Installing of fuse box in engine compartment

[Hyun]

how is a capacitor wired? distrib out-> capacitor -> amp input?

 

what kind of crossovers require a power input? high end ones?

 

pre-amps also require a small power input right?

 

any other components need power?

 

i was thinking of installing disco lights, hehe.. that one also need power hor.... :P

[Ae86]

It is normal practice to install an inline fuse after the battery this fuse will break first in the event of a short circuit.The main aim is to minimise the risk of electrical sparks causing fire in the engine compartment in case of short circuit and secondly to protect whatever equipment you are feeding the supply with. Just buy a fuse holder(between $10-$20) and agu fuse from those diy accessories shop and connect it after the battery +ve terminal and the other end leads to your fuse block in the boot compartment before the power distribution block.

[Headshok]

caps is normally b4 the amp.. for ur setup, since ur amp got a 2nd input, u can link the caps direct to it.

 

active cross over needs power. but ur HU has an internal crossover network liao, so no need to worry.

 

disco light, u can tap from ur amp can liao.. hahah

 

cheers!

[Hyun]

i took a look at Dai-Ichi again in SLS. they got $50 distrib boxes (audiobahn i think) but those come with glass fuses, max 60A, so technically not suitable .. i was looking for 100 or 120A. if get the more branded Max donnowhat, price goes up to $145!!! but they got the higher-ampere fuses plus voltmeter. siong leh, $145 just to distribute power. must find a more budget alternative ....

 

re: the fusebox at the + terminal of car battery

the fusebox i bought is a cheap one but it comes with voltmeter so it's a little heavier than just a simple fusebox. gotta find a way to anchor it near the + terminal securely without potential of causing engine damage if dislodged... donno how yet.

btw, headshok, Mok said that ring terminal we bought to tie the power cable to + terminal, the shape he say not suitable, the ring kind of a little too big .. he ask me go look for a more suitable ring.

[Hyun]

finally planted a fuse at my car battery + terminal, yah, after so long of running "naked" fuseless.

 

has any1 come across fuse/electronics shops and saw them selling ANL fuse 100A or 120A? strangely sim lim tower doesn't seem to have. most they have is 60A glass fuse. almost nobody sells ANL.

[User12343]

go to upmarket installers for ANL fuse. ANL fuses cost much more than AGU (glass-capsule) type of fuses.

 

a pack of 5 AGU fuses cost few bucks at SLT and ONE ANL fuse cost at least $10. be advised

[Ae86]

  Quote

i bought my fuse box (that little box with voltmeter reading, 150A fuse) from simp limp tower, and brought it during my install to Mok of bukit timah. he installed everything else except the fuse box. he didn't consider that basic install, and said it required using metal brackets to secure it near the battery terminal, that since i didn't buy from him he wont install it.

 

i suppose that's reasonable, not sure what u think. so now i'm left with this fuse box. if i dont use it, my circuit has no fuse. although the fuse is a little large for my amp - my single amp supposed to use 120A but i couldn't find 120A... either 150A or smaller A. i guess if next time i add a 2nd amp, a 150A maybe just nice - 120A to this amp, 30A to the other amp.

 

so i attached my fuse box temporarily to the other end of the power input cable - in the boot, just before my amp. technically it's on the same line in the circuit diagram - the positive input, although the positioning has changed - instead of being next to battery + terminal, it's now at tail end of the same wire.

 

therefore technically it's serving the same purpose. but is it wrong in any way? why do people always install it in the engine compartment?

It is theorectically right that the fuse box connected in line between the power supply's +ve terminal and your install but technically it will be wise to connect another extra fuse at not more than 45 cm from the battery +ve terminal so that the electrical current will be cut off in case of short circuit and it will not cause sparks in the engine compartment and along the path of the power cable especially if you run the cable to the rear end somewhere near the fuel tank .if you only connect fuse block at the rear the path of the power supply cable is rather long and in the event of short circuit in the engine compartment or anywhere along it's path the fuse breaking action will be slower considering the length of it's path from front to rear,and this delay in extreme cases can be life threatening.I hope you understand what i had written.

[Hyun]

yup ae86, actually to add to that, in the scenario of the fuse being at the REAR end of the power cable instead of the FRONT (at the battery end), it's supposed to be dangerous. the fuse does not protect that long power cable at all, being at the rear end. any short and the 12V discharges into the car body, potentially causing fires etc, with all the fabric etc running around.

 

of course i learnt about the danger only AFTER my install. and i was pretty amazed that such an installer would let a customer go off without a fuse and without proper education as to the potential danger involved. i suspect it borders on negligence.

 

but i guess this car industry thing, u can hardly find an ethical merchant. funny, eh.

 

anyways i've plucked in the fuse at the correct location.. now just to buy a correct-sized ANL fuse to complete the picture. looks like i have to hunt down "ethical" installers, instead of buying off shops in simp limp. thanks everyone!

