Is your car’s subwoofer not working? It may seem like a simple fix, but it can be easy to just give up and try to find a new one.
If the Amp power is on and you’re getting no sound from the subs then there could be something wrong with the amp or subwoofer wiring. This article will teach you how to identify what’s wrong with your system so that you can fix it!
Why Car Subwoofer is Not Working But Amp Has Power?
There are many reasons that may cause the car subwoofer not to work despite powering up the Amplifier. Here are the things you need to check before going for professional help-
1. Is the Volume Level Alright?
If the volume level is turned all the way down even when you are playing, then you won’t hear anything from your car’s audio system or speaker.
Now that doesn’t necessarily mean that the subwoofer isn’t working properly; in fact, chances are good to say otherwise. This means simply adjusting your stereo settings accordingly and turning the volume up should make the subwoofer work like normal.
However, If the volume level is fine (knob is at high volume level), then there are some other possibilities that you can check out-
2. Are the Cables Properly Connected?
Make sure you check all the cables and wire connections. Ensure that they are connected properly; otherwise, this is a common reason as to why your car’s subwoofer may not be working while amp has power.
Check if there are any loose wires or connectors near the amplifier location- it could also mean that something happened with them when you were installing the subwoofer.
If everything looks alright, then you might want to go on to the next step-
3. Does the System Have Good Ground?
Good grounding is important for a working car audio system. Check the ground wire of your car’s amplifier and make sure it has good contact with the vehicle body.
If you can, tighten or clean this connection to ensure that there is proper grounding between these two points. If you have connected the grounding wire long ago and didn’t bother seeing it, it’s time to check it.
Many times people complete all the troubleshooting process to find out there was nothing wrong with the system except a bad ground connection. Be sure not to be one of them.
4. Check for Blown Out Fuse
Blown out fuse is another reason why the audio system fails to work and you can easily overcome it. Check for the blown fuses in your car’s audio system and replace them with new ones before trying anything else, as it could save a lot of time!
Generally speaking, subwoofer fuses are located alongside the stereo fuses, typically inside the vehicle. Take out the car owner’s manual to locate the subs fuse and check if they have blown out or not.
If they happen to have blown out, replace them with appropriate fuses to have a perfectly functional sound system that makes you vibrate.
5. Input Malfunction
In some cases, the car’s system fails to work despite everything being fine because of a malfunctioning input. If you have tried all these steps and your subwoofer still doesn’t seem to be working then it could be that there is something wrong with the inputs of the amplifier or stereo unit.
Simply disconnect both components from each other and reconnect them. It’s a simple step but it might solve the problem at hand!
In some cases, you may have to check your car stereo or amplifier for any loose connections that could cause problems with the power supply and sound output. Make sure there is no damage in the cables of both components before trying this step as well- if everything looks fine yet the subwoofer doesn’t work, you may want to check if the input jacks are bad.
Input jacks rarely go bad but in some cases, they can cause the subwoofer not to work altogether.
6. Bad Subwoofer
If all the above-mentioned steps fail, then there may have no way to have your subwoofer working again!
You may want to check if you are using a compatible amplifier before deciding on this. If everything seems alright with the amp but it still doesn’t work, chances are that you might need a new subwoofer as the existing one has gone bad.
When such things happen, it’s always best to go for a replacement than trying any repair as these products rarely work as well as new when repaired.
7. Bad Amplifier
Before you take out the subwoofer from the car, we recommend checking the amplifier as well. On some occasions, you may see the amplifier powering up but the internals especially the mainboard got damaged. This may eventually mean that you either need to repair the amplifier or replace it with a new one to solve the issue that looked like a subwoofer problem in the first place.
How to Fix a Subwoofer that’s Not Working?
There are not many ways to fix a bad subwoofer except consulting a professional in this field. However, most subwoofer problems are associated with external things like head unit, power cables, input signal, etc. issues.
Replace or Connect Cables Properly to Solve Wiring Issues
If you find out that there is bad connection in the RCA cables, speaker wires, or amplifier wires, then you can fix the problem by simply re-connecting them properly.
If you find any damage in the input cables or subwoofer power wires, then you need to replace them with new ones.
You need to make sure the active subwoofer is properly connected with the car stereo system and all the wiring is in good condition.
Properly Ground the Audio System to
If you have found that there is problem with grounding in your vehicle, it is a must to have this sorted out to prevent internal components damage. Especially check the car amp ground as the amplifier’s ground have direct impact on how well your subs will perform.
Unlike power wire connections, grounding is pretty simple. You need to find out the ground cable, find a bare metal piece to connect the other end of the cable.
Replace the Subwoofer
If you have tried all other options above but nothing worked, you may need a brand new subwoofer.
In case you are not sure what to pick, we recommend MTX Audio Terminator Series subwoofers as they offer everything in a pack, and the best part? It’s within a reasonable budget. So, you don’t need to break a bank to replace the dead subwoofer.
Replace the Amplifier
It is possible that you might find the amplifier is looking fine but there are some internal problems like blown IC or bad main board. In such case, it’s better to have a replacement for this component as well.
Whether go for a budget option or high-end one, make sure to check if it fits your overall audio system of the car. For your convenience, we have researched and found Skar Audio RP-1200.1D Monoblock Class D MOSFET Amplifier with Remote Subwoofer Level Control to be a good fit for most car owners.
Conclusion
The subwoofer not working is typically due to an external wiring issue. To fix the problem, you should check your RCA cables or speaker wires for any bad connections and replace them if necessary.
If these are all in good condition, then it may be time to buy a new subwoofer as yours has gone bad.
Remember that there are few ways to repair a dead subwoofer but this should only be done by professionals who have experience with car audio systems. If you do try to figure things out, we recommend learning all the basics with ins and outs so that you don’t end up regretting the decision.