andy4b

Hey, i have a 2006 Cobalt LS (I know.. i should have gotten the SS)

When i got the car i had an eclipse head unit put in, and a jensen 320w amp installed powering 2 12" woofers. Ever since i got the car, it randomly died. What happens EVERY TIME is i turn the key (to acc). Everything comes on normal, lights radio everything. But when i turn it again to start the car, everything shuts off. At this point the battery seems to be dead or near dead. If its dead the key is stuck in the ignition. If its near dead i can get the key out, but if i try to start the car again it just clicks and then completely kills the battery. Well i was not thinking it was the audio system, and eventually it stopped happening for a while. So i upgraded to a Hifonics 1600w Amp powering 2 Alpine Type-Rs. Well it started happening again. (It happened with the 320wamp, and it continues with the 1600w). Well after a couple trips to the dealership (without the amp in) they say theres nothing wrong with the car. So i keep putting the system in right when i get it back from the dealer. Well i had the system out for a week and a half and it didn't happen once (usually averages about once a week). The next day i put the system back in (1600w amp) and it happened that day. I turned the key, everything came on, and i went to start the car and it just died. This happens even if the radio hasn't been on for days. But it only has ever happened when i had an amp hooked up to the battery.

Should i have a second battery installed with my audio system? Does anyone have any idea what could be causing the problem?

andy4b

anyone..?

EmperorJJ1

iTrader: (5)

you probably installed the amp so it never shuts off.... where is the remote turn on of the amp located?

Bandit2941

Are you playing the system for awhile in ACC before you turn the key to start the car?

andy4b

no and no. the amp is installed correctly it shuts off with the car. and i never listen to the radio in acc.

Bandit2941

What did you hook the remote wire to?

andy4b

I didn't install the amp kit, best buy did. But after checking it's spliced to a blue/white wire. which is labled 'control power supply' in the manual of the [eclipse] head unit.

Bandit2941

Where is power for the red switched power lead on the head unit sourced from?

andy4b

Not sure, i can't tell where it's going to. It's connected to another red wire going down that i can't trace to anything. What difference does this make? Could the remote be the culprit? Should i try hooking it to something else? If so what?

Also, by the amp being on do you mean it would be lit up? My amp says HIFONICS on the side, which is a neon blue light. And when the amp is on it lights up the whole trunk, and most of the car if the seats are folded. I would know if it was on. Is there a way it could be drawing power without the light lit? Amp on, Light on. Amp off, Light off. From my understanding

Xavipheus

Ehh theres no Accessory wire in our car, so who knows what they tapped for the remote turn on for your head unit, might be a constant 12v (cigg lighters), hence why the H/U is always draining power. That wire should be leading down into your fuse panel to a switched 12v source thats hot with the key

EmperorJJ1

iTrader: (5)

bingo i knew it was something like that... there was something fishy about that bb install. To check if its that see if you hu stays on past the 10 mins with door closed or since you probably dont want to disconnect the amp leave the hu on and playing then shut off the car open the door and if its still playing then they installed it wrong.

Bandit2941

I think he would know if the head unit is staying on ALL the time....

andy4b

The HU is definatly not all the time. So where do i go from here?

MoMo789

Dude it may be your electical system.b/c some of those things happened to me when i first bought the car. But also the 2005 model was the first in production also. so that's all i can think of rah now.

Bandit2941

I would start by seeing what circuit/wire they tapped for the head unit turn on lead.

andy4b

You mean see where the red wire is going? Do you think that this is whats causing the problem? shoudl i just try moving the remote line?

edit:

The remote is now wired to the rear speaker line. i know this is not on when the head unit is not on, i tested it with a multimeter. So should this resolve my problem?

EmperorJJ1

iTrader: (5)

lol ya but maybe he would manually turn off the hu each time he got out of the car.... that way he controls when it turns on as well

Xavipheus

w...t...f. Take it back to best buy and tell them they installed it wrong

Bandit2941

I mean, you need to see where the red wire that feeds the HEAD UNIT is wired. NOT the amp turn on lead (that should be wired to the blue/white wire at the back of the head unit, which sounds like it is from what you said).

You connected the remote wire to the speaker output?

Bandit2941

Don't knock him if he doesn't know better....

I seem to remember having to explain over and over again with exploded pictures something as simple as using a fuse tap to someone........

The_Blur

Best Buy wired my last set of amps to the "always on" position. My battery died and so did my amps. I'm getting a better install next time from someone else I know at Best Buy.

mesatrin

You said you have a DMM? If you do, instead of trying to trace the red wire just see if it has current when the car is off.

It seems like you pin pointed the problem down to the audio system but it really doesn't seem like the amps or the head unit is staying on all the time causing your battery to have a constant drain. If your remote (blue) wire is turned off when your car is off then your amps are not going to be using the battery.

After you get your car running how long before your car dies again?

andy4b

It's not hot when the car is off. that rules out the remote. to answer your question that is random. One time it happened back to back, i started the car. ran it for a while to recharge it and when i tried again it did the same thing. Other times it will happen weeks apart. One time it was a month before it happened again. every time under different circumstances. Thats whats weird.

I've left the car in a garage without starting it for a whole weekend, bettery was not dead.

I've driven the car all day, started it 10 times in a day, didn't happen once.

It can be a normal day, everythings fine and i turn the key and bam, there it is.

So there isn't a consistant circumstance under which it occurs. Which is why it's so difficult to figure out.. All i know is it SEEMS to have to do with the audio system. Which that theory alone could be a coincidence. And i could be looking in the wrong direction.

Xavipheus

How was I knocking him? He didn't install it, he said best buy did. I was simply implying Best Buy is completely retarted

iLLmaTic3s

hmm u def have a problem. they did hook up the remote to the blue/white wire which on a aftermarket deck is amp turn on. but it seems like your amp is stayin on. do u have a capacitor hooked up in the car? most likely they need to find a fuse like a sunroof fuse that turns off when the car door opens or after then 10minutes. they probably didnt know about it. but what is weird though...does the deck turn off with the car door/10 minutes crap. it should turn the amp off. if it was hooked to acess. it would stay on. hmm. have him hook up to a fuse like sunroof fuse. i work for best buy and do installs. plus im to familar with the car. just go back tehre and tell the guy that. he'll def fix that up. but if ur runnin 2 amps. def get a capacitor..that will not hurt the battery. ur drainin so much power out of the battery buy have some many amps on it...good luck with it