Clarion Apa4203 User manual

clarion

APA4203

APA4162

4-CHANNEL

CAR

AUDIO

AMPLIFIER

OPERATION

INSTALLATION

MANUAL

Clarion

APA4203/APA4162

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

Introduction

.

3

Description

.

4

Amplifier

Inputs/Controls/Power

Indicator.

.

5

Connections

for

Speakers/Power

.7

Applications

.

8

4-Channel

Full-Range

Stereo

System

.

8

4-Channel

Satellite/Subwoofer

System

.

9

3-Channel

Stereo/Mono

System

.

1

0

2-Channel

High

Power

System

.7

7

Pre-Out

Bi-Amped

Stereo

System

.

1

2

Mixed-Mode

System

.

1

3

Installation

.

7

4

Mounting

Precautions

.

7

4

Wiring

Precautions

.

7

4

Setting

Gain

.

7

Using

The

HP/LP

Filter

.

1

8

Using

The

Bass

Extender

.

1

8

Final

System

Checks

.

7

9

Troubleshooting

.

7

9

Everyone

Wants

"More

Bass"

.

2

1

Specifications

.

2

♦

Table

Of

Contents

OPERATION/INSTALLATION

MANUAL

INTRODUCTION

Whether

you’ve

purchased

a

Clarion

APA4203

or

APA4162

4-channel

car

audio

amplifier,

you’ve

selected

one

of

the

finest

mobile

products

on

the

market

today.

The

APA4203

puts

out

50

watts

of

continuous

power

into

a

4-ohm

load

and

delivers

75

watts

(typical)

into

a

2-ohm

load.

The

APA4162

is

rated

at

40

watts

of

continuous

power

or

65

watts

(typical)

for

the

same

loads.

Both

models

come

with

the

following

features:

♦

Full

frequency

response

with

low

distortion

and

exceptional

signal-to-

noise

performance

♦

Advanced

circuit

design

features

bridgeable

and

mixed-mode

operation

for

use

in

a

variety

of

4-,

3-,

or

2-channel

systems

♦

Independent

front/rear,

LP

(low-pass)/HP

(high-pass)

electronic

crossovers

each

with

a

12

dB

per

octave

slope

and

full

adjustment

range

(from

50

to

200

Hz)

to

aid

in

audio

system

design

♦

Variable

bass

extender

circuit

to

reinforce

low

frequency

signals

that

may

be

lost

due

to

box

design

♦

Non-fade

summed-stereo

outputs

(on

APA4203)

for

system

expansion

♦

Ground

loop

isolation

inputs

with

adjustable

input

level

controls

to

accept

a

wide

range

of

input

signals

(from

200

mV

to

5

V)

♦

Remote

turn-on

with

“soft-start”

muting

to

prevent

turn-on

“thump”

♦

Regulated

MOSFET

power

supply

with

low

AM

RFI

and

protection

circuits

for

overheating

and

speaker

shorts

♦

2-oh

m

load

capability

to

drive

a

variety

of

speaker

systems

♦

Gold-plated

input/output

connectors

and

an

external

automotive-type

fuse

♦

Aluminum

heat

sink

for

efficient

dissipation

of

heat

In

order

to

start

enjoying

your

new

Clarion

4-channel

car

audio

amplifier

as

soon

as

possible,

please

read

the

remaining

pages

to

plan

your

installation.

When

you’re

finished,

fill

out

and

send

in

the

enclosed

warranty

card

to

protect

your

purchase

and

to

aid

us

in

any

service-related

questions.

Also,

save

your

original

bill

of

sale

as

a

proof

of

purchase.

Introduction

♦

3

Clarion

APA4203/APA4I62

DESCRIPTION

The

Clarion

APA4203

(or

APA4162)

4-channel

car

audio

amplifier

is

an

ideal

choice

for

creating

a

variety

of

multi-channel

sound

systems.

Both

models

features

built-in

system

design

flexibility

that

allows

you

to

create

a

2-,

3-,

or

4-channel

amplifier

with

a

flip

of

a

switch.

Or

you

can

configure

the

front

(CHI/2)

or

rear

(CH3/4)

amplifier

sections

for

mixed-mode

operation

to

drive

a

set

of

satellite

speakers

and

a

subwoofer.

