's hot sitting there, as in come out the the car in the morning and the car is not int he sun, or the amp is CONSIDERABLY hotter than the ambient temp of its surroundings.. Something is wrong. If it's this hot after use, then how hard are you driving it?


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

chad said:


> Mine was a 500/5, the big one (only on channel of class D.) It's shot and getting repaired
> 
> If it's hot sitting there, as in come out the the car in the morning and the car is not int he sun, or the amp is CONSIDERABLY hotter than the ambient temp of its surroundings.. Something is wrong. If it's this hot after use, then how hard are you driving it?


It's hot after essentially no use. It was burning hot to the touch this morning after 10 hours of no use. Did you send yours to JL directly and was it under warranty?


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

thegr8brian said:


> It's hot after essentially no use. It was burning hot to the touch this morning after 10 hours of no use. Did you send yours to JL directly and was it under warranty?


Did you purchase it from an authorized dealer? If so take it to an authorized dealer, have it repaired under warranty. If you did not purchase it from an authorized dealer then you are SOL or call JL.

Heat=current draw, if you let that car sit long enough you would have a cashed battery.


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

Yea I've got it unplugged now. This is so horrible though because it might mean I'm out $650 and no music till I feel like spending that much again in the worst case, or maybe I can get JL to repair it but then I still have no music in the car until I get it back which sucks because I'm starting a new job next week with an hour comute each way...

Anyone have any experience with JL doing repairs on unwarrantied items? I guess I learned my lesson here if I am SOL it may not be worth the money saved to get it from unauthorized dealer. I tried to call JL but they are closed this whole week!


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

JL's repair turn around is around 7 days. Sans shipping. It's worth getting fixed.

As for non warranty, flat rate repair. X amount of dollars for a cold solder joint, same x amount of dollars if it's completely ****ed.

did you purchase it used? New? Authorized?


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## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

I hope this isn't he one you bought?

JL AUDIO HD900/5 AMPLIFIER - eBay (item 230488591128 end time Jun-23-10 11:29:16 PDT)

new amp..with no returns and only 3 feedback responses.

But it does show ebay is covering it....if it doesn't work.


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## 60ndown (Feb 8, 2007)

thegr8brian said:


> Yea I've got it unplugged now. This is so horrible though because it might mean I'm out $650 and no music till I feel like spending that much again in the worst case, or maybe I can get JL to repair it but then I still have no music in the car until I get it back which sucks because I'm starting a new job next week with an hour comute each way...
> 
> Anyone have any experience with JL doing repairs on unwarrantied items? I guess I learned my lesson here if I am SOL it may not be worth the money saved to get it from unauthorized dealer. I tried to call JL but they are closed this whole week!


$650!! send it back, any problems from seller, make a paypal/ebay claim against them, 

for $650 your amp should work NORMALLY for 12 months


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

chad said:


> JL's repair turn around is around 7 days. Sans shipping. It's worth getting fixed.
> 
> As for non warranty, flat rate repair. X amount of dollars for a cold solder joint, same x amount of dollars if it's completely ****ed.
> 
> did you purchase it used? New? Authorized?


It was new in the box sealed but not authorized. The ebay seller has a one year warranty that I'm hoping will cover it. If not I'm hoping JL will be able to repair it without too much cost.


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

miniSQ said:


> I hope this isn't he one you bought?
> 
> JL AUDIO HD900/5 AMPLIFIER - eBay (item 230488591128 end time Jun-23-10 11:29:16 PDT)
> 
> ...


Nope, this is the one...

JL AUDIO HD900/5 HD SERIES 500W RMS AMPLIFIER: eBay Motors (item 140408028748 end time May-16-10 02:20:56 PDT)


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## 60ndown (Feb 8, 2007)

thegr8brian said:


> Nope, this is the one...
> 
> JL AUDIO HD900/5 HD SERIES 500W RMS AMPLIFIER: eBay Motors (item 140408028748 end time May-16-10 02:20:56 PDT)


contact them, be polite, explain, hopefully they will take care of you, if not, claim, 

be sure to take action before time runs out. (30 day money back)


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

60ndown said:


> contact them, be polite, explain, hopefully they will take care of you, if not, claim,
> 
> be sure to take action before time runs out. (30 day money back)


The time is already up, I purchased in mid may. That's part of the problem, I couldn't install it right away because I was waiting for a custom sub enclosure to be built and just finding the right time to install it. I have contacted them and hopefully they will respond asap.


