I keep melting my amps in line fuse holder.

[Rock]

I have a 1000 watt Audiobahn amplifier pushing a compitition dual voice
coil audiobahn 15". I used an 8 gauge amp install kit and when I first
hooked it up it hit real hard. After a couple of weeks or so the sub
started cutting on and off. I checked my in line fuse first becouse I
figured I would start under the hood then work my way to the trunk. The
25amp fuse wasn't blown but the plastic in line fuse holder was melted
a little bit around the contacts inside the fuse holder where the fuse
plugs into. I replaced the fuse with a 30amp and it played this time
for about a week untill it started to cut out. I was wondering if
anyone had any ideas about what might be causing this issue. I wasnt
sure if i might have purchased a faulty inline fuse or if it was
something more important. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

[Captain Howdy]

Sounds like you have a bad connection in your fuse holder, where the fuse
plugs into the holder. Replace the fuse holder with a AGU or Maxi or ANL
holder, dont use the cheap blade type fuse holders, they are crap. I had the
same problem just last weekend, I was doing some work on my car and noticed
that the 30amp fuse for my car-starter relays was totally melted into the fuse
holder, this was a factory fuse installed onto the alarm wire. The fuse was so
melted into the holder that I couldn't pull it out, but it still worked.



In article . com>, "Rock"
> wrote:
>I have a 1000 watt Audiobahn amplifier pushing a compitition dual voice
>coil audiobahn 15". I used an 8 gauge amp install kit and when I first
>hooked it up it hit real hard. After a couple of weeks or so the sub
>started cutting on and off. I checked my in line fuse first becouse I
>figured I would start under the hood then work my way to the trunk. The
>25amp fuse wasn't blown but the plastic in line fuse holder was melted
>a little bit around the contacts inside the fuse holder where the fuse
>plugs into. I replaced the fuse with a 30amp and it played this time
>for about a week untill it started to cut out. I was wondering if
>anyone had any ideas about what might be causing this issue. I wasnt
>sure if i might have purchased a faulty inline fuse or if it was
>something more important. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
>Thanks in advance.
>

[Darthn3ss]

i'd say if your pushing anywhere near 1000w, you're probably running too
much power through that 8gauge wire. i'd say upgrade that and make sure
your fuse is large enough (but not too large) to support whatever
amount of power you are drawing.


--
Darthn3ss

[KU40]

^indeed.


--
KU40

[MOSFET]

I agree with both Cptn. Howdy and Darthn3. 8 gauge is too small for a 1000
watt amp.
I would DEFINITELY switch to an AGU type fuse. Also, a 25 or 30 amp fuse
for a 1000 watt amp? That DOES NOT sound right to me. I would think that
your fusible link (the fuse or CB at the battery) would be AT LEAST 50 amps,
if not 100. It is a miracle that fuse didn't blow quicker. You definitely
need a more "robust" power solution (4 gauge cable, 50 amp fuses, etc.).

MOSFET

"Darthn3ss" > wrote in
message ...
>
> i'd say if your pushing anywhere near 1000w, you're probably running too
> much power through that 8gauge wire. i'd say upgrade that and make sure
> your fuse is large enough (but not too large) to support whatever
> amount of power you are drawing.
>
>
> --
> Darthn3ss

[MOSFET]

Something else to think about. Just look at the physics of this. Let's say
your amp is 100% effecient (which NONE are, at best it may be 75%
effecient). At 100% effeciency, and at 14.4 volts, the most wattage you
could EVER hope to get out of that amp with a 30 amp fuse is 432 watts
(Ohm's Law Amperage x Voltage = Watts). So obviously there is a problem
with your choice of fuses, I owuld go with 100 amp fuse myself.

MOSFET

[GregS]

In article >, "MOSFET" > wrote:
>Something else to think about. Just look at the physics of this. Let's say
>your amp is 100% effecient (which NONE are, at best it may be 75%
>effecient). At 100% effeciency, and at 14.4 volts, the most wattage you
>could EVER hope to get out of that amp with a 30 amp fuse is 432 watts
>(Ohm's Law Amperage x Voltage = Watts). So obviously there is a problem
>with your choice of fuses, I owuld go with 100 amp fuse myself.

Typical music, ( I'm not gona say car audio music) is about an average of
10-20% of peak. You can have your 432 watts average and still peak
at a whole lot more. But, bass amps as used in car audio, tend to be much more
intense in the % wise if you want to call long bass notes as music.

By the way, I always grease my fuses so there is optimum conection
and less corrosion. It can decreases losses a bunch, especially if the holder
tension is not so great. If the fuseholder uses a crimped connection, this
can also be source of bad conduction and heat generation. As a fuseholder
starts to warm up, its a never ending process untill it finally gets
so hot it melts.

greg

[Captain Howdy]

I've got a big boat grand marquis with good 20 feet of 8 gage wire running a
MTX 801D and a MTX RT202 both are running at two ohms. Been running them with
the 8 gage and a 60amp fuse for 3 years and no issues.



In article >, Darthn3ss
> wrote:
>
>i'd say if your pushing anywhere near 1000w, you're probably running too
>much power through that 8gauge wire. i'd say upgrade that and make sure
>your fuse is large enough (but not too large) to support whatever
>amount of power you are drawing.
>
>

[ac0j]

I have a 1000 watt Audiobahn amplifier pushing a compitition dual voice
coil audiobahn 15". I used an 8 gauge amp install kit and when I first
hooked it up it hit real hard. After a couple of weeks or so the sub
started cutting on and off. I checked my in line fuse first becouse I
figured I would start under the hood then work my way to the trunk. The
25amp fuse wasn't blown but the plastic in line fuse holder was melted
a little bit around the contacts inside the fuse holder where the fuse
plugs into. I replaced the fuse with a 30amp and it played this time
for about a week untill it started to cut out. I was wondering if
anyone had any ideas about what might be causing this issue. I wasnt
sure if i might have purchased a faulty inline fuse or if it was
something more important. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.




It is simple electronics. IF the fuse and holder is melting, it is a bad fuse holder PERIOD!
If you were drawing too much current as some here seem to think, the fuse would blow. and the jacket would melt off the wire as well. But if you are not blowing a 30 amp fuse, just melting it. the current draw is NOT the problem.
What you have is a bad connection between the fuse and the fuse holder, this makes it spark accross the gap making the heat that eventually melts the holder and fuse.

About the wire size, I would have used at least a 4g but the fact of the matter is, If it was working for you before, it should work for you now. Get a new fuse holder and Fuse, step up to the pump and dont buy the cheapest one you find. make sure the fuse fits tight in the holder and you should be back to where you were before.

acØj

[sniper99]

8 gauge is too thin, step it up to 4 gauge and you will see much better
results and probably less heat. It is being stressed from trying to
suck a lump of juice through a straw other than getting a constant flow
of amperage through adaquate power cables.

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