soundmaster2.0

I have a crappy sony amp that I bought from one of my friends and it is sitting in the back window of my firebird under the t-tops bag. The problem is when it gets hot out the amp gets so hot I can't even touch it and then proceeds to not work. Any suggestions on how to keep it cool or where to move it to?

Stealthy-One

first dont cover it. My amp has heat issues as well, and I bought a small PC fan and mounted that behind the amp to blow air on it. seems to work pretty good.

soundmaster2.0

Covering it actually keeps it cooler than leaving it in the window, at least as far as I have noticed. I may need a high cfm fan. I will probably order one with the case and mobo I am getting off newegg.

johnnyboy

iTrader: (3)

i would doubt that covering it with a black bag that sits in the sun all day would keep the amp cooler. i would mount it hidden behind a the plastic trim in the spare tire well or something and still put a fan on it though

vipershark11

iTrader: (6)

i got an Audiobahn A8000T amp. i have it running at 2 ohms and it has gotten pretty hot before. its overheated about 3 times. but mine comes with a built in fan so facing the right way helped. when i had it covered with carpeting it overheated when removed. and today i faced the vent so air would go right into it so it stayed even cooler.

dcjredline

robmonte

sounds like its getting way to hot, I put my sony amp in the back box opposite the spare and it seems to keep cool, maybe turn the amp down some, you maybe trying to get to much out of it.

Stealthy-One

well if covering it keeps it cooler, then I guess Im just totally fubar during the winter. I always snuggle under a blanket or 5 to keep warm. guess I have been doing the wrong thiing huh? Just messing with ya.....

wulff

There is a temperature sensor on the amp to shut it down to prevent overheating, that is what is happening. If you could make a small cover out of fiberboard and cover it with matching carpeting. Leave two ends open and place a small PC 12 volt fan to blow across the amp. this will work better than placing the amp in the open, it will carry the heat away just fine. You can hook it up to your remote (that turns on your amp) so you don't even have to think about having to turn it on.
Good luck.

ScottieB

Aye just get a cheap fan that you can mount on there and hook it up to the pos and neg... so when the amp turns on, guess what? your fan turns on.

soundmaster2.0

Keeping it under the bag keeps it cool until the bag gets hot. Also I moved it down next to the box yesterday and it seems to help but i like the way it looks in the back window.

dcjredline

So do potential theives. IMO

SkullCracker

Get some 80mm Computer fans, ASPIRE are the best and put out alot of air. What you will need to do is build a bracket so you can mount them and just wire them to your fuse block. We did this in my buddies car and it worked real good, and on top of it the fans light up blue. You can get any color you want. Or even get 2 120mm fans and do the same, I build Computers on the side and these fans work great for cooling mu system down along with what ever else you need to be cooled down.


Go to newegg.com and look under cooling.
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OOPPPS didn't see that something like what I said was posted already,SORRY.

NEEDAZ

1: Never run fans off the remote wire (well, almost never). Use a relay.
2: I haven't seen anything about how you have the sub hooked up. Bridged? 2 ohm load or what?
3: Get an ohm meter out and check the subs. It is VARY possible for a speakers resistance to drop and not hear a difference. Lower resistance = more current = more heat.

Don't bother with all the fans and crap if the problem is install related.

alpine247

you have a bad ground,had the same problem with a crunch amp it got so hot that u cant even touch it but it never cut off.also put the amp under the sub box if u have the trunk box.

vipershark11

iTrader: (6)

no dont put it under the sub box!!! i have mine mounted on top of my box and it stays nice and cool then the other day i was moving it around and to where i moved it i needed more wire so i hooked it up and threw it under the box for the trip to the audio store 5 min away. when i got home i went to pull it out and i couldnt even touch my amp it didnt get to the thermal shut off but it was getting there and my amp has a built in fan.