Figure

1.

Clarion

APA4203

4-channel

car

audio

amplifier.

The

built-in

12

dB-per-octave

electronic

crossovers

let

you

tailor

the

sound

of

front

and

rear

channels.

Other

amplifiers

may

offer

a

single

filter,

but

this

unit

comes

with

two

independent

filters

with

adjustable

crossover

frequencies

for

high-pass

or

low-pass

filtering.

And

you

don’t

need

to

add

external

crossovers

and

cables,

resulting

in

a

cost-effective,

efficient

way

to

implement

your

design

ideas.

Either

amplifier

uses

a

regulated

MOSFET

power

supply

for

superior

control

of

output

wattage,

regardless

of

input

voltage

or

musical

energy

content.

MOSFETs

are

chosen

for

their

inherent

characteristics

to

provide

superior

accuracy,

stability,

and

control.

A

toroid-coil

transformer

yields

maximum

power

transfer

with

minimum

heat

loss.

Careful

attention

to

circuit

design

keeps

AM

RFI

at

low

levels,

so

you

won’t

hear

unwanted

4

♦

Description

OPERATION/INSTALLATION

MANUAL

noise

when

the

level

is

cranked

up.

Protection

circuits

safeguard

the

amplifier

when

overheating

and

speaker

shorts

or

improper

load

conditions

occur.

All

connections

and

controls

are

on

end

panels

and

are

straightforward

and

easy

to

understand.

We

use

gold-plated

RCA

and

barrier

connectors

to

ensure

the

best

electrical

connection

for

your

system.

Included

are

external

automotive-type

fuses

that

are

easy

to

replace.

Amplifier

Inputs/Controls/Power

Indicator

The

APA4203’s

(or

APA4162’s)

front

panel

(see

Figure

2)

has

SPEAKER

LINE

INPUT

connections,

(RCA)

INPUT

jacks,

a

GAIN

CHI/2

control,

an

INPUT

MODE

switch,

a

GAIN

CH3/4

control,

FILTER

CHI/2

and

CH3/4

controls

(for

setting

crossover

frequencies

for

LP

or

HP

filters),

a

BASS

EXTENDER

gain

control,

and

a

POWER

indicator.

Figure

2.

Front

panel

of

a

Clarion

APA4203

or

APA4162

amplifier.

A

reference

chart

(see

detail)

shows

which

inputs

are

active

for

a

selected

mode.

Low-Level/Speaker-Level

Inputs

The

gold-plated

RCA

INPUT

jacks,

labeled

CH

1

through

CH

4,

provide

connections

for

a

low-level

front/rear

stereo

source.

In

addition,

SPEA

K

ER

LEVEL

INPUT

connections

are

provided

for

installations

where

the

source

unit’s

RCA

outputs

are

unavailable

and

direct

connection

to

speaker

outputs

is

the

only

choice

(see

Specifications

on

pages

22

and

23

for

wire

codes).

Gain

Controls

The

CHI/2

GAIN

and

CH3/4

GAIN

controls

allows

you

to

independently

set

the

nominal

operating

levels

of

the

amplifier’s

front

and

rear

channels.

The

amplifier’s

wide

range,

200

mV

to

5

V

for

RCA

inputs

or

400

mV

to

10

V

for

speaker-level

inputs,

can

accommodate

input

levels

from

virtually

any

brand

of

source

unit.

Description

♦

5

clarion

APA4203/APA4I62

DESCRIPTION

Amplifier

Inputs/Controls/Power

Indicator

(Continued)

Channel

Mode

Switch

The

INPUT

MODE

switch

allows

you

to

select

4-,

3-,

or

2-channel

operation.

A

reference

chart

above

the

switch

(see

Figure

2

on

the

indicates

which

channel

inputs,

gain

controls,

and

fdters

are

active

for

your

selection.

High-Pass/Low-Pass

Filter

Controls

The

APA4203

(or

APA4162)

is

equipped

with

12

dB

per

octave

electronic

filters

on

front

and

rear

channels

for

precise

frequency

attenuation

with

minimal

phase

distortion.

The

steep

crossover

slope

keeps

midrange

tones

out

of

the

subwoofer

and

thereby

eliminates

an

unnatural

“nasal”

tone

quality

in

the

audio

system.

