# Kicker 08ZX1000.1 Protection Light PLZ HELP



## airforce89

Hey im new to this forum.. but I have a 08 Kicker ZX1000.1 Monoblock amp and I cant figure out why the red protection light is flashing on and off... It happened once i moved system to a different vehicle.. 

Things ive tried;

1.Ive tested the ground in multiple different ways.

2.Ran the remote wire from remote terminal on amp to positive terminal on amp to make sure it wasnt remote wire causing protection light to come on.

3.I dont think there are fuses in the amp itself so i removed the one and only fuse in the current and connected without fuse.

4.Unhooked the subwoofers just incase I had bad wiring in the box.

5.Opened the amp up and looked for Melted sauder or burn marks, and smelled for any hint of a burn smell. (Nothing)

6.Made sure the power wire has good connection. (Excellent Connection)


and still the amp does nothing but sit and flash the protection light giving no hint of turning on.. it worked fine when it was hooked up in my other car...
ANY IDEAS GREATLYYY APPRECIATED!!! Thanks,

Adam


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## Volenti

Do you actually have 12v at the amp terminals?, if you do with nothing else hooked up and still it won't turn on, then it's a problem inside.

It's possible the protection circuitry kicked in before anything on the board was toasted.


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## airforce89

How would I check for that? Just stick my voltmeter in the wire at the terminals?


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## airforce89

k I just hooked up the voltmeter and it was reading 14.8 volts at the amp terminals

so what would need to be done? if nothing in the amp was fried because the amp protection circuitry kicked in before anything happened.. (Im assuming it did because it still looks brand new on the inside and even has the brand new smell lol)


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## airforce89

bump....


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## bkjay

If you have good voltage to the amp and protect still kicks in with nothing connected, it has to be the amp. Maybe something shorted when it was being pulled out. I would call kicker maybe they can help you.


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## airforce89

anyone know of any website that could educate me on repairing amps? also anyone know of a website that sells amp parts for good prices?


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## MidnightG35X

http://www.bcae1.com


If you're serious about amp repairs, get his repair tutorial.

As far as parts, it really depends what you need. Mouser, digikey, arrow are all good places for most parts besides connectors.


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## airforce89

well i read up on it and it does seem pretty confusing lol.. i may attempt to make the reapir though still.. im just having difficulties locating the issue with my amp.. the pictures of the amps they showed on the website looked like they were old or not so powerful amps this zx1000.1 has a TON of more components inside.. one question I do have it was showing pictures of the black soot and like a white gummy substance leaking out.. my amp doesnt have any of that.. the only thing I notice is a black/ almost rubbery substance around every screw inside the amp and around transistors.. but it looks like its supposed to be there in a way then in another way it almost looks like it wasnt im not sure.. because its not like its just on some of the transistors and screws.. its on every one and in the same spot on each one... hmmm


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## MidnightG35X

The basic structure of almost all amps is the same. First thing to check is the power supply and output FETs. They are the transistors beneath the metal bars clamped to the outer edge of the heatsink. The website I referenced earlier mentions how to check the transistors.

The stuff around the screws is probably intentional. Most likely just a small amount of epoxy. It shows the manufacturer if someone has tampered with the amp for warranty issues.


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## Shen33

Troubleshoot your speaker wiring. Detach your speaker wires and RCA, leaving only the positive, ground and remote. If your amp if functional with the green light on. Your speaker wiring is probably exposed, touching metal or pinched. You can find out which ones are causing the problems by plugging them back on by one.

If the above makes no difference, grab a multimeter and make sure you've tested the ground terminal with your black prone and not the place where you've grounded it to get a more accurate reading. If the readings are within range then it is not the wiring all together.

Open your amp and look for soot, cracks or weird smells. If you don't know what smell exactly, put your nose next to your desktop CPU after it has been running for a while. It resembles that same smell but with a hint of burning.

Before continuing, check to make sure you don't have warranty as tampering with the screws will void any warranties. The plastic dried glue on the screws are used for shock and as a way of showing of there has been tampering. 

Remove your fuse (this can be done without removing the cover) and check to see if they are alright. Some amps have blinking protection light even when fuses are blown. Pull them out with taped pliers wiggling them out by alternating (pulling) from top to bottom. If the fuses are fine its your main board.

If there is no soot, no smell or abnormalities of any kind. Remove the board from the housing so that you can see the bottom of the circuits. Look for disconnections, cuts or poor soldering. In the unlikely case your amp was securely fastened to your car, a turn can loosen these connections. Getting a closer look of your board is important, so make sure when you are checking to remove all the plastic paper covers. Do not lose them, they are important in keeping your amp functioning. Again look for soot, cracks, smells and any other abnormalities.

If everything checks out.

Grab your multimeter and follow the diagnostics on the previous web link (short and open section, following the pictures should be sufficient). Checking each "3 legged" black pieces (including the tiny ones) located on the edges of the board, according to their model. 

If they all check out. It is time to move in towards the center of your board and run through diagnostics there. It is unlikely these areas could be damaged as you described that it is a new amp. Most manufactures prefer to keep the easily replaced and damaged components away from the body.


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## Shen33

Try using a alternative power source. A different car battery, a different ground.


If all fails.

Grab a hammer and swing hard into the center of the board with the narrowing point facing towards the board and yell out "DIU LE LO MO"

or

Bring it to a Electronics specialist found in your local yellow pages, newspaper ads, Craigslist and update them on your progress. There's really no point sending it across the world to have it looked at and paying 3 times as much. Find someone with reputable experience, proper tools and ask him where he receives his parts. Strike a deal, pay the man, put a smile on a enjoy.


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## bkjay

wow great detail. good post.


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## dinger48

Did you ever get this figured out? I have the same amp and the last couple of days it has been kicking out while under heavy load. I turned off the deck and back on and it seemed to work fine. This happened about 5 times total over a 2 day period and now I cannot get it to turn on at all. All it wants to do is kick back into protection...


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## envisionelec

The problems are in the amp. Moving it around doesn't cause the problem, but it does _show up_. Basically, the output inductor windings rub through and short out causing the amp to go into protection. But along the way, it blows the differential comparator and capacitors.


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