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Dead battery! Newbie needs help!


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drat4u2 
Member - Posts: 6
Member spacespace
Joined: July 17, 2002
Location: United States
Posted: August 13, 2003 at 9:06 PM / IP Logged  
Greetings all. I know that this is terribly simple, but I need some expert help. This is the first time that I have attempted to install multiple amps. I have a new Fosgate Punch 300 to run my mids and highs along with a Fosgate Punch 75 bridged mono for the sub. I took the advice of many to use a relay to control all of the turn-on leads. The 4AWG power and 4AWG grounds run thru a distr. block (power-fused; ground-not) with 12AWG running to each amp. ....1st time dealing with relays or distr. blocks, by the way. I followed the schematics posted here. After final connections, "power-on" gave a loud static noise from the speakers; radio on and off. Since it was late, I unplugged the speakers to re-test the next day (tested with a voltometer b/4 final connect, but I could have mixed something up) and made sure that the amps were "powered-down" by the relay...all power LED's off. (I carpool every other week and this was my off-week.) The following day I started to try again, but it was raining. But, the dome lights worked, as well as the alarm arming. Today (3rd day after power/ground connections made), I found a completely dead battery! I checked all of the fuses; amps and distr. box all ok. All new wires and only butt-end/crimped connectors used throughout and power directly from the battery. Since I have not tried to recharge or replace the battery, I only assume that it is dead and not some other issue. (Please no!) Any ideas what could have caused something like this? Bad ground? Bad relay? I'm totally lost.... Dead battery!  Newbie needs help! -- posted image. Thanks for any help or advice!!
drat4u2 
Member - Posts: 6
Member spacespace
Joined: July 17, 2002
Location: United States
Posted: August 14, 2003 at 9:50 PM / IP Logged  
UPDATE: Yes, it was just a completely drained battery; nothing else major...yet. No chance yet to further test the speaker connections for a reason behind the static, etc. Still no clue how a 1-1/2 yr old battery can go dead within 2-days. Any thoughts??
speedwayaudio1 
Silver - Posts: 879
Silver spacespace
Joined: March 18, 2003
Location: United States
Posted: August 15, 2003 at 11:25 AM / IP Logged  
I think you got the relay wrong. you don't need it. with only 2 amps I run 3 amps and have no problems. if you had 4 amps or 2 amps and some eq's and x over and other extras you would need a relay.
Big Dave
drat4u2 
Member - Posts: 6
Member spacespace
Joined: July 17, 2002
Location: United States
Posted: August 15, 2003 at 4:10 PM / IP Logged  
Thanks, Big Dave. I thought so. This is the 1st time that I have run 2-amps and a x over. Thinking about also adding a small fan to keep things cool under the seat..? I will check it again. One other thing that I thought of...I have seen other installs use a distr. block for both the power and ground; this is ok, right?
speedwayaudio1 
Silver - Posts: 879
Silver spacespace
Joined: March 18, 2003
Location: United States
Posted: August 15, 2003 at 9:20 PM / IP Logged  
sure you can. I run 1/0 awg wire from the batt to a dist block then 4 awg to my amps. then i have 4 awg grounds from my amps to a dist block then 1/0 awg to the chassis. easy as pie. remember to use a fuse about 12 inchs from the batt. It will save you from a bad fire.
Big Dave
radioactive 
Member - Posts: 36
Member spacespace
Joined: August 14, 2003
Location: United States
Posted: August 15, 2003 at 9:28 PM / IP Logged  

usually you would add a fan for amps that are in confined areas excluding under the seat but i think if your amps located under the seat you would get enough air circulation around it but a fan wouldn't hurt at all

yes, its right you can have different blocks for your power and ground...ive seen some dist. blocks have them both combined in one big block

"The important thing is not to stop questioning"
drat4u2 
Member - Posts: 6
Member spacespace
Joined: July 17, 2002
Location: United States
Posted: August 15, 2003 at 10:48 PM / IP Logged  
Got it, thanks guys. I did not get a chance to re-test my connections to/from the amps (which might be one of the reasons for the nasty static I mentioned earlier) b/c the damn battery was completely drained again today! It checked out ok with the guy at the parts store yesterday and he said that it simply needed a good charge, which I did overnight. This morning all seemed ok and it started fine, alarm working and all. Just in case, I pulled the main AGU fuse near the battery. Later today after work, no power, no alarm...nothing...again! The only other reason that I can possibly think of that might cause the incredible power drain is the alarm that I had, yes I'll say it, Best Buy put in. **cringe** Is that possible for an alarm to be hooked up wrong where the battery could be drained in a day? If so, damn, I thought that I was taking my car to "experts"... Does this sound right?     Oh yeah, one more thing about that nasty static, how far apart should power & ground dist blocks be placed from my x over? Right now, I have the amps under one side of the split back seat and the power, ground, relay and x over on the other side. Bad idea? Thanks again for the help.
speedwayaudio1 
Silver - Posts: 879
Silver spacespace
Joined: March 18, 2003
Location: United States
Posted: August 16, 2003 at 3:32 AM / IP Logged  

i don't think it's your alarm. you have a dead short some where. charge your batt with your batt wires off of the batt and you power wire for your amps off too. once your batt is charged put your positive back on first then your negitive, but look real close to the neg post when you do. If you see a small arc (spark) then you have a draw on the batt some where. when you hook up your amp power wire look for the same arc. if you do your amps are drawing power when they are supose to be off.

Big Dave
drat4u2 
Member - Posts: 6
Member spacespace
Joined: July 17, 2002
Location: United States
Posted: August 16, 2003 at 1:45 PM / IP Logged  
Good idea. I have been slow-charging the battery as of this morning and will try that here in a bit. Won't the alarm cause this arc once the battery is re-connected as well? So, would it be ok to replace the main AGU fuse at the battery, but leave the power distr. block undone (protected from touching anything, of course) and then connecting the power wire into the distr block again or just try one/each of the amps individually? Also, any thoughts on the close distance that I currently have between the distr blocks and the x over?
speedwayaudio1 
Silver - Posts: 879
Silver spacespace
Joined: March 18, 2003
Location: United States
Posted: August 17, 2003 at 11:08 PM / IP Logged  

you could do that, but check the car first, take the alarm off too the alarm will cause an arc because its "on" all the time. yes move the x over away from the power wire. like as far away as you can. I think you should deep 6 the alarm anyway. nobody pays any mind to them anymore. unless you have a pager type that tells you its going off. a good crook and their out there will have that alarm shut off and car stolen be for you can say my sh*t 's gone. i use a brake peddle device that keeps my bronco from moving. even if they start it. my system is well installed all screw heads are filled in with jb weld. so screw guns won't work. and they have no time to drill them out. so they go to the next target thats easy. they don't want to spend more than a a couple of min at a car.

Big Dave
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