8 ga. power supply for 4 ga. terminal?

[c_hayhurst 10+ year member]

I just got a Hifonics BXi 2008D and its power and ground terminals are 4 gauge. Currently, I have 4 gauge wire from the batter to a distribution block and 8 gauge wire from the block to the amp for both power and grounding.

How terrible would it be to hook up the amp to 8 gauge wire for a week as a daily driver until I get a 4 gauge distribution block and wiring?

I will be running 2 amps: the Hifonics and a 4x50W RMS amp. The battery is just the one in the engine compartment and it is a regular battery (not a yellow- or red-top).

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[revrider1 5,000+ posts]

Hmm, thats a bit of current for a stock electrical or even the 8ga.

 

[c_hayhurst 10+ year member]

What if I were to keep my 4 gauge power cable and run it into a distribution block with a 4 gauge output?

Additionally, could I get a distribution block with 1/0 input and 4 gauge output and just put my existing 4 gauge power cable into the input (could it be secured)?

 

[bigaudiofanatic 10+ year member]

I am wondering the same thing I am planing on doing something simulator from what I found as long as your not pulling more power than the 4 gauge wire can handle. I think I am going to do that take my 4 gauge and put it into a 4gauge distribution block.

 

[shaneb 10+ year member]

Yes it will tighten down in most screw down distrobution blocks..

Depending on the length of your main power run. You are probably fine with 4awg. Fuse your wire properly.

The most likely worst case scenario on running that 8awg for a while is a slight loss of power. Nothing to worry about. It will probably be fine. Especially the 4 channel.

 

[gotparts90 10+ year member]

when you try to pull to many amps threw to small of wire you can have a fire.

http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

they have a nice little chart to tell you whats safe. If you do run a smaller wire use smaller fuse rated to the safe limit of the wire. That way if you over load the wire the fuse will pop saving your car from being laughed at by all of us.

 

[93dakota 10+ year member]

I run 2 of the Bxi 2008D's in my setup. first of all they take 1/0 gage in them. second i would not run any 8 gage power wire any where. most wire makers dont recommend using 8 gage for a distance of around 3 feet for half of the amperage that amp can draw. 4 gage is really pushing the limit for that much power. as gotparts90 said with the 8 gage i would say you are asking for trouble which could end up being a fire. i would recommend no less then 1/0 AWG for this amp.

 

[GreenBook 10+ year member]

I'd use 1/0 from the battery on back; and at the dist block 4g to the hifonics, and 8g to the smaller amp. Using 8g for any amount of length on that hifonics is just a setup for disaster. Unless your driving a pickup that has a fairly short run nfrom the battery to the amp, 4g will struggle when you crank on that amp; assuming your running it at 1 or 2 ohms.

 

[c_hayhurst 10+ year member]

Keerappp...

FINE, I'll just go out and rewire the main run to 1/0 gauge and get a 1/0-in, 4awg-out distribution block with a fuseholder for the 4 gauge wire to the Hifonics.

I tell ya, nothing is F-in easy

 

[c_hayhurst 10+ year member]

Thanks for the input, folks.

 

[GreenBook 10+ year member]

Keerappp...
FINE, I'll just go out and rewire the main run to 1/0 gauge and get a 1/0-in, 4awg-out distribution block with a fuseholder for the 4 gauge wire to the Hifonics.

I tell ya, nothing is F-in easy

never is, i went through the same thing.

 

[c_hayhurst 10+ year member]

Hmmm...

Talked to the local car audio store and they suggested I just add a dedicated 4 gauge power line from the battery to a 300 Amp battery in the trunk, then send power from the trunk battery to the Hifonics, relieving the strain of relying solely on my car's battery to power both amps even with a 1/0 gauge wire.

Total cost: $200 for the battery and 4 gauge wiring kit

Which sounds like a better idea:

a) 1/0 wiring kit with new distribution blocks with 4 gauge outputs, no trunk battery, to power my subs and speaker amps (1200Wx1 for subs, 50Wx4 for speakers)

b) 4 gauge wiring kit to trunk battery to power solely the Hifonics, keeping existing 4 gauge wiring kit to power the speaker amp.

I drive a 2004 Nissan Sentra, btw and the car's battery is quite small.

 

[Pioneer~Saturn 5,000+ posts]

Please dont use 4-gauge //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif....and 8-gauge is out of the question for power/ground wire (seriously, dont use 8-gauge power/ground wire), spend the extremely small amount more and use all 1/0 gauge, it's not that expensive (knukonceptz kolossus...do it)...And yes, a 1/0 gauge runs from front to back to a battery in the trunk and then from there to the amp would be good...but you'll have to fuse that main run on each end if you want to do it right //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[c_hayhurst 10+ year member]

Please dont use 4-gauge //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif....and 8-gauge is out of the question for power/ground wire (seriously, dont use 8-gauge power/ground wire), spend the extremely small amount more and use all 1/0 gauge, it's not that expensive (knukonceptz kolossus...do it)...And yes, a 1/0 gauge runs from front to back to a battery in the trunk and then from there to the amp would be good...but you'll have to fuse that main run on each end if you want to do it right //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

The 8 gauge is to run the 4x50W amp only. Been doing it for over 10 years in 3 cars, never a problem.

The Hifonics only has a 4 gauge power input. So, if I were to run 1/0 gauge, I have to run it to the trunk battery, to a distribution block and still run 4 gauge cable to power the amp. Or is there something else that I should do that I'm missing?

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

I'd run 0 gauge to a distro block and go from there...I'm really surprised the "2kw' amp doesn't have 0 gauge inputs...