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## 60ndown (Feb 8, 2007)

good luck.

if i sold an amp and the guy came back *months* later complaining.........


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## WLDock (Sep 27, 2005)

thegr8brian said:


> I guess I learned my lesson here if I am SOL it may not be worth the money saved to get it from unauthorized dealer.


Well, IMO unless one can get a deal from an local Authorized dealer I really don't see paying full MSRP for car audio electronics. If you picked it up for $650 great!

I would push the company that you got the amp from to offer you a replacement. If the amp works yet stays hot even when it is not on means that it has to be an internal fault and something must be constantly on or shorted? I don't see how an install related issue could cause this. Push that fact hard to the company you got it from.

If they just won't work with you and you have to get it repaired....then the total cost would still be under the $1000 Authorized cost off the net. 

Yes I believe in supporting the local Authorized dealer but I refuse to pay full retail from them and even more so off the net.


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

WLDock said:


> Well, IMO unless one can get a deal from an local Authorized dealer I really don't see paying full MSRP for car audio electronics. If you picked it up for $650 great!
> 
> I would push the company that you got the amp from to offer you a replacement. If the amp works yet stays hot even when it is not on means that it has to be an internal fault and something must be constantly on or shorted? I don't see how an install related issue could cause this. Push that fact hard to the company you got it from.
> 
> ...


That's what I'm thinking, as long as the repairs are under the authorized cost then I'm willing to pay. Can't imagine repairs costing more than $350 so I should be good.


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## m3gunner (Aug 6, 2008)

If you read their "Warranty", it sez "A one year limited warranty repaired or replace with same or similar product if the same item is not in stock at our discretion after 30 days from our ship date."

That means that they can *legally* replace it with the latest from Pyramid or Majestic as long as it's "similar". 

Ugh. Best of luck, but I'm thinking you're screwed...


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## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

60ndown said:


> good luck.
> 
> if i sold an amp and the guy came back *months* later complaining.........


it was less than 2 months....

Note to self...don't buy anything from 60ndown:laugh:


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

m3gunner said:


> If you read their "Warranty", it sez "A one year limited warranty repaired or replace with same or similar product if the same item is not in stock at our discretion after 30 days from our ship date."
> 
> That means that they can *legally* replace it with the latest from Pyramid or Majestic as long as it's "similar".
> 
> Ugh. Best of luck, but I'm thinking you're screwed...


I saw that and I would definitely confirm before sending it in that they would send me back another hd900/5 if not I would just deal with the repair costs from JL.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

thegr8brian said:


> That's what I'm thinking, as long as the repairs are under the authorized cost then I'm willing to pay. Can't imagine repairs costing more than $350 so I should be good.


FWIW it's $180 to repair a NUKED 500/5 to factory spec. Calling Jay ell (hotlink avoidance) or taking it to a dealer will tell you what the repair rate is. Have the S/N handy.


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

chad said:


> FWIW it's $180 to repair a NUKED 500/5 to factory spec. Calling Jay ell (hotlink avoidance) or taking it to a dealer will tell you what the repair rate is. Have the S/N handy.


If that's around what it costs I can deal with it.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

return shipping is included


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## 60ndown (Feb 8, 2007)

ill give you $580.00


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

I would take that and then go buy another one. :laugh:


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

Also I just realized that my credit card might cover me if no one is willing to help me out. If the company isn't willing to accept a return within 90 days, which I still am, my credit card company will apparently reimburse me in full.


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## msmith (Nov 27, 2007)

Something is DEFINITELY wrong with that amplifier. Remove the power wire fuse and do not use the amplifier. Unauthorized retailers often disassemble our amps to remove serial numbers and avoid tracking of the product. In the process they often damage the amplifier or fail to properly reassemble it. 

The amp needs to be serviced and is not safe, based on the description of symptoms in the first post. Contact an authorized JL Audio dealer and they can arrange for out-of-warranty service.

Sorry for the bad news. 

Manville Smith
JL Audio


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

msmith said:


> Something is DEFINITELY wrong with that amplifier. Remove the power wire fuse and do not use the amplifier. Unauthorized retailers often disassemble our amps to remove serial numbers and avoid tracking of the product. In the process they often damage the amplifier or fail to properly reassemble it.
> 
> The amp needs to be serviced and is not safe, based on the description of symptoms in the first post. Contact an authorized JL Audio dealer and they can arrange for out-of-warranty service.
> 
> ...


