We cheated, and powered the amp remote from the ignition, so it's always on when the engine is on.

Okay, that's pretty messed up. But what's strange is your description of the empeg's behavior when you covered pin 2. If you were powering the amp off of the ignition wire, then Pin 2 wasn't connected to anything and it shouldn't have mattered whether pin 2 was covered or not. You'd get awful pops when you turned off the car or unplugged the empeg, but you'd have an otherwise normally-functioning system.

Unless...

Somehow you had the empeg's amp remote wire connected to the car's ignition wire. That would explain the behavior, but Jesus H. Christ, why would you do something like THAT? You're lucky you didn't melt the empeg. You sure you don't want to take it to a professional and have them re-do the wiring properly?

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Tony Fabris