How to Test a Car Amplifier
Some people install amplifiers in their car to enhance the sound of the stereo system. It is highly recommended that you test the system to make sure it is operating properly before installing it in your car to save yourself the stress of taking it back out.
- Take the power wire (red) on the amp and touch it on the positive post of a battery. The positive post on the battery will have a "+" sign on it. Take the ground wire (black) and touch it on the negative post of the battery. The negative post will have a "-" sign on it. If the power light for the amp comes on when this is done that means the circuit board on the amplifier is in good condition. If the power light does not come on you may want to check the fuses to make sure they are good. A fuse may be cracked or corroded, which will keep the amplifier from working. Change the fuses before determining the circuit board is bad. There should be at least one fuse located in the chassis and there may or may not be a fuse located in the body of the amp.
- Connect the amplifier to some speakers to see if it will put out any sound. This should be done by taking the RCA cables or speaker wires and attaching them to the speaker jacks. Hook the speakers up to the output jacks on the amp. If the power light for the amp comes on, but there is no sound coming out there is very little chance that the amp works. On the other hand, it the sound comes out of the amp clearly with no distortion the amp is good.