Something smells here!

schizm99 · 05-12-2003, 07:23 PM

Picture this! I am out cruising first real nice day of the year. Not quite nice enough for my motorcycle but nice enough to open the top of the GAGT. So I got the music beating pretty hard and I am admiring my handy work as the outside mirrors shake!

And all of a sudden they tone down and the speakers start making this really wierd squealing noise.

O.k. quick kill the radio!!!! I figured I may have over heated one of the amps right? Wrong I start the radio again a few minutes later, same thing. Damn shut the radio down pulled over shut the car off, popped the trunk. Time to investigate,

I felt around the amps they seemed cool. All the wiring seemed good. Checked the ground (that's my weak point right now) that seemed o.k.
Hmmm got back in gave my girl a quick smile all cool and stuff!! started the car, turned the radio on. Arrrrhgg that wretched squealing noise again.. My girlfriend looks over at me and in a helpful voice (yeah right) says "Do you smell something burning?". " Ta hell I do" I replied. "so does smoke come from under the hood alot?" she replies!

Holy sheep sh1t. I shut the car off again. pull the hood release! jumped out and investigated. Yup sure enough! A small wire connector with a fuse burning! I attached a picture so if anyone can tell me why this might have happened! The only thing I have found thus far is that I had attached an amp ground to an amp ground then to the body!

In a series type of style! anyway any help would be appreciated!!

iceman · 05-12-2003, 07:28 PM

Nice.. looks like theres a fuse in there rated too high for the wire.

What was that connected to?

schizm99 · 05-12-2003, 07:33 PM

That was about 6 inches from my battery, then went into my trunk and to my amps! At the end of that 15 foot wire it is blocked off in to 2 sections and fused again! Each of my amps has 2 35 AMP fuses also! The fuse that was in that was also a 35 AMP.

BMOBYLE · 05-12-2003, 07:34 PM

That wire looks waaaaaay too thin for 2 amps pal.

Please tell me that ain't your main coming off the BATT.

schizm99 · 05-12-2003, 07:38 PM

Yes sad to say it is! I had it from a single amp install! So I figured what the hell.. why not! Hmmmmm maybe that was why not huh???? P.S. read my profile it says I am cheap!!!

BMOBYLE · 05-12-2003, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by schizm99
Yes sad to say it is! I had it from a single amp install! So I figured what the hell.. why not! Hmmmmm maybe that was why not huh???? P.S. read my profile it says I am cheap!!!

Maybe try something like this---->Schizm's new wiring kit!

I think there only like $40. Well worth the protection of your investment ya know

At least 8 gauge.

And fix your ground. Sand some of the paint away if ya have to.
You'll hear the difference in your power and clarity.

schizm99 · 05-12-2003, 07:49 PM

Yeah, I should start with an upgraded wire kit! Then go from there! Considering hopefully my laptop will be plugged into it, I should at least try to save that from burning up!

BMOBYLE · 05-12-2003, 08:03 PM

Well regardless you still got a definate short to ground somewhere so find that first.

Remember current takes the path of the least amount of resistance so either that wire was resting on something hot and burnt a hole in the insulation or just plain ol hittin metal somewhere. Definatley bad enough to melt that fuse holder

schizm99 · 05-12-2003, 08:10 PM

The fuse holder was actually mounted on the side of my airbox, so I don't think it was near anything hot! Or metal for that matter! I really think it is a ground problem! My ground wires are under rated for what I am using them for! I think I will get the new wiring harness that you recommended and put some time into the grounding of it! I was just anxious to get out that day! (and cheap too) Well back to the drawing board! Thanx for the help and if you think of anything else hit me back!!!

iceman · 05-12-2003, 08:20 PM

Always use larger wire than you have to..

You are lucky it shorted in the engine bay and not in the cabin... good luck putting out a carpet fire.

sound_xtreme · 05-12-2003, 08:31 PM

That power wire doesnt have to be grounded for it to melt. In our SPL tbird we melted 4 gauge just from running amps with too much total power(kicker zr1000 and kicker zx540?). Now we run nothing but 2 gauge or higher in our cars. I am probably going to upgrade with a second 2 gauge wire one of these days.

schizm99 · 05-12-2003, 08:39 PM

So it all comes down to, either decrease the amps or upgrade the wires huh?

sound_xtreme · 05-12-2003, 09:01 PM

yea. I would say upgrade the wires to at least 4 gauge. I am sure ebay has some decent prices.

