power wire heating up under big amp load.. advise needed.
#1
Hi guys. I just had a 0/1 gauge wire kit professionally installed.. but the power cable input to the amp is only big enough for 8 gauge... or 4 gauge trimmed down heavily.
So there is 0/1 gauge going to the dist. block.. then 8 gauge for about 15cm from the dist. block to the amp power input.
The problem is: is that, that 8 gauge wire REALLY heats up when I'm sucking LOTS of juice from the amp.. the amp in question is a Kicker 500si.. which has an internal fuse of 120amps.. so the amplifier has guts.. but it sucks so much current through the little wee 8 gauge that it leaves me wondering if the wires heating up is an issue. Both positive and negative: ( 8 gauge also.. since its the same scenario as the positive) heat up a fair bit after a fair bit of really loud music.
So my questions are
A)will this be harmful to the amp?
B)is this normal at all?
like a long time ago.. I was just using this amp with 8 gauge wiring entirely. The connecting portion that went into the power terminal for the positive: heated up SO much that it melted that whole area. so the plastic around the postive power input melted and warped.. now the set-screw doesn't work so I had to use a metric bolt for the terminal. I'm worried this is going to happen again and I'm going to either ruin the amp or create a fire.
So I need some help... thanks to all that help..
very much appreciated.
and
[ July 25, 2005, 10:35 PM: Message edited by: the Limo driver ]
So there is 0/1 gauge going to the dist. block.. then 8 gauge for about 15cm from the dist. block to the amp power input.
The problem is: is that, that 8 gauge wire REALLY heats up when I'm sucking LOTS of juice from the amp.. the amp in question is a Kicker 500si.. which has an internal fuse of 120amps.. so the amplifier has guts.. but it sucks so much current through the little wee 8 gauge that it leaves me wondering if the wires heating up is an issue. Both positive and negative: ( 8 gauge also.. since its the same scenario as the positive) heat up a fair bit after a fair bit of really loud music.
So my questions are
A)will this be harmful to the amp?
B)is this normal at all?
like a long time ago.. I was just using this amp with 8 gauge wiring entirely. The connecting portion that went into the power terminal for the positive: heated up SO much that it melted that whole area. so the plastic around the postive power input melted and warped.. now the set-screw doesn't work so I had to use a metric bolt for the terminal. I'm worried this is going to happen again and I'm going to either ruin the amp or create a fire.
So I need some help... thanks to all that help..
very much appreciated.
and
[ July 25, 2005, 10:35 PM: Message edited by: the Limo driver ]
#4
Why not just use a 0 to 4 awg adapter that was machined to size.
I think almost any decent machine shop could turn one down for you.
Worst case scenario you could always just have a machine shop make one for you out of some brass bar stock.
Just my .02 cents
I think almost any decent machine shop could turn one down for you.
Worst case scenario you could always just have a machine shop make one for you out of some brass bar stock.
Just my .02 cents