[Kzzz]

Hi, newbie here wondering if I could trouble you for your comment on my yet-to-install setup as I'm having differences with the installer on the size of wiring and fuses for the setup :

 

HU: Pioneer P80RS or P8850MP

- running a pair of Helix HXS 136 off the deck

 

Front: 4 Channel Amp: 100rms x 4 (3 x 30A)

-running components: a/d/s 236is

 

Sub: 2 Channel Amp: 100rms x 2 (2 x 25A) To be bridge @ 200rms x 1

-running a 10" Fultron Sub

 

Power cables: Would I be needing the 0 awg cables with 150A fuse if mounting all the amps at the rear, ie car boot. http://www.streetwires.com/products/wireGauge.cfm

- Some have mentioned that a 4 awg is enought with a 60A/80A fuse in the engine bay.

 

Fuse & fuse box: For your 150A fuse box, is it using ANL fuse? can you forward the price and shop you buy from.

 

Power distribution block: Any ANL fused block with 0 guage in and 4 out to recommend?

 

Do you know of any shops in SLT carrying Audiopipe's accessories.

 

Thanks

[Hyun]

i dont know the distribution of your front amp 3 x 30A fuses, but if they're all in parallel, maximum current it can handle is 3 x 30 = 90A. however, 3 x 30A in series would be 30A max current. but remember, having a 30A fuse doesn't mean the amp would run up to 30A. it might never even touch 20 or 25A in your ordinary blasting. only way to find out? multimeter? ammeter?

 

same goes for sub channel.

 

going by a wild guess, 30 30 30 25 25 = 140A. so play kiasu, have something 100A or more.

 

but do most people need 100A? from my very simple survey, many people blast big systems with 60A fuse and never blow it, but i haven't really asked many people. u can join us for a meet-up and ask everyone what size they use. many would say 60A.

 

if that's true, with 60A fuse, what kind of power cable can u use? 8-gauge is out cos it technically requires max of 50A fuse. if u're prepared to blast slightly less than everyone else, u can run away with 50A fuse, or at most change it if it blows. but u're taking a risk - if it blows, it means changing ALL the main power cables.

 

4 AWG supports up to 120A fuse. 150A would not be suitable. u can buy 100A or 120A ANL fuses but i was having trouble finding them at simp limp. a few shops in simp limp and some installers sell this model of ANL fusebox that comes with 150A fuse. a non-branded product that probably costs $20-25. however i suppose the 150A fuse was meant to be used with 0 gauge cable, which it can support. so if u want 4 gauge like me, have to change fuse, spend another who knows ... $8? $16? see how juicy your big swagging carrot is ...

 

i've heard a variation of how to get away with it - run a "power distribution box" at the car battery - split the 4 gauge into 2 four or eight gauges, each with a 60A glass fuse in parallel. total max current 120A. then rejoin them back behind. that way u can survive on glass fuses alone. but the installers would think u're a funny guy.

 

distrib boxes that handle 0 guage - all branded ones. costing minimum $50, probably $70-80 or more. Slonez sells some but i'm not sure of his pricing.

 

4-gauge input distrib boxes are also mostly branded, at a similar pricing. you can try to modify some 8-gauge output boxes to fit 4-gauge output. some have the size of the hole restricted by a plastic ring which can be filed down. i've seen one model in JB and the shop volunteered to file it down. but it's in JB and it's hard to get there. those in singapore, similar-looking boxes, dont look like they can be filed down to get 4-gauge out.

 

but if u have 8-gauge output, u can use 50A glass fuse, one to each amp. if you die die want to have more than 50A, do the trick again lor, 3 8-gauge outputs, 2 join to front amp, 1 to rear amp. so front amp has 50A x 2 = 100A :)

 

audiopipe? i donno. i budget guy.

 

ur installer opinion? no need 4 gauge lah. 8 gauge enuff liao. if he can get away with it, he'll tell u 16 gauge enough liao for all your cables, including speaker cables, all same look nicer mah, go competition judge surely say it's SWEE.

[Kzzz]

Thanks for your reply . Mostly likely would be getting a duo amp kit to save the trouble and seems to be cheaper too. Thanks

[Hyun]

siang si duo amp kit? 2 amps? cheaper than 1 amp?

[Kzzz]

Hi, wiring Kit for connecting up to 2 amplifiers :

 

eg. of duo amp kit

 

- 25 Feet Red 0 Gauge Power Wire

- 3 Feet Black 0 Gauge Ground Wire

- 100 Feet 16 Gauge Premium Speaker Wire

- 20 Feet Blue Remote Signal Wire

- 3 20 Feet Male/Male Oxygen Free High Quality Stereo RCA Cables

- 6 Feet Red 4 Gauge Power Wire

- 6 Feet Black 4 Gauge Ground Wire

- 1 Gold Positive Battery Terminal (Accepts 1/0 awg,1 4awg, 2 8awg Wires)

- 1 Gold ANL Fuse Holder

- 1 Platinum Plated Dual ANL Fuse Holder (1/0 awg In 2 4awg Out)

- 1 Gold Ground Distribution Block (1/0 awg In 4 4awg Out)

- 1 Gold Ground Foot Terminal

- 1 Pkg Of 4 Gauge Gold Ring Terminals With Boots

- 1 80Amp ANL Fuse (Plus One Free Spare)

- 1 60Amp ANL Fuse (Plus One Free Spare)

- 1 200 Amp Anl Fuse (Plus One Free Spare)

[Hyun]

fuazan.