Wiring question for multiple amp setup

[1hawaii50 10+ year member]

I will be installing 3 amps in my 07 Maxima within the next couple of weeks. I have on ARC KS300.4 that will run bridged to my front comps (Morel Dotech Ovation 6, 350w X 2 @ 4ohms bridged), I have another ARC KS300.4 that will run bridged to two Hertz EBX200R 8" subs (350w X 2 @ 4ohms bridged), Finally, I have an ARC KS125.2 Mini that I will be using to power the rear door speakers (ARC FD6025 2 X 70w @ 4ohms).

That being said, I will have a 1/0 run of Monster Cable (I know everybody's feeling about Monster products, but I got a great deal!) from the battery to the trunk (fused). Inside the trunk I will have a distro block to split the power into (2) 4gauge, and (1) 8 gauge to run to the amps. Now, my questions are:

What size fuse do I need to run at the battery on the 1/0 wire run?...and

What is the proper way to ground the amps? Should I ground each amp seperately at seperate spots? Or should I run a ground distro block and ground the distro block with 1/0 at one spot? I know that Pioneers are known for ground noise issues, and I want to avoid that. I've also read conflicting views on the proper grounding techniques....Lastly,

Do I need to run a relay for the remote turn on lead?

I will be powering everything off of a Pioneer DEH-P980BT. I will be using KnuKoncepz RCA's...I'm still undecided whether I will use the Krystal cables, or the Karma cables. I've used the Karma cables in 2 different installs and they worked perfectly.

Any help is appreciated.

Click to read more...

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

I will be installing 3 amps in my 07 Maxima within the next couple of weeks. I have on ARC KS300.4 that will run bridged to my front comps (Morel Dotech Ovation 6, 350w X 2 @ 4ohms bridged), I have another ARC KS300.4 that will run bridged to two Hertz EBX200R 8" subs (350w X 2 @ 4ohms bridged), Finally, I have an ARC KS125.2 Mini that I will be using to power the rear door speakers (ARC FD6025 2 X 70w @ 4ohms).
That being said, I will have a 1/0 run of Monster Cable (I know everybody's feeling about Monster products, but I got a great deal!) from the battery to the trunk (fused). Inside the trunk I will have a distro block to split the power into (2) 4gauge, and (1) 8 gauge to run to the amps. Now, my questions are:

What size fuse do I need to run at the battery on the 1/0 wire run?...and

What is the proper way to ground the amps? Should I ground each amp seperately at seperate spots? Or should I run a ground distro block and ground the distro block with 1/0 at one spot? I know that Pioneers are known for ground noise issues, and I want to avoid that. I've also read conflicting views on the proper grounding techniques....Lastly,

Do I need to run a relay for the remote turn on lead?

I will be powering everything off of a Pioneer DEH-P980BT. I will be using KnuKoncepz RCA's...I'm still undecided whether I will use the Krystal cables, or the Karma cables. I've used the Karma cables in 2 different installs and they worked perfectly.

Any help is appreciated.

Sounds like a nice setup.

1) Always fuse wire based on it's rated capacity. Check with Monster and see how they rate the 1/0. If it is rated up to 250A, use a 250A fuse.

2) Use the same wiring for the grounds that you do for the power wires, except that you do not need fuses on grounds. If you want to ground to the chassis instead of at the front battery, use one ground point for all of the amps.

3) With 3 amps, you are right on the fence regarding a turn on relay. If you wanted to go the safe route, use the relay. Some people have used the HU remote straight to 3 amps without any issues, but a more conservative installer would prefer the relay.

 

[1hawaii50 10+ year member]

Thanks for the reply, that's exactly what I was looking for. As far as grounding the amps goes, am I better off coming straight off of the battery? If grounding to chassis is fine, is a ground distribution block a bad idea, or should I just use ring terminals and stack them on top of each other? As far as the relay goes, I'll probably end up wiring one in since I'll be knee depp in wiring anyway.

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

Thanks for the reply, that's exactly what I was looking for. As far as grounding the amps goes, am I better off coming straight off of the battery? If grounding to chassis is fine, is a ground distribution block a bad idea, or should I just use ring terminals and stack them on top of each other? As far as the relay goes, I'll probably end up wiring one in since I'll be knee depp in wiring anyway.