SouLTeRRoR

I think it's just the amp it self. Friend of mine use to have an Xplode and it would over heat in about 5 min's sometimes. Got a diff amp, mounted it in the same place. No problems after that.

soundmaster2.0

I dont have a bad ground because it is grounded right to the frame also I live in hicksville usa so the chance of the amp being stolen is slim. I want to try to keep it away from the box because the vibration can kill the amp over time. Also I know that I need a relay to start any fans because the remote line can only pull like .5 amps

vipershark11

iTrader: (6)

well you might be running the ohms too low to where the amp cannot support it. from what i believe the lower the ohm number run the more heat the amp produces from making more power.

blackroc68

iTrader: (2)

By the way hooking the fan to the amp turn on is no problem whatsoever.The amperage required to operate the fan is minimal!!!!!!!!!!! A relay for a computer fan that guy must be jokeing!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

Your head unit is designed to feed .5 amps of current through the remote wire and NO MORE. It's just a simple transistor that switches that power in the head unit, and if you try to sink too much current through the line, you'll pop that transistor.

2-3 audio devices (amps, processors, etc) will usually pull a half amp. I don't know the current draw of most fans, but I'm guessing they're at least .25-.5 amps each, so if you've got an amp or 2 and a fan all running off your remote line and you haven't cooked the head unit yet, consider yourself very lucky. Even if you're lucky now, wait until that fan starts to wear out and it's inrush current draw doubles or triples.

A relay is ALWAYS a good idea when feeding more than a couple amps/processors with your remote line and any time that you want to run any accessories such as fans, neon, etc. Why take a chance? A $2 relay might save your $200 head unit.

blackroc68

iTrader: (2)

Ok then my amp with a built in fan should cook anytime now By the way most install shops hook them without relays.

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

Do you really think that an amp with a built-in fan is anywhere close to the same thing as wiring an external fan? The internal fan is powered by the +12 volt battery power, just like the rest of the entire amplifier. The only thing the remote lead turns on in an amp... ok, ready for this... is a RELAY that passes the +12v battery power, just like NEEDAZ and myself are suggesting for people to do externally with their fans.

You do whatever floats your boat, but I'll argue all day long with anybody who provides bad opinions that may cause damage to other people's equipment. I'm glad it works for you, but it's not the right thing to do, and the fact that a bunch of hack shops with $10/hr installers who don't know any better do it doesn't change that.

SouLTeRRoR

I use to have a 12" neon bar runing off my remote turn on wire. Never had any problems in the 2 cars I did it in.

blackroc68

iTrader: (2)

That is why they are certified repair shops. open your amp have you seen how they are built."obviosly not" these shops do installs all day long,sponser show cars. I think they know a little something.just a wild guess.What do you do for a living? Thats why there certified and you not.

dcjredline

OK, Jim isnt certified but I am a MECP Certified Installer and got my edumacation at RITOP school of Mobile electronics in 1996, I have been doing this since. The turn on is NOT the place to PROPERLY power your "accessories" no matter what. Why would you if you have a +12v line RIGHT there? Run a relay connected to ignition that turns them on. OH MY GOD you'll have to run another wire ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE AMP.

These Certified installers you are talking about are trying to do things QUICKLY because TIME IS MONEY! They may "know" the right why but I would bet anything that most of them dont DO the right thing in every install. TRUST ME I DONT AT WORK ALL THE TIME EITHER...Its just how the business is.

Unless you work at Rich's Car Tunes in MA. But theyre prices are THROUGH the roof. I worked there for 3 months after school. THAT IS QUALITY WORKMANSHIP most other shops cant hold a candle to them.

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

You need to stop making so many unfounded assumptions. Not only was I MECP certified back when I used to sell and install this stuff, I was a certified IASCA judge. Both of those certifications have not been renewed because for the last 6 years I've been too busy being an Electrical Engineer. Or in other words, I know more about electricity and it's uses & effects than 99% of the "certified" installers could ever hope to know.

Here's what I've learned along the way:
1. MECP certification is a joke until you get into the more advanced certifications that 99% of the installing population doesn't have. All you need to pass the standard test is a good understanding of how a relay works, and a very, very basic understanding of how electricity can fry a car.

