One day with an amp and it's blowen.... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 09-26-2002, 04:52 PM

Well I got my wires in and got the subs all hooked up.

Sound pretty good too. I was all ready to go to school and show it off. The next day the first 25 min. of music was great but then the amp would work for a min. and shut off for 2. It was getting too hot. Well It did this all day long that night it stopped doing it and played almost all the way home. It stopped and I figured it was just hot and I would rig up a fan the next day to keep it cool. Well turn out the amp never came back on and now just stays in protect. Thats what I get for buying a cheap amp.

Looks like I will be waiting a few weeks and buying another cheap kenwood unless someone is intrestead in a new capacitor.

pentoman · #2 09-27-2002, 07:36 AM

Unlucky.. hope your amp revives itself!

My Kicker gets hot & turns off when it's turned up, too - I make sure to take note of the signs and turn it down a little, and switch the car's fan to cool, (amp is in rear footwell by rear air vents). This usually works ok for me, it switches back on 30 seconds later.

If you are running below 4 ohms on any channel, this will create a lot of extra heat, and some cheaper amps aren't really up to the job.

It's definitely good to keep them as cool as poss. though

later!

G-Benz · #3 09-27-2002, 11:35 AM

Hope you aren't running below 4 ohms? That is a death sentence for anything but the most solidly-built amps (you get what you pay for).

Also, are you running sufficient gauge power wires ? They are kinda like water pipes, you can't push several gallons of water per second through a drinking straw!

Ashman · #4 09-27-2002, 01:20 PM

YEs definately check the ohm load you are putting on the amp, but also try turning the gain on it down a bit too. One other thing to check is how have you got the amp wired? Mono or Stereo?

I never use less than 4 gauge wire for power to an amp, if I am running more than one amp, I use 2 gauge or thicker. The bigger the width of the cable, the better the flow of power to the amp will be.

Alon

#5 09-28-2002, 12:13 AM

I have 8 gauge running to the amp. iT was bringed down into 2 ohms but that was what I had to run it in because it was missing a contact on the amp. It won't come back so I bought a Sony Explode 760 watt amp so that I can blow my subs

I'm going to mount the amp and put 3 computer case fans on it somehow. I heard they xplodes are good at keeping themselfs cool so that is a plus.
thanks guys

pentoman · #6 09-28-2002, 11:14 AM

Fans are a good idea I reckon - I'd run some if I could be bothered

I'll try and save your more destruction and $$$:

How will you run the fans? They will draw a reasonable load, and should NOT be run from, say, the amp switch-on lead from the head unit (this is only designed to deliver a small current +12v signal).

You must use a power delivery that can cope with it (not sure, but perhaps it's OK to run the fans - along with the amp - from your 8 guage amp power lead) and then use the +12v signal lead I mentioned (which should be turning on your amp) to switch a relay and turn on the fans.

good luck!

Kuan · #7 09-28-2002, 04:06 PM

Shouldn't you have a fuse in there somewhere? You know, you oughtta find someone in school who has an aptitude for electronics. Pull out the old capacitors, and upgrade them with big old honking ones. Also install some bigass heatsinks.

Kuan

#8 09-28-2002, 06:20 PM

If I can get the amp back I will use it for highs and turn it way way down. right now I am not to upset I knew what I was buying.
As for the fans I'm going to rig them to a swith so I mannual turn them on and off. I plan to run them from the accessory /on postion so they will shut off with the car. They should not draw to much power they are just little computer fans

PS
I have fuses everywhere but it had what turned out to be to big of fuse and did not protect it.