Direct to the battery is best, but if you have a true frame rail, it is usually just as good as wire. Make sure if you are using the frame rail for your grounds, attach a link from the front battery directly to the frame in the front as well.

As for the distro blocks, there is no harm in using them. They are usually better off so you can cut down on the amount of wire you need to run. You can consolidate multiple wires into one bigger wire.

 

[1hawaii50 10+ year member]

I've got no frame rail, unibody construction. The tech I talked to at Monster is telling me that this wire is only rated @ 150 amps. He had me on hold forever, and gave me the distinct impression that he didn't have a clue. This stuff has to be rated higher than that, wouldn't you think? As far as attaching to a rail, do you recommend drilling through the trunk floor and passing the cable through to attach it underneath the car?

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

I've got no frame rail, unibody construction. The tech I talked to at Monster is telling me that this wire is only rated @ 150 amps. He had me on hold forever, and gave me the distinct impression that he didn't have a clue. This stuff has to be rated higher than that, wouldn't you think? As far as attaching to a rail, do you recommend drilling through the trunk floor and passing the cable through to attach it underneath the car?

Well the lowest I have seen 1/0 rated at was 250A (up to 50ft). The most is 350A. I would think you are safe at the 250A range. I find it hard to believe that Monster was not familiar with their wire ratings. You would think that with the amount they charge for their products, they would have a good CS dept. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

In a unibody vehicle, you are probably going to find that there are really no good grounds to be found, but some are better than others. You can test them yourself to find the best location using a DMM. By attaching a wire to the NEG- post of the front battery to one DMM lead, you can then probe with the other and measure the resistance between the two points. The lower the value the better of course. You will probably find that a seat belt bolt will be a good location.

 

[1hawaii50 10+ year member]

Well the lowest I have seen 1/0 rated at was 250A (up to 50ft). The most is 350A. I would think you are safe at the 250A range. I find it hard to believe that Monster was not familiar with their wire ratings. You would think that with the amount they charge for their products, they would have a good CS dept. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif
In a unibody vehicle, you are probably going to find that there are really no good grounds to be found, but some are better than others. You can test them yourself to find the best location using a DMM. By attaching a wire to the NEG- post of the front battery to one DMM lead, you can then probe with the other and measure the resistance between the two points. The lower the value the better of course. You will probably find that a seat belt bolt will be a good location.

Yeah, the Monster tech guy had me on hold for quite a while looking for somebody to ask. As far as the seat belt bolt goes, do you have any idea why it is always recommended NOT to use the seat belt bolt (I've read it in a few different places)? I wouldn't mind spending the money to buy another run of 1/0, but I have very little space to pass it through the firewall, and I'm trying my hardest not to have to drill any holes.

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

Yeah, the Monster tech guy had me on hold for quite a while looking for somebody to ask. As far as the seat belt bolt goes, do you have any idea why it is always recommended NOT to use the seat belt bolt (I've read it in a few different places)? I wouldn't mind spending the money to buy another run of 1/0, but I have very little space to pass it through the firewall, and I'm trying my hardest not to have to drill any holes.

I would guess that if you were a complete tool and did not tighten the bolt for the seat belt, the seat belt would not hold the occupant during a collision. That is up to you. I feel fairly competent in my abilities to secure a bolt. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

You will have to probe around for a good ground. That is the best I can tell you. Use a location that you feel comfortable with. Make sure it has good continuity with the front battery post. All will be good in the end if you do a little work today.

 

[1hawaii50 10+ year member]

I would guess that if you were a complete tool and did not tighten the bolt for the seat belt, the seat belt would not hold the occupant during a collision. That is up to you. I feel fairly competent in my abilities to secure a bolt. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif
You will have to probe around for a good ground. That is the best I can tell you. Use a location that you feel comfortable with. Make sure it has good continuity with the front battery post. All will be good in the end if you do a little work today.

I've pulled motors with a $100 set of Craftsman hand tools, I think I can handle a seat belt bolt //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif ! I just wondered why it's recommended not to use it? I need to pull the fender apron on the car and see if I can get a second pull of 1/0 through the firewall without drilling. If I can, I'll ground right to the battery. I'll finish with the "big 3" and I should be good to go!