GreenGT3 · 05-13-2003, 12:32 AM

Question for you. Is there a wal-mart in your town? if so just go over to the automotive department and take a look. There should be a 4ga amplifier installation kit for pretty cheap. Then when you are installing the new wire, make sure there is a rubber grommet around your main power wire going through the firewall of the car. Also when hooking up the power and grounds to the amps make sure they are clear of each other. It could have been a little wire touching the other wire on the amp. Hopefully that will help. if not just hit us up again.

Green

schizm99 · 05-13-2003, 07:40 AM

Yeah I can hit Wal-mart up for a wiring kit! Cheapo just the way I like it! That is kinda funny because some guy asked me where I got my system and I told him Wal-mart!!! I can't post his comment here!

MattBatt · 05-13-2003, 01:18 PM

Cheap nothin Do you know what the mark up is on wiring kits especially name brands. You my friend are shopping smart by buying the kit at Wal-mart not being cheap. Now If you have a competition dB Drag car then that's a different story.

05-13-2003, 01:30 PM

Hell yeah! Not ashamed to say I bought my wire at Wally World! Scoshe is Scoshe no matter where you buy it.

MagiLLa · 05-13-2003, 01:46 PM

go to some parts store and buy welders wire..... it's like $1.29 CANADIAN a foot for 4Awg, which is a damn good price!! it's got good strand count and the insulation is great. Why would u decrease amount of amplifies, over just upping your wiring size?
If you gotta run new power wire anyways, why not just do that?

AmIGrand · 05-14-2003, 03:52 PM

First, check the existing power wire run for shorts. That looked like like 8 ga to me. There is no such thing as a 35 amp spade fuse, so you either have 25's or 30's, what amps are they? Assuming they are fused at 50 amperes each (2 25's), that's 100 amps total, assuming both amps are bridged to pull max juice. You can get away with 8 awg up to about 80 amperes total, but you really ought to have 4 awg or better.

That said - nothing had to short out. Sometomes a fuse "tries" to blow, but melts back together. When this happens, they tend to burn up, I've seen it happen several times in my 10 years in the business.

Upgrade to 4 awg or better, and make sure you have an ANL fuse rated at 100 amps.

BMOBYLE · 05-14-2003, 09:24 PM

Damn I've never seen a fuse melt from too much amprage pulled form car audio stuff.

But who am I to question.

From what he explained I didn't think the amps he had could melt a fuse and it's holder like that.

I woulda thought he woulda went through a couple of fuses first before it actually melted the whole holder.

05-12-2003, 07:23 PM	#1
schizm99 GAGT - Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Maine Age: 50 Posts: 279 Vehicle: 2000 GAGT	Something smells here! Picture this! I am out cruising first real nice day of the year. Not quite nice enough for my motorcycle but nice enough to open the top of the GAGT. So I got the music beating pretty hard and I am admiring my handy work as the outside mirrors shake! And all of a sudden they tone down and the speakers start making this really wierd squealing noise. O.k. quick kill the radio!!!! I figured I may have over heated one of the amps right? Wrong I start the radio again a few minutes later, same thing. Damn shut the radio down pulled over shut the car off, popped the trunk. Time to investigate, I felt around the amps they seemed cool. All the wiring seemed good. Checked the ground (that's my weak point right now) that seemed o.k. Hmmm got back in gave my girl a quick smile all cool and stuff!! started the car, turned the radio on. Arrrrhgg that wretched squealing noise again.. My girlfriend looks over at me and in a helpful voice (yeah right) says "Do you smell something burning?". " Ta hell I do" I replied. "so does smoke come from under the hood alot?" she replies! Holy sheep sh1t. I shut the car off again. pull the hood release! jumped out and investigated. Yup sure enough! A small wire connector with a fuse burning! I attached a picture so if anyone can tell me why this might have happened! The only thing I have found thus far is that I had attached an amp ground to an amp ground then to the body! In a series type of style! anyway any help would be appreciated!! Attached Thumbnails __________________ Hippies, hippies all around me! They pretend they wanna save the earth, but all they do is smoke pot and smell bad!!

05-12-2003, 07:28 PM	#2
iceman woop woop AKA: Seth Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ Age: 41 Posts: 10,528 Vehicle: 97 Blazer - 84 Fiero	Nice.. looks like theres a fuse in there rated too high for the wire. What was that connected to? __________________ --Seth Support GrandAmGT.com sponsors! My Picture Gallery \| GoneDragRacing.com Drag Racing Photos & Videos

05-12-2003, 07:33 PM	#3
schizm99 GAGT - Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Maine Age: 50 Posts: 279 Vehicle: 2000 GAGT	connected That was about 6 inches from my battery, then went into my trunk and to my amps! At the end of that 15 foot wire it is blocked off in to 2 sections and fused again! Each of my amps has 2 35 AMP fuses also! The fuse that was in that was also a 35 AMP. __________________ Hippies, hippies all around me! They pretend they wanna save the earth, but all they do is smoke pot and smell bad!!

