amp fuse keeps blowing

Hey guys,Newbie here... I was installing a amp and subwoofer today and I bumped into a problem. I wired the amp with 4 Gauge wiring from the battery, with a earth from the body and the remote from the previous remote I had connected for my last amp (which was connected to my rears) to a accessories wire (live). Everytime I connect the final wire, I get some nice fireworks coming from where Im connecting it and then the fuses blow. I put a test light between the earth connection and the earth wire and it stopped the fuse from blowing. So Im pretty lost as to where I go from here. Any ideas? While I got the post up, any opinions on soundstream subwoofers and alpine splits? My bro wants to sell them to me.Cheers in advance

so it works properly with the test light between the earth connection and the earth wire? or does it just stop the fuse from blowing?

Well... it only sort of worked, not fully. Subby didnt work.Anyway, I cleaned up the earth connection and it worked. No sparks... the subby was going, i was smiling and then... nothing :S The fuse at the battery blew and it wasnt a once off as it happened the second time too :SGet past one problem, hit head on with another :(

It's hard to say what's going on but it could be a bad ground for the amp, or even a defective amp.  One note: you should always disconnect your battery when working on your power system, which prevents "fireworks."Support the12volt.com

It sounds as though the amp could have an issue with internal components. It is a rule of thumb to connect ground to device then the power. Remote should be a 12v+ switched from radio power antenna wire or amp turn on wire. Then once these wires are connected, that is when you insert fuse at battery.

I think I follow the same rule of thumb... Negative off first, on last. As for it being a bad ground, I screwed it to a existing thread in my boot. I sanded back the paint and I dunno... I wish there was a way to test a ground (without some fancy equipment). Im doubtful its the amp... but I will try connecting up my other amp and Ill report back as to how it goes. Off to work now. Cheers guys.

do this, ground off batt terminal FIRST

1)clean up the place (paint. rust proofing, etc) where you wish to ground your wire.

2)Ground the wire securly.3)Pull out our head unit, look for a BLUE wire. Usually that is the remote turn on lead or antenna trigger. Run a new wire or exising one again to the back or where your amp sits4)connect rca cables, put back deck and connect your 12 volt line WITHOUT FUSE 5) Reconnect ground, then add fuse to the wire from batt to amp. Turn on your deck and see if your amp turns on without blowing fuses.

shezza wrote: I wish there was a way to test a ground (without some fancy equipment)

I dunno what the pros have to say about this but, i test my ground by getting a multimeter and placing one prong on the + and one on the - of the battery once i've found out my battery reading (around 12v). Then i find a 12v source in the car (e.g amp power lead) put the positive prong on that and then put the negative prong on where i plan to ground and see what the reading is, if its the same as the battery reading its a good ground if its not the same by a pretty reasonable amount then i put it down to bad ground.

Yes, a multimeter is about as fancy as is necessary (though I'm sure you could get more fancy). shezza, take tedmond's list, and do what ice32 said to before completing the second step... if it still does it, i'd sit with DYohn on it being a bad amp... Calling the manufacturer to let them know what's goin on and sending it back for them to double check things never hurtsGreed is for amateurs.

Disorder,chaos,anarchy now THAT is fun!!