2. Car audio stores, even the good ones, employ a lot of hack installers. Most good shops have 1, maybe 2 guys who really have talent. The rest are "Deck and 4" kids who could have been working at Best Buy the week before.

dcjredline

WORD!!! Thats the TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!

NEEDAZ

I gotta vent.
Some of the flat out BS posted by the newbies here lately outrages. Just because you don't know any better doesn't make it right! And just because you've 'gotten away' with it doesn't make it right!

You want to have a pissing match over credentials? I've been repairing this stuff longer then most of the people in here have been use wire nuts. I'm factory certified by the top 3 selling (and more not so high up in sales) manufactures to do the repairs for them. 5 days a week I fix the stuff PEOPLE LIKE YOU BLOW UP because you don't know what you doing.

THAT'S ALL I DO ALL DAY. I've forgotten more about electronics then apparently you know. I KNOW HOW THEY DO WHAT THEY DO. I'll even add some info to what Jim post about how the HU handle the 'rem out'. Yes, some use a same transistor for the out put for a whopping 500mA output. Some (like Pioneer) use the statues output from the amp IC. Pin 25 of IC301 in all the newer Pioneers. DID YOU KNOW THAT? That's a 250mA output. 250ma AND THAT'S IT! When you go over the rated out you are taking a risk. When you tell other people to do the same YOU ARE TELLING THEM TO TAKE A RISK AND NOT TELL THEN WHAT THE RISK IS! For a Pioneer it's $147 for me to replace the amp IC. You tell them that?

And Jim is ABSOLUTELY right about how the amps internal fan is powered. ALL the rem in does is turn on the amps internal power supply. All the current comes in the B+ wire. That IS how it's done.

Sometimes I don't know why I get so bent out of shape over BS like this. I should just keep quiet. After all, stupid people are job security. I'll probably calm down and come back and delete most of this, but for now, read it and keep an open mind, you can't learn without one...

Stealthy-One

this is kinda funny to me, reading all this. many years ago I burned about one HU a week adn couldnt figure out how pioneer was making such Crappy units. when I hit my 4th unit the shop I was dealing with wanted to see my setup. I had the remote powering on my 4 amps. (2 Punch 500s, and 2 Punch 150s). they kinda explained that I was the one burning HU's not pioneer making crap. now I dont even use the remote turn on. I find a 12v+ wire that comes on via ignition and make that trip a relay feeding power from my Distroblock into a small fuse block and run my amp turn ons or any accessories from that. ZERO strain on the HU now.

blackroc68

iTrader: (2)

YOUr right you shouldnt complain, you wouldnt have half the work if install shops soldered there connections !1More than half use black electrical tape.as for newbie ive been around thirdgens and sound systems since the iroc first came out,

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

Sometimes the rampant stupidity of people still amazes me after all these years.

Just because a bunch of hack shops decide to use black tape on connections DOES NOT EXCUSE IT NOR MAKE IT RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doesn't anybody understand that just because so-called reputable businesses do something, that doesn't mean it's right!?

If a shop uses these type of unreliable, UNSAFE, and flat out LAZY practices, then you should find a new shop.

There's a right way and a wrong way for everything. The one thing that I've learned from this forum over the years, is that most thirdgenners will choose the easiest, laziest method imaginable, then find every excuse they can to justify it. For those of you that continue to do that type of half-assed, no-talent type of work and you haven't managed to kill yourself or burn up your car yet, I salute you. You've obviously dodged a major bullet thus far. I just wish that you wouldn't continue to dispense your unsafe, lazy advice to those who don't know any better.

This thread has become absolutely worthless.

Stealthy-One

Im waiting for it to be locked. most forums Im on htis would have been done a while ago.

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

Here the mods will sometimes let them go because often these sort of heated discussions still manage to result in good tech.

blackroc68

iTrader: (2)

Good idea lock it mr moderator!!!!!By the way good advice would be to keep it uncovered mounted vertically. Even a pyramid wont overheat this way unless overdriven in a 2ohm load.cooler when he had it covered he must be dreaming

NEEDAZ

I'm quoting my self, I deleted #1, that's been gone over. Now read the rest of it.