05-12-2003, 07:34 PM	#4
BMOBYLE Grease Monkey Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: drexel hill Age: 44 Posts: 659 Vehicle: 99GAGTBLACKmodded!	That wire looks waaaaaay too thin for 2 amps pal. Please tell me that ain't your main coming off the BATT. __________________ GM's love me ASE Certified!!! My N-Body I'll see ya with my tools F-FACE!

05-12-2003, 07:38 PM	#5
schizm99 GAGT - Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Maine Age: 50 Posts: 279 Vehicle: 2000 GAGT	O.k. I won't tell ya that! Yes sad to say it is! I had it from a single amp install! So I figured what the hell.. why not! Hmmmmm maybe that was why not huh???? P.S. read my profile it says I am cheap!!! __________________ Hippies, hippies all around me! They pretend they wanna save the earth, but all they do is smoke pot and smell bad!!

05-12-2003, 07:49 PM	#7
schizm99 GAGT - Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Maine Age: 50 Posts: 279 Vehicle: 2000 GAGT	So right! Yeah, I should start with an upgraded wire kit! Then go from there! Considering hopefully my laptop will be plugged into it, I should at least try to save that from burning up! __________________ Hippies, hippies all around me! They pretend they wanna save the earth, but all they do is smoke pot and smell bad!!

05-12-2003, 08:03 PM	#8
BMOBYLE Grease Monkey Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: drexel hill Age: 44 Posts: 659 Vehicle: 99GAGTBLACKmodded!	Well regardless you still got a definate short to ground somewhere so find that first. Remember current takes the path of the least amount of resistance so either that wire was resting on something hot and burnt a hole in the insulation or just plain ol hittin metal somewhere. Definatley bad enough to melt that fuse holder __________________ GM's love me ASE Certified!!! My N-Body I'll see ya with my tools F-FACE!

05-12-2003, 08:10 PM	#9
schizm99 GAGT - Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Maine Age: 50 Posts: 279 Vehicle: 2000 GAGT	It has to be a bad ground! The fuse holder was actually mounted on the side of my airbox, so I don't think it was near anything hot! Or metal for that matter! I really think it is a ground problem! My ground wires are under rated for what I am using them for! I think I will get the new wiring harness that you recommended and put some time into the grounding of it! I was just anxious to get out that day! (and cheap too) Well back to the drawing board! Thanx for the help and if you think of anything else hit me back!!! __________________ Hippies, hippies all around me! They pretend they wanna save the earth, but all they do is smoke pot and smell bad!!

05-12-2003, 08:20 PM	#10
iceman woop woop AKA: Seth Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ Age: 41 Posts: 10,528 Vehicle: 97 Blazer - 84 Fiero	Always use larger wire than you have to.. You are lucky it shorted in the engine bay and not in the cabin... good luck putting out a carpet fire. __________________ --Seth Support GrandAmGT.com sponsors! My Picture Gallery \| GoneDragRacing.com Drag Racing Photos & Videos

05-12-2003, 08:31 PM	#11
sound_xtreme Modalero Owner Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Findlay, Ohio Age: 38 Posts: 402 Vehicle: 1999 Oldsmobile Alero	That power wire doesnt have to be grounded for it to melt. In our SPL tbird we melted 4 gauge just from running amps with too much total power(kicker zr1000 and kicker zx540?). Now we run nothing but 2 gauge or higher in our cars. I am probably going to upgrade with a second 2 gauge wire one of these days. __________________ My Alero: http://www.cardomain.com/id/sound_xtreme http://www.aleroplanet.com/album Ohio Rides

05-12-2003, 08:39 PM	#12
schizm99 GAGT - Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Maine Age: 50 Posts: 279 Vehicle: 2000 GAGT	Hmmmm So it all comes down to, either decrease the amps or upgrade the wires huh? __________________ Hippies, hippies all around me! They pretend they wanna save the earth, but all they do is smoke pot and smell bad!!