A

filter

is

activated

by

sliding

the

CHI/2

or

CH3/4

FILTER

switch

to

either

HP

or

LP.

Each

one

is

fully

adjustable

between

50

and

200

Hz

(via

the

CHI/2

FREQ

or

CH3/4

control)

for

a

wide

range

of

crossover

points.

Use

this

feature,

along

with

your

speaker

manufacturer’s

recommended

crossover

frequencies,

to

quickly

design

a

more

advanced

system

(see

Applications

starting

on

page

8).

NOTE:

If

CUl/2

FILTER

(or

CH3/4

FILTER)

is

set

to

OFF,

varying

the

CHI/2

FREQ

(or

CH3/4

FREQ)

control

will

produce

no

effect.

Bass

Extender

Control

The

APA4203

(or

APA4162)

also

features

a

“high-Q”

(i.e.,

narrow

frequency

band)

BASS

EXTENDER

circuit

on

channels

3

and

4

for

4-

or

3-channel

modes

and

is

also

active

for

mono

connections.

It

acts

much

like

an

equalizer,

with

adjustable

gain

(from

0

to

+12

dB)

fixed

at

40

Hz.

Use

this

feature

to

tune

low-frequency

audio

response

to

compensate

for

a

less-than-ideal

subwoofer

enclosure

design.

The

added

boost

produces

rich,

full

bass

tones

that

are

normally

difficult

to

reproduce

in

the

car

audio

environment.

NOTE:

If

bass

extension

is

undesired,

set

BASS

EXTENDER

to

0

dB.

6

♦

Description

OPERATION/INSTALLATION

MANUAL

Connections

for

Speakers/Power

The

APA4203’s

rear

panel

(see

Figure

3)

contains

summed

non-fade

output

jacks,

speaker

connections,

external

fuses,

and

power

connections.

Figure

3.

Rear

panel

layout

of

the

Clarion

APA4203

amplifier.

The

APA4162’s

rear

panel

(see

Figure

4)

is

similar,

but

without

the

summed

non-fade

output

jacks.

Figure

4.

Rear

panel

layout

of

the

Clarion

APA4162

amplifier.

Summed

L/R

Preamplifier

Outputs

(APA4203

Only)

The

APA4203

includes

stereo

(gold-plated

RCA)

NON-FADE

LINE

OUT

jacks,

labeled

CHI/3

and

CH2/4,

for

sending

summed

L/R

preamplified

signals

to

additional

amplifiers,

as

shown

in

Figure

9

(on

page

12).

Speaker

Connections

The

speaker

terminals

are

gold-plated

terminals

and

are

labeled

as

FRONT

CHI

(left)

and

CH2

(right)

for

front

amplifiers

and

REAR

CH3

(left)

and

CH4

(right)

for

rear

amplifiers.

Power

Connections

The

power

connections

are

also

gold-plated

and

are

labeled

REMOTE

(for

remote

turn-on

via

source

unit),

GROUND,

and

BATTERY

(+12

Vdc).

Automotive-type

25

A

fuses

protect

the

front

and

rear

amplifier

circuits.

Description

♦

7

APPLICATIONS

The

Clarion

APA4203

(or

APA4162)

4-channel

car

audio

amplifier

can

be

used

in

a

variety

of

system

applications.

We’ve

enclosed

six

example

systems

to

help

plan

your

own

installation

(see

Figures

5

through

10).

4-Channel

Full-Range

Stereo

System

FRONT

PANEL

SETTINGS

Figure

5.

In

this

application

,

theAPA4203

(or

APA4162)

is

used

as

a

4-channel

amplifier

to

drive

four

full-range

speakers

in

stereo.

8

♦

Applications

OPERATION/INSTALLATION

MANUAL

4-Channel

Stereo

System

2-Ch

High

Pass,

2-Ch

Low

Pass

FRONT

PANEL

SETTINGS

FK.TEP

HUBS

CHI/2

CH3/4

INPUT

MODE

OfTLpSlP

OfF"

LP

HP

Sef

Filter

Frequencies

to

speaker

manufacturer's

specifications.

Channel

1

(LF

Satellite)

Channel

2

(RF

Satellite)

(Each

satellite

requires

an

external

passive

crossover

network)

Channel

4

(RR

Subwoofer)

Figure

6.

