 | Home > In Car Electronics > Focal ibus 20 sub setup. Not on? Power? Fault? Stupidity? |
 
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| Smyles_ Member Since: 25 Aug 2018 Location: Copenhagen Posts: 517  
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By the sounds of it you've done everything correctly.
Seeing as you say it's a power problem: Maybe worth checking the fuses, I popped one of mine whilst installing my sub by accident. Might also be worth checking with a multimeter that your remote wire is in fact sending 12 V to the sub for it to turn on. I assume you have a thick enough gauge of wire for power/length of cable run? They can draw a fair amount of amps. Mine has a peak of 400 W and a RMS of ~200 W and I had to buy a relatively thick wire to run mine to the back of the cab. Focal specify a 3.3 mm^2 wire for a length of 5 m (source). I also think there's an "Auto Power On" on/off button on the sub. No idea what it does mind you as I don't have the product. From their manual: Auto Power On: In ON mode, it's not necessary to connect the remote cable if you're using the high level inputs. Do not function with the RCA inputs. However, we prefer the direct remote wiring on a “plus after contact” (cf Nb 3). These are just a few things I can think off the top my head. If you think its power related go at it with a multimeter  Stuart
Cummins 130 Build Thread 58 130 Double Cab HCPU - Cairns Blue 04 110 Double Cab - Black (gone) 07 Audi RS4 Avant - Silver |
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24th Jul 2021 9:09pm |
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| pilsburypie Member Since: 19 Jul 2021 Location: Birmingham Posts: 176  
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Thanks for that reply Stuart. There’s a lot you’ve said that I have checked. Fuses are fine…… but I can get hold of a multimeter to check the remote line. I’m also going to check the positive and ground register voltage. Quick question…. The remote wire, does it send 12v constantly? Or just on start up if head unit? I’m assuming the remote is classed as positive and the ground is negative……
The power cables aren’t particularly heavy duty. 12 gauge is a guess. Certainly not bell wire or speaker wire. More substance than that. Can’t see them being a huge issue. The run is less than 1m. From my logic, the high level input was the included wiring loom. Had the remote cable wire into the connector. As I’m using rca low level input, I simply used an individual identical wire from the head unit to the sub remote terminal. The auto on/off switch, I assumed, was to either have the remote fire up the amp or have the power constantly on. Either way the  doesn’t work.
I’m also glad you’ve confirmed I’ve gone down the right path with it. At least I’m not a million miles off. After testing voltages, another option is a dead amp. Unlikely and unlucky I know. But at least that won’t be my fault. From Amazon so they have no issue swapping stuff. I’ll have a bash at your multimeter suggestion tomorrow. |
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24th Jul 2021 10:38pm |
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| pilsburypie Member Since: 19 Jul 2021 Location: Birmingham Posts: 176
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Ok. Multimeter located.
I’m getting 12v to the amp. So that’s ruled out. However I’m unsure how to test the remote wire. I’m using the multimeter on ground then using the + probe on the remote wire. No voltage. Nor is there a voltage on turn off or startup. Am I testing this right? Is this remote wire a requirement? Clearly I’d want the amp to turn on/off with the head unit, but at present I’m trying to troubleshoot. I’ll admit I might have done a bodge here….. does the remote wire connecting to the head unit need a special plug? The factory Alpine CDE 133BT had a blue plastic blank plug in the back. I just wrapped the remote wire round this and pushed it back in 
Could my bodge be the issue? |
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25th Jul 2021 8:55am |
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| DSC-off Member Since: 16 Oct 2014 Location: North East Posts: 1432 
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Yes, that's your problem. If you've not got +12v on the remote wire it will not switch the amp on.
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25th Jul 2021 9:39am |
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| pilsburypie Member Since: 19 Jul 2021 Location: Birmingham Posts: 176
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Excellent. So I need to get a proper plug connector for the head unit. Kind of looks like a 3.5mm jack socket. Down to Halfrauds I think.
Is it just the one wire that connects? |
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25th Jul 2021 9:58am |
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| MichaelE Member Since: 18 Jan 2020 Location: Crawley West Sussex Posts: 155 
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I fitted mine using the supplied harness. Placed it between the car side and the head unit, connected to the sub, ran a power cable direct from battery, and fitted an earth. I was stunned and shocked to find that it powered up and worked straight away. Almost brought tears to my eyes.
So how about connecting it using the supplied harness just to see if the sub works? |
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25th Jul 2021 10:09am |
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| DSC-off Member Since: 16 Oct 2014 Location: North East Posts: 1432
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Checking the manual, the remote isn't a socket on the head unit. It's the blue/white wire in the radio harness.
So you don't need a jack plug. |
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25th Jul 2021 10:15am |
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| DSC-off Member Since: 16 Oct 2014 Location: North East Posts: 1432
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The manual is at,
https://support.alpine-usa.com/products/do...3BT_EN.pdf It has some good info on setting up the RCA output, filters and crossovers. Connections, Click image to enlarge |
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25th Jul 2021 10:27am |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20479
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That blue / white wire needs fusing with a 250mA inline fuse directly at the rear of the HU too.
It should be a 12v feed with power only when HU is is on and settings need for be on as well. Check for a setting such as sub and or RMT. There should be voltage on it constantly when HU is on between the 12 and 14.8v mark approx. Off when the HU is off. If everything checks out then there maybe a fault, check the ground is good too with a continuity as close to 0 Ohms as possible. If the reading is high then you’ve got a poor ground. Multimeter paperwork will guide you as to using a Multimeter if unsure. Check continuity with all power off, check for power with ignition and HU on temporarily while you check. Beware not to power up devices for too long due to battery drain with ignition on only especially if Amp does power up. Check pins on connector too that they are not coming out, and you can even check continuity of the RMT line wire to check it is in-tact and not damaged. It possible that there is a break in the wire even. Aka power in one end, break in the conductor inside the wire sheath and no power or very low power out the other end due to loss. If you’ve got a good ground and main live, if you take a tap of the live line (temporary only!) over to the remote it will power up. If not there is a fault with it. Finally some have a switch for low level in or high level. Detention of signal. Hi is for signal off speakers IIRC Low for RCA input. Some Amps have auto detect voltage turn on, signal detect turn on or remote on. The latter is most reliable and what I prefer. Hope this may help No Guts, No Glory. 🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪 |
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25th Jul 2021 11:15am |
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| pilsburypie Member Since: 19 Jul 2021 Location: Birmingham Posts: 176
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Amazing advice all. Very much appreciated.
All now sorted. The thing that threw me was the remote output socket on the rear. Once I identified the blue/white wire on the harness, all burst into life! I will however do some more checks such as that ground continuity just to make sure everything is 100% Off to do some faffing with settings now to get the sound bang on.  |
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25th Jul 2021 1:04pm |
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