05-12-2003, 09:01 PM	#13
sound_xtreme Modalero Owner Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Findlay, Ohio Age: 38 Posts: 402 Vehicle: 1999 Oldsmobile Alero	yea. I would say upgrade the wires to at least 4 gauge. I am sure ebay has some decent prices. __________________ My Alero: http://www.cardomain.com/id/sound_xtreme http://www.aleroplanet.com/album Ohio Rides

05-13-2003, 12:32 AM	#14
GreenGT3 GA out/Tiburon in Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Northern IL(hometown) Age: 40 Posts: 201 Vehicle: 04 Hyundai tiburon V6	Question for you. Is there a wal-mart in your town? if so just go over to the automotive department and take a look. There should be a 4ga amplifier installation kit for pretty cheap. Then when you are installing the new wire, make sure there is a rubber grommet around your main power wire going through the firewall of the car. Also when hooking up the power and grounds to the amps make sure they are clear of each other. It could have been a little wire touching the other wire on the amp. Hopefully that will help. if not just hit us up again. Green __________________ 2000 Spruce metallic Green Grand am GT 4 door. It's gone, but still like to check out the site. I got a 2004 Tiburon GT v6 6-speed. check out the tib at http://www.sounddomain.com/ride/607889

05-13-2003, 07:40 AM	#15
schizm99 GAGT - Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Maine Age: 50 Posts: 279 Vehicle: 2000 GAGT	Yeah I can hit Wal-mart up for a wiring kit! Cheapo just the way I like it! That is kinda funny because some guy asked me where I got my system and I told him Wal-mart!!! I can't post his comment here! __________________ Hippies, hippies all around me! They pretend they wanna save the earth, but all they do is smoke pot and smell bad!!

05-13-2003, 01:18 PM	#16
MattBatt I'm An Audio Monkey AKA: Matt Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Orlando FL Age: 41 Posts: 1,015 Vehicle: 1999 Grand Am SE Coupe	Cheap nothin Do you know what the mark up is on wiring kits especially name brands. You my friend are shopping smart by buying the kit at Wal-mart not being cheap. Now If you have a competition dB Drag car then that's a different story. __________________ My car is dieing My Website "Life's big problems include the words 'Indictment' or 'Inoperable'. Everything else is small stuff."

05-13-2003, 01:30 PM	#17
kcitsGT Guest Posts: n/a	Hell yeah! Not ashamed to say I bought my wire at Wally World! Scoshe is Scoshe no matter where you buy it.

05-13-2003, 01:46 PM	#18
MagiLLa Team S.M owns Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Winnipeg Age: 35 Posts: 711 Vehicle: '00 GASE	go to some parts store and buy welders wire..... it's like $1.29 CANADIAN a foot for 4Awg, which is a damn good price!! it's got good strand count and the insulation is great. Why would u decrease amount of amplifies, over just upping your wiring size? If you gotta run new power wire anyways, why not just do that? __________________ See My Body I have Kanji letters on the hood that release special dragon power above 3700 RPM's

05-14-2003, 03:52 PM	#19
AmIGrand Car Audio Guy AKA: Jamin Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Vegas, Baby! Age: 46 Posts: 993 Vehicle: '05 Ion Redline	First, check the existing power wire run for shorts. That looked like like 8 ga to me. There is no such thing as a 35 amp spade fuse, so you either have 25's or 30's, what amps are they? Assuming they are fused at 50 amperes each (2 25's), that's 100 amps total, assuming both amps are bridged to pull max juice. You can get away with 8 awg up to about 80 amperes total, but you really ought to have 4 awg or better. That said - nothing had to short out. Sometomes a fuse "tries" to blow, but melts back together. When this happens, they tend to burn up, I've seen it happen several times in my 10 years in the business. Upgrade to 4 awg or better, and make sure you have an ANL fuse rated at 100 amps. __________________ Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2200 ft): 15.922 @ 86.70 MPH, stock '98 2.4 / 5 speed coupe with a K&N drop in filter and crappy tires (2.3 60's). Gone now.... R.I.P. 1993 Oldsmobile Achieva SCX W41, parted out. 2005 Pacific Blue Ion Redline, competition package, set up for SCCA Stock class, Koni Yellows/Hawk pads/Powergrid endlinks/245/40/17 BFG R1's for race day...

05-14-2003, 09:24 PM	#20
BMOBYLE Grease Monkey Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: drexel hill Age: 44 Posts: 659 Vehicle: 99GAGTBLACKmodded!	Damn I've never seen a fuse melt from too much amprage pulled form car audio stuff. But who am I to question. From what he explained I didn't think the amps he had could melt a fuse and it's holder like that. I woulda thought he woulda went through a couple of fuses first before it actually melted the whole holder. __________________ GM's love me ASE Certified!!! My N-Body I'll see ya with my tools F-FACE!

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