Burnt up my ground terminal on amplifier!

[SourDeez 10+ year member]

Today I smelt some electronics burning from my trunk so opened it up to behold my amps ground terminal got fried. Lucky I caught it when I did and did keep going.

What on earth could have caused this? A bad ground?

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[DonH 5,000+ posts]

an STD. was your wire wearing protection?

 

[mossberg385t 10+ year member]

i would guess a bad ground, because that will cause a lot of resistance and heat.

 

[I Like Waffle]

Lulz, i have seen that a million times especially with the ghetto installs. Bad ground was the issue. What kind of amp was that?

Notice the ground just stuck in a hole where a panel popper goes.

 

[jonny101abc 10+ year member]

lulz

 

[SourDeez 10+ year member]

I'll check my ground tomorrow. It is on a bolt. I have gone about 1 year with this current setup.

Its a hifonics amp. I figure the amp is now garbage.

 

[duro78 10+ year member]

it was arcing and def a loose ground or power cable, dont chuck the amp if you find someone to change out the terminals it will be good as new. I had a similar problem with my hifonics I really dont like there terminals you have to periodically tighten them like every couple weeks.

 

[bubbagumper6 5,000+ posts]

I'll check my ground tomorrow. It is on a bolt. I have gone about 1 year with this current setup.
Its a hifonics amp. I figure the amp is now garbage.

Not necessarily. If you have any decent skills with a soldering iron you could change out the terminals yourself. Hopefully you didn't burn up anything inside the amp though....

 

[SourDeez 10+ year member]

Well after I pulled the amp out of the trunk i could hear something rattling around inside of it. The amp was working though so I dont know. I suppose i'll keep it but I dont know how well I am going to trust it with some new subs.

 

[Wingman0121 10+ year member]

Definitely a loose ground either on the amp or where it hooks up to your car chassis.

I had a similar problem with my hifonics I really dont like there terminals you have to periodically tighten them like every couple weeks.

A word of advice... amps with screw-type terminals(especially ones that needs an allen wrench) NEEDS to be tightened multiple times initially to make sure it doesn't come out, otherwise I bet you any money that I can just pull the **** wire out like it was never even screwed down. Tighten the screw then wiggle the wires side to side & up and down (but don't pull on it) then tighten it again, you should notice that you can keep turning quite a ways after you wiggle the wire. Keep repeating this until the screw is completely tight, but don't overdo it or otherwise you can break the terminal or strip the screw.

 

[SourDeez 10+ year member]

I think that was the problem, i was experimenting with a few different amps that day and had wired a bunch already and did it in a hurry I must not have tightened the ground good enough. The ground to my car should be perfect.

the ground wire was still connected but by melted charred wire.