In

this

4-channel

system,

an

APA4203

(or

APA4162)

drives

a

pair

of

stereo

satellites

for

the

front

and

a

pair

of

stereo

subwoofers

for

the

rear.

Note

the

filter

settings

for

this

application.

Applications

♦

9

Clarion

APA4203/APA4I62

2-Channel

Stereo

System

With

Low-Pass

Bridged

Mono

Channel

FRONT

PANEL

SETTINGS

HLTER

FILTER

CHI/2

CH3/4

Set

Filter

Frequencies

to

speaker

manufacturer's

specifications

.

Bridged

Mono

(Subwoofer)

Figure

7.

An

APA4203

(or

APA4162)

can

also

be

configured

to

drive

a

pair

of

stereo

satellites

for

the

front

and

a

single

mono

subwoofer

for

the

rear

.

Note

the

filter

settings

and

connections.

10

♦

Applications

OPERATION/INSTALLATION

MANUAL

2-Channel

High

Power

Systems

(Subwoofer

or

Satellites)

FRONT

PANEL

SETTINGS

HLTEB

RLTEfi

CHI/a

CH3/4

Set

Filter

Frequencies

to

speaker

manufacturer's

specifications

.

Figure

8.

An

APA4203

(orAPA4162)

can

be

set

up

as

a

2-channel

high-power

amplifier

to

drive

a

pair

of

subwoofers

(or

satellites).

Applications

♦

J

1

Pre-Out

Bi-Amped

Stereo

System

FRONT

PANEL

SETTINGS

INPUT

MODE

QfTLPHP

WfLPHP

Set

Filter

Frequencies

to

speaker

manufacturer's

specifications.

Source

Unit

Optional

Extension

.

=

RCA

Cable

APA2103

(or

other)

2-Channel

Amplifier

JR.

Gt

APA4203

T.TT-;

4-Channel

j

Amplifier

To

Inputs

(on

front)

Channel

1

(L

Subwoofer)

Channel

1

(LF

Satellite)

Channel

2

(RF

Satellite)

K^l

Channel

2

(R

Subwoofer)

Channel

3

(LR

Satellite)

Channel

4

(RR

Satellite)

(Each

satellite

requires

an

external

passive

crossover

network)

Figure

9.

An

APA4203

is

shown

here

driving

front

and

rear

satellitesas

well

as

feeding

a

2-channel

amplifier

(e.g.,

Clarion

APA2103)

to

drive

a

stereo

pair

of

subwoofers.

CH

1

and

CH

3

sum

internally

to

feed

LINE

OUT

CHI/3,

while

CH

2

and

CH

4

feed

LINE

OUT

CH2/4.

12

♦

Applications

OPERATION/INSTALLATION

MANUAL

Mixed-Mode

System

On

Rear

Full-Range

Speakers

On

Front

FRONT

PANEL

SETTINGS

Figure

10.

An

APA4203

(or

APA4

1

62)

can

be

configured

for

mixed-mode

operation

on

either

channel

1/2

or

3/4

amplifier

sections.

The

component

table

provides

optimum

values

to

create

a

6

dB/octave

crossover

at

specified

frequencies

(i.e.,

do

not

overlap

high

and

low

frequencies).

Use

components

that

have

a

+

5%

tolerance

ana

capacitors

rated

at

100V.

Applications

♦

13

Clarion

APA4203/APA4162

INSTALLATION

This

section

lists

mounting

and

wiring

precautions

for

installing

a

Clarion

APA4203

(or

APA4162)

4-channel

car

audio

amplifier.

Combined

with

the

experience

of

a

professional

installer,

these

safeguards

provide

enough

detail

to

successfully

complete

an

installation.

If

you

do

not

have

the

necessary

skills,

do

not

install

the

amplifier

yourself.

Instead,

see

your

authorized

Clarion

dealer

for

installation

recommendations.

Mounting

Precautions

Although

the

Clarion

APA4203

(or

APA4162)

4-channel

car

audio

amplifier

incorporates

large

heat

sinks

and

protection

circuits,

mounting

it

in

a

tight

space

without

any

air

movement

can

still

damage

internal

circuits

over

time.

Choose

a

site

that

provides

adequate

ventilation

around

the

amplifier.

