Why Does My Amp Keep Cutting Out? 6 Causes To Address

Music fans can’t stand the annoyance of their amp cutting in and out while playing their favorite songs. They may ask: “Why does my amp constantly get errors?“

There are multiple causes for this problem. The sound quality becomes worse when played at a high volume. We will discuss all the possible cases and recommend the best ways to solve them. Let’s join! 

Why Does My Amp Constantly Get Errors? 

If your car amplifier keeps cutting out, check your whole car’s electrical system because the problem may arise from little errors. Here are the most common causes. Please check to detect them faster!

Weak car battery

Factory electronics like lights, power windows, and ACs use stock car batteries as their primary power source. 

Once connected to a powerful car amp, the stock battery can’t supply enough power for the additional electrical demands. As a result, the amplifier will cut out from the lack of power. 

The best solution for this issue is to use a deep-cycle car battery to replace the factory battery. The new battery should be strong enough to support high power requirements. 

Thin electrical wires

The electrical system may be the root of the issue. Your amp may constantly cut off if you use an improper wire gauge to connect it to the battery. 

A power-hungry amplifier’s electrical requirements could be too much for thin electrical wires to sustain. 

Switch to stronger electrical lines to improve the electrical system. Also, consider replacing thin wires with 0-gauge ones. They do a better job of supporting current flows.

Low voltage

The amp may go out if you use various car gadgets at once. It gets worse if you’re playing bass or turning the volume up. Low voltage can be the cause of this.

The placement of a power capacitor is the ideal solution to this concern. In this case, it should be installed between the car battery and the amplifier.

When the amp doesn’t need power, a power cap temporarily stores it. Then, the energy cap delivers the required voltage whenever the amp wants to use more energy, especially while playing bass. The battery won’t become overloaded as a result.

Weak alternator

The alternator starts charging the vehicle battery when you start the engine. If you have a weak or faulty alternator, the battery will need more time to charge. 

The battery will need enough energy to run electronic parts, such as the car amplifier. As a result, it will be cut out. 

The alternator is also in charge of managing the gains/punch bass control settings. Hence, once it fails, the whole car audio system will turn weak.  

The efficient solution is to change the alternator to a more potent unit so that the battery can charge more quickly. 

Low-powered car amplifier

The car amp will stop working if you connect it to a too-powerful car subwoofer and car speakers. The amp must supply a lot of energy to handle these components. 

A low-powered car amplifier can’t work powerfully. Thus, it will overheat and cut out, sometimes shutting off until you cool it down to the proper operating temperature. 

Please note that the maximum rating of a car amplifier must be twice as much as the connected subwoofer and speakers. 

For example, if the total maximum power of those components is 500 watts, that figure in the amp should be around 1,000 watts. 

Improper wiring

There are three types of wires you need to handle in your car stereo system: 

• The first is the one that joins the car’s alternator and the battery’s positive terminal. 
• The second connects the vehicle’s shock tower jack to the battery’s negative terminal. 
• The third line runs from the vehicle’s engine to the battery’s negative terminal. 

If you misconnect those wires, or they get loose, your car audio system will fail. Sometimes, the car amp cuts out as a result. 

How Do I Stop My Amp From Cutting Out? 

We have mentioned some viable solutions to prevent an amp from cutting out. It’s easier when you know the cause. After all, here is something you need to do for your car amp:

• Install a powerful battery for your vehicle to bear the pressure of the car’s electrical circuits.
• Use thick wires to avoid a voltage drop within the electrical system. 
• Choose a strong shock alternator to change the vehicle battery powerfully. 
• Ensure to use a powerful amplifier to work with strong subwoofers and speakers. 
• Check the wiring in your car stereo system regularly. The ground wires or power wires may get loose over time.

Conclusion 

Like the guitar amp, your car amplifier will cut out because of the wiring, power supply, and faulty batteries. Once you find the source, you can easily solve your problem. 

Purchase high-quality products, such as an aftermarket car stereo instead of the typical factory one. Also, make sure you have all the components connected properly. 

For any further information, please feel free to ask. Thank you for reading! 

This video will show you some steps to install the car amp and wires correctly: 

FAQs 

Why does my amp randomly cut out?

The most common issues that cut out the car amplifier suddenly are heat problems, inadequate power, and faulty wiring systems. Many components in the audio system may get involved in these causes. 

Why does my amp cut off when I turn up the volume?

If your amplifier cuts out when playing at a high volume, it’s often because the signal gets lost and makes the sound distorted. 

If the signal is the cause, check the terminals and the receiver. They may get loose and ruin your car audio system when performing at a high volume. 

This problem also occurs on other connections. So check the power wire, speaker wire, and ground wire carefully to identify the exact cause.  

Why does my amp turn off after a few seconds?

There must be a problem with the wiring and overheating. Sometimes, the car amp may turn into its protection mode to safeguard itself from external harm. 

If you’ve checked all of those things and the problem still happens, you might consider replacing the amplifier.