Setting The Unit; Connecting The Unit - Pioneer GM-D8400M Owner's Manual

Setting the Unit

ENGLISH
Setting the Gain properly There is no need to decrease the volume of the
head unit and too much output is controlled.
• This unit is equipped with a protective function to
prevent malfunction of the unit itself and speakers
Relationship between the gain of the
from too much output, improper use or improper
connection.
amplifier and the output power of the
• When outputting sound at high volume etc., this
head unit
function will cut off the sound output in a few
seconds. But this is not a malfunction. When you
turn down the volume of the head unit the sound Power Power
Normal gain Maximum gain
output will be restored.
Equal power
• If sound output is cut, the gain control of this unit
may be improperly set. To ensure continuous
sound output at increased volume of the head unit,
set the gain control of the amplifier to a proper
position according to the preout maximum output
Head unit volume steps Head unit volume steps
level of the head unit.
Amplifier gain
(normal)
• If you raise the gain of the amplifier to an improp-
er level, only distortion is increased and the power
Gain Control of This Unit
increases only slightly.
Preout level: 2 V
Signal waveform when outputting at high
(Standard: 500 mV)
volume by the gain control of the amplifier
Preout level: 4 V
Normal gain Maximum gain
Equal power
Preout level: 6.5 V
Signal Signal
waveform waveform
Amplifier gain Amplifier gain
• The above illustration shows the gain set to
(normal) (maximum)
NORMAL.
• With high output the signal waveform is distorted,
if you raise the gain of the amplifier the power
changes only slightly.
• If you decrease the volume of the head unit and
set the gain control of the amplifier to the proper
position but still the sound cuts out from time to
time, contact the nearest authorized PIONEER
Service Station.

Connecting the Unit

CAUTION
• Disconnect the negative (–) terminal of the battery
To prevent damage and/or injury
to avoid the risk of short-circuit and damage to
• Do not ground the speaker wire directly or con-
the unit.
nect a negative (–) lead wire for several speakers.
• Secure the wiring with cable clamps or adhesive
• This unit is for vehicles with a 12-volt battery and
tape. To protect the wiring, wrap adhesive tape
negative grounding. Before installing it in a recre-
around it where they lie against metal parts.
ational vehicle, truck or bus, check the battery
• Do not route wires where they will get hot, for
voltage.
example where the heater will blow over them. If
• If the car stereo is kept on for a long time while
the insulation heats up, it may become damaged,
the engine is at rest or idling, the battery may go
resulting in a short-circuit through the vehicle
dead. Turn the car stereo off when the engine is at
body.
rest or idling.
• Make sure that wires will not interfere with mov-
• If the system remote control wire of the amplifier
ing parts of the vehicle, such as the gearshift,
is connected to the power terminal through the
handbrake or seat sliding mechanism.
ignition switch (12 V DC), the amplifier will
Amplifier gain
• Do not shorten any wires. Otherwise the protec-
(maximum)
always be on when the ignition is on— regardless
tion circuit may fail to work when it should.
of whether the car stereo is on or off. Because of
• Never feed power to other equipment by cutting
this, the battery could go dead if the engine is at
the insulation of the power supply wire to tap
rest or idling.
from the wire. The current capacity of the wire
• DO NOT connect a subwoofer with a lower
will be exceeded, causing overheating.
impedance than specified in the "Connecting the
• Never replace the fuse with one of greater value
Speaker Wires" section. Amplifier damage,
or rating than the original fuse. Use of an improp-
smoke, and overheating could result from a non-
er fuse could result in overheating and smoke and
specified connection. The amplifier surface could
could cause damage to the product and injury
also become hot to the touch and minor burns
including burns.
could result.
• Connect either of two subwoofers to the amplifier;
1: a subwoofer with a 350 W or larger nominal
input and an impedance 4 Ω, or 2: a subwoofer
with a 600 W or larger nominal input and an
impedance 2 Ω. If the nominal input and imped-
ance are out of the above ranges, the subwoofer
may catch fire, emit smoke or become damaged.
• Install and route the separately sold battery wire
as far away as possible from the speaker wires.
Install and route the separately sold battery wire,
ground wire, speaker wires and the amplifier as
far away as possible from the antenna, antenna
cable and tuner.
Connection Diagram
CAUTION:
• This diagram shows connections using external output (subwoofer output). Slide the input switch to the right
(RCA).
Grommet
Fuse (40 A) × 2
Bass Boost Remote Control
Bass Boost Remote Control Wire
Jack for the bass boost remote
control
Connect this jack and the bass
boost remote control with the
bass boost remote control wire.
Fuse (30 A) × 2
Solderless Terminal Connections
• Do not connect a cord having an exposed core
Special red battery wire [RD-228] (sold separately)
After making all other connections at the amplifier,
• Since the wire will become loose over time, it
connect the battery wire terminal of the amplifier to
the positive (+) terminal of the battery.
• Do not solder or bind the ends of the twisted
• Fasten while making sure to not to clamp the
Ground wire (black) [RD-228] (sold separately)
Connect to metal body or chassis.
• Use the supplied hexagonal wrench to tighten and
Connecting wire with RCA
6 m
pin plugs (sold separately).
Car stereo with
Connecting the Power Terminal
RCA output jacks
• We recommend that you use the special red bat-
External Output
(Subwoofer output)
• Recommended wires size (AWG: American Wire
RCA input jack
• Use a 10 AWG to 20 AWG wire for the system
Battery Wire and Ground Wire Size
Reverse side
Wire Length
Speaker terminal
See the "Connecting the Speaker Wires"
Wire Size
section for speaker connection instructions.
System remote control wire (sold separately)
Connect the male terminal of this wire to the system remote control
terminal of the car stereo (SYSTEM REMOTE CONTROL). The
female terminal can be connected to the auto-antenna relay control
terminal. If the car stereo does not have a system remote control ter-
minal, connect the male terminal to the power terminal through the
ignition switch.
ENGLISH
1. Pass the battery wire from the
engine compartment to the interior
of the vehicle.
wire to the power terminals of this amplifier
(Power terminal, GND terminal, System remote
• After making all other connections to the
control terminal). Disconnection or breakage of
amplifier, connect the battery wire terminal of
the core wire can cause a fire or short-circuit. the amplifier to the positive (+) terminal of
the battery.
must be periodically inspected and tightened as
Engine
necessary.
Positive (+) compartment
terminal
wires.
insulating sheath of the wire.
Fuse (40 A) × 2
loosen the terminal screw of the amplifier.
Securely fasten the wire with the terminal screw.
Drill a 13 mm
However, since excessively tightening the terminal
Insert the O-ring rubber
hole into the
screw of the System remote control has the risk of
grommet into the vehicle
vehicle body.
damaging the wire, be careful not to tighten
body.
excessively by observing the status of the wire
when tightening.
2. Connect the wires to the terminal.
• Fix the wires securely with the terminal
screws.
tery and ground wire [RD-228], which is sold sep-
arately. Connect the battery wire directly to the System remote
Terminal screws
car battery positive terminal (+) and the ground control terminal
wire to the car body.
GND terminal
Gauge) is as follows. The battery wire and the
Power terminal
ground wire must be same size.
Ground wire
remote control wire.
Battery wire
System remote
control wire
less than less than less than
4.5 m 7.2 m 11.4 m
8 AWG 6 AWG 4 AWG
WARNING
Failure to securely fasten the battery wire to the ter-
minal using the terminal screws could cause the ter-
minal area to overheat and could result in damage
and injury including minor burns.
Interior of
the vehicle