how to keep my amp cool

1982 mustang 5.0 · 06-10-2006, 04:56 PM

is there any way to keep my amp cool cause it gets really hot and then my sub shuts off and well thats just not cool

Mug11 · 06-10-2006, 05:06 PM

if possible.. pull your seats down... if not. Idk

cuban3jumper · 06-10-2006, 05:25 PM

Hook up a fan. By the way what amp you running. If your amp is getting that hot something is usually very wrong.

1982 mustang 5.0 · 06-10-2006, 05:31 PM

well it get hot cause down here the usual temp outside is 100 plus the hear inside the car

Codiddy · 06-10-2006, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1982 mustang 5.0

is there any way to keep my amp cool cause it gets really hot and then my sub shuts off and well thats just not cool

Where is your amp located? Where are the subs located? And where do you live? We need more info before we can give you a good answer

Codiddy · 06-10-2006, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1982 mustang 5.0

well it get hot cause down here the usual temp outside is 100 plus the hear inside the car

ha ha you beat me to that part. it's like 105 degrees outside where i live and my amp sits on the back of my subs. if i don't leave my backseats down it WILL overheat after about an hour. try leaving the seats down and run the ac if you can.

1982 mustang 5.0 · 06-10-2006, 05:44 PM

well my car is a hatchback so i keep it in the back and the sub i located right next to the amp since i dont have anywhere else to put it

Codiddy · 06-10-2006, 05:50 PM

maybe try a fan then. see if it'll move some more cool air towards the rear of the car.

1982 mustang 5.0 · 06-10-2006, 05:52 PM

what kind of a fan and what should i hook it up too

95STANG · 06-10-2006, 06:04 PM

Ive been seeing those Auto Cool fans on T.V. They are suppose to keep your car around 75 degrees when its parked. $15. Just clips onto your window and is solar powered. I might have to get one. The reason im saying this is because if its cool in the car to begin with, the amp will maybe last a bit longer in playing time. Its not a complete solution but hey its worth a shot.

1982 mustang 5.0 · 06-10-2006, 06:06 PM

i might hive to get my self one of those

*venom* · 06-10-2006, 07:02 PM

How do you have your amp mounted? The amps case is also a heatsink,its best to mount them with the top part facing the roof as heat rises. If you have it upside down top part facing down or sideways that may be part of the problem. Try laying it on the floor and see if problem goes away. On my old hatch I had two amps mounted sideways and never had issues. Could also be a cheap or defective amp as well as the gauge size wire pos or neg you are using may be to small. You can grab any 12v fan from a PC or PC power supply and try that.

Badfish · 06-10-2006, 08:07 PM

you silly audio guys

you know what else heats up hardcore?! my twin screw supercharger!!....oh wait I dont have one

....carry on

Mug11 · 06-10-2006, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badfish

you silly audio guys

you know what else heats up hardcore?! my twin screw supercharger!!....oh wait I dont have one

....carry on

issues...

Mine has only overheated once, and it was a 3 hour drive... Mine is also facing up right like venom was saying, so i'm thinking that's the problem.

stevemainian · 06-11-2006, 10:16 AM

Put a bag of ice on it. :banana:

lizardbreath · 06-11-2006, 11:01 AM

Mount it to the floor of your trunk. That's where mine is and I have NEVER had problems. You have a cheap amp BTW.

*venom* · 06-11-2006, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mug11

issues...

Mine has only overheated once, and it was a 3 hour drive... Mine is also facing up right like venom was saying, so i'm thinking that's the problem.

Unless you have the bottom part of the amp facing upwards it should not be a problem. If you have any amp cranked all the way up to the max for 3 hours and with poor circulation of air in the trunk then I would not worry if it powered off once. Its better to have a 500 watt amp cranked half way then to have a 250 watt amp cranked all the way up just know the limitations of your system and you will not have problems,treat it like your motor. I recently added a fan inside a powered subwoofer at home, I noticed that the amp plate would get hot and now its cool to the touch. Sometimes all you need is some air blowing through the circuits if you can or 2nd best is airflowing through the heatsink which is normally the top part or the sides of the amp, just feel what area feels the hottest. At home you would use the same PC fan plus any AC to DC adpator which has 12vDC or less output. So a 9v dc adaptor would spin the fan less than a 12vDC adaptor. I have two fans on top of my reciever with a 9v since a 12v creates too much noise while watching movies. BTW you could use any power pack from old stuff like portable cd players,walkmans etc.... if you want to cool something at home.

