overheating amp

[djredot 10+ year member]

i cant figure out why this amp keeps overheating

all my wireing to the amp is done right but once i plug the rca's in it starts to shut down and over heat any ideas...

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[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

how is it mounted?

anything obstructing the heatsink?

 

[djredot 10+ year member]

it is mounted in the trunk, free of obstruction, the rca's are brand new but the amp is an older RF. i used to have it in my jeep and it worked fine and now this crap keeps happening. at first i thought it might be the ground so i changed it, then i thought the subs weren't wired right but they were i am just confused on why this would happen i have had tons of cars and many systems and never had this problem before

 

[homer3304 10+ year member]

How quickly does it overheat ?? If it is instantly, then amp could be fried. If not try disconnecting all speakers at the amp and see if it still does it.

 

[djredot 10+ year member]

the amp does fine if there is nothing hooked up. No RCA and no speaker wire. it stays cool until the rcas are pluged in.

 

[djredot 10+ year member]

Does anyone have any more ideas on this problem

 

[saywhat? 5,000+ posts]

i think you posted twice, is it a rockford? if it is the heatsink is the outter most part, usually EXTREMELY hot. try mounting some fans and stuff to cool it.

 

[forbidden 10+ year member]

An amp is designed to get hot - this is true. But if the amp gets hot the minute the rca's are plugged in then there is a dead short in the system. Do not continue on this path and no number of fans will help you. Disconnect all the speakers and the rca cables. Run a temporary new rca cable over the top of the seats. Connect it to the amp, leave the speakers disconnected. Does the amp turn on and does it get hot. If so then there is a failure inside of the amplifier, more than likely in the output section. Test the speakers to see if they work by using a small AA battery, touch the speaker leads to each terminal of the battery, you should hear the subs snap. If they do not then you might have a blown speaker or a speaker going to ground which would send the amp into protection mode of some sort. Post back the results. To me it sounds either like a rca cable going to ground or a blown amplifier.

 

[djredot 10+ year member]

Thank you i will try that today i value the help