For

easy

system

set

up,

mount

the

amplifier

so

the

controls

on

the

front

panel

will

be

accessible

after

installation.

In

addition,

observe

these

precautions:

♦

For

the

most

efficient

cooling,

mount

the

amplifier

so

cool

air

runs

along

the

length

of

the

heatsink,

rather

than

across

it.

Remember,

any

moving

air

across

the

heatsink

surface

will

dissipate

heat.

♦

Mount

the

amplifier

on

a

rigid

surface

inside

the

vehicle.

Do

not

install

the

amplifier

on

plastic

or

other

combustible

materials.

♦

Prior

to

drilling,

make

sure

proposed

mounting

holes

will

not

cut

into

the

fuel

tank,

fuel

lines,

brake

lines

(under

chassis),

or

electrical

wiring.

Wiring

Precautions

♦

Read

all

wiring

precautions.

If

you

are

not

sure

of

the

connections,

contact

your

authorized

Clarion

dealer.

♦

Before

installation,

make

sure

the

source

unit

power

switch

is

in

the

OFF

position.

♦

Disconnect

the

negative

(-)

lead

at

the

battery

before

making

any

power

connections.

14

♦

Installation

OPERATION/INSTALLATION

MANUAL

♦

When

making

connections,

be

sure

that

each

connection

is

clean

and

secure.

Insulate

final

connections

with

electrical

tape

or

shrink

tubing.

Failure

to

do

so

may

damage

your

equipment.

♦

A

secure,

clean

ground

connection

is

critical

to

the

performance

of

your

Clarion

car

audio

amplifier.

Use

the

shortest

ground

wire

possible

to

minimize

resistance

and

avoid

noise

problems.

♦

Refer

to

Figure

11

(below)

when

making

electrical

connections.

Connect

the

amplifier’s

positive

(+)

power

lead

via

a

fuse

directly

to

the

positive

(+)

terminal

on

the

battery.

Do

not

connect

this

wire

to

the

car’s

fuse

panel.

Use

the

power

cable

calculator

chart

(see

Figure

12

on

page

17)

to

determine

the

appropriate

wire

size

for

the

amplifier’s

positive

(+)

power

lead

and

the

same-gauge

black-insulated

wire

for

the

ground.

Caution:

Clarion's

Antenna/Amp

output

is

restricted

to

500

mA

(MAXIMUM).

Do

not

replace

the

0.5

A

fuse

with

a

higher

value

or

you

will

damage

the

unit,

if

more

current

is

required

when

installing

multiple

amplifiers,

use

this

relay

circuit.

Figure

11.

Electrical

connections

for

an

APA4203

amplifier.

Connections

for

an

APA4162

amplifier

are

similar.

Installation

♦

/

5

Clarion

APA4203/APA4I62

INSTALLATION

Wiring

Precautions

(Continued)

♦

Add

an

external

fuse

on

the

positive

(+)

power

lead

and

connect

it

as

close

as

possible

to

the

vehicle’s

(+)

battery

terminal.

Use

a

rating

that

equals

the

total

current

consumption

at

full

output

of

all

amplifiers

in

the

system.

Adding

an

external

fuse

will

protect

the

electrical

system

from

short

circuits

that

can

cause

a

fire.

♦

When

replacing

the

amplifier’s

fuse,

always

use

one

having

the

same

current

rating.

Substituting

a

higher-rated

fuse

can

reduce

protection

and

may

result

in

serious

damage

to

the

amplifier.

♦

Never

ground

the

speakers

to

the

vehicle

chassis

or

body.

♦

Make

sure

that

your

vehicle’s

electrical

system

(i.e.,

alternator,

battery,

etc.)

is

capable

of

handling

the

additional

load.

If

you

are

planning

a

multi-amplifier

system,

you

may

need

to

add

a

second

battery

and

possibly

upgrade

the

alternator

with

a

higher-output-rated

model.

Consult

your

authorized

Clarion

dealer

for

recommendations.

♦

To

avoid

possible

noise

problems,

run

the

amplifier’s

positive

(+)

power

lead

along

one

side

of

the

vehicle

to

the

battery.

Run

the

remote

turn-on

wire

and

RCA

audio

cables

down

the

center,

and

route

the

speaker

wires

along

the

remaining

side.