Blk02stang · 06-11-2006, 01:06 PM

What kind of Amp are you running and what kinda subs do you have? you might not have a big enough amp for the subs and they are pulling too much power causing a thermal overload, Sony amps are famous for that. I've used Audiobahn, MTX, Rockford and JL Audio and never had any problems at all of heating up, they all stay cool. Make sure your amp is stable for the OHM the sub is! If your running 2ohm subs with a 4 or 6ohm amp...it will overheat and shut down very quickly!

*venom* · 06-11-2006, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blk02stang

What kind of Amp are you running and what kinda subs do you have? you might not have a big enough amp for the subs and they are pulling too much power causing a thermal overload, Sony amps are famous for that. I've used Audiobahn, MTX, Rockford and JL Audio and never had any problems at all of heating up, they all stay cool. Make sure your amp is stable for the OHM the sub is! If your running 2ohm subs with a 4 or 6ohm amp...it will overheat and shut down very quickly!

Forgot about that which is very important.

What do you have in your car as far as amps and what speakers do you have connected to the amps and how?

Codiddy · 06-12-2006, 03:54 PM

i remember someone else was having this problem and they found out that their MTX sub woofer was only like 1 ohm and they needed a better amp. maybe they can chime in. I know Rockford fosgate makes some of the best (and most expensive) amps. almost all of their amps can go down to 1 ohm with no problem. Most other amps just overheat.

Blk02stang · 06-12-2006, 07:36 PM

You buy rockfords name, not an amp! JL and Audiobahn are about the best amps and dont heat up at all!

Codiddy · 06-13-2006, 12:35 AM

And you don't pay for JL or audiobahns name either? Don't get me wrong all three are good brands but Rockford Fosgates amps are specifically made to be able to go all the way down to 1 ohm without burning out or even really getting hot.

Blk02stang · 06-13-2006, 03:52 AM

Yea rockford might be 1ohm stable, but the others are stable to go 1/2 ohm. my buddy is sponsored by JL and i gotta give it to them, 5k watts pushing 3 jl 13 1/2" w7's is insane and the amps dont heat up one bit and are running at 1/2 ohm. When it comes to competition, hands down to audiobahn and jl.

Codiddy · 06-15-2006, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blk02stang

Yea rockford might be 1ohm stable, but the others are stable to go 1/2 ohm. my buddy is sponsored by JL and i gotta give it to them, 5k watts pushing 3 jl 13 1/2" w7's is insane and the amps dont heat up one bit and are running at 1/2 ohm. When it comes to competition, hands down to audiobahn and jl.

Now i know why you give such a good endorsement, you have a biased opinion based on someone getting free stuff. All three brands are good, but you still pay extra for the brand name whether the label says Audiobahn, JL, or Rockford Fosgate. BTW Fosgate can do 1/2 ohm just as well as JL or Audiobahn. Those three brands are all top notch but really it's just a matter of preference.

06-10-2006, 04:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
1982 mustang 5.0 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: El Paso TX Posts: 426	how to keep my amp cool is there any way to keep my amp cool cause it gets really hot and then my sub shuts off and well thats just not cool

06-10-2006, 05:06 PM	#2 (permalink)
Mug11 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lubbock/Houston, TX Posts: 909	if possible.. pull your seats down... if not. Idk __________________

06-10-2006, 05:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
cuban3jumper Your local V6 Guy Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 841	Hook up a fan. By the way what amp you running. If your amp is getting that hot something is usually very wrong. __________________ 2007 Big West Men's and Women's Champions Personal bests: Long jump 7.57, triple jump 15.92

06-10-2006, 06:04 PM	#10 (permalink)
95STANG In heven there is no beer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Burlington, Iowa Posts: 857	Ive been seeing those Auto Cool fans on T.V. They are suppose to keep your car around 75 degrees when its parked. $15. Just clips onto your window and is solar powered. I might have to get one. The reason im saying this is because if its cool in the car to begin with, the amp will maybe last a bit longer in playing time. Its not a complete solution but hey its worth a shot. __________________ 1995 Laser Red Mustang V6 Performance= K&N, TB Spacer, True Dual 40s

06-10-2006, 07:02 PM	#12 (permalink)
venom Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 5,589	How do you have your amp mounted? The amps case is also a heatsink,its best to mount them with the top part facing the roof as heat rises. If you have it upside down top part facing down or sideways that may be part of the problem. Try laying it on the floor and see if problem goes away. On my old hatch I had two amps mounted sideways and never had issues. Could also be a cheap or defective amp as well as the gauge size wire pos or neg you are using may be to small. You can grab any 12v fan from a PC or PC power supply and try that. __________________ http://www.mustangboards.com/mustang...500/ppuser/103

