Does the length of power wire matter?

[raider89 10+ year member]

I have 20ft of 0 gauge power wire and I have a good 3 to 4 feet of it laid out in the trunk, I was wondering if cutting that down 3 or 4 feet would lower amp temps and provide even more stability ( I am not having any issues just wanting to do it correctly.)

Its 20ft of 0 gauge into a block with 2 2ft 4 gauge outs to 2 amps.

The ground is 0 gauge as well, and its 3ft long into a block with 2 1ft 4 gauge outs. (Bolted to the rear shock bolts.)

Im using OFC SUNDOWN AUDIO AMP KIT 1/0

The amps are:

JBL GTR 1001 and Rockford Fosgate Punch P400X4.

Sub is a 10 inch AB XFL 4 OHM DVC wired down to 2 OHM

Front Speakers are JBL GTO 609C's 3 OHM, speakers are unbridged.

Gain's are at 50% or just below, no bass boost.

Stock electrical currently, if shortening the power wire I would be able to throw part of the big 3 also for battery to ground wire.

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[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

So no electrical upgrades at all then...if I'm reading that correctly?

How are you not having voltage drop? Or even lights dimming?

 

[raider89 10+ year member]

So no electrical upgrades at all then...if I'm reading that correctly?
How are you not having voltage drop? Or even lights dimming?

I just cut my wires down, so I am going to upgrade battery to chassis and engine block to chassis.

The 4 gauge wire coming off the dist blocks are cca, might have to end up switching to ofc.

I will get a slight headlight dim when the bass hits hard but that is not very often.

I have a little bit of engine noise that fluctuates with speed, hoping the big 3 takes care of that, I can't see my current ground being an issue. The head is grounded to the lower metal frame with a bolt, and its got 2 other grounded items with it.

 

[bigblank69 10+ year member]

I just cut my wires down, so I am going to upgrade battery to chassis and engine block to chassis.
The 4 gauge wire coming off the dist blocks are cca, might have to end up switching to ofc.

I will get a slight headlight dim when the bass hits hard but that is not very often.

I have a little bit of engine noise that fluctuates with speed, hoping the big 3 takes care of that, I can't see my current ground being an issue. The head is grounded to the lower metal frame with a bolt, and its got 2 other grounded items with it.

I'm not surprised by mild light dimming... I'm currently testing a Kappa 1000 (Same as your JBL amp) and it's efficiency might be the best I have tested...

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Late to the party here, but an extra 4 feet on your primary cable won't make any difference for your purposes. I'd have left mine longer than needed in the past so that when I take the cable to use in my next vehicle I have some wiggle room.

 

[raider89 10+ year member]

Late to the party here, but an extra 4 feet on your primary cable won't make any difference for your purposes. I'd have left mine longer than needed in the past so that when I take the cable to use in my next vehicle I have some wiggle room.

Yeah I thought about that too, but then decided I could just use the extra for the big 3.

 

[raider89 10+ year member]

I'm not surprised by mild light dimming... I'm currently testing a Kappa 1000 (Same as your JBL amp) and it's efficiency might be the best I have tested...

Yeah its a great little amp, surprised me, couldn't pass up the sale price on it. Just gotta get rid of this annoying alternator whine, its very faint and can only hear it when the music is off and I increase rpms, just the fact I know its there. Then I read about a pico fuse but them people have crazy whining sounds like terrible sound. I also have a pair of crap walmart brand rca's plugged into the headunit that are just laying in the back seat, one of the tips came off inside the amp. Noise could be coming from that for all I know.

I also have my power wire currently running across the top of my engine over the spark plug area, read on a post someone mentioned that being a bad spot for them.

 

[bigblank69 10+ year member]

I had a whine like that in my truck just like your describing... turned out to be a bad rca wire

 

[raider89 10+ year member]

Well I was getting out to go purchase a set of RCA's, and my door speakers came on and started cutting in and out and then my amp started smelling burnt, and now its dead a door nail, just my luck. Still trying to figure out what happened so I can prevent it with the replacement, I cant think of anything that would cause that.