Massive voltage drop at amp but not at battery? Help

[gamehawk55 10+ year member]

Hey guys,

For the longest time I've been battling voltage issues and every time I think it's fixed it eventually comes back a few days later. My problem is that my voltage at my amps is dropping HARD (13.9v down to 11.8). But yet reading the voltage at the battery barely shows even a 0.2v drop. WTF!!.

Everytime I mess with something, whether it be changing up the ground or adding a bigger fuse or adding extra buss bars to my distribution block the voltage holds ALOT stronger at the amps and seems to be about right. Then as the days go on the voltage drop at the amp becomes worse and worse again but STILL the voltage drop up front at the battery is next to NOTHING!!. This doesn't make any logical sense at all. I need to get this sorted because it's driving me nuts and it's probably going to end up killing my equipment.

Click to read more...

 

[mat3833 10+ year member]

this is probobly a stupid question. but are your distros/fuse holders using ring terminals or set-screws? i had a problem WAY back similar to this and it ended up being the power wire ring terminal at the fuse. the ring terminal was crimped, but the wire was slightly loose inside it. voltage would be fine for a bit but start dropping as the wire heated up from "arcing" to the ring terminal.

Matt

 

[gamehawk55 10+ year member]

this is probobly a stupid question. but are your distros/fuse holders using ring terminals or set-screws? i had a problem WAY back similar to this and it ended up being the power wire ring terminal at the fuse. the ring terminal was crimped, but the wire was slightly loose inside it. voltage would be fine for a bit but start dropping as the wire heated up from "arcing" to the ring terminal.
Matt

Fuse holder up front is set screws and the KNF-60 Distro block doesn't use either. It uses special compression fittings and mini-ANL fuses and buss bars to make it's connections.

This is the distro I'm using. Knukonceptz product detail for KONFUSED 2 WAY POWER AND GROUND DISTRIBUTION BLOCK

 

[mat3833 10+ year member]

try removing the distro and running the fosgate by itself. not saying that distro is junk, but i dont trust fittings like that. crimp and solder or set screw for me.

Matt

 

[Side Show 10+ year member]

take batts out and test indevidually

 

[gamehawk55 10+ year member]

take batts out and test indevidually

I'm not running multiple batteries right now. No point in doing so when I'm only running 1000-1200W atm.

 

[Side Show 10+ year member]

with that amount of volt drop.... I think you may need a better or second battery, and I think 0 gauge is too big (if that's possible)

 

[gamehawk55 10+ year member]

try removing the distro and running the fosgate by itself. not saying that distro is junk, but i dont trust fittings like that. crimp and solder or set screw for me.
Matt

That's gonna be the next plan. Will probably try that tomorrow after work. If it turns out it is the distro causing me all my headaches what is going to be the best re-coarse of action to get both amps hooked back up reliably?

 

[gamehawk55 10+ year member]

with that amount of volt drop.... I think you may need a better or second battery

Did you not read the OP properly?. The AMPS are showing voltage drop when there isn't any. Meaning it isn't a battery problem. The voltage is only dropping 0.2-0.4v at the alternator/battery, while the voltage is dropping 1.0-2.0v at the amp.

I can literally watch my RF amps battery level dip into the redline (

 

[Side Show 10+ year member]

what battery are you talking about? whats the CCA rating for it? so when you have it all wired up and playing, your battery only goes down to 13.6 volts at your battery terminals? but at your amp input your getting 11.0v?

 

[mat3833 10+ year member]

That's gonna be the next plan. Will probably try that tomorrow after work. If it turns out it is the distro causing me all my headaches what is going to be the best re-coarse of action to get both amps hooked back up reliably?

just pick up a distro that uses set-screws or ring terminals. set-screws are eaiser. and while you are in there make sure you have a SOLID ground. hell, if you have the wire, make a run from the amp outside the car to the battery for this test. 90% of voltage issues are from bad grounds.

Matt

Matt

 

---------- Post added at 03:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:30 AM ----------

 

what battery are you talking about? whats the CCA rating for it? so when you have it all wired up and playing, your battery only goes down to 13.6 volts at your battery terminals? but at your amp input your getting 11.0v?

yes, his battery voltage is staying at 13.6 but in the trunk at the amp voltage is 11 or lower.

Matt

 

[Side Show 10+ year member]

4 gauge would be better for that amount of pwr wouldn't it?

 

[gamehawk55 10+ year member]

4 gauge would be better for that amount of pwr wouldn't it?

It's already all 0 gauge. Did you think I was running 8 gauge to that monster amp or something? I'm not a moron.

 

[mat3833 10+ year member]

4 gauge would be better for that amount of pwr wouldn't it?

no. just NO. smaller wire is NEVER better. the bigger you can go the better. bigger wire has less resistance. less resistance means less heat and less voltage drop. obviously you dont need to run 4ga to your mids and tweets, but when it comes to feeding amps BIGGER, always. for subs i try to use 8ga whenever possible.

Matt

 

[Side Show 10+ year member]

like I said wouldn't 4 gauge be better than 0 gauge for that amount of pwr (1200wrms) thort the thicker and longer the cable the more volt drop you would see...... hope it's just the distro block thoe