Amp overheat

[AaronGAGT]

Is there a way to stop my amp from overheating and cutting out?

[luniz]

Mine has never overheated. I used an external fan to cool it down. So my amp has two fans. My amp is behind my seats and I have never had a problem with it.

[MattBatt]

Is your amp in the open or behind stuff? Are you running it with the gains at their proper position (i.e. not turned all the way up)? What is it attatched to?

[AaronGAGT]

My gains are turned all the way down and its mounted on the back of my seat with screws....

[MagiLLa]

what ohm level is it running at?

[AaronGAGT]

Well... to be honest, i dont know... dont really know what they are either...:confused:

[AmIGrand]

"Yikes" is right. :eek:

First, read the "What's an ohm and why you should care" sticky. More than once if necessary. Than come back in here and tell us what brand and model your amp is, and what brand and model your subs are.

:thumbs:

[MattBatt]

Yeah that should help us determine what the problem might be.

[AaronGAGT]

I read the sticky and kinda get what they're sayin, but dont know how to apply it to my situation and heat.

I have MTX 4244 (4 chan) and a Rockford Fosgate 250.2 ( 2 chan)

I have 2 10 inch Sony Explods <=cheap i know Bridged to the RF amp

[gtaholic]

I don't know about anyone else but my RF always overheats after long periods of loud music. But my Phoenix Gold doesn't even warm up. I think it is a Rockford thing. You show two amps. Which one is overheating.

[MattBatt]

If I am reading this right your problem could be (according to your last post) that you have 2 four ohm speakers wired in parralel and hooked up to your amp in a bridged configuration. I don't have alot of experience with Rorfords but I don't think They are 2 ohms stable in bridged mode. That would be like having a stereo 1 ohm load. In other words there isn't enough resistance on the amplifier and it is flying wide open causing the traces and components to get really hot.
To resolve this problem hook up the speakers in stereo and that will make your amp happy. And if that's not loud enough for you anymore buy 2 more of those CHEAP Sony speakers and double the sound.

[AaronGAGT]

lol Thanks matt, I'll take you're advice and hook up the subs in... unbridged mode (?) lol Hopefully the exlods dont EXPLODE

[AmIGrand]

That Punch ain't gonna run 4 10's real well, and stereo 4 ohm with that power ain't gonna get real load. Either get a single, larger, 4 ohm woofer in a ported box (my recomendation), or switch the existing subs for something similar, but in an 8 ohm coil.

[MattBatt]

I agree With AmIGrand if the new more stable set up isn't enough bass for you you might want to upgrade your subs.
It's all about what you want.

[AaronGAGT]

I dont have 4 10s.... nor will i ever have 4 10s lol

Although I am thinkin about upgrading this summer.

Would the Rockford be able to give good power to 2 12s? or no?

[AmIGrand]

That particular Punch amp isn't a real powerhouse, but it can run a pair of efficient (low powered) subs. To get the most out of that amplifier, I'd get a single moderate power 12" (HE2, W3, TSX, Shiva, etc....) and a ported box. It'll hit better than a pair of cheaper woofers sealed, and take up about the same space.

Otherwise, yeah - if they're lower power woofers, that amp will run a couple of them, just make sure they're either 8 ohm or dual 4 ohm voicecoils.

[AaronGAGT]

Thanks for the help bud! :thumbs:

[brian]

something also to consider is the fact that you have them screwed to the back of the seat, which puts them at a slight angle like this: /amp. is the amp is sitting like that, it is slightly upsidedown, possibly causing the heat to discipate improperly meaning its going up through the bottom of the amp and not the heatsink, thus actually frying itself (heating up quicker but rockford has an overheat protection so it wont actually fry i dont think). try mounting it horizontally with the heatsink UP, meaning more or less just sit it normally on the floor of your trunk for a couple days and see if that helps.

[AaronGAGT]

Originally posted by brian
something also to consider is the fact that you have them screwed to the back of the seat, which puts them at a slight angle like this: /amp. is the amp is sitting like that, it is slightly upsidedown, possibly causing the heat to discipate improperly meaning its going up through the bottom of the amp and not the heatsink, thus actually frying itself (heating up quicker but rockford has an overheat protection so it wont actually fry i dont think). try mounting it horizontally with the heatsink UP, meaning more or less just sit it normally on the floor of your trunk for a couple days and see if that helps.

Thanks for the advice, i'll do that... just tell me what a heatsink is wtf

[MattBatt]

The heat sink is the part that has the design and makes the amps look different from each other. It's basically a solid pice of aluminum that takes the heat generated by the transistors and gives them a larger area to cool off.
Some amps like Pheonix Gold titanium series have an internal heatsink and fans cool it off.