i did the full audio replacement. Sony head, biketronics 4 channel amp, new speakers all the way around. System sounds great - highly recommend the setup. Thanks go all the way around to this forum for advice on selection.

But...

When I turn on the bike ignition and wait a few seconds past fuel injection charge, hit the start button I get a loud pop from speakers. It's the like old school thump you would get when you turned on a big amp, only louder. It does not happen when I hit the start button right after fi charge. But it happens every time I let the bike sit with the power on for a while before starting.

I was told it might be a weak battery. Replaced. I checked the ground wire to the triple clamps and its a good connection.

It acts like something with the start relay and the amp. Like the start relay turns off everything to get more amps to the starter. That split second cycle off/on seems to cause it. So my question is if other have diagnosed before? Bad relay?

Thanks again for the help in advance.

 

I would think if it were a bad relay or a relay acting up that you would be experiencing other oddities. If i'm reading your description right it sounds like you have it grounded near the trees. If that's the case you might want to consider running your ground back to the battery and connecting it there. I'm sure others will chime in but that's where I would start.

 

So should I just in-line splice another lead back to one of the negative wires on the battery or is it preferred to just run a new line and connector and bolt it directky the battery? Just trying to eliminate possible issues without creating new ones.

One additional thought, I believe the amp had a power detector that turns the amp on and off when the radio is on or off. Should I move the on/off control for the amp over to the cigarette lighter? That was the setup with prior amps. Thanks again.

 

Since it sounds like you're going to need to run a ground wire under the tank anyway I'd make it as single of a run as you can. Fewer splices, fewer possible points of failure. As for connecting it, get a ring terminal for the end and connect it directly to the battery.

For the remote power wire. I have run that off the lighter before without any problems.

 

Mfane - Pop more often than not = ground issue. Try taking a small wire and grounding the amp to the radio.

 

Talk to Bill at Biketronics. I had a similar situation years ago with one of their earlier model amps. I tried grounding in different locations and nothing helped. I called Bill and he replaced it. Installed the new amp in the same recommended ground location and no more pop.

 

Thanks.

I ran a new ground wire to the battery - same pop.

I am now going to reach out to biketronics to see next steps.

 

Hi mfane,

Amp pop can usually be traced to a power issue (90%), a radio issue, or an amp issue. On the Harley you also have the unique acc disconnect when cranking relay under the seat, I have seen this cause a pop but not very often. If the contacts get burnt or if the coil is weak it can do it though.

I usually disconnect the RCA cables between the amp and radio first, if it still does it I move the blue enable wire to the cig lighter. If it does not pop after removing RCA wires and/or moving enable wire I check or add a better radio ground.

If it still does it after all that I would try to measure power from the red and blue to the black wire right at the amp during cranking, if it drops lower than about 11 volts on either wire we need to figure out why, usually a bad battery, amp/radio ground, or bad connection at battery.

If you could try one thing I would pull the RCA cables, that helps tell us which way to look.

It is strange that it does not do it all the time, that really seems to be some sort of power deal. If it was the amp I think it would always do it.

If needed I have no issue testing or trading out the amp, just give me a call.

Bill