4
JL Audio
5
Power ConneCtions
Before installing the amplifier, disconnect the
negative (ground) wire from the vehicle’s battery.
This will prevent accidental damage to the system,
the vehicle and your body during installation.
Made in China
LEFT CHANNEL
RIGHT CHANNEL
Bridged
FUSES
Ground
20A
20A
Remote
+ 12VDC
The J2-360.2’s “
+12VDC
” and “
Ground
”
connections are designed to accept 4 AWG power
wire.
4 AWG is a minimum power wire size for
this amplifier.
If you are installing the J2-360.2 with other
amplifiers and wish to use a single main power
wire, use 2 AWG or larger main power wire
(depending on the overall current demands of all
the amplifiers in the system). This 2 AWG or
larger power wire should terminate into a
distribution block mounted as close to the
amplifiers as possible and should connect to the
J2-360.2 with 4 AWG power wire.
Note:
Smaller AWG numbers mean bigger wire
and vice-versa (1/0 AWG is the largest, 2 AWG is
smaller, then 4 AWG, then 8 AWG, etc.).
To connect the power and ground wires to the
amplifier, strip 1/2-inch (12 mm) of insulation
from each wire and insert the bare wire into the
the appropriate terminal block positions on the
J2-360.2. Use a Phillips screwdriver to secure the
wire via the screw on the top of each terminal.
The
“GROUND”
connection should be made
using 4 AWG wire and should be kept as short
as possible, while accessing a solid piece of sheet
metal in the vehicle. The surface of the sheet
metal should be sanded at the contact point
to create a clean, metal-to-metal connection
between the chassis and the termination of
the ground wire. The use of a star washer to
lock down the connection is advisable.
Any wires run through metal barriers (such as
firewalls), must be protected with a high quality
insulating grommet to prevent damage to the
insulation of the wire. Failure to do so may result
in a dangerous short circuit.
IMPORTANT
!
Many vehicles employ small (10 AWG -
6 AWG) wire to ground the battery to the
vehicle chassis and to connect the alternator’s
positive connection to the battery. To prevent
voltage drops, these wires should be upgraded
to 4 AWG when installing amplifier systems
with main fuse ratings above 60A.
Fuse requirements
While the J2-360.2 has two 20A ATC fuses
on its power connection panel, these do nothing
to protect the vehicle from a dangerous short
circuit in the power wire. They only protect the
amplifier. It is absolutely vital that the main
power lead to the amplifier(s) in the system be
fused within 18 inches (45 cm) of the positive
battery post connection. The fuse value at each
power wire should be high enough for all of the
equipment being run from that power wire.
If only the J2-360.2 is being run from that power
wire, we recommend a 40A fuse be used. AFS,
AGU or MAXI-type fuses are recommended.
Made in China
LEFT CHANNEL
RIGHT CHANNEL
Bridged
FUSES
Ground
20A
20A
Remote
+ 12VDC
ProduCt desCriPtion
The JL Audio J2-360.2 is a two-channel, full-
range audio amplifier utilizing
Class A/B technology.
The J2-360.2 can be operated with a wide
variety of source units and system configurations.
For detailed specifications, please refer to
Appendix B (page 13).
tYPiCal installation sequenCe
The following represents the sequence
for a typical amplifier installation, using an
aftermarket source unit or OEM Interface
product. Additional steps and different
procedures may be required in some applications.
If you have any questions, please contact your
authorized JL Audio dealer for assistance.
1)
Disconnect the negative battery post
connection and secure the disconnected cable
to prevent accidental re-connection during
installation.
This step is not optional.
2)
Run 4 AWG power wire from the battery
location to the amplifier mounting location,
taking care to route it in such a way that it
will not be damaged and will not interfere
with vehicle operation. Use 2 AWG or larger
power wire and a power distribution block if
additional amplifiers are being installed with
the J2-360.2.
3)
Connect power wire to the positive battery
post. Fuse the wire with an appropriate fuse
block (and connectors) within 18 inches (45
cm) wire length of the positive battery post.
This fuse is essential to protect the vehicle.
Do not install the fuse until the power wire
has been securely connected to the amplifier.
4)
Run signal cables and remote turn-on wire
from the source unit to the final amplifier
mounting location.
5)
Run speaker cables from the speaker systems
to the amplifier mounting location.
6)
Find a good, solid metal grounding point
close to the amplifier and connect the
negative power wire to it using appropriate
hardware. Use the same size power wire as the
wire connected to the “
+12VDC
” connection
(minimum 4 AWG), no longer than 36 inches
(90 cm) from the amplifier to the ground
connection point. In some vehicles, it may be
necessary to upgrade the battery ground wire.
(See page 5 for important notice).
7)
Securely mount the amplifier using
appropriate hardware.
8)
Connect the positive and negative power
wires to the amplifier.
9)
Connect the remote turn-on wire
to the amplifier.
10)
Connect the input cables to the amplifier.
11)
Connect the speaker cables to the amplifier.
12)
Carefully review the amplifier’s control
settings to make sure that they are set
according to the needs of the system.
13)
Install the power wire fuse (40A for a
single J2-360.2) and reconnect the negative
battery post terminal.
14)
Turn on the source unit at a low level
to double-check that the amplifier is
configured correctly. Resist the temptation
to crank it up until you have verified the
control settings.
15
) Make necessary adjustments to the input
sensitivity controls to obtain the right
overall output and the desired balance
in the system. See Appendix A (page 12)
for the recommended input sensitivity
setting method.
16)
Enjoy the fruits of your labor with your
favorite music.
