How important is amp wire

[817king 10+ year member]

I just ordered an amp and Im putting it in my car as soon as it gets here. Im putting the amp in the trunk where my battery is. The power cable and the ground cable will both be about 4 feet max. The amp specs says I need a 4 gauge wire kit. Well i already have a amp kit in my car. I will just need to get some 4 gauge wire. Does brand name wire really make a difference?

its a 06 kicker zx750.1 mono amp

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[danz24 10+ year member]

I dont think so, and if someone says otherwise, the difference is probably minimal

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

Brand name wire can have better quailty as well as more strands for the same gauge.Also see if its pure copper or CCA.If you just need wire for a small setup don't worry.If your going for every last bit,Don't skimp on the wire.

 

[SPL Blazer 10+ year member]

Your wire runs aren't that long, but you should still pick up wire from a decent company. A friend of mine picked up a cheap 4 gauge amp kit on Ebay and when I put his 4 ga wire next to my Stinger HPM 4ga the difference was amazing. From the outside it was the same size, but when you placed them side by side and looked at the wire itself the cheap stuff was almost half the size of my Stinger. If a company doesn't list the wire strand count or whether or not it's pure copper or CCA or tinned copper, then don't waste your money on it.

 

[jrwalte 10+ year member]

why would your ground be 4' long? The shorter the amp ground the better. My Ryval v8001 recommends under 18".

 

[817king 10+ year member]

why would your ground be 4' long? The shorter the amp ground the better. My Ryval v8001 recommends under 18".

My battery is in the trunk and my amp is going in the trunk also.

 

[jrwalte 10+ year member]

Is the battery in the trunk grounding to the battery up front or to the chassis in the trunk?

If you have a ground loop issue that's one of the first things I'd look at - especially if you don't ground the battery in the trunk (which essentially means your ground length is 4' + the length to the engine).

You could do a dist block and ground the battery and the amp together inbetween the two to shorten your lengths. Or a cheaper way is just connect the two ring terminals to the same bolt.

 

[817king 10+ year member]

Is the battery in the trunk grounding to the battery up front or to the chassis in the trunk?
If you have a ground loop issue that's one of the first things I'd look at - especially if you don't ground the battery in the trunk (which essentially means your ground length is 4' + the length to the engine).

You could do a dist block and ground the battery and the amp together inbetween the two to shorten your lengths. Or a cheaper way is just connect the two ring terminals to the same bolt.

NO I only have one battery and it is in the trunk. I have a BMW and when I got the car the battery was underneath the backseat. I saw how some models batteries came stock in the trunk, so I cut the floor carpet in the trunk and the hole was there for the battery, so I moved my battery back there

 

[SPL Blazer 10+ year member]

Just a note in case you decide to upgrade your system in the future. Depending on the model of BMW you have you can run into serious issues when you install a high Output alt. I have no idea which models it effects, but it's something to ask a dealership service dept about if you decide to do this in the future. I know the computer monitors the alt's output and if it senses a higher output than the factory setting is then the car won't shift out of 1st gear. Something to think about.

 

[817king 10+ year member]

Is the battery in the trunk grounding to the battery up front or to the chassis in the trunk?
If you have a ground loop issue that's one of the first things I'd look at - especially if you don't ground the battery in the trunk (which essentially means your ground length is 4' + the length to the engine).

You could do a dist block and ground the battery and the amp together inbetween the two to shorten your lengths. Or a cheaper way is just connect the two ring terminals to the same bolt.

Just a note in case you decide to upgrade your system in the future. Depending on the model of BMW you have you can run into serious issues when you install a high Output alt. I have no idea which models it effects, but it's something to ask a dealership service dept about if you decide to do this in the future. I know the computer monitors the alt's output and if it senses a higher output than the factory setting is then the car won't shift out of 1st gear. Something to think about.

Holy crap thanks dude. Because if my lights dimmed i was going to get a optima battery and probably a bigger altenator. Thanks again I owe you

 

[jrwalte 10+ year member]

I don't think an amp sensor on the alt would care about the battery but it wouldn't hurt to ask a dealership.

It's odd that they'd monitor amp's from the alt, but I wouldn't rule it out.

 

[SPL Blazer 10+ year member]

I don't think an amp sensor on the alt would care about the battery but it wouldn't hurt to ask a dealership.
It's odd that they'd monitor amp's from the alt, but I wouldn't rule it out.

I thought it was pretty odd too, so I asked someone at a local alternator rebuilding shop and he said this problem happens with BMW's and with some Mercedes. You have to buy some special bypass chip and install it in the computer in order to use the higher output alt.

 

[817king 10+ year member]

I thought it was pretty odd too, so I asked someone at a local alternator rebuilding shop and he said this problem happens with BMW's and with some Mercedes. You have to buy some special bypass chip and install it in the computer in order to use the higher output alt.

alright thanks again bro

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

why would your ground be 4' long? The shorter the amp ground the better. My Ryval v8001 recommends under 18".

Why would PG publish something so trivial? Sure 18" is great.

So is 2', or 3', or 6' if that's what you need. There will be no difference at all in the performance of the amp.

The rule should be -- "As short as reasonably possible".

 

[Tehgregzor 10+ year member]

Just ground to the battery. Its the best ground you'll ever find.