Uh oh .... :/

So I was cleaning up, uninstalling my amp so that I could put in an amp rack for my current amp and other one. I went to the fuse holder and found that the connections were melted to the holder. I had to rip out the wires, the fuse is trapped inside the fuse holder right now (inline, 100a fuse, 4g wiring to a 60a amplifier). So I googled what happened and from what I read, I was giving out too much power? Is this true?
Using those large AGU fuses. As of now there is no fuse to the amp (neither are wired up anyhow), should I get a 60a AGU fuse and keep to that from now on (I have used a 100a fuse for my compressors before and nothing happened then, no fuse blowing out or anything). The amps that I will be using both are 60a and I will also be using 2 compressors - about 80a for both (40a ea.).


using a dist. block like this one but for 3 fuses (no fuses are placed in, amps aren't even hooked up yet).
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_3271_Hitron-HFB2G.html

 

The dist block is a must with all the separate components, properly fused of course. You will want to add a bigger fuse or circuit breaker right at the battery too. Sounds like you might need to be running something in the 1/0 range for your primary with all the accessories that are branching off of it

 

At first I only had a 60a amplifier hooked up, which was on the inline that melted, which I find weird since the main fuse is 100a.
I do need to upgrade though, when I do - hopefully I get this right
- 0/1g big 3 *need
- 0/1g main wire to fuse ?? to dist. block *need
- 4g to 60a amplifiers (both are 60a ea.) *have
- going to be using the Scorpion dual 4g ring terminal for gnd *need
- 8g main wire to dist. block (non-fused) for compressors *have
- 8g " for gnd *have


amps from amplifiers and compressors is around 150a, would it be okay for me to have a 160a main fuse from the battery to the amp/compressor power dist. block?

 

150-200 main will be fine. The primary one is more protection from dead short along the run from batt to dist block. You will likely never be pulling full current on all at same time. Info only based on personal experience. Elec professionals might be able to chime in with a better answer

 

this is what happened to the inline with only the 60a amplifier. that one side that's exposed is the only side I could get off, the other just plain melted onto the main piece. I find it odd that the fuse isn't even damaged.

 

this is as far as I got today

 

A better quality fuse holder probably wouldn't have melted. I have seen same happen, lot of current gets pretty warm. I run the JL Audio dist blocks with the maxi fuses and it works really well.

 

False floor amp rack? Might need to add cooling fan(s)

 

lol kind of. already ahead of you, I will be using 4 80mm computer fans (2 ea.). there's enough room on the other side, but I have to angle them in order for them to fit and function the way I want them to. rotating the amps also so that the power is facing the fans. this was mainly for mock up. That small thermite fan fits PERFECT where the top amp has it's vents, fits perfectly over that.

 

Right on. Def want to see finished product

 

going to be doing something similar to this

 

Are your ground wires the same gauge as your power? and is your grounding point all the same and a "good point" to the chassis, not just to sheet metal. Insufficient ground will result in a lot of resistance in the power wire and I've seen them melt the best when people skimp or over look the ground.

 

this time around I am going to be gnd'ing to the frame or back to the battery.

 

That's good, you can run a short section of 0/1 thru one of the floor plugs bolted to the frame and distribute it in the cab near the amps to 4gau then to the amps, whatever matched smaller gauge to your processors or anything else that is non-high current. You'd be wasting your money going all the way to the battery with negative cable. What you should really do if you want your wires under the hood to look nice is replace your factory battery ground (-) with I/O to the block and use a nice distribution battery terminal to match the positive (+).

 

+1

The fuse is not "giving too much power"
The amp will draw no more than it was designed to draw.
60a amp should have a fuse supplying it that is no smaller than 75a, and the wiring should be no smaller than 6ga... 4ga with a 100a fuse is fine, and can supply an amp that draws as much as 80a.

But cheap fuse holders will melt.
Cheap (and you can't always tell by price) fuses will melt.
The ATO fuse that came with my DDM HID set melted.
Replaced it with a good one and never had another problem with it.

Corrosion or other bad connection will also generate excessive heat that can cause problems with even quality parts.

That's a lot of current to pass through the relatively small wire that jumps from the fender to the battery.
You can use the chassis, but I'd upgrade the body ground wire to a 4ga or larger.

 

"But cheap fuse holders will melt."
probably the problem. hopefully this dist. block that I have connected now will do the trick *crossing fingers it doesn't melt on me - thinking about getting a circuit breaker also as the main fuse to the dist. block. that way if it does heat up it'll turn off before it damages anything.

 

I was recommending that he run ground to the chassis near by his electronics AND change the factory negative to the block (engine)/chassis. Hence the following statement.

And +1000 on the corrosion

 

was thinking it over some last night. This is pretty much how I will/may have the wiring plumbed out.

What's the battery terminal for me?

 

progress on false floor/amp rack. getting things squared away, trying to figure out how to get the 4 fans to work with the design. Going to have to buy my ass a jigsaw soon.

 

have about 20"/20.5" W to work with in the back (a little worried about the driveshaft hump but will be working that out soon). as for now, both amps are fitted into area VERY snug, might throw in 2 more fans on the sides for more ventilation. Working on my math skills ... ... ... which is @ most a pre-school level :S