If

wires

must

cross,

run

them

perpendicular

to

each

other.

♦

When

creating

passage

holes

for

the

power

wire,

use

grommets

to

eliminate

any

sharp

edges

created

during

drilling.

This

will

protect

the

wire

from

being

nicked

and

causing

a

short

circuit.

♦

Extra

cable

can

cause

signal

loss

and

act

as

an

“antenna”

for

noise.

Use

only

high-quality

RCA

cables

that

are

no

longer

than

necessary

to

make

a

direct

connection

with

the

source

unit

or

equalizer.

♦

Depending

on

the

type

of

system

being

installed,

refer

to

the

examples

in

Figures

5

through

10

(starting

on

page

8)

for

information

on

wiring

and

setting

the

operation

mode.

16

♦

Installation

OPERATION/INSTALLATION

MANUAL

Power

Cable

Calculator

Total

System

Cable

Amperage

Draw

O’-4'

4'-r

T

-10'

13’

-16’

16'

-19'

19’

■

22'

IT

-28’

0

-

20

amperes

14

12

10

8

20

-

35

amperes

12

10

8

6

4

35

-

50

amperes

10

8

6

4

50

-

65

amperes

8

6

4

2

65

-

85

amperes

6

4

2

0

85

-

105

amperes

6

4

2

0

105-

125

amperes

4

2

0

125-

150

amperes

2

0

00

Figure

12.

Use

this

chart

to

find

a

copper-wire

gauge

that

will

exhibit

no

more

than

a

0.5

volt

drop

for

a

desired

cable

length.

If

aluminum

or

tinned

wire

is

used,

select

an

even

larger

gauge

size

to

compensate

for

material

difference.

NOTE:

Cable-size

calculations

take

into

account

terminal

connection

resistance.

SETTING

GAIN

1.

Turn

both

CH

1/2

and

CH

3/4

GAIN

controls

to

their

minimum

(far

left)

positions.

Also

set

BASS

EXTENDER

to

0

dB,

and

slide

CH

1/2

FILTER

and

CH

3/4

FILTER

to

the

proper

positions

for

your

application.

2.

Turn

the

vehicle’s

ignition

switch

to

the

ON

position.

Then

turn

the

ON/OFF

switch

on

the

source

unit

to

the

ON

position.

Set

all

tone

or

equalization

controls

to

“flat”

positions

and

turn

loudness

off.

3.

Play

a

CD

or

tape

and

set

the

volume

control

at

75%

of

full

level.

4.

Verify

that

the

POWER

indicator

on

the

amplifier

comes

on.

NOTE:

When

using

an

equalizer,

set

its

frequency

controls

to

“flat.

”

5.

Set

the

fader

control

(on

the

source

unit)

to

full

front

and

slowly

increase

the

CH

1/2

GAIN

control

for

the

front

amplifiers

(channels

1

and

2).

Stop

when

you

hear

a

slight

distortion

of

audio.

Set

the

fader

to

full

rear

and

repeat

this

step

for

the

rear

amplifier

using

the

CH

3/4

GAIN

control.

Setting

Gain

♦

17

Clarion

APA4203/APA4I62

USING

THE

HP/LP

FILTERS

NOTE:

Clarion

recommends

turning

the

amplifier

off

before

changing

any

switch

position

to

eliminate

any

possible

damage

from

transient

spikes

to

the

amplifier

or

speaker

system.

1.

Depending

on

your

application,

slide

the

FILTER

CH

1/2

and

FILTER

CH

3/4

switches

to

HP

(high-pass),

LP

(low-pass),

or

OFF

positions.

NOTE:

If

your

application

does

not

require

a

high-pass

or

low-pass

filters,

slide

the

CH

1/2

FILTER

and

CH

3/4

FILTER

to

OFF.

2.

Set

the

FILTER

CH

1/2

and

FILTER

CH

3/4

controls

to

the

recommended

crossover

points

from

the

speaker

manufacturer.

3.

Listen

to

a

variety

of

music

styles

(Rock,

Rap,

etc.)

and

slightly

increase

or

decrease

each

filter

control

until

the

best

performance

is

realized.

USING

THE

BASS

EXTENDER

1.

