advice on running an "on" & "off" switch for amp?

[Durango03 10+ year member]

ok, so when I was younger a buddy's grandfather wired my car to have an on and off switch under the dash by the steering wheel so I can listen to music when not wanting the bass.

I tried it myself by copy him and it turned out bad. I ran a remote wire from the amp to a switch (purchased from an autoparts store with a built in blue LED) then ran another wire from there to the fuse box. I used a voltage meter to test which fuses turned on when and car starts and turns off when I kill the engine. When I found a fuse that worked this way I wrapped the wiring around the fuse and placed it back into its respective place snuggly. The switched worked as desired for a week or so, but eventually melted.. yes, luck my car didnt catch fire. From what I have read since this incident years ago, it could possibly have been due to the LED within the switch. Also, I am very aware that it may have just been due to a dumba55 mistake from not watching the older gentleman close enough.

Anyways, does anyone run a switch on their ride? Any other ideas on how to do this?

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[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

Why would you do that? If you dont want to listen to music turn the radio off? Also why didnt you just run the remote wire to the switch and then to the remote wire off the back of the deck rather than a fuse in the engine compartment?

 

[JoshC 10+ year member]

DO you have stock radio or aftermarket?

1 or 2 amps?

I have a switch for my amps so the piggies dont gives me a ticket

 

[Chipmunk2k3 10+ year member]

Switches with LED's come in various voltages. Maybe it wasn't a 12 volt switch. How about just purchasing a remote volume control.

Amazon.com: New Metra Aalc Rca Amplifier Level Controller Knob Rca Level Controller Sub Amp Volume Control: Explore similar items

 

[Durango03 10+ year member]

at the time I was running a stock HU. Sometimes I just get tired of the bass. If I hop into my daily and have a headache, the bass just dont cure it for me, etc. etc. But a new reason now is a little one.

The build Im going to be doing is in an SUV, mainly used for pulling boat/jet-ski & Sunday driving, but when the little one is in there I dont want to be blasting her away. The HU in the SUV is a pioneer 3300. running a single SSL 5500 @ 0.5

 

[RangerDangerV2 5,000+ posts]

DO you have stock radio or aftermarket?

1 or 2 amps?

I have a switch for my amps so the piggies dont gives me a ticket

i just demo for them and they dont ticket me...

 

[05trailblazer 10+ year member]

just get a 12v switch; thats why it melted

 

[goingdef 10+ year member]

Switches with LED's come in various voltages. Maybe it wasn't a 12 volt switch. How about just purchasing a remote volume control.
Amazon.com: New Metra Aalc Rca Amplifier Level Controller Knob Rca Level Controller Sub Amp Volume Control: Explore similar items

sub level control is sooo much better then killing it all together, and a lot less of a pita then trying to turn it off and on, also you would have instant access to turn it down to nothing or all the way up and everywhere inbetween without any turn on thump or anything else that may come with powering it up/down.

 

[JoshC 10+ year member]

i just demo for them and they dont ticket me...

win, cops near baylor university are super douche bags about it