Nice to hear from someone at JL, I guess I learned my lesson for not buying authorized, will any authorized dealer be able to repair it or should I send it directly to JL? Also any estimate in repair costs?


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## msmith (Nov 27, 2007)

The HD900/5 is one of the most complex amplifiers ever made, so I wouldn't trust its repair to anyone other than our factory techs.

The authorized dealer will send it into JL Audio for repair. You are responsible to pay for shipping/insurance to JL Audio. Return shipping is included in the flat-rate repair fee. I think it's $180 for that amp (don't quote me because I don't have a price sheet with me). If the serial numbers have been removed/tampered with, there is an additional re-serialization fee ($25, I believe). You will need to provide proof of purchase (receipt, packing list, cc statement). The repaired amplifier will carry a 90 day warranty from JL Audio. We generally turn repairs around in five business days (once we receive them).

Sorry you had such a crappy buying experience.

Manville Smith
JL Audio, Inc.


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## msmith (Nov 27, 2007)

Sorry, double post.


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## kyheng (Jan 31, 2007)

^So total it will cost $205 for repairing a grey area market amp... That's cheap because some company charges more.


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

msmith said:


> The HD900/5 is one of the most complex amplifiers ever made, so I wouldn't trust its repair to anyone other than our factory techs.
> 
> The authorized dealer will send it into JL Audio for repair. You are responsible to pay for shipping/insurance to JL Audio. Return shipping is included in the flat-rate repair fee. I think it's $180 for that amp (don't quote me because I don't have a price sheet with me). If the serial numbers have been removed/tampered with, there is an additional re-serialization fee ($25, I believe). You will need to provide proof of purchase (receipt, packing list, cc statement). The repaired amplifier will carry a 90 day warranty from JL Audio. We generally turn repairs around in five business days (once we receive them).
> 
> ...


Alright thanks for the info. It looks like it still has the serial number on it so hopefully that will be fine. Still hard to believe someone could have tampered with it, looked brand new sealed up and solid as a rock. I guess I'll be making the trip in to the closest Boston JL dealer sometime this week. Wish I still lived in south Florida, probably would have sped this up a bit lol.


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

Good news everyone! I got a hold of a multimeter and did some testing...
power was fine 12v off 14.3v on, remote was fine 0v off 12v on, and then I checked out the ground and found a bit of resistance with the ohmeter so I redid the ground this time sanding the area and make a damn good connection and lo and behold it seems to be working now. The ground resistance is now reading .6 ohms so I think that's what I was looking for. Never heard of a bad ground causing heat dissipation in an amp when off, but if you think about it, it kinda makes sense. 

I'm gonna keep an eye on it but I think this case is closed! leased:


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Unless your meter really sucks... .6 Ohm is way too much unloaded.

Remember many modern cars are literally GLUED together. you may want to investigate another grounding point.

Also, FYI after sanding it's a good idea to put a corrosion inhibitor at the connection.. slater it on there.

FWIW, i still think the amp may be jacked but I could be wrong, it would not be the first or last time


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

chad said:


> Unless your meter really sucks... .6 Ohm is way too much unloaded.
> 
> Remember many modern cars are literally GLUED together. you may want to investigate another grounding point.
> 
> Also, FYI after sanding it's a good idea to put a corrosion inhibitor at the connection.. slater it on there.


Yea I verified by testing one area of the chasis to another with the ohmeter and it gave the same 0.6 reading...It definitely is a crappy meter but it seems like it is at least consistent with the resistance of the chasis.


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

Spoke to soon....waited like a half hour and just went back to check it and it's burning hot again...I did hear from the seller of the amp and he said he's willing to take it back under his warranty and send me another...So I'm going to try that route first before going to JL since it's free. oh well.


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## kyheng (Jan 31, 2007)

If you got high resistance on the ground, you will get low voltage when it is working. Did you try it with no loads(speakers disconnected)?


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

kyheng said:


> If you got high resistance on the ground, you will get low voltage when it is working. Did you try it with no loads(speakers disconnected)?


The amp is working acoustically, the problem is that it is heating up when it is indicating that it is off.