Initially

set

the

BASS

EXTENDER

control

to

its

full

left

position

(i.e.,

OdB).

2.

Listen

to

a

variety

of

music

styles

(e.g.,

Rock,

Rap,

etc.)

and

slowly

increase

the

BASS

EXTENDER

control

until

a

noticeable

increase

in

low

bass

response

is

perceived.

3.

Slowly

adjust

the

BASS

EXTENDER

gain

control

(up

or

down)

to

realize

the

best

bass

response.

CAUTION:

If

you

hear

a

“pop”

(due

to

speaker

over-excursion),

lower

the

BASS

EXTENDER

to

prevent

speaker

damage.

If

the

system

sounds

muddy

and

distorted

(due

to

amplifier

clipping),

lower

BASS

EXTENDER

to

avoid

shutdown

from

overheating.

18

♦

Using

The

HP/LP

Filter

&

Bass

Extender

OPERATION/INSTALLATION

MANUAL

FINAL

SYSTEM

CHECKS

1.

Start

the

engine

and

turn

on

the

source

unit.

After

a

two-second

delay,

slowly

increase

the

volume

control

and

listen

to

the

audio.

If

you

hear

any

noise,

static,

distortion,

or

no

sound

at

all,

check

the

connections,

and

also

refer

to

Troubleshooting

below.

Depending

on

your

system,

the

levels

may

be

quite

loud

even

at

low

volume

settings.

Until

you

get

an

“audio

feel”

of

the

system’s

power,

use

care

when

adjusting

controls.

2.

Vary

the

balance

control

from

left

to

right

and

listen

to

the

results.

Bass

levels

should

not

vary

if

the

amplifier

is

configured

using

both

L

and

R

audio

inputs.

3.

Increase

the

volume

and

verify

that

the

amplifier

reproduces

audio

without

distortion.

If

you

hear

distortion,

check

the

connections

and

verify

that

the

amplifier

gain

and

BASS

EXTENDER

controls

are

set

correctly.

Another

possibility

is

damaged

(or

under-powered)

speakers.

Once

again,

refer

to

Troubleshooting

for

additional

help.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Symptom

Cause

Solution

No

audio

Low

or

no

remote

turn-on

voltage

Check

REMOTE

wiring

or

add

relay

circuit

if

source

unit

fuse

continues

to

blow

Blown

amplifier

fuse

Replace

with

new

fast-

blow

fuse

(same

rating)

Power

wires

not

connected

Check

BATTERY

and

GROUND

wiring

at

amplifier;

check

battery

connections

Speaker

leads

shorted

Check

speaker

continuity

to

ground;

should

not

show

a

common

ground

Final

System

Checks/Troubleshooting

♦

19

Clarion

APA4203/APA4I62

TROUBLESHOOTING

(CONT'D)

Symptom

Cause

Solution

No

audio

Low

or

no

remote

Check

REMOTE

wiring

Speakers

not

connected

or

are

blown

Check

speaker

connections

at

amplifier;

measure

coil

impedance

Audio

cycles

on

and

off

Thermal

protection

circuits

are

shutting

amplifier

off

Check

location

for

adequate

ventilation;

consult

an

authorized

Clarion

dealer

Distorted

audio

Gain

is

not

set

properly,

or

damaged

speaker

cones

Review

Setting

Gain

on

page

17;

inspect

each

speaker

cone

for

signs

of

damage

(e.g.,

frozen

cone,

burning

smell,

etc.)

Audio

lacks

punch

Speakers

wired

incorrectly,

which

causes

cancellation

of

bass

frequencies

Check

polarity

of

wires

from

amplifier

to

each

speaker

as

defined

by

the

system

design

Amplifier

fuse

keeps

blowing

Incorrect

wiring

or

short

circuit

Review

Installation

on

page

14

and

check

all

wiring

connections

Whining

or

ticking

noise

in

the

audio

with

engine

on

Amplifier

is

picking

up

alternator

noise

or

radiated

noise

Check

power

and

ground

connections

on

amplifier;

check

or

move

audio

cables;

install

an

in-line

noise

filter

on

source

unit’s

power

wire;

check

alternator

and/or

voltage

regulator;

test

for

weak

battery

or

add

water

to

battery

20

♦

Troubleshooting

Clarion APA4203 User manual

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