got some sparks this time...uh oh

[sumone 10+ year member]

Ok, so after I first hooked up the amp to the battery, everything was cool and nothing bad happened (well except running out my battery and requiring a jump to get started). That was just a test to connect it.

So then I go to connect it again today (acutally just put the fuse in, and connect wires to the amp) and when I tried to put the neg. terminal back on, I got some bigass sparks, that I jumped back and dropped the terminal screw inside the car (which I recovered 10 minutes later using like 10 different things to get it out). So I thought maybe it was those capacitors so I tried again...same sparks. So then I just took out the fuse, and disconnected the wires from the amp, and tried again. I got a tiny, small spark.

So did I do something wrong? Cause it wasn't like one spark and then it went away. They wouldn't go away when the screw had contact to the battery. However, I can't say this with assuredness because maybe when I was trying to screw it in, contact with the battery could've been now...not now...now...etc (cause the screw wasn't getting secure in the battery).

So is this normal or something I need not worry about? Will they eventually go away???

 

All is good right now.

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[Redliner 10+ year member]

Here's what I think...

I'm thinkin that somewhere, you might have your poles (+ & -) reversed. Possibly your battery. You say that your sparks were comming from the battery? Is the main + cable for the car's engine hooked up when this happens? If so, and your car starts, you've probably got a short somewhere in your battery line. Do you have a distribution block? If so, check to make sure it's protected and not touching something metal. Mine is hidden behind a panel in my car, so I went ahead and took the extra measure of wrapping it up with duct tape. Kind of ghetto, but hey, it's hidden, and it's extra safe...

If I were you, I'd go through and check all of your lines. Something is definately shorting out if you had to get a jump. That's why your battery was dead.

Jason

 

[sumone 10+ year member]

oh, let me clarify:

the first time I hooked up the amp:

- 2 weeks ago

- when finally connected the amp (65Wrmsx4), I had the car in "accessory" and for like an hour

- had the doors open and stuff too

- disconnected amp/took out power wire fuse

- couldn't start, needed a jump

the second time (today) I tried to hook up amp:

- the only thing I did was :

- - disconnect the negative screw

- - connect power & ground & rem wires to amp

- - put in the power wire fuse

- - put the negative screw back on, and this is where I got those sparks.

What are bad sparks? what are good sparks? (I guess in terms of looks, duration, etc)

 

[Boomin Granny 10+ year member]

Never put the fuse back in until the last step, Sparks coming from your battery terminal aren't bad(not good either), its just like you said, it kept connecting and disconnecting soo the sparks kept coming, as long as there wasn't any at the amp, you will be fine, but next time, leave the fuse out, hook it all up, put fuse in.

 

[Jt321 10+ year member]

The same thing happend to me when i connected my amp. When i had everything together it was time to connect the battery together, so when i put the + post on it was fine, then when i put the - post on got some sparks, i dropped the post bolt lol cuz it was scary! But i realized that the sparks didnt do anything to me. So i just kept screwing the bolt on when it was still sparking. Just keep screwing it on, it wont hurt you. It'll stop sparking when u screw it on like half way.

 

[sumone 10+ year member]

okay, so you're saying put the power wire fuse on last, basically?

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

Do you have a capacitor in the system?

 

[sumone 10+ year member]

Like one of those bigass ones that you buy that most-everyone here condemns? Nope. I thought it was maybe some capacitors inside the car's electrical system or in the amp's internals.

 

[Breogan24 10+ year member]

Always put the fuse in AFTER everything is connected. Also before putting the fuse in, make SURE all the connections are correct. I think what happened to you was that you touched the ground to power somehow. I have had something like that happen to me once, when being lazy and trying to hurry up, just went to connect the power wire to the amp and my hand slipped, making the power wire touch the case of the amp. I also had to pry the wire off, but luckily everything was ok. Was just a lesson

 

[mgaidica 10+ year member]

I THINK, once he put one of the main power lines into the amp it created an electrical potential, so once he completed the circuit it supplied that potential and for a small time period when there is not a PERFECT connection sparks occured due to this potential being only partially fulfilled. I've seen ths happen before. Maylar, please teach me what im saying wrong if anything, I'de guess you are a little more knowledgable than me.

ANYWAYS, a simple way to know if ur possitive and negative are right (after a multimeter) would be a simple 12v LED with some extension leads; you just mark the possitive and negative end and it wont light if ur polarity is off, or u have no power, or theres any line break. Really all of us should have a multimeter to check voltage if we are messing with anything electrical.

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

I THINK, once he put one of the main power lines into the amp it created an electrical potential, so once he completed the circuit it supplied that potential and for a small time period when there is not a PERFECT connection sparks occured due to this potential being only partially fulfilled.

Close enough. Just about anything that draws current will spark when you partially connect the wires. I think that's what you're saying.
The thing is something has to be drawing current. There are always capactors on the input of an amp, and my guess is that's what he saw. Once the internal caps were charged, the sparks stopped.

 

[mgaidica 10+ year member]

Yeah, exactly... Maylar, out of curiosity, what exactly do u do for a living?