by jttar » Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:07 pm
When a receiver goes into “Protector” mode there is a problem with the wiring, speakers or the receiver itself. The receiver goes into this shut down to protect itself from further damage. This is not something that can be reset or turned off.
The most common cause of the “Protector” error is stray speaker wires touching the chassis of the receiver or another speaker wire connection. If the receiver goes into the “Protector” mode the first thing to check is all connections at the receivers speaker binding posts and also at each speaker themselves.
A damaged or “blown’ speaker can also cause the same error to occur. If a thorough inspection of all the speaker wire connections proves to be proper, the next step would be to power down the receiver and remove one of the speaker wire connections ( + and - ) from the receivers binding post. Next, power up the receiver and see if the fault is still present. By removing the speaker wires from the receivers binding post you are not only eliminating that speaker but also the wiring that powers the speaker. Damaged or shorted speaker wiring could be the culprit and not the speaker itself. Wiring run under carpeting or behind baseboards are subject to being worn through or pinched. Pets or rodents also may damage the wiring.
Continue to remove each speaker connection from the receiver one at a time to pinpoint which speaker or wiring may be causing the error. Remember to power down the receiver each time that you remove a speaker wire connection from the receiver. This is important as you can cause more damage to the receiver by trying to remove or install a speaker connection while the receiver is “live”.
For those who feel comfortable working inside of the receiver, removing the cover and testing for a blown fuse or fuses may be beneficial. If a new fuse solves the problem it is important to find what caused the short.
If after eliminating all of the speakers, wiring connections, and fuses the “Protector” error still exists there is a good possibility that one or more of the receivers transistor output channels are faulty. Unless you have the proper testing equipment and the troubleshooting skills to test the output channels it is best left up to a qualified tech. At this point an estimate of repairs would be in order.