06-10-2006, 05:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
1982 mustang 5.0 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: El Paso TX Posts: 426	well it get hot cause down here the usual temp outside is 100 plus the hear inside the car

06-10-2006, 05:44 PM	#7 (permalink)
1982 mustang 5.0 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: El Paso TX Posts: 426	well my car is a hatchback so i keep it in the back and the sub i located right next to the amp since i dont have anywhere else to put it

06-10-2006, 05:52 PM	#9 (permalink)
1982 mustang 5.0 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: El Paso TX Posts: 426	what kind of a fan and what should i hook it up too

06-10-2006, 06:06 PM	#11 (permalink)
1982 mustang 5.0 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: El Paso TX Posts: 426	i might hive to get my self one of those

06-10-2006, 08:07 PM	#13 (permalink)
Badfish Listen to reggae. Join Date: May 2005 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 9,246	you silly audio guys you know what else heats up hardcore?! my twin screw supercharger!!....oh wait I dont have one ....carry on __________________ '04 2.3l Evo '86 GSXR 750

06-11-2006, 10:16 AM	#15 (permalink)
stevemainian I8URVTEC Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 193	Put a bag of ice on it. :banana:

06-11-2006, 11:01 AM	#16 (permalink)
lizardbreath Banned Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 216	Mount it to the floor of your trunk. That's where mine is and I have NEVER had problems. You have a cheap amp BTW.

06-11-2006, 01:06 PM	#18 (permalink)
Blk02stang I 8urvtec!! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Va Posts: 815	What kind of Amp are you running and what kinda subs do you have? you might not have a big enough amp for the subs and they are pulling too much power causing a thermal overload, Sony amps are famous for that. I've used Audiobahn, MTX, Rockford and JL Audio and never had any problems at all of heating up, they all stay cool. Make sure your amp is stable for the OHM the sub is! If your running 2ohm subs with a 4 or 6ohm amp...it will overheat and shut down very quickly! __________________ New toys '07 F-150 black on black and completely blacked out! '96 Mitsu eclipse RS: 'jus your average 2nd gen with a small block 331c.i. and a few bolt-on goodies(175shot) and rwd...1st one to be done! SOLD 2004 GT Annv. edition. Custom Exhaust: o/r X pipe: Eibach Sportline full suspension: Clutchmasters stage 4 clutch: K&N filter: Steeda Tri-ax shifter: Mach 1 shift knob: BFG Drag radials: Compucar "nitrous-n-a-bag" 80-shot Stage I, Compucar Wet kit 125shot stage II

06-12-2006, 07:36 PM	#21 (permalink)
Blk02stang I 8urvtec!! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Va Posts: 815	You buy rockfords name, not an amp! JL and Audiobahn are about the best amps and dont heat up at all! __________________ New toys '07 F-150 black on black and completely blacked out! '96 Mitsu eclipse RS: 'jus your average 2nd gen with a small block 331c.i. and a few bolt-on goodies(175shot) and rwd...1st one to be done! SOLD 2004 GT Annv. edition. Custom Exhaust: o/r X pipe: Eibach Sportline full suspension: Clutchmasters stage 4 clutch: K&N filter: Steeda Tri-ax shifter: Mach 1 shift knob: BFG Drag radials: Compucar "nitrous-n-a-bag" 80-shot Stage I, Compucar Wet kit 125shot stage II

06-13-2006, 03:52 AM	#23 (permalink)
Blk02stang I 8urvtec!! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Va Posts: 815	Yea rockford might be 1ohm stable, but the others are stable to go 1/2 ohm. my buddy is sponsored by JL and i gotta give it to them, 5k watts pushing 3 jl 13 1/2" w7's is insane and the amps dont heat up one bit and are running at 1/2 ohm. When it comes to competition, hands down to audiobahn and jl. __________________ New toys '07 F-150 black on black and completely blacked out! '96 Mitsu eclipse RS: 'jus your average 2nd gen with a small block 331c.i. and a few bolt-on goodies(175shot) and rwd...1st one to be done! SOLD 2004 GT Annv. edition. Custom Exhaust: o/r X pipe: Eibach Sportline full suspension: Clutchmasters stage 4 clutch: K&N filter: Steeda Tri-ax shifter: Mach 1 shift knob: BFG Drag radials: Compucar "nitrous-n-a-bag" 80-shot Stage I, Compucar Wet kit 125shot stage II