underhood fuse keeps blowing
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=96927
Printed Date: May 03, 2024 at 11:38 PM
Topic: underhood fuse keeps blowing
Posted By: samuelsteven
Subject: underhood fuse keeps blowing
Date Posted: September 06, 2007 at 1:55 PM
Ive got an 02 tahoe, and i installed a sound system in it a few weeks back. For some reason the fuse main underhood fuse keeps popping when i have the system up loud with heavy bass. It doesnt blow right away, it usually takes a while with the radio loud and it also melted the fuse holder the other day. Ive got (4) 15" Kicker CVR pushed by a Planet Audio 2200D (2250/1) Ive got a 1.5 farad capacitor as well. No extra battery or alternator upgrade though. Im thinking that the amp is just asking for too much power and keeps popping the fuse. At first I had an 60 amp, then i put an 80 amo and i popped both. Should i try a higher rated fuse, like 100 amp? Or would it hurt just to do away with the fuse completely?
Replies:
Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: September 06, 2007 at 2:30 PM
Sure... remove the fuse completely, and burn your car to the ground in the (hopefully unlikely) event of an accident... But that IS why they call them "accidents".
Yeah, no... NEVER remove the fuse completely.
The rule of thumb is this: The underhood fuse is to protect the car and the wire, NOT the amplifier. Protect the wire with the fuse it needs. You are obviously pulling more power than the fuse is rated for, but you said nothing about what size wire you have in the system.
Fuse a #8 for 100A, a #4 for 150A, a #2 for 225A, and a 1/0 for 350A. For that amplifier, I hope you are running AT LEAST a #2, as (if I am not mistaken) that amplifier uses a 200A external fuse. 200A is more than a #4 can handle without unacceptable voltage loss, causing the amp to want to pull even MORE current, further exacerbating the problem.
If you don't have a #2 or bigger, that's your problem. Replace your power wire with the correct size wire, fuse it for that size wire, and you will be golden!
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It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
Posted By: samuelsteven
Date Posted: September 06, 2007 at 2:42 PM
Yea, i really wanna burn my car to the ground! Thats exactly why i asked the more experienced before i did so. I wasnt asking for sarcasim, just for advice. My wire is 4 gauge, i went to two stereo shops and both told me the 4 gauge was thick enough for that amplifier, especially because its only letting out 1700 watts, because i have the speakers wired to 2 ohms. I guess i just need a bigger buss fuse. What size should i put in it?
Posted By: 2fas4ya
Date Posted: September 06, 2007 at 3:17 PM
going from what was written above for the #4 try replacing with a 150a in it and see if it works....
Posted By: proatthagame
Date Posted: September 06, 2007 at 4:02 PM
haemphyst wrote:
Fuse a #8 for 100A, a #4 for 150A, a #2 for 225A, and a 1/0 for 350A. For that amplifier, I hope you are running AT LEAST a #2, as (if I am not mistaken) that amplifier uses a 200A external fuse. 200A is more than a #4 can handle without unacceptable voltage loss, causing the amp to want to pull even MORE current, further exacerbating the problem.
Does this pertain to BIG THREE as well as falling under the same concept? If all of my electrical components whether they be aftermarket or OEM equal up to (lets say for example) 150amps. Then if i upgraded my big three with #4 then if i added more amperage to the circuit then i would start having those unexpected voltage drops?? ------------- Yours Truly
Posted By: proatthagame
Date Posted: September 06, 2007 at 4:05 PM
I upgraded the big three really to replace my stock because they were corroded and nasty as H*ll. But im thinking i should of used a higher gauge wire while i was at it......considering i am having voltage drops..... ------------- Yours Truly
Posted By: KarTuneMan
Date Posted: September 06, 2007 at 10:20 PM
1700watts..... and 4g. cable.....? increase the amperage of the fuse.... That wire's gonna get warm. Be carefull -------------
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: September 06, 2007 at 10:42 PM
Posted By: proatthagame
Date Posted: September 07, 2007 at 9:47 AM
KarTuneMan wrote:
1700watts..... and 4g. cable.....? increase the amperage of the fuse.... That wire's gonna get warm. Be carefull
I left the stock alt+ to bat+ and just added a 4 gauge with a 175amp fuse, the stock fuse is 100. Should I leave it like this or just go ahead and upgrade to a larger wire?.....or upgrade the wire and leave the aftermarket fuse and replace the stock fuse with one of higher amperage? I have a Volt gauge and when my low freq's hit rather hard the voltage will drop to around 12.5 and kinda bounce back and forth back to 13.8. Im assuming this is causing more of a draw from the circuit thus causing the wire to get hot and cause more resistance resulting in the voltage fluctuation? ------------- Yours Truly
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