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## 60ndown (Feb 8, 2007)

thegr8brian said:


> Good news everyone! I got a hold of a multimeter and did some testing...
> power was fine 12v off 14.3v on, *remote was fine 0v off 12v *on, and then I checked out the ground and found a bit of resistance with the ohmeter so I redid the ground this time sanding the area and make a damn good connection and lo and behold it seems to be working now. The ground resistance is now reading .6 ohms so I think that's what I was looking for. Never heard of a bad ground causing heat dissipation in an amp when off, but if you think about it, it kinda makes sense.
> 
> I'm gonna keep an eye on it but I think this case is closed! leased:


12v ????

did you connect your 'key on 12v' on to your remote turn on accientally?

i think it should be leik 0.2?


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

not sure what you're saying...what should be 0.2v? 

I measured the remote turn on lead(coming from the back of my head unit) as 0v with the key completely out of the car and nothing on, like it should be, then I put the key into accessory position and the remote lead read 12 volts.


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

thegr8brian said:


> not sure what you're saying...what should be 0.2v?
> 
> I measured the remote turn on lead(coming from the back of my head unit) as 0v with the key completely out of the car and nothing on, like it should be, then I put the key into accessory position and the remote lead read 12 volts.


The remote turn on is low voltage (that is why it is always such a thin wire, does not carry much power), it literally just needs enough power to turn the amp on, that is where 60ndown is getting the 0.2v from, there is no way that the remote turn on should be reading 12 volts.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Jesus guys... are you on crack? Find the shot of dumbass in that bottle of Bourbon 

Remote turn on when activated is approx 12V, rather low current. When off it should read 0V or damn close to 0V.

Quit ****ing with him.


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## kvndoom (Nov 13, 2009)

naiku said:


> The remote turn on is low voltage (that is why it is always such a thin wire, does not carry much power), it literally just needs enough power to turn the amp on, that is where 60ndown is getting the 0.2v from, there is no way that the remote turn on should be reading 12 volts.


Huh??? Remote turn on is 12V. Even the amp's manual will tell you that. Some people even just jumper the +12V and remote for an easy way to turn the amp on when testing it.


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

Just sent me for a wild goose chase searching the internet...lol


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## WLDock (Sep 27, 2005)

Yeah, you guys need to quit...HIS AMP IS SCREWED! Send it back for replacement and stop trying to figure out what is wrong with it. Pretty much knew that after the original post.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

WLDock said:


> Yeah, you guys need to quit...HIS AMP IS SCREWED! Send it back for replacement and stop trying to figure out what is wrong with it. Pretty much knew that after the original post.


No **** Dick Tracy, it's been verified. Now go check the voltage on YOUR remote wire when the rig is on


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

Sending it out tomorrow. I'll pop a post in here hopefully when everything is all fixed.


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

chad said:


> Remote turn on when activated is approx 12V, rather low current. When off it should read 0V or damn close to 0V.





kvndoom said:


> Huh??? Remote turn on is 12V. Even the amp's manual will tell you that. Some people even just jumper the +12V and remote for an easy way to turn the amp on when testing it.


Weird, I always thought it was less than 12V, however I do not claim to know anything but basics of installation, always ready to learn something though.


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## kyheng (Jan 31, 2007)

The remote only need to see 12V... HU's remote out is only 500mA.....


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

So here I am about a month later, I got a "brand new" replacement HD 900/5 from the guy on ebay. It didn't even seem like he really checked the issue out he just sent the new one. As far as I can tell, it actually is new. I installed it last night and everything was working. I checked it this morning before my drive to work and no heat! So I never exactly found out what the problem was but it does seem to be resolved now, and I only ended up having to pay $25 to ship it for return.


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## Toys7505 (Jul 1, 2008)

Looks like you lucked with the best of situations! Could've been uglier and costly to you. Always fearful when buying stuff on Ebay as there are some sellers that when they ship your product, they are done with you no matter what. Kudos to that seller for working with you and providing excellent customer service!

PS - where is Ma. are you? I'm in the Milford area.....


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## thegr8brian (May 4, 2010)

I'm on Mission Hill in Boston. Not the safest place for car audio equipment, but I have a pretty secluded parking spot.


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## kyheng (Jan 31, 2007)

$25 for a new amp is pretty good deal.... Think it this way and you will be happy.


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